This tutorial by illustrator Okayama introduces how to create LINE stickers.

She will also explain how to create animated stickers using Clip Studio Paint!

 

▼ Below is the final illustration. The phrase means "Got it! (了解しました)" in Japanese.

 

・Artist Profile: Okayama

I've started working as an illustrator after selling my first LINE sticker.

I also draw four-frame comedy comics as a hobby.

 

1.1 The benefits of designing LINE stickers in Clip Studio Paint

Those who want to create LINE stickers

I think “drawing a set of stickers” is the hardest part in making LINE stickers.

 

<Number of images required for LINE sticker applications>

 

Stickers: 8, 16, 24, 32, 40

Animated stickers: 8, 16, 24

 

In order to sell stickers, you have to prepare various images that comply with LINE’s sticker regulations.

 

Those who are familiar with drawing illustrations may be able to fulfill the requirements easily. However, you might end up consuming too much time creating new stickers trying to meet those regulations or worse, run out of ideas.

However, once you get permission to sell stickers, you can continue selling them as long as no other serious issues pop up.

 

Even if initial sales are low there are many chances for sales to increase such as people purchasing by keyword search, articles and TV programs featuring the product, and prominent people using the product on their official account.

Just try your best to create a good mix of everything you need for a set.

 

Increasing efficiency is important when preparing many images so I utilize many of the useful features of Clip Studio Paint to create stickers.

 

I will explain each step below in detail in later parts.

 

 

 

■ Clip Studio Paint’s useful features

 

・Drawing with vectors allow you to edit line art in depth

(Introduced in part 2)

 

・Decorations and a wide range of materials increases sticker variation

(Introduced in part 3)

The phrase means “Thank you very much (ありがとうございます)” in Japanese.

 

・Create animated stickers using the moving illustration feature

(Introduced in part 4)

Note: The export format of this image is Animated GIF, suitable for websites.

 

1.2 Creating a new canvas/Template settings

First, I select [File] menu > [New] to create a new canvas.

 

Then, I set the unit to [px]. ①

 

For a standard LINE sticker the maximum resolution is 370 x 320 pixels and for an animated sticker 320 x 270 pixels. I create a canvas that meets this requirement (I often create a perfect square canvas for standard stickers).

 

The guideline specifies the resolution as 72 dpi ③ or more.

 

Also, I want the background to be transparent png so I uncheck Paper color. ④

 

At this time, you can register size settings into the preset by pressing the [Register to preset] button ⑤ on the right of the [Preset] column. Register the preset name to something like “LINE sticker” or “moving sticker,” etc. so you do not have to enter the size each time you create a new sticker.

 

Note:

When creating animation stickers, you can use the preregistered [Animated sticker (APNG)x1 (actual size)] or [Animated sticker (APNG)x2 (double size)] presets.

 

If you select these presets, the paper color will automatically become transparent.

 

The specified sticker size is small, so I recommend creating a larger sticker and resizing it afterwards.

 

Also, if you are considering using your sticker images later for things like advertisement leaflets and goods, you should increase the canvas size and resolution to 300 - 350 dpi. Afterwards, you can lower the resolution to submit it as a LINE sticker.

 

Note: Please look through the creation guidelines on the LINE Creators Market website before creating/submitting a LINE sticker.

 

1.3 Layer mask settings

LINE Creators Market’s creation guideline states that “There should be a margin of around 10 pixels between the trimmed image and the content around it. Please consider the balance of the stickers when creating your designs.”

 

If you set a layer mask on the canvas beforehand, it will help you to draw within the borders of this margin.

 

 

 

■ How to set a Layer mask

 

(i) First I select [Layer] menu > [New Layer Folder] to create a new layer folder.

 

(ii) Then, I select the whole canvas from [Selection] > [Select All].

 

(iii) Then, I select [Selection] menu > [Shrink selected area].

 

(iv) In the [Shrink selected area] dialog box, set the [Shrinking width] to 10px and click OK.

 

(v) Next, I select [Layer] menu > [Layer mask] > [Mask Outside Selection].

 

(vi) This creates a mask for the layer folder. If you create a layer mask in this folder, any parts drawn outside the margin will be hidden.

 

In addition, if you right click the layer palette’s mask icon and select [Show Mask Area], you can visualize the margin.

Note: The purple area of the following figure represents the masked area.

 

Note:

If you want to use a large sized canvas, I recommend creating a standard size, set the mask and then zoom in from [Edit] menu > [Change Image Resolution]. This increases the mask width according to the new canvas size.

 

Once you have prepared the canvas and mask, its time to draw your sticker illustration. I will introduce some useful features when working on your line art and coloring in parts 2 and 3, respectively.

 

1.4 Exporting images

(i) I export the illustrations from [File] > [Save Duplicate] > [.png(PNG)].

 

When doing this, if you set the file names as “01” to “40” (or “24” for animation stickers) depending on the number of stickers, it will make submitting them easier.

 

Make sure you shrink the size of any stickers created on a large sized canvas.

・ Standard stickers: 370 x 320 pixels

・Animated stickers: 320 x 270 pixels

 

Also, be aware that overly detailed images reduced from large size drawings are subject to rejection due to excessive details.

 

(ii) After finishing all my stickers, I prepare the main image and chat thumbnail icon.

You can only upload images in the following sizes:

・Main image: 240 x 240 pixels (apng format available for animation stickers)

・Chat thumbnail icon: 96 x 74 pixels

 

You can change the size of the canvas using the following procedure.

 

■ If you created the sticker for a 320 x 270 pixels chat thumbnail icon

(1) Quadruple the width and height of the canvas to 384 x 296 pixels from [Edit] menu > [Change Canvas Size]

(2) [Change Image Resolution] to 96 x 74px

(3) [Export (Single Layer)] or [Export Animation]

• For the main image, set the canvas size to a perfect square in [Change Canvas Size] (1) and change the resolution to 240 x 240 using [Change image resolution], and then export the work.

 

Note:

If you use the same image size, I recommend registering it as an export setting in Auto Action.

If you use the sticker image as the main image and the chat thumbnail icon, registering it once will allow you to immediately export it.

 

The main image is the image displayed in the store’s sticker overview.

Use a sticker that is impressive, or gives an idea of the sticker as the main image. This will attract buyers.

 

The chat thumbnail icon appears on the sticker selection screen, so choosing a sticker that summarizes the overall theme will make your set easier to find.

 

(iii) After preparing all stickers (“01.png -”), main image (“main.png”), and chat thumbnail image (“tab.png”), place them in one folder and right click > compress > .zip to create a zip file.

 

To finish the submission, access the LINE Creator Market’s My Page and register the sticker.

 

Note:

Before exporting the sticker images as a png, re-check the entire sticker to make sure there aren’t any mistakes such as non-transparent marks and spelling mistakes.

It may take time to review your next submission after receiving a rejection, so be careful not to miss the release date due to a simple mistake.

 

Additionally, any unnoticed mistakes may result in its removal from the store until you edit the sticker. Therefore, I recommend checking it carefully several times before submitting it.

 

In the next part, I will introduce how to input text and draw lines with vector layers.