• Login
    • Join
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Exclusives
    • Labels & Packaging
    • Markets
    • Technology
    • Equipment
    • Supplies
    • Buyers' Guide
    • Events
    • Jobs
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Exclusives
  • Labels & Packaging
  • Markets
  • Technology
  • Equipment
  • Supplies
  • Buyers' Guide
  • Events
  • Jobs
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Columns
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    Xitron strives to stay on print’s leading edge

    2022 International Buyers Guide

    Color Management

    Anilox Cleaning Technology

    Adhesive Innovation
    Breaking News
    Converter News
    European Label News
    Industry News
    Industry People
    M&A News
    New Products
    Expert's Opinion
    Live From Shows
    Top News
    Teklynx software helps Top Clean Injection validate labels

    Zeller+Gmelin named Berry Global’s 2021 Ink Supplier of the Year

    Scratch Off Systems acquires HP Indigo 7K digital press

    Screen Americas celebrates milestone installation of Truepress Jet L350UV Series

    APR publishes updated PE film guidance documents
    Blog
    Video Bites
    Beauty & Personal Care Labels
    Beer Labels
    Beverage Labels
    Flexible Packaging
    Folding Carton
    Food Labels
    Glue-Applied
    In-Mold
    Industrial Labels
    Medical Labels
    Pharmaceutical Labels
    Pressure Sensitive
    Prime Labels
    Promotional Labels
    Security Labels
    Shrink
    Smart Labels
    Specialty Labels
    Spirits Labels
    Wine Labels

    Teklynx software helps Top Clean Injection validate labels

    Scratch Off Systems acquires HP Indigo 7K digital press

    The power of specialty print proofs for cold foil printing

    Quad adds Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press

    Avery Dennison announces Core Series Portfolio Tape Selector App
    Africa
    Asia
    Australia
    China
    Europe
    India
    Latin America
    Middle East
    North America

    Screen Americas celebrates milestone installation of Truepress Jet L350UV Series

    Amplify details conference schedule

    Quad-C Management invests in Catapult Print and Packaging

    Domino assists Grace Label with supply chain disruptions

    Rotocon wins AI Business Excellence Award
    Flexography
    Digital Printing
    Prepress
    Finishing
    Sustainability

    Xitron strives to stay on print’s leading edge

    Scratch Off Systems acquires HP Indigo 7K digital press

    Screen Americas celebrates milestone installation of Truepress Jet L350UV Series

    APR publishes updated PE film guidance documents

    Amplify details conference schedule
    Digital Printers & Presses
    Flexo Presses
    Label Converting Equipment
    Label Finishing Equipment
    Prepress Equipment

    Scratch Off Systems acquires HP Indigo 7K digital press

    Screen Americas celebrates milestone installation of Truepress Jet L350UV Series

    Rotocon wins AI Business Excellence Award

    Quad adds Landa S10P Nanographic Printing Press

    Epson debuts two new SurePress digital label presses
    Dies And Tooling
    Flexo Supplies
    Ink & Coatings
    Prepress Supplies
    Pressrooom Supplies
    Substrates

    Xitron strives to stay on print’s leading edge

    Zeller+Gmelin named Berry Global’s 2021 Ink Supplier of the Year

    APR publishes updated PE film guidance documents

    Anilox Cleaning Technology

    The power of specialty print proofs for cold foil printing
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Profiles
    Label Converters
    Trade Associations
    Add New Company
    International Buyers Guide Companies
    Martin Automatic Inc.

    Meech International

    Delta ModTech

    Ashe Converting Equipment

    Spinnaker Coating, LLC
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live from Show Events
    • Magazine
      • Current & Past Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Buyers' Guide
      • All Companies
      • Categories
      • Company Profiles
      • Label Converters
      • Trade Associations
      • Add Your Company
    • Labels & Packaging
      • Beauty & Personal Care Labels
      • Beer Labels
      • Beverage Labels
      • Flexible Packaging
      • Folding Carton
      • Food Labels
      • Glue-Applied
      • In-Mold
      • Industrial Labels
      • Medical Labels
      • Pharmaceuticals Labels
      • Pressure Sensitive
      • Prime Labels
      • Promotional Labels
      • Security Labels
      • Shrink
      • Smart Labels
      • Speciality Labels
      • Spirits Labels
      • Wine Tables
    • Markets
      • Africa
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • China
      • Europe
      • India
      • Latin America
      • Middle East
      • North America
    • Equipment
      • Digital Printers & Presses
      • Flexo Presses
      • Label Converting Equipment
      • Label Fishing Equipment
    • Supplies
      • Dies And Tooling
      • Flexo Supplies
      • Ink & Coatings
      • Prepress Supplies
      • Substrates
      • Pressrooom Supplies
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Experts Opinions
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Blog
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Jobs
    • Resources
      • Supplier Gallery
      • Literature Showcase
      • Homepage Showcase
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Expert's Opinion

    How to produce impressive diecut labels

    Diecut labels enjoy a universal presence in the realms of business and industry, writes Michelle Feldman of SixB Labels.

    How to produce impressive diecut labels
    SixB Labels produces this food label with a flexible die.
    Related CONTENT
    • FLEXcon Company, Inc.
    • O Labels Software Technology by Industry
    • Kocher + Beck highlights GapMaster enhancements
    • Afinia Label
    • Discover Achem Lamination
    Michelle Feldman, Marketing Associate, SixB Labels02.22.21
    Diecut labels enjoy a universal presence in the realms of business and industry. These labels can be produced with a wide variety of printing techniques and have a multitude of applications. So if you have shopped for retail products, used labels in your company's operations, or produced labels, the odds are very high that at some point you will have dealt with diecut labels. 

    Point 1: Knowing What a Diecut Label Is
    Normally, diecut labels are created by using a shaped cutting tool, as you would use a cookie cutter or pastry cutter, to slice through material. This may produce a finished product with rounded rather than square  corners, (square corners are more likely to catch on things than round) and one that is generally easy to apply. Often, a custom diecut label project requires the production of a label that does not conform to any standard shape, but is instead based on a wide variety of images, such as a ribbon shape for an anniversary seal, a triangle, heart, or football, or some other custom shape.

    Diecut labels are the most commonly produced and sold labels of the printing world, with almost endless applications, so diecutting is a standard procedure in labeling production. Once you have decided on the best size and shape of label, suitable for your container, product or surface, the supplier you hire will print and then diecut the label to your specifications. (If the labels are diecut first and then printed, you could not have any bleeds.) In addition, the material you choose for your label will determine both the best diecutting procedures and the best method of printing.

    Point 2: Understanding  the Diecutting Process
    Diecutting started out as an innovation in the 19th century Industrial Age – a way to cut patterns on materials such as leather, rubber and fabric. Modern diecutting machines can now slice through a single layer of laminate on a label, with a technique called kiss-cutting.

    On a rotary press, gears turn a cylindrical-shaped die to cut a long sheet or web of material which is continuously fed through the press to the area or "station" for cutting or making perforations. The die rotates at a speed that allows cutting to be done inline with printing for the necessary registration and artwork, and continuously repeats the image. 

    On the other hand, flat-bed diecutting uses an up-and-down technique to do the cut. The die is lowered to cut the shape, then raised, while the material is moved the precise amount needed; then the die is lowered again to make the next cut. 

    As you can tell,  this is a much slower way to die cut labels!

    Point 3: Choosing the Right Diecutting Tools
    To produce a flat die, a block of wood (or now, plastic) is machine-cut to the shape, and a blade is inserted into the cut. To produce a rotary die, a round piece of steel is tooled out so that the cutting area is higher than the rest of the tool and then hardened the proper amount. This takes more precise and expensive machines to produce, but the die has a much longer life.

    The essential difference between cutting on these two types of presses involves speed and expense – the flatbed press cannot cut as fast as the rotary, but the tools it uses are cheaper. Flatbeds, saving the extra expense of a rotary die, are better suited to smaller print runs, whereas rotary dies are more cost effective when dealing with longer runs. 

    The choice of a solid rotary die versus a magnetic one will be dictated by both costs and the material to be cut. A solid die costs 4-5 times more than the magnetic variety. Dies for rotary diecutting can be either solid engraved dies, adjustable dies, or magnetic plate tooling ("mag dies").

    The engraved dies, machined out of solid steel, have a much higher tolerance. Adjustable dies have removable blades that can be readily swapped out with other blades to cut a different material or be replaced due to wear. Mag dies, consisting of a cylinder with magnets in it, let a thin, flexible, engraved metal plate be wrapped around the cylinder and held in place by magnetic pull. Mag dies reduce storage and shipping costs, but the complexity of the project, and the width and thickness of the material, dictate the final choice of cutting tools.

    Point 4: Preventing Problems When Diecutting Labels
    Creating a new, custom, diecut label can be a complex, intricate process, depending on the specifications of the finished product.

    Dies must be tooled for shallower or deeper cuts without slicing the labels' backing paper; e.g., piggyback/coupon labels need two separate blades to cut to different depths, and varying liner materials require different cutting depths. Precision is also needed to avoid a cracked liner – if the cuts are  too deep, the label's adhesive could leak out, or the liner could snap during automatic label dispensing.  

    Dies must be set on a hard roller, integrated into the machine, without paper, tape, glue, or other adhesive material present that could prop up the material, causing the cutting blade to slice too deeply. Dies must also be aligned correctly to reduce minuscule shifts of the material, and while tolerance on the die cutters helps to correct this problem, it may show up on a label with an especially thin border.

    Point 5: Choosing the Right Printing Equipment for Diecut Labels
    Diecut labels can be printed on with a variety of methods. A common, less expensive approach is direct thermal printing, which uses a thermal printhead to apply heat to a chemically treated surface such as paper, which turns black where the heat is applied. Two-color printers can print in black as well as another color such as red or blue. The heat-sensitive material can darken from additional heat or light, causing labels to be unreadable or barcodes to be unscannable, so this method generally works best for short-lived barcode applications, including name tags, shipping labels, grocery labels for such items as meat packages, and receipts.

    Another method for printing diecut labels is thermal transfer printing, which employs a ribbon, which can also print in color. Thermal transfer printed materials can handle high temperatures and chemical exposure, and create durable images suitable for longer-lasting applications, such as asset tags and other inventory-control labels.

    A useful option for diecut label printing is to create diecut shell labels with color logos or other pre-printed imagery. Rolled shell labels can be printed with either four-color process or spot color printing by running them through a Sato or Zebra brand thermal transfer printer. These labels can also be put through other printers, including laser or inkjet, to put additional information on them in such ink colors as blue and black.  

    About the author: Michelle Feldman is the marketing associate at SixB Labels. To learn more about the company, click here for an in-depth profile. To view the original story, click here.
    Suggested For You
    FLEXcon Company, Inc. FLEXcon Company, Inc.
    O Labels     Software Technology by Industry O Labels Software Technology by Industry
    Kocher + Beck highlights GapMaster enhancements Kocher + Beck highlights GapMaster enhancements
    Afinia Label Afinia Label
    Discover Achem Lamination Discover Achem Lamination
    GraphTech Ltd. GraphTech Ltd.
    Green Bay Packaging Inc. Green Bay Packaging Inc.
    Global Graphics touts SmartDFE Global Graphics touts SmartDFE
    Fujifilm, Edale find success with flexographic showroom Fujifilm, Edale find success with flexographic showroom
    Fujifilm forecasts bright future for labels Fujifilm forecasts bright future for labels
    Fujifilm responds to label and packaging growth with versatile portfolio Fujifilm responds to label and packaging growth with versatile portfolio
    Archroma launches online regulatory and compliance platform Archroma launches online regulatory and compliance platform
    Toray Plastics (America) delivering clean energy to Rhode Island Toray Plastics (America) delivering clean energy to Rhode Island
    Michelman preparing for 10th Annual Global Day of Service Michelman preparing for 10th Annual Global Day of Service
    Flint Group Narrow Web introduces ‘Evolution Series’ of coating products Flint Group Narrow Web introduces ‘Evolution Series’ of coating products

    Related Content

    • FLEXcon Company, Inc.

      FLEXcon Company, Inc.

      ...
      Yvonne Okerberg, Marketing Communications Representative 05.06.22

    • O Labels Software Technology by Industry

      ...
      Sebastian Morrison, Manager 04.27.22

    • Kocher + Beck highlights GapMaster enhancements

      Kocher + Beck highlights GapMaster enhancements

      In an interview with L&NW, David Morris explains how his company's latest technology gives the operator full control of the diecutting process.
      Greg Hrinya, Editor


    • Afinia Label

      Afinia Label

      ...
      Kevin McHale, Marketing Manager 03.23.22

    • Discover Achem Lamination

      Discover Achem Lamination

      ...


      Trending
      • FLEXcon Addresses Sustainability Commitment In New VideoBite | Label and Narrow Web
      • Quad-C Management Invests In Catapult Print And Packaging | Label and Narrow Web
      • Quad-C Management invests in Catapult Print and Packaging
      • HP Indigo Reaches 2,000th Active Install Milestone | Label and Narrow Web
      • Epson Debuts Two New SurePress Digital Label Presses | Label and Narrow Web
      Breaking News
      • Teklynx software helps Top Clean Injection validate labels
      • Zeller+Gmelin named Berry Global’s 2021 Ink Supplier of the Year
      • Videojet and Loftware partner to accelerate labeling automation
      • Scratch Off Systems acquires HP Indigo 7K digital press
      • Screen Americas celebrates milestone installation of Truepress Jet L350UV Series
      View Breaking News >
      CURRENT ISSUE

      April 2022

      • Dscoop Post-Show Coverage
      • Slitter-Rewinders
      • Label Traxx highlights newest innovations
      • Craft Beer Labels
      • Pharmaceutical Labels
      • Luminer Converting Group

      Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
      You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms And Conditions
      • Contact Us

      follow us

      Subscribe
      Nutraceuticals World

      Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

      Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
      Alkemist Labs Announces Alkemist Assured Seal and Next Generation Transparency Reports
      GC Rieber Foundations Expand Philanthropic Efforts
      Coatings World

      Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

      ICP Receives ASC Innovation Award for Spray Foam That Meets Changing Environmental Regulations
      Pylon Coatings Uses Polygiene Biomaster & Verimaster for Antimicrobial Surface Protection
      Sto Corp. Recognized with Multiple Honors at the EIFS Hero Awards
      Medical Product Outsourcing

      Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

      Medtronic, DaVita to Create New Kidney Care Firm
      OmniGuide's RevoLix HTL Hybrid Thulium Laser OK'ed for BPH and Stone Treatments
      In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation Takes Effect
      Contract Pharma

      Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

      DFE Pharma Opens India CoE for Fast-Track Formulation Services
      Helsinn Establishes New R&D Hub in the U.S.
      CureVac, myNEO Partner on Antigen Targets for mRNA-Cancer Vax Development
      Beauty Packaging

      Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

      Carlyle To Acquire HCP Packaging
      Estée Lauder Companies Faces Class Action Lawsuit
      La Roche-Posay Launches Matte Moisturizer for Oily Skin
      Happi

      Latest Breaking News From Happi

      What’s the Right Moisturizer Format for Children with Eczema?
      Spate Announces Launch of French Data, New Color Complexion Trends Report
      Gojo Creates New All-Weather Purell Dispenser Built for Outdoor High Traffic Locations
      Ink World

      Latest Breaking News From Ink World

      UK-Based Caps Cases Installs World’s First EFI Nozomi 14000 LED Digital Corrugated Press
      Sonoco Announces Transition of Chief Financial Officer
      Azelis Expands Presence in India
      Label & Narrow Web

      Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

      Teklynx software helps Top Clean Injection validate labels
      Zeller+Gmelin named Berry Global’s 2021 Ink Supplier of the Year
      Videojet and Loftware partner to accelerate labeling automation
      Nonwovens Industry

      Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

      Rael Raises $35M in Series B Funding
      Schobertechnologies Offers Rotary Web-fed Converting Solutions
      Thorne Relaunches Gut Health Test with Microbiome Wipe
      Orthopedic Design & Technology

      Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

      ManaMed's ManaSport Wearable Ultrasound Earns FDA Nod
      Ekso Bionics Names Jerome Wong as Interim CFO
      Exactech Completes First Surgeries Using Next-Gen Cage Glenoid
      Printed Electronics Now

      Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

      onsemi Recognized by Fortune 500 for Its Transformation Journey
      LG Display Presents AI-Driven NFT Artwork on Transparent OLED
      Joe Stockunas Joins SEMI as Americas President

      Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

      AD BLOCKER DETECTED

      Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
      Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


      FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login