Guides / Sticker

How to make sticker text in Illustrator

Updated September 2026 · Illustrator 2025–2026 · about 4 min

Add a thick white stroke below the fill in the Appearance panel with round joins, then a thin dark stroke below that, and a soft drop shadow. JuicyType's Sticker effect draws the die-cut border round the whole word as up to three bands.

JuicyType Sticker · screen recording goes hereSkip to JuicyType ↓

The manual way, in Illustrator

  1. Select the text. In Window › Appearance add a new stroke and drag it below the fill.
  2. Make it white, thick, with Round Join in the Stroke panel so the border wraps smoothly.
  3. Add a second, thinner stroke below it in a dark colour for the cut line.
  4. Optionally apply Effect › Stylize › Drop Shadow to the whole object.

Letters that touch merge their borders unevenly; JuicyType draws one contour around the whole word.

Steps drafted from Illustrator's documentation; to be checked in Illustrator 2025–2026 before launch.

Or, with JuicyType

Sticker with JuicyType

Select the text, open the JuicyType panel, choose Sticker, and drag. It is a live effect, so the text stays editable and every control can be changed later.

  • Bandsup to 3 concentric die-cut bands
  • Band width0–200 pt each
  • Band colourTC1 / TC2 / Black / White / spot; defaults TC2, Black, White
JuicyType
Sticker
Bands
Band width
Band colour
Keep live text
Apply
0:45

Common questions

Can the border be one shape around the whole word?

Manually you would outline the text and use Offset Path plus Pathfinder Unite. JuicyType does this automatically.

Related guides

Skip to JuicyType ↓