Artwork guide
Everything you need to prep print-ready sticker artwork for Speedy Stickers — file formats, cut paths, bleed, safe zones, material tips, and how to tell our Roland VG2 cutter exactly where to go.
The TL;DR
-
Vector preferred (SVG, PDF or AI). PNG and JPG work for raster designs at
300 dpior higher. - Add 3 mm bleed on all edges. Keep text and logos at least 3 mm inside the cut line.
-
Supply a cut path as a vector line on a layer named
CutContour, in 100% Magenta spot colour (C0 M100 Y0 K0), 0.25 pt stroke, no fill. - Or let our auto-contour engine do it — upload the artwork on its own with a transparent background.
- Submit colours in sRGB (we convert in-house). Pantone? Add the swatch to your file and mention it in order notes.
How our cutter reads your file
Every sticker we ship goes through a Roland VG2 cutter. The cutter looks for one of two things:
A named cut layer
A vector path on a layer called CutContour, stroked in 100% magenta spot colour. The cutter follows that path exactly — accurate to within 0.1 mm.
A transparent background
No cut path? Our auto-contour engine detects the edge of your artwork from the alpha channel and builds the cut path for you, offset by your chosen border width.
File formats, ranked
| Format | Best for | Cut path | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SVG | Logos, type, flat art | Vector CutContour layer or auto |
Our preferred format. Scales perfectly. |
| Any artwork, print-ready | Vector CutContour or auto |
Use PDF/X-4. Embed fonts. | |
| AI | Native Illustrator files | Vector CutContour layer |
Save as CC-compatible. Package with linked assets. |
| PNG | Raster designs with transparency | Auto-contour from alpha | 300 dpi+ at final print size. |
| JPG | Photo stickers | Square/Circle only | No transparency = no auto-contour. |
| TIFF | Large raster, retouched photo | Flatten before export | 300 dpi, LZW compression. |
Bleed, cut line & safe zone
Think of your sticker as three concentric zones:
- Bleed — artwork extends 3 mm past the cut line on all sides. Catches any cutter wobble so no white edges show.
- Cut line — the exact outline the blade follows.
- Safe zone — 3 mm inside the cut line. Keep logos, text, QR codes and anything you can't afford to lose inside here.
The CutContour layer
This is the designer's shortcut to exact die-cutting. Create a new layer in your file, name it CutContour (case-sensitive, no spaces), and draw the cut path on it as a vector line with:
- Stroke: 100% Magenta spot colour (
C0 M100 Y0 K0) — add as a new swatch namedCutContour - Stroke weight: 0.25 pt
- Fill: none
- Closed path (no gaps) that defines where the blade travels
CutContour layer sits over your artwork and tells the blade exactly where to goColour & profiles
- Submit in sRGB for digital print. We convert to CMYK or extended gamut in-house with ICC profiles tuned to each material.
- Reserve 100% magenta (C0 M100 Y0 K0) for cut lines only. Don't use it in artwork or we'll mistake it for a cut path.
- Pantone matching? Add the Pantone swatch to your file and mention the Pantone number in order notes. Pantone matching is free — we'll send a proof before printing.
-
Pure white and metallic ink are available on Clear and Chrome. Add a
WhiteInkspot colour layer under the artwork where you want ink, orMetallicInkfor metallic.
Material-specific tips
Vinyl (incl. Hi-Tack & Low-Tack)
Our workhorse white vinyl with UV laminate. Prints vivid, full-colour. Nothing special needed in your file — artwork prints as-is. Choose Matte or Gloss laminate at the pack builder.
Economy
Non-laminated budget vinyl for short-term indoor use. Avoid very fine lines (under 0.3 mm) and tiny text (under 6 pt) — no laminate means less edge protection.
Clear
Transparent vinyl — only your artwork shows. For opaque colour, add a WhiteInk spot layer under the artwork. Without it, light colours (yellow, pastels) will look washed out on dark surfaces.
Glitter
Silver-sparkle laminate over white vinyl. Expect subtle sparkle overlay on light colours and more sparkle on dark ones. Avoid very subtle gradients — the sparkle interrupts them.
Holographic
Rainbow foil underlay that shifts with viewing angle. Colours over the foil will shift too — a yellow sticker will have rainbow sparkle through it. For areas you want pure colour, add a WhiteInk spot layer underneath.
Chrome
Mirror-metallic silver underlay. Same rules as Holographic — for pure colour, add a WhiteInk layer. Leaving transparent areas gives you a stunning mirror-chrome effect.
Sticker Pack & header card
Pack contents
Each sticker in your pack is handled individually. Supply one file per design. Set each sticker's material, size, shape and finish in the pack builder. If any sticker uses supplied cut paths, tick Pre-cut on that sticker and we'll skip auto-contour.
Header card dimensions
The folded card is 105 × 74 mm flat (two 37 mm panels joined at the fold line). The top half prints on the back of the pack, the bottom half prints on the front. The hang-hole punch is centred on each panel's outer edge.
Download templates
Grab a template that already has bleed, safe zone, cut layer and cut colour pre-set. Pop your artwork in, export, upload. All templates ship with layers named Your Artwork and CutContour — ready for Illustrator, Figma, Affinity or Inkscape.
Sticker · 100 mm
100 × 100 mm with 3 mm bleed, safe zone and CutContour layer. Scale to fit smaller sizes in Illustrator.
Pack header card
Folded 105 × 74 mm template with fold line, hang-hole punches and panel-label guides for the sticker-pack header.
Figma
Open either SVG above in Figma (File → Import, or just drag it in). Layers import with names preserved.
Need something custom?
Odd size, non-rectangular bleed, multi-up sheet layout? Email us with specs and we'll make a bespoke template for you — free.
Do's & don'ts
Do
- Export at the final print size with 3 mm bleed
- Outline all fonts before sending
- Flatten transparencies in raster files
- Use a closed vector path for
CutContour - Save PNG with transparent background for auto-contour
- Supply a WhiteInk layer on Clear, Chrome & Holographic
Don't
- Use 100% magenta anywhere in your artwork
- Nest cut paths or leave them open at the ends
- Upload JPGs expecting auto-contour (no alpha)
- Put text closer than 3 mm to the cut line
- Rely on hairlines under 0.25 pt — they may drop out
- Supply CMYK unless you've soft-proofed to our profile
FAQ
What's the minimum sticker size?
30 × 30 mm (3 × 3 cm). Smaller than that and die-cutting gets unreliable.
What's the maximum sticker size?
240 × 240 mm (24 × 24 cm) in the pack builder. Larger prints are available via custom quote — email us.
Can I supply CMYK?
Yes, but only if you've soft-proofed to our ICC profile for the chosen material. Otherwise colours may shift. Email us and we'll send the profile. If in doubt, send sRGB — we handle the conversion with per-material tuning.
Do you charge extra for cut paths?
No. Whether you supply a CutContour layer or let us auto-contour, the price is the same.
How accurate is the cutter?
Our Roland VG2 holds ±0.1 mm. For most designs you'll never see any mismatch between print and cut. For critical registration (metallic underlays, split borders), we check each proof manually.
What if my design has multiple separate shapes?
No problem. The CutContour layer can hold multiple closed paths — the cutter will handle each. For auto-contour, each separate transparent region becomes its own cut area.
Do you proof before printing?
Yes — free digital proofs on every order within 2 hours during working hours. We print only after you approve.
What happens if my file isn't print-ready?
We'll flag it in your proof. If it's a small fix (upsize, add bleed, convert text to outlines) we usually sort it for free. Larger redesign work is quoted first.
Can I combine Speedy Stickers orders into one shipment?
Yes — orders placed within 24 hours ship together automatically.
Need a human?
Email hello@speedystickers.co.uk and we'll check your artwork before anything hits the printer. Free proofs on every order.