How to Make Stickers with SVG Files

Learn how to make stickers with SVG files using your Silhouette machine! This step-by-step tutorial will teach you how.

SVG files have so many uses! You can use them to make customized clothing with heat transfer vinyl, fun mugs, or intricate paper cutouts.  But did you know that you can make stickers with SVG files?  I have to be honest, I never even considered this an option with SVG files but once I learned about it, I knew I had to share it. 

BASIC SVG & SILHOUETTE STUDIO POSTS

• How to Use Silhouette Cameo 4: A Guide to Getting Started
• How to Use SVG files: Tips, Tricks & Ideas
• How to Import Files Into Silhouette Studio
• How to Weed Vinyl
• A Beginner’s Guide to Heat Transfer Vinyl
• How to Cut By Color in Silhouette Studio 
• How to Separate SVG files into Layers

WHAT ARE SVG FILES?

First things first… if you don’t know what I’m talking about when I say SVG files, take a look at this post first. It explains all the basics of what SVG stands for, what exactly SVG files are, and how you can use them.

WHERE TO FIND SVG FILES

There are many places to find SVG files. Here are a few of my favorites:

My Etsy Shop
Creative Market
So Fontsy
Hungry JPEG

For this tutorial, I’m going to use the files from my Mom Life SVG bundle to make stickers. Did you know that you can also create your own SVG files? If you can’t find any SVG files that you like from the sites above, you can try your hand at creating your own with this tutorial.

SUPPLIES TO MAKE STICKERS WITH SVG FILES

• SVG file
• Silhouette machine
• Sticker Paper
• Printer

HOW TO MAKE STICKERS WITH SVG FILES

Once you have decided what SVG file you want to use to make your sticker, it’s time to get creating! This tutorial is using a Silhouette machine since that is what I use but you can also use SVG files to make stickers with a Cricut.

Open up your SVG file in Silhouette Studio by going to FILE>OPEN. Resize the file to the sticker size that you want.

Next, click the offset panel and make an offset around the SVG file.  The amount of offset that you set depends on how much border you want around the sticker. Play around with the offset until you get the size you want. Hit APPLY. Set the offset line width to zero to ensure that the offset line does not print.

After you apply the offset, there may be some individual pieces left inside the design that you don’t want cut. To get rid of these pieces, hit OBJECT>RELEASE COMPOUND PATH.  Now you can select those pieces and delete them. 

If you want to change the color of the stickers, open up the color panel, select the SVG file and click on the color that you want. Repeat this process for each sticker

Next, you’ll add registration marks.  Open up the Page Setup Panel and click on the registration marks icon in the upper right.  From the drop-down menu, choose Type 1.  Once the registration marks are added, make sure all of your stickers are within the registration marks and then send your document to your printer by selecting File>Print. Make sure you have sticker paper loaded into your printer. I use Silhouette sticker paper. Your designs and the registration marks will print. The cut lines (offset) will not print because you have set the line width to zero.

Once you have printed your sticker sheet, the final step is cutting out your stickers. Feed your sticker paper into your Silhouette and hit SEND in the upper right. Make sure that only the outlines of your stickers are set to cut. Set the material to white sticker paper and set the blade accordingly. These settings will create a “kiss cut” meaning the blade will only cut through the top layer of the sticker paper. The Silhouette will scan the registration marks and then begin cutting around the offset that you created.

YAY! You’ve just learned how to make sticker sheets from SVG files.

SVG FILE FAQs

How do I open these files in my Silhouette software?
Save the file to your computer. If it is a zip file, unzip it. Open your Silhouette software and select FILE>OPEN and navigate to where you saved the file. You can also import the file(s) to your Silhouette library by clicking FILE>LIBRARY>IMPORT TO LIBRARY and navigating to where you saved the file.

Can I open SVG files in the Silhouette Basic Edition?
No. You must have Silhouette Designer Edition or higher to open SVG files. If you have Silhouette Basic Edition, you can use PNG files and convert the PNG to a cut file.

Can this file be used with a Cricut?
Yes. Any SVG file can be used in Cricut Design Space

MORE POSTS YOU MAY LIKE

• SVG Files: Tips, Tricks & Ideas
• How to Make Watercolor Stickers
• How to Make Cut Files Using Illustrator

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