Skip to content
Optimas PrintStart free trial

Guide

How to nest stickers in CorelDRAW, by hand and automatically

Lay out sticker sheets in CorelDRAW with Step and Repeat, the Contour tool, and layers, see where manual layout slows down, and how automatic nesting helps.

By Optimas PrintUpdated 4 min read

Short answer

CorelDRAW's standard tools place, copy, and align objects, but they don't pack many different shapes onto a sheet for you. So most shops lay out sticker sheets by hand: Step and Repeat for grids, the Contour tool for cut lines and bleed, and a separate layer for the cut lines. For mixed orders, a nesting macro, a plugin, or separate nesting software takes over the placing.

Why sticker layout happens in CorelDRAW

For many print shops and sign makers, CorelDRAW is where every job starts: the artwork is designed there, customer files arrive as CDR files, and the cutter is often driven from a plugin. So the sheet layout happens there too, by hand.

That works for one design repeated across a sheet. It slows down when every order mixes sizes and shapes, and someone has to fit them together like a puzzle, sheet after sheet.

How to lay out a sticker sheet in CorelDRAW by hand

Menu names vary between CorelDRAW versions, but the steps are the same:

  1. 1

    Set the page to your work area

    Make the page the size your printer prints and your cutter cuts, minus the space for marks.

  2. 2

    Import the designs

    Bring each design into the document with File > Import.

  3. 3

    Make a cut line for each design

    For vector designs, apply an outside contour with the Contour tool, then break the contour group apart so the outline is its own path. For bitmaps, trace the outline first with Outline Trace.

  4. 4

    Add bleed

    Make a slightly larger outside contour filled with the design's edge color and place it behind the design. For photos, extend the image itself past the cut line. See sticker bleed.

  5. 5

    Move the cut lines to their own layer

    Create a cut layer in the Objects panel (Object Manager in older versions), and give the paths the spot color your cutter's software expects.

  6. 6

    Place the designs

    For one design in a grid, use Step and Repeat (Edit menu, Ctrl+Shift+D). For mixed designs, drag and rotate each one into place, and use Align and Distribute to keep the gaps even.

  7. 7

    Add marks and send the job

    Add the crop or registration marks your cutter needs, often with the cutter's own plugin, then print and cut.

Where manual layout slows down

  • Every mixed order is a new puzzle. Step and Repeat only helps when every sticker is the same.
  • Cut lines and bleed are per design. Each new design needs its own contours, made by hand.
  • Small mistakes cost sheets. A missing bleed, a cut line on the wrong layer, or a design over a mark means a reprint.
  • It depends on one person. Often only one operator knows how the file has to be set up for the cutter.

If that sounds like your day, the layout cost calculator puts a number on it with your own minutes and hourly rate.

Ways to automate nesting for CorelDRAW

There are three common routes:

Ways to automate sticker nesting for CorelDRAW users
MacrosHow it works: Small scripts that run inside CorelDRAW and arrange the objects you select.Check before you choose: Which CorelDRAW versions they run on, and whether they handle images, bleed, and marks.
Nesting pluginsHow it works: Add-ons that add a nesting panel to CorelDRAW.Check before you choose: Supported versions, how tightly they pack irregular shapes, and the price.
Standalone nesting softwareHow it works: A separate program that nests the job and exports a file you open in CorelDRAW or send to production.Check before you choose: Which file formats it exports, and whether print and cut stay on separate layers.

For what to compare between tools, see the sticker nesting software buyer's guide.

Automatic nesting with Optimas Print

Optimas Print is standalone sticker nesting software for Windows. It exports CorelDRAW files, so it fits a workflow built around CorelDRAW.

Laying out a sticker sheet in CorelDRAW by hand vs with Optimas Print
Placing designsBy hand in CorelDRAW: Drag, rotate, and align each oneWith Optimas Print: Nested on the sheet automatically
Machine sizeBy hand in CorelDRAW: Page size set in each documentWith Optimas Print: Custom work area to match your machine
BleedBy hand in CorelDRAW: A contour per design, filled by handWith Optimas Print: Set for every design, with edge colors extended into it
Crop marksBy hand in CorelDRAW: Placed by hand or with a pluginWith Optimas Print: Added automatically at the corners of the print area
Cut fileBy hand in CorelDRAW: Cut lines moved to their own layer by handWith Optimas Print: CorelDRAW or PDF file with separate cut and print layers

Frequently asked questions

Does CorelDRAW have automatic nesting?

CorelDRAW's standard tools place, copy, and align objects, but they don't pack many different shapes onto a sheet for you. Shops add a nesting macro or plugin, or use separate nesting software.

How do I make a cut contour in CorelDRAW?

Select the design and apply an outside contour with the Contour tool, then break the contour group apart so the outline becomes its own path. Give it no fill, a thin stroke, and the spot color your cutter's software expects, and put it on its own layer.

How do I repeat a sticker across a sheet in CorelDRAW?

Use Step and Repeat (Edit menu, Ctrl+Shift+D). Set the number of copies and an offset of the sticker size plus the gap you want. The number of copies doesn't include the original.

Can Optimas Print export CorelDRAW files?

Yes. Optimas Print exports PDF or CorelDRAW files, and every export has separate cut-line and print layers.

CorelDRAW is a trademark of its owner. Optimas Print is not affiliated with or endorsed by its owner.

Related guides

7-day free trial

Stop paying for layout done by hand.

Every sheet you lay out by hand is time you pay for. Let Optimas Print do the nesting, and see the difference on your own jobs.

  • 7 days free, then $39 per PC a month
  • Or pay once: a lifetime license for every PC at your shop
  • Free demo with your own designs
Start 7-day free trialBook a demo for your lifetime price

Book a short call to get your trial activation code.