All about die-cutting

Hi All!
It’s time for me (Priya) to take a class on this month’s theme of die-cutting and punches. In my class, I am sticking to the topic “Die-cutting”.

What is die-cutting?

Have you ever tried to hand cutting a word or shaping with a craft knife precision scissors?  You know the time and patience it takes to create that one perfect cut. To automate the whole process with very little effort and mess, try die-cutting. Die cutting is the process of cutting a shape out of a material. In the die cutting process, a sharp steel die is used. Die cutting is used in several industries, as well as for personal use.

Why should I invest in a Die Cutting system?

• It’s easy to cut and customized letters, and shapes, right in the comfort of your own home.
• Many die-cutting machines are portable,
• Cut as many die-cuts as you wish—no more running out of a letter halfway through your project. It saves you money in the long run, too.
• Cut shapes and letters to perfectly coordinate with your project out of cardstock, patterned paper, vellum, specialty papers, photos, and some fabrics.
• Make multiples of shapes or letters easily.
• Besides scrapbooks, use die-cuts for different types of projects like cards, paper-crafting projects, home décor projects, and children’s school projects, etc.

Die-Cutting Machines:

Die-cutting machines are a fabulous tool for any crafter. With a die-cutting machine, you can easily create Best of all, you can use them over and over again, for unlimited die-cuts. You’ll never again be halfway through a project and run out of a certain letter or shape.

The main technique used in the pressure. A certain level of pressure is generated in a sandwich of material and design template. The pressure helps the design template to cut through the material without breaking anything.

Crafter’s Corner is stocked up with the top class die-cut machine used in the world of scrapbooking and cardmaking, Bigshot!

Tools and Accessories

The Material

You can cut a wide variety of material with these die-cutting machines and not just paper. Here is a list of material you can cut. Different types of material needs different level of pressure to get a perfect cut.

•  Tin
•  Chipboard
•  Fabric
•  Silicone
•  Corrugated pad
•  Extra thick template plastic
•  Template plastic
•  Bubble wrap
•  Sheet foam
•  Adhesive and non-adhesive rubber
•  Adhesive and non-adhesive felt
•  Pop-up sponge
•  Shiny self-adhesive and non-adhesive paper
•  Iron-on fabric
•  Poly foam adhesive and non-adhesive
•  Funky fur
•  Canvas
•  Vinyl
•  Paper
•  Brass
•  Light weight steel
•  Aluminum
•  Thin leather

The Die

These are steel templates with sharp edges, are specifically shaped to make a certain design. Dies come in many sizes and shapes. These dies are

Material used in the process is placed on a flat surface. This material is then pressed onto the blade of the die, cutting through the material to result in the final cut. The amount of die-cuts made at one time can vary due to the material used. Some die cutters can slice through many layers of material, making many die-cuts at once.

Crafter’s corner has a huge variety of dies to choose from. They are lovely with some delicate and intricate designs.

Multi-purpose platform:

Many die-cutting machines come with a thick platform to make the machine more versatile. It makes the machine workable with different types of dies. This also makes the machine more versatile in techniques. We can not only do the die-cutting but can also create embossing effects on the material without cutting it.

Bigshot comes with it's own multipurpose platform. So you don't need to buy it seperately.

Acrylic Plates

These are the two clear plastic plates that act like the bread in a sandwich. They enclose everything else between them. These plates not only protect the machine from scratches by bearing the pressure of die-cutting process but also help in creating a uniform cut of the material.

Bigshot comes with a pair of acrypic plates. So you don't need to buy it seperately.

Shim

Sometimes more pressure is needed than expected for a perfect cut. A shim is anything that will tighten the sandwich to create more pressure on the die. Usually, a scrap of paper/cardstock is used as a shim.

The sandwich:

This is just the layering of all the accessories to get a perfect cut. A basic sandwich is (Starting from bottom):

·         Multipurpose platform

·         Acrylic Plate

·         Material

·         Die

·         Acrylic Plate

A comparison of different die-cutting machines:

Creating keepsake, The number one magazine for scrapbooking and cardmaking has done a wonderful comparision of different die-cutting machines. I hope this will help you decide which machine to buy.

I hope you were able to learn something more about this stunning machine. Drop in your comments and we DT will surely try our best to answer your queries.

Don't forget to take part in our current challenge (Summer Sundae)set by Pallavi!
If you have any queries regarding any product, feel free to contact Shalini at info@crafterscorner.in
Happy Crafting!
Priya