If you love making stickers for your planner, scrapbook, or crafts, you might be wondering how to make printable stickers for Cricut. Printable stickers are a great way to create custom designs, add colors and patterns, and use your own images and text. Plus, you can use the print then cut feature on your Cricut machine to cut out your stickers precisely and easily.
In this blog post, I will show you how to make printable stickers for Cricut using different methods and materials. You will learn:
• What is print then cut and how does it work
• What materials and tools you need to make printable stickers
• How to design your own stickers in Cricut Design Space
• How to use the new offset feature to create sticker outlines
• How to print and cut your stickers with your Cricut machine
• How to use free sticker layout templates to make different types of stickers
By the end of this post, you will be able to make your own printable stickers for Cricut like a pro. Let's get started!
What is Print Then Cut and How Does It Work
Print then cut is a feature in Cricut Design Space that allows you to print your designs on your printer and then cut them out with your Cricut machine. This is perfect for making stickers because you can create any shape, size, and design you want and have them cut out precisely.
To use print then cut, you need to do the following steps:
1. Design your stickers in Cricut Design Space using shapes, text, images, or upload your own.
2. Flatten your design to make it a single layer that can be printed.
3. Change the operation from basic cut to print then cut.
4. Send your design to the printer and choose the paper type and quality settings.
5. Place the printed sheet on a light grip mat and load it into the machine.
6. Select the material type and follow the prompts on the screen to cut out your stickers.
There are some limitations and tips you need to know when using print then cut:
• The maximum size for print then cut is 9.25 x 6.75 inches.
• You need to leave a 0.25 inch margin around your design for the registration marks.
• You need to use white or light-colored paper for print then cut.
• You need to calibrate your machine and printer before using print then cut for the first time or if you notice any alignment issues.
• You can learn more about print then cut in this ultimate guide.
What Materials and Tools You Need to Make Printable Stickers
To make printable stickers for Cricut, you will need the following materials and tools:
• A Cricut machine (Explore or Maker) - you cannot use a Cricut Joy for print then cut
• A color printer - I use the HP Envy 7155
• Printable sticker paper - I recommend Avery over Cricut brand because it's compatible with more printers
• (Optional) Acrylic sealer - gloss or matte - to protect your stickers from fading or smudging
• A light grip mat
• A weeding tool
You will also need some sticker designs that you can create or find online. You can use my free SVG sticker files that I have in my free resource library. Just fill out the form at the bottom of this page to get the password.
How to Design Your Own Stickers in Cricut Design Space
One of the best things about making printable stickers for Cricut is that you can design them however you want in Cricut Design Space. You can use shapes, text, images, or upload your own designs.
Here are some tips on how to design your own stickers in Cricut Design Space:
• Start by creating a new project and inserting a square shape from the shapes menu.
• Resize the square to 9.25 x 6.75 inches - this will be your sticker sheet layout.
• Change the color of the square to white and send it to the back layer.
• Lock the square by clicking on the lock icon at the layers panel - this will prevent it from moving or resizing accidentally.
• Add more shapes, text, or images to your sticker sheet layout - you can use the images menu or upload your own files from your computer or device.
• If you want to remove the background from an image, use the erase or contour tool at the layers panel.
• If you want to add colors or patterns to your stickers, use the fill or print type options at the edit panel.
• If you want to add outlines or shadows to your stickers, use the new offset feature at the edit panel - I will explain more about this later.
• Arrange your stickers on the sticker sheet layout and make sure they don't overlap or go outside the margins.
• Select all your stickers and flatten them to make them a single layer that can be printed.
• Change the operation from basic cut to print then cut at the layers panel.
Now you have designed your own stickers in Cricut Design Space and you are ready to print and cut them.
How to Use the New Offset Feature to Create Sticker Outlines
One of the new features in Cricut Design Space is the offset feature, which allows you to create outlines or shadows around your designs. This is great for making stickers because it adds some dimension and contrast to your stickers and makes them easier to peel off.
To use the offset feature to create sticker outlines, follow these steps:
• Select the sticker you want to add an outline to and click on the offset button at the edit panel.
• Adjust the offset distance slider to change the size of the outline - you can also choose whether you want a corner or round offset.
• Choose a color for your offset from the fill menu - you can also add a pattern if you want.
• Click on apply to create the offset layer - you can move or resize it as you wish.
• Repeat these steps for each sticker you want to add an outline to.
Note: You can also use the offset feature to create sticker shadows by changing the color of the offset to black or gray and moving it slightly behind the sticker.
How to Print and Cut Your Stickers with Your Cricut Machine
Once you have designed your stickers and added offsets if you want, you are ready to print and cut them with your Cricut machine. Here are the steps to do that:
• Click on the make it button at the top right corner of the screen and check the preview of your sticker sheet - make sure everything looks good and fits within the margins.
• Click on continue and select your printer from the drop-down menu - you can also change the paper type and quality settings if you want.
• Load your printable sticker paper into your printer and click on send to printer - make sure you have bleed on and system dialog off.
• Wait for your sticker sheet to print and check if everything looks good - if not, you can reprint it or adjust your printer settings.
• Place your printed sticker sheet on a light grip mat and load it into your Cricut machine - make sure the mat is aligned with the guides.
• Select your material type from the list or browse all materials - I usually choose printable vinyl or sticker paper as my material type.
• Follow the prompts on the screen to cut out your stickers - your machine will first scan the registration marks and then cut around each sticker.
• Unload your mat and peel off your sticker sheet - use a weeding tool to help you remove any excess paper around your stickers.
Congratulations! You have just made printable stickers for Cricut. You can now use them for your planner, scrapbook, or crafts.
How to Use Free Sticker Layout Templates to Make Different Types of Stickers
If you want to make different types of stickers for Cricut, such as round, square, or rectangular stickers, you can use my free sticker layout templates that I have in my free resource library. These templates will help you create different shapes and sizes of stickers easily and quickly.
To use these templates, follow these steps:
• Download the free SVG files from my resource library - get the password by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.
• Upload them to Cricut Design Space and insert them into a new project.
• Resize them if needed - each template has a different size limit for print then cut.
• Add colors, patterns, text, or images to each sticker - you can use the same methods as before.
• Flatten each sticker layout and change the operation to print then cut.
• Print and cut your stickers as usual.
Here are some examples of how you can use these templates to make different types of stickers:
Round Stickers
This template has 20 round stickers that are 1.5 inches in diameter. You can use them for labels, logos, icons, or badges.
Square Stickers
This template has 12 square stickers that are 2 inches by 2 inches. You can use them for photos, quotes, graphics, or logos.
Rectangular Stickers
This template has 8 rectangular stickers that are 3 inches by 2 inches. You can use them for banners, labels, tags, or coupons.
Congrats You are a Pro at Making Printable Stickers for Cricut!
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