CTT Guide: Print Then Cut Stickers, Printable Vinyl, and PNG Files
If you’ve ever seen someone make stickers with their Cricut and thought, “Wait… I thought Cricut cuts vinyl?” — welcome. Print Then Cut is one of those Cricut features that sounds fancy at first, but once it clicks, it opens up a whole new side of crafting.
Print Then Cut lets you print a design on your home printer, then load that printed sheet onto a Cricut mat so your machine can cut around it.
So instead of cutting each color from separate pieces of vinyl, you can print a full-color design with shading, details, patterns, or hand-drawn artwork and have your Cricut cut the shape for you.
It is great for stickers, printable vinyl decals, planner labels, party favors, tags, and all kinds of full-color projects.
Let’s break it down.
What does Print Then Cut mean?
Print Then Cut means exactly what it sounds like.
First, you print your design using a regular printer.
Then, your Cricut uses its sensor to read the registration marks around the printed design and cut around it.
You’ll upload or create your design in Cricut Design Space, flatten it if needed, print it, place it on your mat, and let your Cricut do the cutting.
The most important part is this:
Your Cricut is not printing.
Your printer does the printing.
Your Cricut does the cutting.
That tiny distinction saves a lot of confusion.
What can you make with Print Then Cut?
Print Then Cut is perfect for projects where you want full-color artwork without layering a bunch of materials.
You can use it for:
Stickers
Printable vinyl decals
Printable iron-on
Labels
Gift tags
Planner stickers
Party favor stickers
Cupcake toppers
Water bottle labels
Scrapbook pieces
Full-color graphics
If the design has lots of colors, shading, or details, Print Then Cut may be much easier than trying to cut and layer every tiny piece.
Because listen. Sometimes we are not layering seven colors of HTV for one cute graphic. We have things to do.
What file type works best for Print Then Cut?
A PNG file is usually a great choice for Print Then Cut.
That’s because PNG files can have a transparent background, which makes it easier for Cricut Design Space to see the actual shape of your design.
PNG files are especially helpful for:
Full-color artwork
Hand-drawn designs
Sticker designs
Printable vinyl
Designs with shading or texture
Designs that are not meant to be cut into layers
You can also use JPG files, but JPGs usually have a background. If you upload a JPG with a white background, Design Space may see that background unless you remove it.
That’s why a clean PNG with a transparent background is usually my favorite for Print Then Cut projects.
Do you need an SVG for Print Then Cut?
Nope.
An SVG is great when you want to cut vinyl, HTV, cardstock, or other materials in separate layers.
But for Print Then Cut, a PNG can be exactly what you need.
This is where a lot of Cricut beginners get tripped up. People often use “SVG” to mean “Cricut file,” but not every Cricut-friendly file is an SVG.
If you are printing the design first, a high-quality PNG can be the better option.
SVG = great for cutting layers
PNG = great for printing colorful designs
That’s the quick version.
What supplies do you need for Print Then Cut?
You don’t need a massive supply stash to try Print Then Cut, but you do need a few basics.
You’ll need:
A Cricut machine that supports Print Then Cut
A printer
Cricut Design Space
A cutting mat
Printable sticker paper, printable vinyl, cardstock, or printable iron-on
A brayer or scraper, if you have one
Your design file
For stickers and printable vinyl, I usually like using a brayer to help the sheet stick smoothly to the mat. You don’t want bubbles, lifted corners, or weird shifting while your machine is cutting.
What is the black box around Print Then Cut designs?
When you send a Print Then Cut project to your printer, Cricut adds a black registration box around the design area.
That box is not a mistake.
Your Cricut uses that box to figure out where the printed design is on the page. The machine scans it before cutting.
So when you see the black border print around your designs, do not panic. That part is supposed to happen.
Now, if Design Space is cutting a giant rectangle around your design instead of cutting the actual shape, that’s a different issue. That usually means the file background or image shape needs to be cleaned up before printing.
What does “flatten” mean in Cricut Design Space?
Flatten turns multiple layers into one printable layer.
If you have a design with text, shapes, or multiple pieces and you want it to print as one image instead of cutting each piece separately, you’ll usually select the design and click Flatten.
Flatten tells Design Space:
“Please print this whole thing as one image, then cut around it.”
This is especially helpful for stickers, labels, tags, and printable designs.
If you forget to flatten, Design Space may try to cut every individual part of the design. And that is how you end up staring at your screen wondering why your simple sticker suddenly has 47 layers.
Why is my Print Then Cut image blurry?
A blurry Print Then Cut image usually comes down to image quality.
A few common causes:
The image file is too small
The design was screenshotted
The file was saved too many times
The design was stretched larger than its original size
The printer settings are too low
The image was downloaded from somewhere at low resolution
For best results, use a high-resolution PNG file and avoid screenshots when possible.
Screenshots are fine for sending your friend a picture of something. They are not ideal for making clean Cricut files.
If you are creating your own artwork, start with a large canvas and export the file properly. Your future self will appreciate it.
Basic Print Then Cut steps
Here’s the simple beginner version:
Upload your PNG or JPG to Cricut Design Space.
Choose the image type during upload.
Clean up the background if needed.
Add the image to your canvas.
Resize it for your project.
If you are adding text or other elements, select everything and click Flatten.
Click Make It.
Send it to your printer.
Place the printed sheet on your Cricut mat.
Load the mat into your machine.
Let Cricut scan the registration marks and cut the design.
That’s the basic flow.
Once you do it a couple of times, it feels much less intimidating.
Common Print Then Cut beginner mistakes
Using a low-quality image
If the image looks blurry before you upload it, it will probably print blurry too.
Forgetting to flatten
Remember to hit FLATTEN.
If you want it to print as one design, flatten it.
Using the wrong material setting
Sticker paper, printable vinyl, cardstock, and printable iron-on all behave differently. Start with the recommended setting, then adjust if needed.
Not letting ink dry
If you are printing on sticker paper or printable vinyl, give the ink a little time to dry before loading it onto the mat. Smudged designs are deeply annoying.
Putting the sheet on the mat crooked
The Cricut will scan the registration box, but don’t make it work harder than it has to. Line your sheet up neatly.
Using glossy material without testing
Some glossy papers can make it harder for the sensor to read the registration marks. If your machine struggles to scan, lighting and material finish may be part of the issue.
Final thoughts
Print Then Cut is one of my favorite Cricut features because it lets you use full-color designs without layering a bunch of tiny vinyl pieces.
It is perfect for stickers, printable vinyl, labels, tags, and designs that have shading or hand-drawn details.
If you are using a colorful PNG file, Print Then Cut may be exactly what you need.
And remember:
SVG files are great for cutting.
PNG files are great for printing.
Print Then Cut is where PNG files really shine.
Once you understand that, Cricut file types start to make a whole lot more sense.
Want more beginner-friendly Cricut help? Join the Cricut Tips & Tricks community and grab my cheat sheets, and FREE Crafting Files- Cadabra Cuts.
