How to Add a Cut Line to a Sticker PDF

You have a great sticker design as a PNG file. Now you need to turn it into a PDF with a cut line that your Roland printer cutter understands. Here is exactly how that works and why it is not as simple as just exporting a PDF.

Why a Regular PDF Will Not Work

If you save your PNG as a regular PDF (through Preview, Photoshop, or any general PDF tool), you get a PDF with only the artwork. There is no cut instruction in the file. VersaWorks will print it, but the cutter will sit there doing nothing.

Roland printer cutters need a vector path in a specific spot color channel called “CutContour” embedded in the PDF. This is a special /Separation color space that VersaWorks recognizes. The path tells the cutter the exact coordinates to follow. Without it, the machine does not know where to cut.

What a Proper Cut Line Looks Like

A proper CutContour path has three requirements. First, it must be a vector path (not a raster outline). Second, it must be assigned to a spot color named exactly “CutContour” with that exact capitalization. Third, it must be defined in the PDF as a /Separation color space, not a process color.

The cut path should follow the outline of your artwork with a consistent offset. For kiss cut stickers, this offset is typically 0.06 to 0.15 inches, creating a small white border. For bleed cuts, the offset is slightly negative, cutting just inside the artwork edge.

Method 1: Adobe Illustrator (Manual)

Open Illustrator. Place your PNG. Use Image Trace or the pen tool to create a vector outline. Select the outline and go to Object > Path > Offset Path (set your desired offset distance). Create a new swatch: double click a swatch, change Color Type to “Spot Color”, name it “CutContour”. Apply this swatch to your offset path.

Save as PDF using “Press Quality” preset. Make sure “Preserve Illustrator Editing Capabilities” is unchecked and spot colors are preserved. This takes 10 to 30 minutes per sticker depending on complexity.

Method 2: CutContour App (Automatic)

Go to CutContour, sign up for free, and upload your PNG. The app detects your artwork edges automatically using alpha channel analysis. Adjust the border offset with a slider. Adjust the sticker size. Click Generate PDF.

The downloaded PDF has everything VersaWorks needs: your original image at full quality, a smooth vector contour path, the correct CutContour spot color separation, and proper PDF structure. Import it directly into VersaWorks and you are ready to print and cut.

The whole process takes about 10 seconds. Free accounts get 3 PDFs per month. Pro is a one-time $19.99 payment for unlimited downloads forever.

Choosing the Right Offset

The offset is the gap between your artwork edge and where the blade cuts. A larger offset means a wider white border around your sticker.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using a CMYK color instead of a spot color. If the cut path is in process colors, VersaWorks will print it as a visible line instead of treating it as a cutting instruction.

Misspelling the color name. “Cut Contour”, “cutcontour”, “CUT CONTOUR” will all fail. It must be “CutContour” exactly.

Embedding the PNG as a flat image PDF. Dragging a PNG into a PDF creator gives you a file with no vector cut path. The PDF must have both the raster artwork and a separate vector path layer.

Exporting with color management that converts spots to process. Some PDF export settings flatten spot colors into CMYK. Always verify your CutContour layer appears in VersaWorks before running a print job.