How to Make Clay Cutters for Beginners

A beginner guide to making polymer clay cutters with BakePress, including outline choices, sizing, testing, and STL export.

Published May 24, 2026

Start simple

Polymer clay cutters are small tools, but the design choices matter. A clean outline, practical size, and strong edge can make the difference between a cutter that feels useful and one that is frustrating to use.

BakePress helps beginners turn simple designs into 3D print ready clay cutters without learning full CAD. The key is choosing the right starting point.

Clay cutters need clear outlines

A clay cutter works by pressing a shape into rolled clay. It needs a clear outside edge. Clean clip art, SVG files, logos, and black line drawings are usually the best direct uploads.

If your source image is a real photo, a pet picture, a portrait, a product image, shaded artwork, or a screenshot, start in Dreamboard first. Those images usually need to become cleaner outline art before they make sense as cutters.

Good first clay cutter ideas

• Simple arches
• Hearts and stars
• Leaves and flowers
• Basic earring shapes
• Bold icons
• Simple seasonal shapes

Avoid designs with tiny interior spaces or very thin points for your first cutter. Clay can stick in small gaps, and thin printed edges can be fragile.

Use the 3D Workspace

Once the outline is ready, open it in the 3D Workspace. This is where you choose size and cutter settings before exporting the STL.

Clay cutters are often smaller than cookie cutters, so details matter more. If a design is too small, some features may not press cleanly into clay. If it is too detailed, it may be hard to clean after use.

Test one cutter before making a set

1. Export the STL from BakePress.
2. Open it in your slicer and confirm the size.
3. Print one cutter first.
4. Test it with clay.
5. Adjust size or detail before printing a full set.

Make a Clay Cutter