If every sticker cuts through its paper backing, first check whether the design is set to Die Cut or Kiss Cut; then test a lighter material setting on one small sample. In Cricut's Create Sticker tool, Die Cut intentionally cuts the sticker and liner, while Kiss Cut cuts the printable layer and leaves the liner intact. A Kiss Cut selected in software can still go too deep when the material, blade, pressure or number of passes does not suit the actual sticker stock.
This problem is about cut depth. If the cutter misses the printed image instead, see the white-border and calibration diagnosis. If it cannot find the sensor marks, especially on laminated sheets, use the sensor-mark guide. Changing pressure will not fix either positioning problem.
Which layer should stay in one piece?
A kiss cut separates each sticker face while the shared release liner stays whole, useful for planner or label sheets. A die cut separates both layers into individual pieces. Cricut also offers an optional Die Cut Edge with a Kiss Cut sticker: the sticker itself is kiss cut, but an outer easy-peel edge intentionally cuts through the liner. If only the outer edge reaches the backing, that may be the selected feature rather than a pressure fault.
Open the design's Sticker or Edit Sticker settings and read the chosen cut type. Check the preview for an optional Die Cut Edge. If the design was built manually with offsets and contours rather than Create Sticker, identify which paths are meant to kiss cut and which are meant to cut through. Do not assume an ordinary SVG path carries a depth setting into Design Space.
Use a small test to separate mode from pressure
- Keep the same material stack. Test on a scrap of the actual printed stock, including laminate if the production sheet has it. A result on bare copy paper does not validate a laminated sticker stack.
- Check the design operation. In Create Sticker, choose Kiss Cut for an intact sheet and turn off Die Cut Edge if you do not want a separate outer cut. Save a copy before changing a complex sticker layout.
- Select the closest material setting and correct tool. Cricut recommends a small test cut before a full project. Use the named sticker stock when applicable or the closest appropriate material; avoid assuming a preset for another brand or finish gives the same depth.
- Inspect the liner after one simple shape. Weed one small sticker. The face should lift cleanly while the backing holds. A faint score on the liner is different from a full cut that breaks the sheet apart; record which you see.
- Adjust one variable at a time. If it goes through, try Less pressure where available or a suitable lighter custom setting and retest. Check that Multi-cut is not making extra passes. If the face does not separate at all, move the other way gradually.
Cricut documents pressure changes and Multi-cut in Custom Material settings. It says desktop and iOS can create or edit them; Android can use synced settings but cannot currently create or edit them. Keep a record of the setting that works for this exact stock instead of overwriting a known-good preset without noting its original value.
If Less pressure still cuts the backing
Verify the selected material and fine-point blade, then inspect the blade for damage or debris and the mat for an uneven hold. A loose sheet or an incorrect tool can make a pressure experiment misleading. Cricut's Maker 5 troubleshooting specifically recommends checking the material/tool match, using Default or Less when available, reducing custom pressure in small steps, and replacing a damaged blade. Those instructions are model-specific; they do not establish one universal pressure number for all Cricut machines or sticker papers.
Also check whether the design is cutting the same line more than once. Multi-cut is an intentional repeated pass for some materials; duplicate SVG geometry can produce a similar-looking extra cut. The double-cut guide explains how to tell them apart. A second pass can turn a nearly correct kiss cut into a cut-through liner.
What if the sheet stays whole but stickers will not peel?
That is the opposite depth problem. Verify Kiss Cut, try the correct material and a small increase in pressure or a suitable custom setting, then test again. Do not immediately add several passes: they can increase wear and make later sheets cut through if the stock varies. For an intricate sticker, enlarge tiny details or simplify the contour before assuming the blade must press harder. A good test has a clean face cut, an intact liner and no torn corners.
Makerfern's sticker layout tool can prepare artwork in the browser, but it cannot set your Cricut blade depth or guarantee a kiss cut. The print-size checker can inspect source resolution; local processing and free and Pro exports are described separately. Keep the final Design Space preview and a physical test cut as the decision points.
Sources and dates
- Cricut: How to use Create Sticker, accessed 6 October 2026. Source for Kiss Cut, Die Cut and optional Die Cut Edge behavior.
- Cricut: How to change cut pressure, edited 30 September 2024; accessed 6 October 2026. Source for custom pressure, Multi-cut and platform limits.
- Cricut: How to choose material settings, edited 1 March 2026; accessed 6 October 2026. Source for small test cuts and More/Less choices.
- Cricut: Maker 5 troubleshooting, accessed 6 October 2026. Source for the model-specific cut-through-backing checklist.
Makerfern's image processing runs in your browser. SVG export is free; some export and batch features require Pro. External software and materials have their own requirements. If something in this post is wrong or out of date, please tell us — the date at the top is the last time it was checked.