Frequently Asked Questions

We are constantly updating our FAQs. If you have a new question, let us know!

Tricky Questions

I'm in a hurry. I have scissors, tape, some paper straws, a printer... but only copy paper at home. I need a cake topper. Will it work with copy paper?

You have everything you need, although sturdy paper is much better. However, there are a couple of tricks if copy paper is the only choice.

Let's get to the facts so you can judge the case:

– Home printer. It will do the job just fine, but be sure to check the crucial settings for printing at home:
• actual print size,
• paper type (sometimes called media type), and
• best print quality.

If not sure how to find them, click here to see an animation on this matter.

– Scissors. It's all you need to cut out the designs.

– Tape. It's actually the recommended supply to stick the back of your cutouts to the straws. Permanent glue is also a recommended supply.

– Paper straws. They're a beautiful supply to stick your cutouts to. Lollipop sticks are also a recommended supply.

– Copy paper. It's not the recommended paper type because of flimsiness and some print quality loss.

Regarding print quality, the only thing you can do is to be sure to check your print settings (as mentioned above), so to allow your printer to do the best it can.

Regarding flimsiness, to prevent your cutouts from bending or curling when in the upright position, make sure to:
• glue the paper straws the higher you can so the top ending of the straws will be as close as possible to the cutout top edge;
• if using two straws, carefully stretch the cutouts as much as possible when inserting the straws into the cake.

You can make a beautiful and inspiring cake topper, it will just be more fragile so you must be more careful handling it and follow the tricks above.

I am new to printing and cutting decorations. Is it easy?

It's as easy as printing a document from your home printer and then cutting out the printed shapes with scissors. No editing, waiting, experience, or special tools are required; our printables could even be your first handmade paper craft.

Most of our designs are flat decorations, such as wall art, cake toppers, and labels. How you use your cutouts defines the complexity of your project: a cake topper, for example, is easier than a garland.

3D elements, like our blocks, are also easy but require more time, due to two additional steps: scoring and folding.

Cutting Machines

A pair of scissors is all you need to cut out our designs, but you can use a cutting machine if you wish. Our downloads include PDF files for cutting by hand as well as PNG files for cutting machines.

Not sure if I can cut decent round shapes with scissors... Is it really possible?

It's much easier than it sounds!

Take a piece of paper and scissors and do a test: try cutting some curves with different cutting rhythms and lengths to see what is easiest for you.

SUGGESTED METHODS:

METHOD 1. Paper moves more than scissors. A lot.

Slowly, as the scissors close the blades (never completely), you constantly move/rotate the paper to reposition the cut line in the path of the blades. Works like a charm.

Be careful every time you restart the cut (every time you reopen the blades). Try not to deviate from the cut line as this could create a small "corner" between the cuts. If this happens, you can trim the corner later, just a bit, to make it less pronounced.

METHOD 2. Small cuts in series.

Sometimes it's best to cut a series of tiny cuts around 1/16 inch (between 1 and 3 mm). In this case, the blades barely move (very short cuts).

This method is especially recommended for intricate cuts.

Testing is very important to find out which style is best for you. It's also a way to practice a little before actually cutting your designs.

MANY CIRCLES TO CUT?

To cut 2-inch round labels for cupcake toppers and party or gift tags, you can also use a circle/hole punch, like these.

Printing

Can I print my designs at home?

Our files are ready to print. You can print them out at home as many times as you want. The crucial step for high-resolution printing you might not be used to is setting the correct paper type and best print quality in your printer's dialog.

Can you print for me?

We currently only sell digital products but will soon offer printed options for some of our designs.

However, most of our products are design packs with dozens, sometimes over a hundred files. They are creative supplies from which you will select a few files for each project and print them out as many times as you want.

If you need help or advice on printing your files, feel free to contact us anytime. We are always happy to help.

Can I use a printing service?

Our files are ready to print. You can print them out at home, in your office, at a local copy center, at a print shop, or use an online printing service such as staples.com or fedexoffice.com.

How to print my PDF files online?

Select the files you want to print and upload them to the printing service (quick links below).

QUICK LINKS TO PRINT YOUR PDF FILES ONLINE

Staples →

Recommended paper:
White Cardstock (110lb. Index)

FedexOffice →

Usually, the default paper selected is not the best for paper crafts. To change it, after uploading your file, click on the following links:
• Product Print Properties, then
• Paper/Edit, then
• Professional White Papers, then
• 110lb Index.

How to print my big signs/posters online?

Select the files you want to print and upload them to the printing service (quick links below).

QUICK LINKS TO PRINT YOUR SIGN/POSTER JPG FILES ONLINE

Staples (12x18 & up) →

Paper choice and other settings are on the same page as delivery information, one of the last steps. When you get to the delivery information, scroll down to check your paper choice (it's in the "Add your finishing touches" topic).

Usually the first option is fine (it's a heavyweight matte paper).

FedexOffice (16x20 & up) →

Paper choice is one of the first settings in this case. You will see it as soon as you click the link above. Usually it is matte paper, which is fine.

I'm printing my files at home. What paper type should I use?

Ideally, use US Letter or A4 medium-weight cardstock or matte photo paper. Example: 65 lb cover or 176 gsm.

Matte paper has a smooth matte finish, which makes colors more vivid. If you prefer a glossy finish, please note that it intensifies contrast, so some colors may be darker or lighter than expected.

Scoring & Folding

What is scoring?

Scoring is creating a crease where you will fold your cutouts. Score lines and fold lines are the same.

It is easy, makes folding faster, and results in more beautiful folds.

You only need a solid object with a straight edge, like a ruler, and a solid tool with a blunt point or tip, such as a butter knife or a bone folder, to press a thin line on the fold lines without cutting or tearing the paper.

To score, line up a ruler with the fold lines and run the scoring tool (such as a butter knife or bone folder) along the ruler's edge. Try to apply even pressure along the way.

The scoring tool pushes the paper down, leaving indented lines. After cutting the designs, you will fold them on these indented lines, or creases.

Scoring by hand is quite simple, but if you are using a cutting machine, you can also use it to score with the SVG and DXF files included in your design pack.

What tools do I need to score?

You only need a solid object with a straight edge, like a ruler, and a solid tool with a blunt point or tip, such as a butter knife, a bone folder, even a ballpoint pen without ink or a paper clip!

The goal is to press a thin, straight line on the fold lines of the printed designs without cutting or tearing the paper.

I've never scored before. How easy is it?

It is very easy and makes folding faster.

You only need a solid object with a straight edge, like a ruler, and a solid tool with a blunt point or tip, such as a butter knife or a bone folder, to press a thin line on the fold lines without cutting or tearing the paper.

To score, line up a ruler with the fold lines and run the scoring tool (such as a butter knife or bone folder) along the ruler's edge. Try to apply even pressure along the way.

Scoring by hand is quite simple, but if you are using a cutting machine, you can also use it to score with the SVG and DXF files included.

Is it really necessary to score?

It depends on the type of paper: the more resistant, the more necessary it is to score it.

If you're making a box or any other craft that requires sturdier paper, yes, you need to score.

However, if you're making a bunting banner and just need to fold the flaps, you can skip the scoring step, unless you're using sturdy paper.

For the best results, there are no visible fold lines on our designs, so your file pack includes scoring marks and/or templates to help you score your printouts.
You only need a solid object with a straight edge, like a ruler, and a solid tool with a blunt point or tip, such as a butter knife, a bone folder, an inkless pen, or even a paper clip.
Scoring is easy, makes folding faster, and results in more beautiful folds. To score, line up the ruler with the fold lines and run the scoring tool along the ruler's edge. Try to apply even pressure along the way.
The scoring tool pushes the paper down, leaving indented lines. After cutting the designs, you will fold them on these indented lines, or creases.
Score all fold lines before cutting the designs.
Our downloads include different files for different ways of crafting. Use the PDF files if you're cutting by hand. They have red dashed marks outside the designs indicating the ends of each fold line. With a cutting machine, use the PNG files instead, along with the SVG/DXF score lines.

Cutting

Can I cut my printouts with only scissors?

Yes! To cut by hand with scissors or a craft knife, use the PDF files included in your download.

If you prefer a cutting machine, like Cricut or Silhouette, use the transparent PNG files instead.

Can I use a cutting machine, like Cricut or Silhouette?

Absolutely! All our design packs include PNG files with a transparent background and sharp edges for smooth import into cutting machine software.

Is it easy to cut these designs? I'm note sure I can do it.

Yes, it is easy.

Alphabet blocks, for example, are especially easy to cut, as all the cuts are simple (straight edges) and many of them don't even appear in the final product (they're around the flaps). In this case, scoring and folding are much more demanding than cutting.

Gluing

How to stick cutouts to straws, ribbons etc.?

Use regular tape to glue the back of the cutouts to paper straws, lollipop sticks, ribbons etc. You can also use permanent glue.

How to stick the flaps of the paper blocks?

Apply permanent glue or double-sided tape as close to the folds as possible.

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