VersaWorks CutContour Setup Guide

Roland VersaWorks is the RIP software that controls your Roland printer cutter. It handles print quality, color management, and most importantly for sticker makers, the CutContour cutting instructions. Here is how to get everything set up correctly.

Understanding VersaWorks and CutContour

When VersaWorks opens a PDF, it scans for spot colors. If it finds one named “CutContour” (exact capitalization), it treats that color channel as a cutting instruction rather than a printed element. The artwork prints normally. Then the machine uses crop marks to align the cutter and follows the CutContour path.

VersaWorks supports other spot color names too: “CutContour” for standard cutting, “PerfCutContour” for perforated cutting, and “HalfCutContour” for partial depth cutting. For regular sticker making, CutContour is the one you need.

How to Import a CutContour PDF

Open VersaWorks and drag your PDF into the job queue, or use File > Add Job to select it. Once the job appears, double-click it to open the job settings. In the layout view, you should see your sticker artwork. Go to the “Quality” tab to configure print settings.

Configure your cut settings in the job properties: cut mode (kiss cut or through cut), speed, force, and blade offset. These vary by media type, so always do a test cut first.

VersaWorks Print Quality Settings for Stickers

Crop Marks and Alignment

VersaWorks prints crop marks around your job. After printing, the optical sensor reads these marks to align the cutter precisely with the printed artwork. For accurate cuts, make sure the crop marks print fully (no clipping at media edges) and that the sensor area is clean and free of debris.

If cuts are consistently offset in one direction, recalibrate the crop mark detection in VersaWorks settings. Also check that your media is loaded straight and that the pinch rollers are in the correct positions.

Troubleshooting VersaWorks CutContour Issues

CutContour separation does not appear

The most common cause is a PDF that does not have a proper /Separation color space. This happens when the PDF was created with the cut path as a process (CMYK) color, or when the spot color name is misspelled. PDFs generated by CutContour always have the correct color space and naming.

Cut line prints visibly instead of cutting

This means VersaWorks is treating the CutContour path as a regular print element. Check that the color is named “CutContour” (case sensitive), not “Cut Contour” or “cutcontour”. Also verify in the job settings that the CutContour separation is set to “Cut” mode, not “Print”.

Cuts are misaligned with artwork

Check crop mark detection, media loading alignment, and drying time. If the vinyl shifts between printing and cutting (common with uncured ink), the alignment will be off. Give prints at least 15 to 30 minutes to dry before cutting.

VersaWorks crashes when opening the PDF

Very large PDFs or PDFs with extremely complex vector paths can cause VersaWorks to struggle. If you are generating PDFs from very high resolution images (8000+ pixels), try reducing the image resolution slightly before generating. CutContour optimizes the vector path complexity to stay within VersaWorks' limits.