Is this too tight of a bleed for die-cut?

Caleson

New Member
I made a custom die-cut sticker design but realized it needs a 1/8" bleed so the artwork doesn't get clipped off. I then added a thin black outline to the whole design, with a 1/8" bleed extended outside of that, but the inner black outline I intend to keep in the finished piece is awfully thin (see files). The final design is about 5" wide.

Do I run the risk of cutting into the illustration within the black outline? If so, how thick must the inner/retained part of the black outline be? Perhaps the entire black outline needs to be 1/4"?
 

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Each place will be different - some can be laser cut which is super-accurate.

Others are done with die-cut blocks - basically blocks of wood with blades attached in the shape, and it's pressed into the sheet to cut it out (like a cookie cutter) along a mechanical machine that will have movement.

Others might just print it out on Avery stickers and hand it back to you - and it might not be super-acurrate.

There are different ways it can be done and the only people that can help are the people who are actually doing it.

Big question - why not just increase the size of the artwork and let it bleed off naturally?
By adding a black ring to it - any off-kilter cut will be visibly noticeable.
 
Big question - why not just increase the size of the artwork and let it bleed off naturally?
By adding a black ring to it - any off-kilter cut will be visibly noticeable.
Thanks, Hank. My initial design was to have the artwork with no border. I then realized that it would require either a bleed or additional outer margin/ring to make it into a sticker. I'd hate to have the artwork I put all that time into trimmed off, and the robot's antenna at the top would also likely be chopped somehow. I just didn't have great foresight on the production end. I anticipate having to thicken the overall outline even more and expanding out the die-cut shape a bit.
 
Thanks, Hank. My initial design was to have the artwork with no border. I then realized that it would require either a bleed or additional outer margin/ring to make it into a sticker. I'd hate to have the artwork I put all that time into trimmed off, and the robot's antenna at the top would also likely be chopped somehow. I just didn't have great foresight on the production end. I anticipate having to thicken the overall outline even more and expanding out the die-cut shape a bit.
You need to talk to whoever is producing.

Some software can naturally add bleed - which looks amazing.

Or you can increase your artwork size and draw a bit more around the edges.

But what you have looks good.
The printers can adjust to suit their own needs.
 
I made a custom die-cut sticker design but realized it needs a 1/8" bleed so the artwork doesn't get clipped off. I then added a thin black outline to the whole design, with a 1/8" bleed extended outside of that, but the inner black outline I intend to keep in the finished piece is awfully thin (see files). The final design is about 5" wide.

Do I run the risk of cutting into the illustration within the black outline? If so, how thick must the inner/retained part of the black outline be? Perhaps the entire black outline needs to be 1/4"?
I see you posted the same question on another forum and got roughly the same answer.
If you need anything else let me know :)
 
Yeh - sure that's all fine. Just interesting you go the same answers.
And don't be surprised if the person producing them comes up with a different way :LOL:
 
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