If you are looking to make your own vinyl die cut stickers, here is a great tutorial for you. You’ll need some vinyl, a die cutting machine, and some patience. But the results will be worth it!
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Checkout this video: Decide the purpose of your sticker
Before you start making your vinyl die cut stickers, it’s important to take a step back and think about what you want your sticker to accomplish. Are you looking to promote your brand? Spread awareness for a cause? Make people laugh?
Once you know the purpose of your sticker, you can start to think about the design. What colors will best represent your brand or message? What image or text will convey your meaning the most effectively? Keep all of these factors in mind as you begin designing your sticker.
Choose your vinyl sticker material
Vinyl stickers come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, so it’s important to choose the right vinyl sticker material for your project. If you’re looking for durability, a clear or white vinyl sticker material is best. For a more unique look, try a holographic or fluorescent vinyl.
Choose the right adhesive for your sticker
The best way to make sure your sticker will stick around for as long as you need it to is to choose the right adhesive. We always recommend a low-tack adhesive for indoor use and a stronger permanent adhesive for outdoor use. If you’re not sure which one to choose, give us a call and we’ll help you figure it out.
Design your sticker
die-cut stickers are easy to make using the Cricut cutting machine and some vinyl. You can design your own stickers using images, text, or both, and then cut them out with ease. If you’ve never made vinyl die-cut stickers before, don’t worry—it’s a simple process that just requires a little patience and practice.
Cut your design out of vinyl
If you have a cutting machine, you can cut your design out of vinyl using the same settings that you would use for any other vinyl project. If you’re using a Cricut, set your blade depth to 3 and your pressure to 4. For Silhouette machines, set your blade to 3 and your speed to 5.
Once your design is cut out, weeding is the process of removing the excess vinyl from around your design. You can do this by hand with a weeding tool, or with a machine like the Cricut Weeder Tool.
When your design is completely weeded, place it onto your transfer tape. Rub over the entire design with a credit card or scraper tool to make sure it’s firmly attached to the tape.
Carefully peel away the backing paper from the transfer tape, making sure that all of your design elements stay attached to the tape. If anything starts to come up with the backing paper, lay it back down and rub over it again with your scraper tool.
Position your design on top of your surface and press it down firmly. Start at one end and work your way across, making sure that there are no bubbles or wrinkles in the vinyl. Slowly peel away the transfer tape at a sharp angle, making sure that all of the vinyl comes off with the tape. If anything starts to come up with the transfer tape, lay it back down and press it down again firm
Weeding your vinyl design
Now that your design is cut out, it’s time to weed! Weeding is the process of removing the excess vinyl that isn’t part of your design. This is a very important step, because if you don’t weed your design properly, your stickers will be riddled with unwanted bits of vinyl.
To weed your design, start by carefully peeling away the vinyl backing. If any parts of your design come up with the backing, gently push them back down. Once the backing is removed, take a close look at your design. You should be able to see which parts need to be weeded out.
Using a sharp craft knife or weeding tool, carefully remove the excess vinyl. Try to get as close to the edge of your design as possible, but be careful not to cut into the actual design. Keep removing pieces until you’re happy with how it looks.
Now that your design is all weeded out, it’s time to move on to the next step!
Applying your vinyl sticker
Now that you have your vinyl sticker cut out, we need to apply it to whatever surface you’d like! Make sure that the surface is clean and dry before beginning. If the area is curved, it might be helpful to use something like a credit card or a plastic wrap to smooth out the vinyl as you apply it.
To apply your vinyl sticker, simply peel away the backing (if it’s a self-adhesive vinyl) and place it on your surface. Use your fingers or an object like a credit card to smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles. If you need to reposition your sticker, simply peel it away and stick it back down. Once you’re happy with the placement of your sticker, carefully remove the transfer tape (the thin paper or plastic on top of your design) at a 45-degree angle. If any pieces of your design come up with the transfer tape, simply stick them back down and smooth out again.