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Die cutting is not easy to do. It requires patience, hard work and perseverance. Die cutting and stamping in the first place requires creativity and craftsmanship. Without these two skills, die cuts output are not that kind of the beauty it supposed to be. For us to have quality die cuts and stamps here are the top dos and don’ts you and your die cutter must be aware of.
DO CONCEPT DISCUSSION
Many of us forgot this activity. It is essential that we fist talk about what is the concept behind our next masterpiece. At first we must discuss things with our die cutter (if it is not ourselves) at the very start of the project. Show him a hand-cut mockup of your project. IT should be the exact paper stock you wish to use. During the discussion, the die cutter should be able to tell you if the project is possible or not and to cite some issues you may encounter along the process.
DO CHECK THE AVAILABILITY OF PAPER
During the process of creating your mockup, it will be good if you contact your paper merchant regarding the stock of paper to be used. Even if the sample paper you are using is only a couple of months old, you should not assume that it is still being manufactured and available in the market. The paper industry is susceptible to supply and demand. Telling your customer that you ran out of paper stock can bring a flaw in your relationship.
DO MONITOR ALL PROCESSES
Most projects have a deadline and once your customer approves a project, you will end up in settling a target date of completion. Make sure to monitor all the processes of the project, from its start to completion. Carefully look to all stuffs that can extend your completion time.
DO NOT INSIST ON IMPOSSIBILITIES
There are cases that after reviewing your mockup, your die cutter indicates that your proposed design is not doable, don’t hesitate to ask why. Most of the time, these kinds of impossibilities can still be possible by just doing some minor tweaks, a few adjustments or a different approach. Check all possibilities and think outside the box.
DO NOT LEFT YOUR CLIENT BEHIND
Update your client from time to time. Don’t leave them in question marks. Let your client know what is happening and don’t be afraid because most of them can understand. Telling your clients about such things will have a chance to work out an alternative target date for project completion. Be bold to them.
These are the top dos and don’ts regarding die cutting and stampings. Also as a bonus tip, consult only reliable die cutters. My friend has a die cutting business and his projects are tied in an ISO certified Japanese manufacturing company in the Philippines.
More to read:
The Art of Making Cards
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