A Guide to Sticker Printing in the Knowledge Lab

To get started prepping your sticker image for printing, complete the following steps.

1. Open Adobe Illustrator.
2. Click on "New File".

   

3. Under "Preset Details", set the
   • Width to 18 inches (printer default)
   • Height to the height of your sticker design
   • Color Mode to CMYK
   • Raster Effects to "High (300 ppi)".
   • Then click "Create".

   

4. Place the sticker image into the Illustrator file.
   • Go to the File menu located at the top of the page.
   • Click “Place…”.
   • Choose your image.
   • Click to place it onto the artboard.
   • Note: If your image is larger than the artboard (the white canvas space), while holding Shift, click on one of the corners and drag inward to scale it down.

   

These steps will take you through the process of creating an outline of your image and cleaning up any extra details.

1. Create a duplicate of your sticker. One copy will be used to create the outline.
   • With the sticker selected, (Ctrl + C) > (Ctrl + V).

   

2. Create an outline of the sticker by selecting one of the copies and using Image Trace to create a silhouette.
   • Go to the Window menu at the top of the page, choose “Image Trace” > Presets: Silhouettes.

   

3. Expand the Image Trace into vector lines using the column on the right.
   • In the Properties panel, under Quick Actions, choose “Expand”. Note: If this option doesn’t pop-up, you may need to open the Properties panel by going to the Window menu at the top and choosing “Properties”.

   

4. Ungroup the expanded objects so that the so that the pieces can be selected individually.
   • With the Image Trace result still selected, click on the “Ungroup” option in the Properties panel.

   

5. Release the ungrouped trace into their component shapes.
   • With the ungrouped image still selected, click on the “Release” option in the Properties panel.

   

6. Click on the outermost edge of the shape to select it and drag it into an empty space on the artboard. This is the final outline. You can delete the other shapes from the image trace; they won’t be needed.
   • Select other shapes by clicking and dragging over them. Press Delete to delete the shapes.

   

7. Switch the fill and stroke of the outline shape.
   • With the outline shape selected, click on the “Swap fill and stroke” arrow OR (Shift + X).

   

8. Make a duplicate of the outline shape. This will be needed later.
   • With the outline shape selected, (Ctrl + C) > (Ctrl + V).
   • Make sure all your images are separated. You should have two outlines shapes and the original.

   

9. Align the outline shape and the original image.
   • While selecting both the outline and the image, use the align tool (located in the Properties panel), to align the two images vertically and horizontally so that they overlap.

   

10. Create a clipping mask to eliminate anything outside the sticker outline.
    • With both the outline and the original image still selected, right-click > select Make Clipping Mask.

    

11. Create an offset path. This step is optional but is recommended for stickers with complex or detailed edges such as irregular or text shapes.
    • Select the remaining outline shape.
    • Click on the Offset Path button in the Properties panel.

    

12. Enter the desired offset amount and click ok.
    • Note: The larger the number, the wider the border.

    

13. Take the outline from earlier and line it up vertically and horizontally with the clipped-masked image.
    • While selecting both the outline and the image, use the align tool (located in the Properties panel), to align the two images vertically and horizontally so that they overlap.

    

Before you can create a cut path, download the Roland Versaworks.ai file below. 

Before you can create a cut path, you need to have downloaded the Roland VersaWorks.ai file below. You do not need to open this file; you just need to have it downloaded on your computer so you can access it in a later step.

1. Open the swatches panel.
   • Go to the Window menu and choose Swatches”.

   

2. Click on the “Swatch Libraries menu” (bottom left corner of the Swatches panel) and choose “Other Library…”
   • Open the downloaded Roland VersaWorks.ai file.

   

3. Select the outline you created. This may be challenging as the outline is behind the image.
   • To make it easier,
   • Go to the Window menu,
   • Select “Layers” to open the Layers panel,
   • Click on the caret (>) icon next to Layer 1,
   • Click on the empty circle next to “<Path>”.
   • This should select the outline shape that will become the cut path.

   

4. Select the Stroke Tool and set the color to the Roland Cut Contour (magenta in the swatch).
   • With the outline selected, click on the stroke OR (X), then click on the magenta color swatch in the Roland VersaWorks panel. Note: It is very important that you use this specific swatch as the printer will not recognize anything else as a cut line.

   

5. Move the outline to a new layer.
   • Create a new layer by either right-clicking in the Layers panel or clicking on the dash in the upper right corner.
   • Select “New Layer”.
   • Drag and drop the “<Path>” onto the new layer.

   

Make sure the dimensions of your sticker are the size you want it to print out as.

1. Using the Transform tool (located in the Properties panel), input the dimensions of your sticker.
   • Be sure to select both the sticker and the outline (cut path).
   • Make sure to select the chain/link icon for uniform scaling, otherwise your image will appear stretched or condensed.

   

2. Using the Artboard tool (Shift + O), resize the artboard.
   • Click and drag each of the corners until the whitespace is close to the edge of your sticker.

   

Now you’re ready to save your file for submission!

1. Go to the File menu, choose “Save As…”.
   • Give your file a name and change the file type to “Adobe PDF”.
   • Click “Save”.
   • From the next menu, under Options, make sure “Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities” is selected.
   • Please name your file with the following: FirstName_LastName_Sticker. For example Jane_Doe_Sticker.
   • Click "Save PDF".