Die cut on flat pieces
Any shape is possible — a die is tooling, so the question is always whether the shape earns its cost across the run.
Rounded corners are a standard die and cost very little. A custom silhouette is a cut steel rule made for your artwork, and it prices as tooling: a fixed cost that spreads across the run.
Cut-throughs — apertures inside the piece — read on both faces, so the artwork on side two has to be designed around the hole rather than surprised by it.
Any cut that fully encircles an area needs connector bridges, or the middle falls out.
A cut that fully encircles an area drops that area out. Rings, frames and seals need bridges, and we will design them in rather than cut a hole you did not want.
Looking for cards rather than flat pieces? Die-cut business cards.
Die cut — questions we get
- How much does a custom die cost?
- It is a one-off tooling cost per shape, and it is yours for reruns. Rounded corners and standard shapes use existing dies and add almost nothing.
- Can you die cut a hole in the middle of a postcard?
- Yes. An aperture reads on both sides, so both faces need to be designed around it — and if the cut encircles an island, it gets bridges so the centre stays attached.
Pieces that take die cut
- PostcardsFlat, two-sided, mailed at postcard rate up to 6×4¼. Letterpress or offset.
- FlyersThe piece someone takes from a counter. 8.5×11 and 5.5×8.5, flat or folded.
- Rack cardsTall and narrow, built to stand in a holder. 16pt and up so it doesn't slump.
- Folded mailersBi-fold and tri-fold, scored on press. Self-mailer sizes that pass USPS.
- Menus & insertsHeavy stock that survives a table. Uncoated takes a pen; soft-touch doesn't.
- Small postersUp to 12×18 on cover weight. Letterpress runs at this size; foil does with a big die.