)
5 manieren om Stickers te gebruiken voor Branding en het opbouwen van Merkbekendheid
Stickers zijn niet langer alleen voor laptops en waterflessen. Ze zijn kleine, maar krachtige hulpmiddelen voor merkherkenning, klantbetrokkenheid en creatieve marketing.
Of je nu een klein bedrijf bent, een creatief studio, of een groot merk dat van gedurfde ideeën houdt, hier zijn vijf slimme manieren om stickers je geheime branding wapen te maken.
Kort samengevat: Stickers zijn een van de meest creatieve, betaalbare en effectieve manieren om je merk te versterken. Van verpakkingen en visitekaartjes tot weggevertjes op evenementen en verzamelbare Sticker Packs, ze helpen je op een leuke, memorabele manier op te vallen. Gebruik ze voor:
-
Verpakkingen
-
Visitekaartjes
-
Merchandise
-
Creëren van merkambassadeurs
-
Limited edition drops en lanceringen
Cutlines, explained simple!
A cutline is a vector path in your file that tells the machine exactly where to cut. It is not printed, not visible, and not really part of your design in the usual sense. But it plays a bigger role than you might think.
Think of it as the final outline. An invisible border that turns your artwork into something you can actually hold, peel, and stick. It lets your design follow a clean silhouette. That can be a simple circle, a sharp logo, or something more playful like clouds or wavy shapes.
So even if you never see it, the cutline is always there in the background. Quietly making sure everything ends up exactly where it should. If a sticker has a shape, the cutline is the reason why.
)
Die-Cut (buitenste snede)
Die-cut is probably what most people think of first when it comes to stickers. This is the shape of the sticker itself. It can follow your design closely, like a classic die-cut, or be something more standard like a circle or square. This is what you usually choose in the editor before uploading your artwork.
)
Kiss-Cut (binnenste snede)
Inner cuts are what you see in kiss-cut stickers or sticker sheets. Here, the sticker is cut on the surface, but the backing paper stays intact. Think of it as the blade giving the sticker a little smooch, just enough to separate the design without going all the way through.
)
Doorlopende snede
Then you have through-cuts. Think of it as a hole cut straight through your design. It goes all the way through the material, not just around the shape. So in a way, it is both a die-cut and a through-cut, since the sticker still has its outer shape while parts inside are fully removed.
How to Create Custom Cutlines
As we’re using Adobe CC for pre-press, this guide covers how to create a cutline in Adobe Illustrator.
-
Open your file in Adobe Illustrator
-
Create a new layer, name it “cutline” and place it on top
-
Use the Pen Tool, Shape Tool, or Offset Path to draw your outline
-
Make sure the cutline is smooth, closed, and vector-based
-
Your cutline should sit 0.076”/2 mm outside your artwork. If you’re looking to print stickers without borders, stretch the design 0.076”/2 mm past the cutline.
-
Don’t use transparency, gradients, or effects on the cutline
-
Use a 1 pt stroke, set the color type to Spot Color, and choose 100% magenta
If you're like us, the nerdier kind, please read the full guide here.
)
Creating Cutlines (The Easy Way)
So what if your file does not come with a custom cutline? No worries, you still have two easy options. You can adjust it directly in the editor, or leave a comment and let us handle it.
Adjust it in the editor
In the editor, head to the right sidebar and click on “Cutlines”. There you can choose the size that fits your design, small, medium, or large.
You can also switch the shape completely. Circle, square, or rounded corners, whatever works best for your design.
If you want a true die-cut look, make sure your artwork has a transparent or white background. Otherwise the system might default to a square if it cannot detect the outline.
Or, leave a comment!
If you prefer, just leave a comment with your order and ask us to match the cutline to your design. This is especially helpful if the background is hard to remove or the shape is more detailed.
)
Where Your Dreams Take Shape
Understanding the difference makes it so much easier to actually navigate the sticker world without guessing your way through it. And there is a lot you can do once you start experimenting with the different cuts.
So try things out, see what works, and if you have any ideas or questions, feel free to reach out to our support team. They are always happy to help you bring your idea to life.
)
