It's the cut line, the path the blade will follow around your sticker. We draw it on the proof so you can check the shape and the border, and the cut line is not printed on your stickers.
On the Live Sticker Proof
On sticker product pages for White and High-Tack vinyl, you can see your sticker before you order. It's optional: after you upload one file, press "Draw It Now" in the "See Instant Sticker Proof" box. The "Live Sticker Proof" shows the cut line as a dashed green line, with the legend "Cutline (Not Printed)". Press "Show Finished Sticker" to see the sticker as it will look once it's cut, and "Show Cutlines" to bring the line back. See how to use the Live Sticker Proof.
On the proof we email
The proof we email after you order shows the cut line drawn around your design too. It's there for you to check, and it isn't printed either.
What to check against it
- The shape: the line should follow your artwork the way you expected.
- The border: the gap between your artwork and the line is the border. Thin is 0.065", Standard is 0.09", and Thick is 0.125".
- The edge: on a sticker, anything that mustn't be trimmed, such as text, a phone number, or a thin outline, should sit at least 0.09" inside the line. On roll labels, keep it 1/8" inside.
Color that runs past the line
If your design's color carries on a little past the cut line, that's bleed. On stickers and sheet labels we print 0.06" past the cut wherever color runs to the edge, and on roll labels 0.125". That way, a cut that lands a hair off doesn't leave a thin white sliver. The extra is trimmed away. A sticker with a white border doesn't need bleed. See bleed, safe area, and how close the blade gets for both margins.
The measurements
The width and height shown along the sticker are its finished size, measured on the cut line, not on your file's canvas. See choosing your sticker size.
If the line isn't where you want it, press "Request Changes" and tell us where it should go.