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Maximum image area: 28 3/4" x 41"
Maximum sheet size: 29 1/2"x 41 1/8"
Die cutting is very much like cookie cutting, except the design is punched out of paper instead of dough. Cuts can be straight lines, geometric shapes, or any number of special shapes. Die cutting is a novelty, and can make a fast, dramatic impression. Simple die cutting is not too expensive, usually falling into the same price range as one additional color of ink. Some standard die shapes are on inventory, such as several sizes of circles, rectangle windows, and different kinds of rolodex cards and pocket folders. Custom dies can also be made. A very accurate, actual size drawing in black on clear film, called a die pattern, must be provided.
Die cuts are made on a letterpress machine, as a sharp-edged steel die comes down on the paper and presses it into a flat, yet resilient counter. Small nicks placed strategically around the cutting edges keep the cut section from falling out of the sheet as it runs through the press, (if it fell out immediately it would clog up the press) and later the pieces are removed. This is called "scrapping." Our 29 1/2 x 41 1/8 press can scrap while cutting, recommended on long runs.
There are many technical considerations that must be addressed before you recommend a die cut. Will the piece have to withstand a lot of handling and filing? Large areas removed from the center of a sheet make the sheet prone to tearing and make it difficult to file. Typewriters, fax machines, and laser printers can have problems feeding a sheet of letterhead with a die cut. Placement of a die cut closer that ¼" from the edge will seriously weaken the sheet. The selection of a top grade paper with sufficient strength to take sharp, clean-cut lines is another prime consideration. Paper grades lighter in weight than 22 lbs. should not be used for die cutting.
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