Every business needs to stand out from the crowd, especially in print and marketing. In both industries, a main focus is getting people’s attention in order for them to take an action. There are many ways of doing this; use creative colors, use beautiful imagery, use interesting textures, etc. One of the ways we choose to stand out is by using die cuts.

What is a die cut?

Die cutting is the process of cutting thin, flat materials (in our case, paper) into specific shapes, using a steel cutting die, such as the one pictured below.

Die cutting can be used to cut out decorative shapes or patterns to use within a larger piece. It can also be used to create the main shape of a design by cutting an entire sheet of paper in an interesting and distinct way.

How/when it is used (examples)

Die cutting is used in many industries. A die cut can add a decorative element or functional component to your design. Like letterpresses, a die cut element draws attention to the 3D nature of paper and the characteristics of the material itself.

There is a minimum size for die-cut elements, though, it varies. There is also a maximum to die-cutting, and that too varies, depending on the capacity of the press you are using.

How using die-cutting can help you

In marketing, you want to stand out. That can be a challenge when your target audience is millennials and you only have about 4 seconds to get their attention or they’re onto the next best thing. Or when you offer a service that may not be the most exciting, such as financial advising, but you still have important and helpful information to get across. That’s where die-cutting comes in. Using die-cutting techniques to create intricate designs that will get the attention of your consumers is a great method because it makes your print marketing not only recognizable by sight, but also by touch. Die cutting creates a reason to be remembered.

The use of die-cutting is not the most common marketing technique, but one that we hope to see increase. It is quite simple and creates beautiful marketing materials that catch the eye of your target market without distracting them from your message.