Make a Die-Cut (non-geometric shaped) sticker with a white border in Adobe Illustrator for cutting on the BN-20

Video Instructions for doing this are in three parts:

Preparing a Photo for Die Cut in Adobe Illustrator

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Preparing an Image for Die Cut in Adobe Illustrator

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After doing ONE of the above videos you must ALSO watch and do the steps in this video:

Preparing a Sticker Image for Roland BN-20 Printer Cutter

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Written Instructions are Below:

In Chrome, Find an illustration or photo with a plain background to create a sticker.

Two-finger click on the image and select Save Image As...

Open Adobe Illustrator, Create a New File the size you want your sticker to be.

In this example, I am using 4x4 inches. Use RGB Color. Give it a good file name (one that describes what it is, has your name in it, and a version number). Click Save.

Import your Image using File -> Place

Place the image in the top-left corner of the white art board, and click to drop it there:

If needed, Zoom Out (command -) to see the whole image.

Shrink your image to fit onto the art board. Hold the shift key to keep the proportions, while dragging the bottom-right corner:

Image Trace: Use the selection tool and click on your image. Click the Image Trace Button:

The image probably won't look very good. Click on the Image Trace Panel Icon to open it.

(If you don't see this menu option along the top of your Illustrator window, go to Window -> Workspace -> Essentials Classic)

In the Image Trace Panel, Click on a Preset: from the drop-down menu that most closely matches your original.

In my example, I'm selecting High Fidelity Photo, as the dog was a photograph to begin.

If you are using a cartoon image, try 16 Colors. If you're using a black & white, try that option.

You want it to look close to the original import when you are finished. Click Expand.

When finished, close the Image Trace Panel by clicking the X at the top-left corner of that window.

Delete the white background

Adobe has converted your image to a LOT of small shapes. They will all be selected. Click on the Layers Panel:

Click 3 or 4 times on the white background that you want to delete until you see that only that path is selected. You will be in isolation mode:

Click the delete key on your keyboard to delete it.

Then click on the back arrow, at the top of the window, next to Layer 1, to get back to the top level.

Click again on any other remaining white background parts and delete those in turn. Click the back arrow after each one. When finished, it should look like this:

Making the white border for the sticker

For the border around your sticker image, create a second layer. Then, click back on the first layer, select the image, and copy it:

Select Layer 2. Paste the image onto Layer 2 (use Ctrl + V):

We will work on Layer 2 so let's hide and lock Layer 1.

Next to the title of Layer 1 is an eye ball. Click the eye ball off to hide the image in Layer 1 and click on the lock so that we can't edit it.

Finally, change the order of the Layers by pointing to Layer 2 and dragging the row down, below Layer 1, so that it looks like this:

Click on Properties Tab and select your image

Click on Pathfinder: Unite (if you don't see it under Properties, Go to Window -> Pathfinder and select Unite)

The image should turn all black:

Click on default fill/stroke on left-side.

Click on Stroke Panel and select Align Stroke to Outside:

Go to Object Menu and select Expand Appearance.

You now have an outline that can be cut out around your image. Go back to Layers and turn on the Layer 1 eye ball and center the image in the black line to se what they look like together:

To make the white space around the sicker larger, repeat these steps from above a second time:

1) Click on the outline

2) Make Stroke BIGGER (try 10pt or 16pt)

3) Click Align Stroke to outside

4) Object -> Expand Appearance

5) Pathfinder: Unite

6) Click on the Default Fill & Stroke (white fill, black stroke)

The outline will look larger, but may have spikes in it, like this:

You can edit the shape of the border using the pen tool. Two finger click on the pen tool and select, Remove Anchor. Your cursor will have a - sign next to it. Use it to click on all the spikes and remove them, until you get to a place where you like the outline of the sticker:

Preparing for Cutting on the BN-20:

Change the Cut Line to the fuscia color necessary for cutting by clicking on the selection tool and clicking the outline.

First, click on the selection tool, select the outline of the border.

Then click on the stroke color on the left-side.

Go to Libraries tab and click on the Pink Cut-Line color.

(If you don't see the library, ask Ms. Fisher to share it with you in email or use this link: https://shared-assets.adobe.com/link/20f90603-e04a-4d27-7e3a-6422bb5c1c84)

Now click on Properties Tab, and next to Stroke, select .1pt:

Your file is complete. Save it with a good file name.

Share it for editing to largeprinting@meadowbrook-ma.org