Technical Articles
Make Sure Your Project Is In Shape For Die Cutting
Published in New England Printer Publisher
by Frank Shear
Die cutting
requires both a scientific approach and an artisan's touch. Like
so many other processes within the graphic arts industry, good die cutting
is dependent on good planning and communication. Reduce your costs,
turnaround times and headaches by involving your die cutting partner early
in the planning process.
The best die
cutters are excellent planners. Prior to receiving jobs, they help
their printing customers by providing invaluable layout advice.
If there are any operations that occur after die cutting, like perfect
binding or saddle stitching, die cutters must make sure that their efforts
are compatible with whatever binding, finishing or mailing processes lie
downstream. Bottom line: Printers should use their die cutting
partner as a planning resource.
Die
Cutting's Three "G"s, and Other Important Details
Die cutting's
three "G"s - Gripper, Guide and Grain - are important for the
success of any die cut job. Clearly mark your gripper and side
guides on an uncut press sheet. Since most die cutting machines need
a 3/8" gripper margin (and about the same for the side guide), plan your
layout accordingly. If you need to squeak by with less, ask your die
cutter first. Do your die cutter and yourself a favor by indicating
grain direction. Ninety percent of the time, it's obvious, but
when cross grain scores are improperly made on difficult stock (recycled
for instance), cracking may result during downstream operations.
Save yourself a lot of unnecessary phone calls and reduce your risk of
production problems by clearly marking the three "G"s.
When your design
is complete, a pre-production sample (dummy) that includes these guide
markings should be sent to your die cutting services company well in
advance of the job itself. Your die cutting specialist will be able
to help catch and correct any problems at this point. Then, it's
important that your die cutter constantly monitor the progress of your job
during production. Unlike some other post press operations, die
cutters operate in the realm of the dimensional world. For example,
if important variables like press tonnage or paper bulk vary, score depths
may change, rendering products useless. Frequent visual comparisons
to the pre-production sample should be made throughout the run.
Cutting sheets
down before die cutting is a common mistake. Many printers cut as an
automatic reflex, but this often causes a lot of problems. Working
on uncut press sheets makes it much easier for your die cutter to match
registration because printer grippers and side guides are more consistent
than trimmed paper edges.
As in printing,
hairline register marks improve die cut registration. If your image
uses up all the paper (excluding gripper and guide margins), sometimes
it's possible to place register marks in waste areas located in the body
of the sheet. Using these marks and letting your die cutter know
about them in advance means die cutting operators no longer need to
eyeball the whole sheet during production. This reduces your
turnaround time and increases die registration accuracy. Also, be sure to
provide your die cutter with blue lines, mock-ups and whatever else you
used during the printing of your job.
Accurate dies
are crucial. Using a die cutting company with in-house die making
capabilities is a big plus. When adjustments are required, it's a
lot more efficient to pull a die off the press, walk over to the die
making department, adjust it, and put it back on the press - all within
minutes. Transportation and waiting times are drastically reduced
when third-party die-making is avoided.
When planning complicated finishing and binding projects in which die cutting comprises only a portion of the final piece, make your life easier by using a one-stop full service post press company. For example, assume you have a perfect bound project with a pocket folder on the back cover, and a film laminated die cut front cover that registers to ink behind a window. If you choose a post press partner with in-house die cutting, film laminating, and perfect binding capabilities, your life during production of this job will be considerably easier. Single sourcing makes project communication and coordination a lot easier.
More Tips
-
Plan your main final folds with the grain.
-
For two-up pocket folders, ask your die cutter how they prefer layouts. Many die cutting companies prefer head-to-head layouts.
-
If you use more than one paper lot during a press run, clearly mark where the paper lots change on the skid.
-
When die cutting thin stock on full size sheets, find companies that are comfortable with this type of work. Not all die cutters have the same production strengths.
-
When die cutting laminated sheets, keep excess lamination away from the gripper and guide edges.
-
Don't put ink, varnish or any other coating where glue is to be located. An exception can be made for laminating because glueable film laminates can be ordered.
-
On jobs with UV coating or film laminating, make sure your vendor carefully monitors paper curling. This will prevent a lot of downstream die cutting problems.
-
When your die cut job is part of a saddle stitched product with tough crossover images, avoid work & turn and work & tumble formats.
*
* *
The world of die
cutting is varied and detail-oriented. Through ample consultation
with your die cutting partner, however, those details can be handled
quickly and easily. Involve your finishing services provider early in the
design process, and watch your projects sail smoothly and properly through
all phases of production!
Frank Shear
is President of Seaboard Bindery, a service-oriented trade bindery located
in Woburn, Massachusetts. His company specializes in offering high
quality die cutting, perfect binding, PUR and layflat adhesive binding,
saddle stitching, Wire-O™, plastic spiral, and other bindery solutions.
Call Frank at (781) 932-3908 or e-mail him at frank@seaboardbindery.com.