Homotope FR

How do I get the cut contour of a sticker without cutting every hole?

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Trace the drawing in the Homotope workshop, open “Cut contour (stickers)” in the Export panel, set the margin and the gap bridging, then download the file with the CutContour layer: the line follows only the outer silhouette and the holes of the drawing are ignored.

Pine tree drawing for a sticker, as a JPEG: saw-tooth branches, white baubles in the foliage, a detached gold star on top, the word FORET under the trunk. JPG · 800 × 1000 px
The same pine tree traced, surrounded by a magenta cut line that follows the outer silhouette, steps over the gaps between branches and joins the star and the word. Engine SVG
800 × 1,000 px JPEG and the engine SVG, Logo preset, “Number of colours” set to 4, cut contour in “one sticker” mode, 2 mm margin and 3 mm gap bridging for a 200 mm drawing, untouched: the hollow baubles are ignored, the gap between two branches is stepped over.
×6 detail: the gap between two branches: the cut line steps over it, the hollow bauble is ignored. Drag the slider to compare; hover over the image or hold your finger on it to move the magnifier.
Try it with your image Open this example in the workshop

Steps

  1. Drop the image into the workshop and keep the Logo preset.
  2. In Export, open “Cut contour (stickers)”: the line shows on the preview.
  3. Set the margin and the gap bridging (thin, standard, wide presets), and the real width of the drawing.
  4. Choose one sticker or separate stickers.
  5. Download the SVG, PDF or DXF with contour, or the contour alone as a DXF.

Nothing leaves your computer: see vectorize without uploading.

Why the holes are not cut

The DXF of a drawing cuts every shape, holes included: for a decal, that is a lot of useless cuts. The contour keeps only the outer envelope: holes are filled, gaps narrower than the bridging are stepped over, and an even margin goes around everything. Detached pieces (a star above a pine tree, letters) make several stickers; “one sticker” looks for the smallest bridging that joins them, up to 30 mm, otherwise keeps them separate and says so. The details are on the cut contour of a sticker.

Production exports (DXF, EPS, PDF, separations): 2 free per month with an account, unlimited with Pro; without Pro, 1 credit each beyond those 2. The details: how much vectorizing costs.

Limits

The contour does not tell kiss-cut from die-cut: that is your machine’s setting. It is not checked by “Ready for cutting?”, which analyses the drawing. To cut each colour, see the SVG for Cricut or Silhouette and the Cricut guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the contour free?

The preview is free. A file with a contour is a production export: 2 free per month with an account, then 1 credit each, unlimited with Pro.

Which margin should I pick?

The standard preset uses a 2 mm margin and 3 mm gap bridging; the wide preset suits small details that must stay sturdy.

Is my image sent to a server?

No. The contour is computed in your browser; the server only counts the export.

Related questions

Guides and conversions

Try it with your image