Die-Cut Printing Guide

Text version

The GDM Die-Cut Printing Guide

Everything from the Cutline Cruiser flight, in plain text. Use it as a reference while you set up your file.

1. What die-cut printing is

Die-cutting and contour cutting shape a printed piece to a custom outline instead of a plain rectangle. GDM cuts stickers, labels, decals, wall graphics, foam board, acrylic, PVC, coroplast and fully custom shapes. The cutter does not look at your picture. It follows a vector cut path, a separate line in your file that tells the blade, router bit or laser where to travel. If that path is wrong, the cut is wrong, even when the art looks perfect.

2. Cut types

• Kiss cut: cuts through the sticker layer only. The backing stays whole, which makes sheets and easy peeling possible.
• Die cut or through cut: cuts through the sticker and the backing, producing individually shaped pieces.
• Sheet kiss-cut: several kiss-cut stickers on one sheet, with an outer through cut around the sheet.
• Perforation: a line of cuts and uncut ties so a piece tears off on purpose.
• Crease or score: presses a fold line into paper or rigid pieces without cutting through.
• Router or CNC: a spinning bit cuts acrylic, PVC, coroplast, ACM and foam board. The bit diameter sets the minimum inside corner radius. A 1/8" bit leaves at least a 1/16" radius.
• Laser cutting: a focused beam cuts acrylic and wood and can reach finer detail than a router bit.

Sheets vs roll labels

Individually die-cut stickers are ideal for giveaways and handing out. Kiss-cut sheets keep a set together. Roll labels are made for hand or machine application and are specified by core size, unwind direction and the gap between labels.

3. Setting up the cutline file

The preferred method is a single file. Place the cutline on its own layer named CutContour. Color it with a spot color swatch named CutContour, defined as 100% magenta with the color type set to spot. Use a stroke of 0.25 pt to 1 pt and no fill.

A separate matching cutline PDF is also accepted. It must have the same artboard size, the same orientation and the cutline in the same position as the art file.

Registration: the cutter reads optical registration marks printed around the art to locate it. The art and cutline must share the same artboard origin, so never move one without the other.

Cutline requirements

• Vector only.
• Closed, continuous paths.
• Single stroke, no fill.
• No duplicate or stacked paths, because they cause a double cut.
• Text converted to outlines.
• Nothing else on the cut layer: no images, hidden objects or clipping masks.
• Raster cutlines are not accepted. That includes JPG, PNG, screenshots and flattened selections.

4. Bleed

Wherever art touches the edge, extend it 0.125" (1/8") past the cutline. Without bleed, the normal movement of the cutter exposes thin white slivers of bare material along the edge. Bleed is trimmed away on a good cut.

5. Safe zone

Keep text, logos, QR codes, barcodes, phone numbers and fine detail at least 0.125" inside the cutline so nothing important gets nicked.

6. Cutting tolerance and halo borders

Cutting can drift about ±1 mm (±0.04") relative to the print. Do not put thin borders right on the cutline, because drift makes them uneven or cuts them off on one side. A white halo border of 0.0625" to 0.125" between the art and the cutline hides drift.

7. Shape design

Prefer smooth curves and rounded corners. Avoid sharp points under about 30 degrees, very narrow necks, thin spikes, tiny internal cutouts, tiny islands, hairline bridges, excess anchor points and overly complex paths.

Shape presets

• Circle, square, rounded rectangle and oval: fast, predictable cuts for labels and giveaway stickers.
• Custom contour: the cut follows the outline of your art.
• Halo: a custom contour with a white border around the art to hide drift.

Table of minimums

8. Weeding

Weeding is removing the excess vinyl, called the matrix, after cutting. A simple shape weeds in one pull. Tiny islands and interior cutouts must each be picked out by hand, which makes weeding slow, fragile and more expensive. Merge small details, keep cut lettering at least 0.5" tall and use background shapes where you can.

9. Materials and laminate

• White vinyl: the opaque everyday base for full color.
• Clear: unprinted areas disappear. Needs white ink underneath for opaque color.
• Metallic and chrome: shine through translucent inks. White ink underneath blocks the metal where you want flat color.
• Holographic: rainbow shift that moves with the light. White ink controls which areas shimmer.
• Reflective: returns light to its source for safety and night visibility.
• Paper: economical for short term, indoor labels and packaging.
• Cast vs calendered vinyl: cast is thin and conformable for curves and vehicles. Calendered is thicker and more economical for flat surfaces and shorter terms.
• Laminate: gloss, matte or soft-touch. Laminate adds durability and UV resistance, and it adds thickness, which changes the cut depth.

10. Building a contour in Adobe Illustrator

1. Expand the art (Object > Expand) and outline all text (Type > Create Outlines).
2. Offset the outline: Object > Path > Offset Path, for example 0.0625" to 0.125" for a white border.
3. Merge everything into one outline with Pathfinder > Unite.
4. Round sharp corners with Effect > Stylize > Round Corners, then Object > Expand Appearance.
5. Clean up with Object > Path > Simplify, then Object > Path > Join so every path is closed.
6. For raster logos, run Image Trace, then Expand, then Offset Path.
7. Assign the CutContour spot swatch as the stroke, remove any fill, and move the path to the CutContour layer.
8. Export a press PDF with layers preserved.

11. Common rejection reasons

• Cutline is not vector.
• Open path.
• Duplicate or stacked paths.
• Cut file size or position does not match the art.
• Missing bleed.
• Fill on the cutline.
• Extra objects on the cut layer.
• Overly complex path.
• Wrong file format.

12. Pre-upload checklist

1. File saved as a PDF.
2. Cutline is vector, on its own layer or in its own matching file.
3. Same size and position for art and cutline.
4. Closed paths.
5. No duplicate paths.
6. Stroke only, no fill.
7. 0.125" bleed.
8. Content at least 0.125" inside the cutline.
9. No extra objects.
10. Simplified paths.

FAQ

Can you make my cutline?

Yes. GDM's design team can build one from your art. A design fee may apply depending on complexity.

Why is there a white edge on my sticker?

Either the design uses an intentional halo border, or the art had no bleed and normal cut drift exposed bare material. Add 0.125" of bleed to prevent it.

Kiss cut or die cut for giveaways?

Individually die-cut stickers are easiest to hand out. Kiss-cut sheets work best for sets that stay together.

What is the smallest size?

About 1" overall, with cut lettering at least 0.5" tall.

What is a halo border?

A white margin of 0.0625" to 0.125" between the art and the cutline that hides cut drift and makes the sticker stand out.