Rotary or Flat Bed Die Cuts



The main method or standard means of die cutting involves the use of metal dies to give paper or substrate products specific shapes or designs that cannot be accomplished by a straight cut on a web press or a guillotine cutter. By using knife-edge cutting blades formed into a pattern or die, a machine presses the die into the material to produce the desired shape. Almost any shape can be created and applied to a diverse array of raw materials. Labels, envelopes, folders, cartons, and documents are only a few of the many printed products that can be die cut for added functionality.

Web presses often have a rotary die unit that is utilized for die cutting paper and label stocks. Although there are limitations on the types of dies and the paper selections that can be provided, rotary die cutting serves as an effective method for longer run quantities of printed materials requiring some type of die cut area.

Single sheet products require the use of a flat bed die and a flat bed cutting press to die cut the shape into the paper stock. The speed of this process is slower than a web press, but it does provide die cutting capabilities to a wider variety of paper stocks and printed products.