Have you ever wondered how all those stickers you see end up shaped the shape they are? Chances are if you see stickers that are not a square or a rectangle they are either die cut stickers or kiss cut stickers. There are infinite shapes and sizes your stickers can take. But what’s the best for you?
That’s what we’re here for, Comgraphx can help you decide and get you the best product. There are benefits to both die cut stickers and kiss cut stickers, and sometimes both on the same piece. We’ll get into that and more later.
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First Let’s Talk About Die Cut Stickers
When you have a sticker that is cut to any specific shape with the backing still attached that is what is referred to as a die cut sticker. Here at Comgraphx we slit the back of those stickers to make them easy to peel away from the liner.
Once you decide on a shape we make a steel rule die to that exact shape. After your stickers are printed we use that die in conjunction with a die cutting machine to apply pressure to the stickers which cuts your sticker into that shape. The entire process is automated so we can use your die line over and over to make thousands of stickers for you.
Next Let’s Discuss Kiss Cut Stickers.
Take everything you just learned about die cut stickers and apply it to kiss cutting. The main difference is the pressure of the die. Instead of cutting your sticker all the way through we “kiss” the material keeping the liner intact. This delicate process allows you to peel the shape out and leave the matrix or “weed” behind on the backing sheet. We can also strip the matrix away leaving your decal ready to peel off the backing sheet with nothing but liner around it.
When you kiss cut you can do multiple cavities on the same part if you want to keep a set of stickers together. You can print on the outside of your peel out part to give your customer more information. There are limitless possibilities and we can help you through the process.
To Kiss Cut or To Die Cut, Which Is Better For Me?
As with all stickers whether you kiss cut or die cut may depend on what you are going to be doing with them. There are so many ways customers use stickers to increase their brand awareness. I’ve worked at Comgraphx for over 23 years and there are still new ways customers are coming up with to use our product in creative ways.
Say you are using our stickers to brand your monthly subscription box. You want 2 stickers on the side, one in the middle and one on the front. This would be a great use of a kiss cut sticker sheet. All 4 stickers are on the same sheet, you use one sheet for every box and you are done! Now say you want to put a single sticker in that same subscription box. You want to give your customer the chance to advertise for you. A single die cut sticker to the shape of your logo would be perfect.
It would be impossible to come up with every scenario for every customer, that’s why we have our Account Executives who are experts at translating your branding into either a die cut or kiss cut sticker whichever is best for your final use.
Some advantages to die cutting would be if your sticker needs sharp corners. In general, it is a good idea to round the corners of a die cut or kiss cut to avoid creating a rip point. If your brand really needs that sharp point though, a die cut would serve you best.
You can even use a combination of kiss cutting and die cutting on the same sticker if the situation comes up. For instance, you want a hang tag sticker. Every piece of clothing will have a sticker for your customer. Great idea! Giving someone who likes your product a chance to advertise for you! The hang tag requires a hole punched all the way through it – that’s the die cut part. To be able to peel the sticker off from the hole you would need something to allow the customer to peel it off themselves – that’s the kiss cut part!
Each sticker is different. It all starts with what you want to do with your stickers. We are the sticker experts, so give us a call or connect with us online. We are ready for your next great idea!
There are several ways to get your sticker into the shape you want. We talked about how kiss cuts and die cuts are different from each other. There are also different ways we can achieve your desired result. Different die technologies, automated router cutting, we can even apply heat to certain materials to help with the process.
You do what you do and you are probably an expert at it. Give us a call an let us do what we do. We make stickers. We make lots of stickers, so let us help make your brand the best it can be using sticker marketing.
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