How do I make a cutline for a Roland printer or cutter?

CreateCutline runs inside Adobe Illustrator. Design your artwork, run the plug-in to generate the cut path, then send the file through Roland VersaWorks. The cutline is drawn as a named CutContour spot colour on its own layer, which VersaWorks recognizes when the name matches exactly. Confirm in the VersaWorks job preview that the contour appears as a cutting line before sending the job.

How do I make a cutline for a Mimaki printer or cutter?

CreateCutline generates the closed CutContour path in Illustrator; you then process it through Mimaki RasterLink and use FineCut or RasterLinkTools for registration marks and output. Confirm in RasterLink that the contour appears as cutting data rather than printable artwork.

How do I make a cutline for a Graphtec, Summa, or Colex cutter?

CreateCutline builds the closed contour in Illustrator and applies a CutContour spot colour. How that path reaches the cutter depends on the workflow: Summa's GoSign assigns it to a kiss-cut or thru-cut method and adds the OPOS registration marks, and Graphtec and Colex have their own cut setup. CreateCutline does not add registration marks.

Which RIP software works with CreateCutline cutlines?

The cut path works with Roland VersaWorks, Mimaki RasterLink, Onyx, Caldera, and Epson Edge Print. The output is a standard named spot-colour cut contour, so it imports without manual configuration.

Cut paths, not corners.

Create sticker cutlines from vector or raster artwork, directly in Adobe Illustrator.

The cut path goes on its own layer, ready for your print-and-cut workflow.

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7 days free. No card or account needed. macOS and Windows.

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A cutline being created in Illustrator with the default settings.

How to create a cutline

Open your artwork in Illustrator and use the CreateCutline panel.

CreateCutline panel drawing a magenta cutline around overlapping gradient circles in Adobe Illustrator 2026 — The CreateCutline panel in Illustrator.

Select the artwork
Select the pieces you want to include. With nothing selected, CreateCutline uses the visible artwork on the active artboard.
Check the settings
Start with automatic shape, offset and corner radius. Leave smoothness at its default or adjust it for the job.
Create the cutline
Press Create Cutline. The path is added to a separate Cutline layer with a CutContour spot swatch.
Save or export
Use your usual print-and-cut workflow, with the swatch name your RIP expects.

Adjust the cutline

Use Auto to start, then adjust the shape, offset, corner radius or smoothness. For a sheet of separate stickers, turn off Group multiple designs. You can also set the output layer and swatch names to match your workflow.

Source
Use selected artwork or all visible artwork on the active artboard.
Shape
Use Auto, or choose Contour, Rectangle / Square, Circle or Oval.
Offset
Set the distance between the artwork and the cutline. Negative values move the path inward.
Corner radius
Use automatic rounding or enter a radius for rectangles and squares.
Smoothness
Adjust how closely the path follows small details in the artwork.
Trace raster
Trace the visible artwork in a placed image.
Group multiple designs
Turn off to give separate designs their own cutlines. On by default.
Layer and swatch
Enter the layer and spot swatch names your workflow requires.

Source artwork

Selected artworkAll visible artwork on active artboard

Cutline

Shape:Auto (recommended)

Auto offset

Offset:0in

Auto corner radius

Corner radius:0in

Smoothness:50% (default)

Trace raster artwork (recommended)

Group multiple designs

Output

Layer:Cutline

Swatch:CutContourCutContour

Create Cutline

Hover over a control or tap its description to highlight it.

Example settings

These are starting points. Adjust the values for your artwork and workflow.

Die-cut sticker

Start with automatic shape, offset and corner radius.

Shape: Auto
Offset: Auto
Corner radius: Auto

Inward contour

Move the cut path 0.04 in inside the artwork edge.

Shape: Contour
Offset: -0.04 in
Swatch: Kiss-cut

Full-bleed label

Use a rectangular path inside the bleed and set the corner radius.

Shape: Rectangle / Square
Offset: -0.125 in
Corner radius: 0.25 in

Round label

Choose Circle and set the border width with Offset.

Shape: Circle
Offset: 0.1 in
Corner radius: n/a

Separate stickers on a sheet

Turn off Group multiple designs to create separate cutlines.

Source: All visible artwork
Group multiple designs: Off
Shape: Auto

Placed PNG

Enable raster tracing and adjust smoothness for the image.

Trace raster artwork: On
Smoothness: 60%
Offset: Auto

Custom swatch name

Enter the spot swatch name your RIP expects.

Layer: CutContour
Swatch: PerfCutContour
Shape: Auto

One selected design

Select the artwork to cut and leave the rest of the artboard in place.

Source: Selected artwork
Shape: Auto
Offset: 0.06 in

How the cutline is drawn

CreateCutline can trace raster artwork and choose the shape, offset and corner radius automatically. You can also set those controls yourself.

Vector or raster

Create cutlines from vector artwork or placed images, including PNGs and JPGs.

PNG · JPG

Automatic shape

Auto chooses a contour or a rectangle based on the artwork. You can choose Contour, Rectangle / Square, Circle or Oval yourself.

Contour or rectangle

Automatic offset

The base offset is 1% of the artwork's longest side, with a minimum of 5 pt and a maximum of 18 pt. Separated pieces can receive extra space. Enter a value for an exact offset.

1% of longest side

Automatic corner radius

For rectangular cutlines, automatic rounding follows the artwork's corners and adds the offset. You can also enter a radius.

Matched

Negative offsets

Enter a negative offset to move the cut path inside the artwork edge.

Inward

Smoothing

Adjust how much detail the cut path follows. Lower settings retain more detail; higher settings simplify the contour.

Slider

Cutlines made with CreateCutline

These examples use the default settings. The magenta line is the path generated by the plug-in.

Android artwork with the cutline CreateCutline drew — Android
One cutline around the mascot.

Apple artwork with the cutline CreateCutline drew — Apple
An offset around the silhouette.

Linux artwork with the cutline CreateCutline drew — Linux
A cutline traced from placed raster artwork.

NASA artwork with the cutline CreateCutline drew — NASA
A cutline around the outer artwork, with the internal detail preserved.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners, shown for demonstration only.

Requirements and pricing

Requirements

Application: Adobe Illustrator 2025 or 2026
Operating system: macOS · Windows 10/11
Delivered as: Download link + licence key, emailed immediately after purchase
Installation: An installer for the Illustrator panel; no admin tools or command line
Printer and cutter guides: Roland, Mimaki, Mutoh, Epson, Canon, Graphtec, Summa, Colex
RIP software: Roland VersaWorks, Mimaki RasterLink, Onyx, Caldera, Epson Edge Print

Licence

$20once, no subscription

One computer per licence
Vector or raster artwork
Seven-day free trial, no card, no account
Updates within the 1.x line included
Fourteen-day refund if it doesn't work for you

Buy - $20

A licence key for your trial, or the same plug-in on Adobe Exchange. Choose on the next page.

Download the free trial

Try it on your artwork

Use all features free for 7 days. A licence costs $20 for one computer, with no subscription.

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No card or account needed for the trial.

Questions about your workflow? support@createcutline.com