Hi there! Thanks for joining me. In the following tutorial, I am going to take you step-by-step to show you how to print and cut stickers on Cricut (it’s actually called the Print Then Cut feature on Cricut). Sometimes doing print and cut items on Cricut can be tricky. I’ve been there and I get it – I’ve spent hours Youtubing and Googling how to print and cut stickers
Let me take you one step at a time and show you an easy way how to print and cut stickers on Cricut. Let’s get started!
This tutorial uses a pre-designed sticker sheet (like one that you could find on Etsy) in PNG format. The format is important because Cricut will recognize it as a print and cut file. PNG stands for Portable Network Graphics and they have the ability to have a transparent background.
I use my Whimsical Print and Cut Stickers for the tutorial (pictured above). It’s formatted in PNG as needed.
I don’t know about you but when I was first learning about making stickers and using the print then cut feature using Cricut, I found it very frustrating at times – yes there were even tears involved at times – no joke. This tutorial is fairly easy and straightforward so I hope it will be helpful to you and make things a little easier.
Why I love Print and Cut Stickers
I don’t know about you but I am a huge sticker fan. Even as a kid, I loved going to stationery stores and collecting all kinds of cut stationery goodies and stickers.
In the ’80s there was an adorable store called “Pandemonium” that I used to go to. I can just picture my 8-year-old self (80’s hair and all) walking into my local New Jersey mall with a look of delight on my face and picking out all the fun stickers and stationery goodies. Oh, the memories!
Anyway, now it’s even better because with print and cut stickers you can print the stickers that you want any time that you like! My 8-year old self would be so jealous.
Stickers are Useful!
Stickers are something everyone loves from young to old. They are so much fun and not to mention it’s so convenient to be able to print and cut stickers anytime you wish.
Stickers are not only fun but they are useful! You can use them in arts and crafts projects, kids’ projects, stationery, planners, scrapbooks, journals, and more! There is so much you can do with them. Plus it feels satisfying when you get to print and cut your own.
As mentioned, this tutorial is specifically tailored for sticker sheets that are in PNG format. PNGs have a transparent background and the sticker sheet should already be white trim around the sticker. It makes it super easy to use this format for print and cut using Cricut.
Just FYI – I design stickers like this so if you are searching for a sticker sheet formatted this way to follow along with the tutorial then take a look at my Etsy shop and check out the print and cut sticker options. If you join my newsletter below and will give 15% off your first order (see form below).
For this tutorial, I am using my Cricut Maker cutting machine to do the print and cut stickers. I use this machine all the time for any of my print and cut projects or SVG cutting projects. Below you will find all the materials needed and step-by-step instructions on how to use your Cricut for Print and Cut stickers.
Required Materials for Print and Cut Stickers with Cricut
You will need the following items to be able to follow along with this tutorial:
- Cutting machine (I am using the Cricut Maker but you could also use Silhouette)
- Fine point blade for your Cricut machine
- Ink Jet Printer (you need to have an accessible printer in order to print the file first. Print then Cut only works with Ink Jet Printers not laser printers.)
- Sticker Paper (I have a few that I’ve tried and will talk about those more in detail in the article)
- Cutting mat (I use the Cricut medium stick mat in green)
- Cricut Design Space Software downloaded to your computer
- Sticker Sheet designed in PNG format (I am using my Whimsical Print and Cut Stickers)
Side note: You can actually just print out the sticker sheet directly to your printer and just cut by hand as well. Just want to mention this since it is an option as well. However, as this tutorial is focused on doing the print and cut sticker sheet using your Cricut the focus of the tutorial is on that.
Now that you have all your items ready, let’s begin!
I’m going to use my whimsical sticker set as an example, however, any of my other sticker sheets or any sticker sheets that are also formatted as a PNG should work the same way.
How to Print and Cut Stickers on Cricut
1. Choose a Sticker Sheet for Print and Cut Stickers
Choose a Sticker Sheet. Make sure that you have a pre-designed sticker sheet to work with. Any sticker sheet in PNG format with a transparent background should work. As mentioned earlier I have various designs available on my Etsy shop that are formatted in this way. Just choose the PNG format (says Cricut / Silhouette ready).
2. Log into Cricut Design Space
In order to do the print and cut sticker with the Cricut project, you must have a Cricut machine and have an account with Cricut Design Space. If you don’t have an account yet you can register for one here. https://design.cricut.com/#/
3. Start “New Project” in Cricut Design Space
Once you are logged into Cricut Design Space locate the “Start New Project” button and click on it to initiate a new project. It will show you a blank canvas like the one shown below.
4. Upload the Sticker Sheet File to Your Canvas in Cricut Design Space
Now that you have a canvas opened, click on the upload file button to upload your sticker sheet file. There are a few steps to do this. Follow the steps below:
Once you have a canvas open, Click “Upload” in the lower-left corner to upload your sticker file (as shown below).
It will bring you to the next screen where you will select the “Upload Image”
Then click the “Browse” option to select the location of your file and then click the green “Continue” button once the file has been selected.
It will then bring you to this screen where you will choose the “Complex Image” option and then click the green “Continue” button.
You will be brought to the next screen. You don’t have to do anything for this step. Just hit the “Apply & Continue” green button.
Next, it will bring you to a screen with two options. Choose the “Print Then Cut Image” Option and then click the green “Upload” button in the lower right-hand corner of the screen.
5. Add the Sticker Sheet to Your Canvas
Your Print and Cut Sticker File should be available now in the Recent Uploads section of Cricut Design Space. Once it’s uploaded it will be shown as below. Click on the file (a green box should show when you click on it) and then click the green “Add to Canvas” button in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. This will load up the sticker sheet to your canvas.
6. Resize the Sticker Sheet
The print and cut sticker sheet should now be in the print and cut format and be added to your canvas. (See image below). You will need to resize the image. When doing a print and cut using Cricut there is currently a size limit and the area that is actually printed and cut is limited to 6.25 x 9.25 inches. You will have to resize to fit within that size constraint.
If you click on the file and then drag the corner in it will resize it without distorting the dimensions. Resize it using the 6.25 x 9.25 inches on the ruler and/or you can look and make sure that the warning triangle no longer appears.
Once the sticker sheet is resized to the necessary dimensions (and there is no warning triangle appearing) you can now click the green “Make It” button in the top right-hand corner of the screen as shown below.
7. Load Up Sticker Paper into Your Printer
For this step, you will need to step away from your computer for a moment to load the sticker paper into your printer. This can be done earlier in the process, too, however, I tend to do it here just as I’m about to print it.
You will have to check your printer’s particular instructions on which way it prints paper (facing up or down) and also find out which sticker paper is most compatible with your printer.
I used Cricut sticker paper and Silhouette sticker paper. In the last section of this article, I provide more details about the particular brand of sticker paper I have used.
8. In Design Space Send Sticker Sheet File to Print
The screen pictured below will pop up. You need to click the “Print” button to send the file to print on your connected printer.
A pop-up with “Print setup” options will appear. Choose your printer, make sure the Bleed is off (If the button is green that means it is on. If it is white or not showing green it is off). Then when settings are done click the green “Print” button.
9. Get Printed Sticker Paper from Printer
Step away from behind the computer again and get the printed Sticker paper from the printer. It should look like the image below. There should be a black printed box printed around your sticker designs. Those lines act as registration marks to help Cricut indicate where to cut.
10. Load Sticker Paper onto the mat.
I am using here a Cricut Standard Grip mat. There are many brands of mats out there. The standard grip Cricut brand seems to work well for sticker paper. You will need to place the sticker paper in the upper left hand of the mat (using the guidelines). Make sure that the sticker paper adheres well to the mat.
Pro Tip #1:
If you have a brayer (a rolling device that helps to stick the paper to the mat.) you can use that but you can certainly just place the mat on a flat surface and secure the sticker paper to the mat with your hands.
Pro Tip #2: Some of the sticker paper takes a while for the ink to dry (for example the Silhouette sticker paper) just make sure that the ink is completely dry before going over the printed sticker paper with your hand or with a brayer or just use your fingertips and avoid the areas with printed ink and press your fingers to the blank areas to help adhere the sticker paper to the mat.
11. Go Back to Cricut Design to Choose Materials
Now that your sticker page is printed we need to go back to Design Space to complete cutting settings. First, you need to select the type of material you are cutting. Depending on what type of cut you want you can choose either “sticker paper, removable” or “sticky note” cut settings. Read below for more information.
- Kiss-Cut: Kiss cut is when the stickers are only cut on the top layer so the whole sticker sheet remains intact and you just peel of the stickers as desired. For kiss-cut stickers (which I usually tend to do) I use the “sticker paper” preset option. (If you can’t find it just use the search feature to find the “sticker paper” option).
- Die-Cut: Die cut is when both the sticker and backing layer are both cut through so the sticker is completely cut out into individual stickers. If you want to do a die cut (where each individual sticker is completely cut around and no longer part of the sheet you can try the “sticky note” option which has a deeper cut setting.
To search for the different materials click “Browse All Materials” and type in either “sticker paper” or “sticky note” depending on the type of cut you wish to make. Once you’ve selected hit the green “Done” button.
**Disclaimer: As all sticker paper, mats, and cutting machines have slightly different characteristics you may need to experiment and find what works for the paper, mat, and specific machine you are using to cut your stickers. I am just sharing what works well on my Cricut Maker using the materials I have specified. **
12. Adjust Cut Settings for Print and Cut Stickers
Now it’s time to adjust your cut settings for the print and cut stickers on Cricut. Under the “Pressure” section, I always choose “more.”
In section 3 it shows the tools and materials. Your fine-point blade should be loaded into Clamp B. If it is loaded correctly, your Cricut machine should be ready to load the mat and the double arrow button on your Cricut machine should be blinking.
13. Place Mat in Cricut Machine:
Carefully load the mat into the Cricut machine. There are two plastic nodes for your mat to go under. Use those nodes help to guide your mat properly in the machine. When the Cricut wants you to load the mat, the “arrow” button on your machine should be flashing. Press the “arrow” key on the machine and it will load the mat.
14. Start Cutting Your Stickers
Once the mat is properly loaded, then the Cricut machine is ready to cut. The “C” button on your machine should be blinking. Press the “C” button to start the cutting function. The Cricut will take a moment to get its bearings by using the registration marks. So it may take a minute or two for the machine to register the marks and prepare to cut.
15. Unload Your Mat and Peel off Sticker Sheet
Once your Cricut is done cutting the file, the double-arrow button should be flashing again. Press the “Double-Arrow” button on the machine again to release the mat.
Pro Tip
Carefully peel off your stickers from the mat. I usually put the mat facing down and carefully pull the mat back away from the sticker sheet and towards me to do this.
And voila you have made your very own print and cut stickers! Now just to decide which project to use them with first.
Option Step: Cut Off Registration Marks
Another optional step is to cut off the margins and the black registration marks. You could do that with regular scissors, or, with a paper cutter.
Sticker Paper Tips for How to Print and Cut Stickers on Cricut
Also, just a quick note on Sticker paper. I have used two kinds so far:
Cricut Sticker Paper – The first is the Cricut brand of paper. I like the quality of this sticker paper, however, it is very thick. I can get my printer to print with it, however, it takes a lot of finagling to get it right. Some printers may not be able to use it at all.
Silhouette Sticker Paper – The other sticker paper I have tried is by the Silhouette brand. There paper is quite a bit thinner. Its quality is decent. However, as mentioned above it sometimes does take some time for the ink to dry on the sticker paper so just be mindful when you are loading your printed sticker paper onto the mat.
Avery Full Page Labels – I have heard good things about the Avery full label sheets but have not actually used them myself.
Hope that helps a little when it comes to sticker paper. If you’ve tried a really good sticker paper – let me know in the comments and perhaps I can try it and review it.
At this moment in time, the sticker paper is only available in 8.5 x 11 in (US Letter size) so for all brands that is what I have used.
Mat Tips for Print and Cut Stickers
I have used two brands of mats: Cricut and The Paper Studio. The first is the Cricut brand mats. I have used all three types of mats (Light, Standard, and Strong grip). For this project, standard grip Cricut mats work well. You may even be able to get away with light grip mats.
The Paper Studio Brand mats (which are sold at Hobby Lobby), are much stickier than the Cricut mats so therefore I would suggest for a print and cut sticker project to use the light-grip mats if you go with that brand.
Let me know if this tutorial was helpful to you learn how to print and cut stickers on Cricut. Write a comment and let us know!
Wishing you much joy and happiness with your creations.
As always, live intentionally, live creatively!
Love,
Alexis
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