You may have heard of digital cutting and die cutting, but what are the differences?
According to Rocket World:
“People often ask us about the difference between digital cutting and die-cutting, so here we offer an explanation.
“For those who weren’t aware, both digital cutting and die-cutting are a great way to make your brand stand out and create a bold statement with a customised print job.
“It essentially refers to the process of cutting a piece paper, acrylic, fibreboard, plastic or similar slim material into a custom size. The process can be completed on flatbed or rotary presses.
“The technique can be used on anything from boxes and business cards to brochures and presentation folders to large format graphic installations. And it’s a process with a long history, going back to leather cutting in the shoe industry in the nineteenth century and the creation of sole patterns.
“Today, while dies are still widely used, digital cutting provides another option for precision cutting without dies. Lasers can be used instead to make highly exact cuts and form creases where necessary.
“Read on to learn more about digital cutting vs. die-cutting
“Die-cutting makes uses of a sharp steel blade fashioned into a particular shape. Using special machinery, you create a smooth, crisp edge with a specific, consistent finish. One way to think of it is as industrial-grade cookie cutting.
“There are almost no limits to the possible shapes you can have, since the cut form or ‘die’ is specifically customised for each job. And it’s that ability to create such specific shapes that can really set your brand apart.
“When people ask about the difference between digital cutting and die-cutting, we like to point out that both can be done on smaller or larger scales, although if you’re working in a large format such as retail branding or signage, large format digital cutting tends to work best.
“Traditional die-cutting does bring with it a number of benefits, including:
“However, there are also some potential drawbacks to the process of die-cutting, which you need to appreciate:
“This technique allows for precision cutting without the use of dies via a computer-programmed path. Using this method, you get all the advantages of traditional die-cutting, but with the use of lasers to allow for a precision cut, along with creases and scores as required.
“A huge range of materials can be cut using this process. And you can use digital cutting for smaller-scale projects, but it really comes into its own with large-format printing and jobs such as stand-out signage and similar graphic installations.
“These days, those using digital cutting often work with innovative machines like the state-of-the-art Zund model we have at Rocket, allowing us to produce large-format digital printing up to 5m in size.
“As you would expect, there are a number of solid benefits to using this modern technique for pattern cutting. Here are some of them:
“There can be a number of these, as well, as including:
“It honestly depends on what you need, so it isn’t really a case of digital cutting vs. die-cutting, or which one is best, but which one best suits what you’re aiming to achieve. For low-volume, large-format printing using tougher, thicker materials, digital cutting will mean no need to pay for a custom die, and the possibility to create more intricate shapes. However, if it’s a high volume of thinner materials you need, die-cutting is more time and cost-efficient.”
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