Die-cutting involves the use of metal dies constructed of knife-edge cutting blades formed into a pattern or die. The die is pressed into the substrate to produce the desired shape. Almost any shape can be created and applied to a diverse array of raw materials or printed products. Labels, envelopes, folders, cartons, and documents are only a few of the many products that can be die cut for added functionality. Die-cutting is used on digitally printed products when a shape or design cannot be accomplished online by standard cutting methods or off-line by a guillotine cutter.

Some conventional web presses often have a rotary die unit that is utilized for die-cutting paper and label stocks. Although there are limitations on the configuration of dies and the types of substrates that can be used, rotary die-cutting serves as an effective method for longer run quantities of printed materials requiring a die-cut area.

When die-cutting off-line, flat bed dies mounted on flat bed cutting presses are most often used to cut shapes and designs into the paper stock. The speed of this process is slower than rotary die-cutting on a web press, but it does provide die-cutting capabilities to a wider variety of substrates and printed products. Off-line die-cutting may add a significant cost to a digitally printed application.

Window Envelopes

Integrated Products

Tags/Folders/Dividers

Marketing Materials

An alternative to die-cutting that is used for a variety of applications is perforation die-cutting. This process does not fully trim the desired materials away from the original shape, but instead creates a perforated area that remains in place until is ready to be detached. The intent of die-cut perforating is to allow the consumer to remove the perforated area at the appropriate time.

Perforation blades, which contain cut and uncut areas, are constructed into a die resembling the specific pattern required for the application. The cut area of the blade strikes through the material while the uncut segment, or tie, of the blade does not cut the paper. This enables the die-cut pattern to remain attached to the document, yet allows for easy removal if and when it is necessary to remove it from the document. The die-cut perforations may be as simple as a horizontal perforation across a standard size invoice or billing statement or may be more complicated shapes such as business cards with rounded corners that can be detached from a larger document.

Some applications include a combination of perforation die-cutting and full die-cutting, such as the rolodex card shown below. The perforations allow the card to be detached from the larger document and the die-cut holes allow the card to be attached securely to the rolodex.

A second method of die cutting is laser engraving. With the use of a computer-controlled beam of amplified light for cutting, text and images are accurately reproduced on a variety of substrates. By using a laser to create die-cuts, manufacturers can provide exceptionally high quality, well-detailed, and fine-lined reproductions of intricate art, images, and corporate logos. Consider the following points:

• The laser has the capability of creating cut areas that are very small in size. Rotary and flat bed die-cutting cannot achieve the very fine detail of laser cutting.
  
  
• It is difficult to produce conventional dies for very small cut areas and it is difficult for the dies to strip away the paper from the small cut out areas.
  
  
• A laser engraved die cut can be created with the capability of reproducing an 800 dpi (dots per inch) image, allowing for a cut impression with a significant amount of clarity and definition.

When determining whether a substrate is suitable for die-cutting or perforating, the following points should be considered:

• The thickness and firmness of the material.
  
  
• The stretch and elasticity, or spring back, of the material.
  
  
• The coatings or laminated components of the material.

In order to provide a high quality ("clean") die-cut or perforation, the following factors should be considered:

• The type of substrate that will be die-cut or perforated.
  
  
• The type of die and blades used for the cut or perforation.
  
  
• The cutting surface (hardened steel? compressible substrate?) on which the substrate will be placed during the process of die-cutting.
  
  
• The type of equipment that is used to apply the die-cut or perforation.