Die Cutting

Every day, battles are being waged in mailboxes and on store shelves, and the ultimate prize is your attention. That makes it more important than ever for your printed pieces to stand out from the crowd. One way to differentiate your products is by incorporating die cutting into the design. Die cutting is popular for applications such as pocket folders, direct mail pieces, point-of-purchase displays and promotional materials.

Regardless of the application, there are plenty of details that must be communicated between SPC and the client to be sure the die cutting process goes smoothly. To that end, here are a few things to bear in mind when planning and designing a die cutting project:

More Than Just a Pretty Picture
The versatility of die cutting makes it suitable for both aesthetic and functional purposes. If your project is a brochure for a ski resort, for example, you may want to include a die cut that follows the outline of the mountain.

On the functional side, die cutting can be used to create a window in the front of a pocket folder or other product that registers to print underneath. At Springfield Printing, we recently produced a project that featured a die cut window on a pocket folder that doubled as a direct mailer. The panel beneath the window included inkjet addressing - and doubled as a BRC.

Planning Tips
Let us provide a die strike file - A computer file containing an outline of your project is used to create a die for your project. This "die strike" file must include the exact dimensions of all die cut lines and shapes. By communicating the details of your project with us prior to printing, we can supply you with a die strike file to use as a template for your design, ensuring proper die cutting accuracy and registration.

Specify a sufficient weight stock - The die cutting process goes much smoother and results in a higher-quality finished product if the stock is of appropriate thickness. Although we can perform die cutting on thinner stock, we recommend specifying a stock of at least 100lb. cover for best results.

The Springfield Printing Advantage At Springfield Printing, we can perform a wide range of die cutting services in-house, saving you significant time and money while improving quality control. Our new Kama die cutting press expands on our capabilities even further, offering superior quality for both small and high-volume applications. Give us a call to see how we can help you include attractive and functional die cutting on your next project.