How to create image borders that mold around object?

[JamesEisert]

Hello.

I have a document that has images of different shapes. 
However, they all have boxes around them when selected. Even choosing "image Trace" just creates a solid box around the object.
My printer cannot see the cut lines from the shapes, they only see the sqaure boxes.

(image normally has a transparent background, but I have color background here to show shape)

What am I missing?

[Jacob Bugge]

James,

Are we talking about the Bounding Box, which you can toggle on and off with Shift+Ctrl/Cmd+B (or View>Show/Hide Bounding Box)?

That would not print.

I see no box in your image, only the white (unselected) path on the brown background.

[JamesEisert]

I need to make die cut lines around the white image shape. However, my printer cannot see it and only can see the bounding box portion (the entire brown area square) 

[Monika Gause]

The printer documentation should tell you exactly how to set up the file.

[Jacob Bugge]

James,

I believe the boundaries of the brown box is the the Artboard: the vertical sides of the Bounding Box ought to follow the vertical top sides of the white path, and the horizontal sides ought to go through the topmost corners/bottommost corner.

You may need is to give the path a stroke with a specific Stroke Weight and a specific (maybe spot) Color for die cutting.