StixCut User Manual

The complete guide to designing, laying out, and printing custom stickers with your PixCut S1.

Welcome

StixCut is a native desktop app for macOS and Windows that turns the Liene PixCut S1 into a professional sticker studio. Design cut paths, arrange stickers on sheets, print and contour-cut in one pass — all local, no cloud, no account required.

Getting Started

Download & Install

Download the latest version from stixcut.com/download. macOS: drag the app to your Applications folder. Windows: run the installer.

First Launch

When you open StixCut for the first time:

1. The main window opens with an empty canvas, a Library sidebar on the left, and an Inspector panel on the right.
2. A Device Picker overlay appears in the center of the canvas. You can plug in a printer and it will be discovered automatically, or click "Continue without a printer" to start designing.
3. You may see an announcement popup with news or release notes. Dismiss it with the primary button or press Esc.

[Screenshot: First launch with device picker overlay]

First launch — Device Picker appears when no printer is connected.

Quick Start: Your First Sticker

This step-by-step guide takes you from zero to a printed sticker in about five minutes. You'll need a PixCut S1 powered on and connected (USB or BLE), with media loaded.

1. Connect your printer. Ensure your PixCut S1 is powered on and your Bluetooth is enabled, or the printer is connected to your computer with a USB-C data cable. Wait a moment for printers to be discovered and Click + Add to add it to your list of known printers. Then click Continue. "Add Files". Select a PNG or JPG image. StixCut imports it and automatically traces a cut path around your design.
No printer? Click Continue Anyway to test StixCut without printing.
2. Import your artwork. Click the + button in the Library sidebar header and choose Add Files. Select a PNG or JPG image. StixCut imports it and automatically traces a cut path around your design.
3. Place it on the sheet. Drag the sticker thumbnail from the Library onto the canvas. It appears as a placement on the virtual print sheet.
4. Check the cut path. If the auto-trace needs adjustment, double-click the cut path to open the Cut Path Editor and fine-tune the nodes.
5. Adjust the size and position. Drag the placement to reposition it. Drag a corner handle to resize. Use the Inspector on the right to set exact X, Y, Width, Height values.
6. Set your cut type. In the Inspector's cut layers section, choose Kiss-cut (cut sticker only) or Perf-cut (perforated, for peel-off stickers).
7. Add a peel tab (optional). If you chose perf-cut, toggle Peel Tab → Enabled in the Inspector. A "Peel Here" tab appears on the sticker.
8. Fill the sheet (optional). To print multiple stickers on one sheet, place more or use Edit → Auto-Pack Sheet (Cmd Shift P / Ctrl Shift P) to let StixCut arrange them automatically.
9. Print. Click the "Print & Cut" button in the Inspector's print header. The Progress Sheet opens, showing the job phase tracker as your sticker prints and cuts.
10. Peel and enjoy. When the job reaches Done, remove the sheet from the printer and peel your sticker.

[Screenshot: The full workflow — library import, placement on canvas, inspector with cut layers, print button]

Quick Start workflow: import, place, configure, print.

The Three Pane Layout

StixCut's main window is divided into three resizable panels:

Drag the dividers between panels to resize.

Floating above the sheet is the toolbar, which contains the document title, quick actions, and printer status.

Floating below the sheet is the zoom bar, which allows you to zoom, pan, and hide some visual guides.

[Screenshot: Full three-pane layout with labels]

The three-pane layout: Library (left), Canvas (center), Inspector (right).

Library Sidebar

The Library holds all your imported sticker images along with their cut settings. It works like a local folder on disk. Imported stickers are copied into the Library and remain separate from your original file.

The sidebar header shows:

• The StixCut logo
• A sticker count (total stickers in the library)
• The library file name — right-click to reveal in Finder/Explorer or switch libraries
• The Import (+) button — opens a menu with import options

Below the header is the group list. Each group shows:

• A chevron to expand/collapse
• The group name
• A sticker count for that group
• A grid of sticker thumbnails when expanded

Right-click a group for options: Rename, Save As Library, Remove Group. Right-click a sticker thumbnail for: Retrace Cut Path, Rename, Remove from Library.

Importing Stickers

Click the + button in the sidebar header to open the import menu:

• Add Folder — import every compatible image in a folder
• Add Files — import individually selected files
• Load Library — open a .stixlib library file
• Save Library — export your library as a .stixlib
• Clear/Close Library — remove all stickers from the default library, or close a saved library and return to the default library.

You can also drag-and-drop files directly onto the Library sidebar or onto the canvas. Supported formats: PNG, JPG, JPEG, HEIC (Mac), WebP, TIFF, BMP, SVG, .stix (sticker packages), and .stixlib (libraries).

When a sticker is imported, StixCut automatically runs auto-trace to detect the cut path from the image contours. See Auto-Trace for details.

Organizing with Groups

Groups keep your library organized. Click the library + button and select "New Group". Drag stickers between groups to reorganize.

Library Files (.stixlib)

Your library is saved as a .stixlib file — a portable package that includes all sticker images, thumbnails, cut paths, and group structure. Share libraries with other StixCut users or back them up like any other file.

[Screenshot: Library sidebar with expanded group showing sticker thumbnails]

Library sidebar with an expanded group and the Import menu open.

Canvas & Sheet

The Canvas is your design surface. It shows a virtual representation of the physical print sheet at real-world size, with your arranged stickers overlaid.

The Canvas supports:

• Zoom — pinch, Shift+scroll-wheel, or Cmd + / Ctrl + / Cmd - / Ctrl -, or use the Zoom bar
• Pan — hold Space and drag, two-finger drag, or toggle the Pan button in the Zoom bar
• Rulers — toggle from View menu, tick marks in inches or mm depending on your settings
• Snap guides — magenta alignment lines when dragging near sheet edges, centers, or other placements. Toggle on or off in the View menu
• Cut preview — toggle kiss-cut and perf-cut path overlays in the View menu or Zoom bar
• Safety margin — visual dashed border inside the sheet edge. Adjust the margin in Settings
• Background — if a sheet background is set you can toggle it on/off in the View menu or Zoom bar
• Lock Layout — Lock movement of items on the sheet with the Lock Layout toggle in the View menu or Zoom bar. This defaults to On for templates, and images can be replaced by double-clicking.
• Drop target — drag stickers or image files directly onto the sheet to place them

[Screenshot: Canvas with several stickers placed, rulers visible, cut preview on]

Canvas with placements, rulers, and cut-path overlays.

Adding Placements

A placement is one instance of a sticker on the sheet. To add one:

1. Drag a sticker from the Library sidebar onto the canvas
2. Or drag an image file from Finder/Explorer directly onto the sheet
3. Or click a sticker in the library, then click the placement area on canvas
4. Or double-click a sticker in the library

Moving, Resizing & Rotating

Click a placement to select it. Selection chrome appears with:

• 8 resize handles — drag any corner or edge to resize. The aspect ratio will remain locked. Hold opt to override that, or toggle it in the transform panel.
• Rotate knob — drag the knob above the bounding box to rotate
• Arrow key nudge — tap arrow keys to move 1 pt (Shift + arrow = ~1 mm)
• Marquee select — drag on empty canvas to select multiple placements
• Cmd+click — add or remove from selection

Zoom & Pan

Rulers

Toggle from View → Show/Hide Rulers. The ruler units follow your Display Units preference in Settings → General (Automatic, Inches, or Millimeters). Rulers show tick marks along the top and left edges of the canvas.

Snap Guides

When dragging or resizing a placement near a sheet edge, center, or the edge of another placement, magenta alignment lines appear. These snap the placement into alignment. Toggle from View → Enable Snap.

Cut Preview

When enabled (View → Show Cut Preview), kiss-cut paths render in magenta and perf-cut paths render in green with a dashed stroke. Peel tab icons are shown on placements with peel tabs enabled.

Safety Margin

A visual dashed border inside the sheet edge, configurable in Settings → Cut. Any cut geometry that would exceed this margin is flagged before printing.

Auto-Pack & Shuffle

Auto-Pack Sheet (Cmd Shift P / Ctrl Shift P) arranges all placed stickers using a packing algorithm to minimize wasted space. Shuffle Pack re-rolls the arrangement for variety. Both honor your sticker gap and margin settings.

Inspector Panel

The Inspector is a dynamic collection of settings and tools to help you work. The Inspector panels can be collapsed by clicking on the header, or dragged to re-order.

Printer

On the top of each Inspector mode, there will always be the Printer section.

• Print & Cut / Print button — Send your work to the printer
• Copies — how many full sheets to print, increase with the +/- buttons
• Status — Brief status of all connected printers, click to scan for printers
• Print Job List — compact view of queued, running, and completed jobs

Beyond that, the Inspector changes its content based on what's selected. It has four modes:

Sheet Controls

Shown when nothing is selected (click empty canvas). Controls the overall sheet configuration:

• Stickers — List of all stickers on the sheet, and an Auto-arrange button to arrange them
• Cut Pressure — Settings for adjusting kiss-cut and perf-cut pressure for this sheet. These default to the what is found in the Settings window, but can be adjusted per project here.
• Background — toggle sheet background on/off, pick a solid color, or select an image from your background library
• Media — choose from built-in sticker and photo paper, or custom media types you've defined
• Auto-Pack Sheet — adjust settings and automatically fill the sheet with library items. Click the Auto-Pack button multiple times to cycle through all items in the library, or click Shuffle Pack for a random selection.
• Design — open the Shape Designer to create a new sticker based on a shape

[Screenshot: Sheet Settings panel in the Inspector]

Sheet Settings panel — shown when nothing is selected on the canvas.

Sticker Controls

Shown when one placement is selected. Controls that placement's properties:

Stickers

• List of all stickers on the sheet, and an Auto-arrange button to arrange them

Layers

The Layers panel shows each part of the sticker independently — click the Image layer to adjust raster properties (pan, zoom, rotate within the frame), or click a Cut layer to edit that specific path. This separation lets you move artwork without disturbing cutlines, or tweak a cut path without affecting the image:

• Each cut layer row shows its name, kind/filename (rectangle, ellipse, trace, SVG), node count, visibility toggle, and delete button

Cut Path

Allows adjustment of the currently selected cut path, or creating new cut paths. This section will always show these items:

• Single Outline - converts all paths into one continuous outline
• Crop to Cut - hides area outside the cutline so the background shows
• Add Path - adds a new cut layer, Image Trace, SVG, Shape, or Drawn path

If the placement has only a single cut layer, or the cut layer is selected in the Layers panel, additional options are shown:

• Path Type — switches the selected cut layer to a different type, Image Trace, SVG, Rectangle, Ellipse, or custom Shape
• Margin - adjust the margin of the selected cut path
• Radius - round sharp corners on the cut path by increasing the radius
• Edit Path - allows more detailed direct path editing, see Cut Path Editor
• Kiss Cut/Perf Cut - toggle between two cut types. Kiss-cut cuts through the sticker, and Perf-cut also cuts through the backing with a perforated path.
• Peel Tab - when Perf-cut is selected, an option for Peel Tabs appears. Toggle this on to add a tab to your final sticker which makes it easier to peel from the backing. Adjust the size and position with the sliders.

Image

Use these sliders to adjust the color and contrast of your sticker image:

• Saturation
• Brightness
• Contrast
• Hue

Adjustments preview in real time. Click Apply to bake them into the library sticker item. Click Reset to discard changes.

Align

• Alignment buttons — snap placement to left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom of the sheet

Transform

• X / Y — position on the sheet
• W / H — width and height
• Rotation — angle in degrees
• Lock Aspect Ratio — keeps width/height proportional when resizing
• Reset Aspect — restores the sticker's native aspect ratio

[Screenshot: Single Placement panel — Transform, Cut Layers, Image Adjustments sections]

Single Placement panel with Transform, Cut Layers, and Image Adjustments.

Alignment Controls

This view is shown when multiple placements are selected. Provides batch operations:

• Align — left, center horizontal, right, top, center vertical, bottom
• Delete All — remove all selected placements

Library Item Controls

Shown when a sticker is selected in the library (not selected on the canvas):

• Preview image
• File — name, format, pixel dimensions
• Cut path — number of subpaths, total nodes, and type
• Add to Sheet — place this sticker on the sheet
• Rename and Remove — buttons to change the name or remove from library

Cut Paths

A cut path is the outline the PixCut S1's blade follows. Every sticker can have multiple cut layers, each producing its own cut contour. Paths are stored linked to their sticker so they scale automatically with the placement size.

There are two main cut types:

• Kiss-cut — cuts through the sticker layer only, leaving the backing intact. Renders in magenta.
• Perf-cut — cuts through both the sticker and the backing, creating a perforated line. Renders in green with a dashed stroke.

Auto-Trace

When you import an image, StixCut attempts to automatically generate a cut path. The algorithm:

1. Detects the foreground subject using contour analysis
2. Simplifies the contour into a path with Bézier curves
3. Returns a normalized CutPath you can edit in the Cut Path Editor

If the image has no clear foreground, auto-trace falls back to a bounding-box rectangle around the entire image.

To re-trace a sticker: right-click its thumbnail in the library and select "Retrace Cut Path", or in the Inspector, add a Image Trace cut layer.

Manual Cut Layers

Add cut layers via the Inspector when a placement is selected.

• Trace — run auto-trace on the current image (useful if you want to re-trace after editing the raster)
• Shape — open the Shape designer to choose from various custom cut shapes
• SVG — import SVG paths as a precision cut layer. The SVG's <path> elements become editable Bézier subpaths on this sticker.
• Draw — use your mouse to draw a path around the sticker

Each layer can be set to kiss-cut or perf-cut independently. Layers can be reordered, edited, or deleted. A sticker with zero cut layers will print but not cut — useful for logos and accents.

Additional per-sticker options:

• Single Outline — wraps all visible cut layers into one clean merged outline. Ideal for multi-piece designs that should cut as a single sticker. Enabled by default via Settings → Cut.
• Crop Raster to Cut Line — a non-destructive toggle visible on each cut layer row. Clips the printed image to the cut path (+1 mm bleed). The canvas preview updates dynamically as you edit the path. Disable to see the full raster image.

Cut Path Editor

Double-click a placement's cut path (or click "Edit" on a cut layer row in the Inspector) to open the Cut Path Editor:

• Anchors (nodes) — each corner or curve point is shown as a square (corner) or circle (smooth)
• Bézier handles — drag the in/out handles from a smooth node to adjust the curve shape. Double-click on a node to change between sharp or smooth.
• Add node — click on a path segment to insert a new anchor point
• Delete node — select a node and press Delete
• Bounding box — move, scale and rotate the entire cut path as a unit using the corner handles and top-center rotation knob
• Escape — exit the editor (changes are kept)
• Undo — Cmd Z / Ctrl Z for each edit

Union, Smooth & Bake

Several tools help refine your cut paths without manual node editing:

• Smooth — automatically rounds off rough or jagged edges on the entire cut path in one click. May be used multiple times.
• Union — merges all visible cut layers into a single combined path, useful for creating one clean outline from multiple overlapping shapes.
• Bake Path — applies the merge subpaths, radius, and margin, modifiers permanently to the editable path. The live preview shows how the final cut will look; click Bake to commit it so you can fine-tune individual nodes afterward.

[Screenshot: Cut Path Editor with nodes, handles, and bounding box visible]

Cut Path Editor — anchors, Bézier handles, and the bounding box transform controls.

Perf-Cut

A perf-cut creates a dashed/perforated cut line — the sticker can stay on the sheet until peeled, or be separated cleanly along the perforation. Configure default perf-cut settings in Settings → Cut or adjust on a sheet-by-sheet basis in the inspector:

Perf-cut works best with simple, smooth shapes. Detailed contours and sharp corners can produce perforations that are more difficult to separate cleanly.

• Dash Length — how long each cut segment is (mm)
• Dash Spacing — gap between dash segments (mm)
• Knife Pressure — blade force for perf cuts (1–100)

When printing each sticker, kiss-cut paths run before perf-cut paths to reduce shifting from the higher perf-cut blade pressure.

Peel Tabs

A peel tab adds a "Peel Here" starter point to a perf-cut sticker. Enable in the Inspector when a placement has a perf-cut layer. The tab geometry is automatically spliced into the cut path:

• A kiss-cut chord cuts the backing at the tab
• The perf-cut arc wraps around the tab
• An PEEL icon marks the tab on the printed sheet

SVG Cut Import

Import SVG files as precision cut paths. When a sticker has an SVG cut layer: the SVG's elements are parsed into multi-subpath CutPath objects. Each subpath preserves its closed/open state and Bézier curves. Use this for die-cut templates, custom shapes, or designs created in vector tools like Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator or Affinity Designer.

SVG import size defaults to the attached image dimensions, but will prompt you for a specific size upon import.

Draw Path Tool

The Draw Path tool lets you create freeform cut paths by drawing directly on the canvas with your mouse or trackpad. Access it from the cut layers section in the Inspector.

• Click and drag to draw a continuous cut contour
• The path is smoothed and simplified as you draw
• Release to stop drawing, click specific areas to add more nodes.
• Click on the first node to close your path.
• Edit the drawn path in the Cut Path Editor for precise adjustments
• Great for quick custom shapes, organic contours, and hand-traced designs that don't need auto-tracing

Shape Designer

The Shape Designer creates procedural cut shapes or text without needing an external image. Access it from the Inspector's Create Design button, or the Design Shape button under Add Path

• Text - add to your document with font, arc, and size options. Set the fill and stroke colors for print.
• Shapes — 18 different shapes with various options for each to add as icons or a starting point for stickers.

Configure the shape parameters, give it a name, and it's added to your library as a new sticker with the shape as its cut path.

[Screenshot: Shape Designer dialog with star shape selected]

Shape Designer — create procedural shapes with precise cut geometry.

Device Picker

The Device Picker appears as an overlay on the canvas when the application is started. It shows:

• Discovered printers — any PixCut S1 found via USB or BLE
• Transport type — USB cable icon or BLE wave icon
• Device ID, or Friendly Name — for identifying multiple printers
• Add button — select a printer to claim it as yours and use it for printing
• Continue without a printer — dismiss and work offline

Trusted-only mode (enabled by default in Settings → Printer Details) filters discovered devices to only use printers you've specifically added. Print to any discovered PixCut S1 by disabling this mode in settings.

[Screenshot: Device Picker overlay showing discovered USB and BLE printers]

Device Picker — showing discovered printers on USB and BLE.

Print Job Lifecycle

Once a printer is connected and stickers are placed on the sheet, click the "Print & Cut" or "Print" button in the Inspector's print header to start a job.

A print job goes through these phases:

Progress Sheet

The Progress Sheet covers the full window during a print job:

• Phase tracker — horizontal step indicator: Prepare → Upload → Print → Action → Cut → Done
• Progress bar — glowing magenta capsule with animated diagonal stripe fill and percentage
• Event log — scrolling console with time-stamped events tagged as ok, info, warn, or error. Auto-scrolls to newest line.
• Actions — Close, Cancel (while a job is active), Print Another (after completion)

[Screenshot: Print Progress Sheet with phase tracker, progress bar, and terminal log]

Print Progress Sheet — phase tracker, progress bar, and event log.

Print Queue

Multiple jobs can be queued. The queue status for each job:

• Queued — waiting for a free printer
• Running — currently printing
• Done — completed successfully
• Error — failed
• Canceled — user canceled

Enable "Auto-remove finished print jobs" in Settings → General to automatically clear completed jobs from the queue. With multiple PixCut S1s, jobs auto-route to the next available printer.

Settings — General

Settings — Cut

Settings — Printer Details

Settings — Backgrounds

Manage your background image library. Backgrounds appear behind the stickers on the print sheet (useful for printing on pre-printed or patterned media).

• Add Backgrounds — import PNG, JPG, or HEIC (Mac) images. Optionally set it as a default for all new sheets.
• Clear Default — remove the default background (no background on new sheets)
• Remove — delete a background from the library

Settings — License

Manage your StixCut license:

• Activate — enter your license email and key
• Status — shows current license state: Crafter Mode, or monthly/lifetime license status
• Cancel Subscription — cancel a monthly subscription. Access continues until the paid-through date.

Settings — About

Shows the app version, build number, and copyright. Links:

• Copy Version — copies version + build to clipboard
• StixCut Site — opens stixcut.com in your browser
• License — view the StixCut EULA
• Third Party Notices — open-source license acknowledgments

Export

From File → Export:

Templates

Templates let you create reusable layouts with locked placement geometry and placeholder images. Useful for selling custom sticker designs or sharing layouts that others can fill with their own artwork.

Creating a Template

• Save as Template (Cmd Shift Opt S / Ctrl Shift Alt S on macOS / Windows) — saves a .stixtpl file. Any background you've set is included; all sticker artwork is replaced with placeholder images. Positions, sizes, and cut paths are locked.

Using a Template

• Open a .stixtpl file — the layout opens in locked mode. A lock icon appears in the toolbar.
• Replace images: double-click any placeholder image to choose a replacement from your library or from disk. The cut path and position stay exactly where they are — only the artwork changes.
• Move the image within the frame: when locked, dragging moves and sizes the raster image inside the cut path without moving the cut path itself.
• Unlocking: Save the template as a regular .stixcut file (File → Save As) to unlock all editing — or click the lock toggle in the zoom bar.

Example: Credit Card Skin Template

Try the built-in credit card skin template to see templates in action. It includes three card-sized cut paths per sheet, pre-arranged for the PixCut S1:

📄 Credit Card Skin — 3-up Template

Download the file, open it in StixCut, double-click each placeholder to swap in your own artwork, and print. The cut paths are already configured for kiss-cut — no editing required.

Image Operations

Right-click a placement on the canvas for image operations:

Fill Background

Composites a solid color behind the sticker artwork, clipped to the cut path. Choose from Black, White, or the current Sheet Color. Useful if you want a different color margin around your sticker.

Crop to Cut Line

Destructively clips the sticker's raster image to its cut path + a 1 mm bleed. Everything outside the cut path becomes transparent.

Remove Background

Uses on-device machine learning to isolate the foreground subject and remove the background from photos and other images. More aggressive than the default cutlines, use it for stickers where the auto-trace did not find the subject. The sticker will be re-traced after the background is removed.

Replace Image

Swap the sticker's raster image while keeping all cut layers and placement geometry intact. Useful for templates or when you want to update artwork without re-creating cut paths.

Keyboard Shortcuts

macOS

Windows

Troubleshooting

Printer not discovered

• Ensure the PixCut S1 is powered on and connected via USB or within BLE range
• Check that Trusted-only mode isn't filtering it out (Settings → Printer Details → disable temporarily)
• BLE: ensure Bluetooth is enabled in system settings. The PixCut S1 advertises as a BLE peripheral when powered on.

Sticker won't cut through

• Increase knife pressure in Settings → Cut, small adjustments at a time
• For perf-cuts, increase perf-cut pressure separately
• Ensure the media is loaded correctly and the cutting mat is clean
• Different materials need different pressures — Oracal 651 vinyl needs lower pressure than Liene sticker paper
• Consider replacing your cutting blade

App feels slow with many stickers

• Very large libraries may benefit from splitting into multiple .stixlib files

Can't edit cut path / path editor won't open

• Ensure the sticker has at least one cut layer. Imported images get an auto-traced cut layer; print-only media or manually deleted layers mean no cut path exists.
• Check that the cut layer is visible (eye icon in the Inspector's cut layer row). Hidden layers can't be edited until made visible.
• Templates have locked cut paths — save as a .stixcut file to unlock editing.

SVG cut paths don't appear

• SVG files imported through the library import menu are treated as sticker images, not separate cut paths. Use the Inspector's "Add SVG" button in the cut layers section to add an SVG cut path to an existing sticker.

License won't activate

• Verify the key matches what was provided in email
• Ensure the email matches the one used to purchase
• Check your internet connection — activation requires a check with our license server.
• Contact us at [email protected]

Contact Support

We read every email. If you have questions, bug reports, or feature requests:

✉ [email protected]

Or visit stixcut.com/support for FAQs, step-by-step how-to guides, and billing/licensing help.

StixCut User Manual — © 2026 Arthax, LLC. StixCut is an independent product and is not affiliated with Liene or PixCut S1.