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Kiss Cut Vs Die Cut: Which Should You Choose?
Want to know whether die cut or kiss cut is the right choice for your next print project?
The terms die cutting and kiss cutting are often thrown around in print. But without prior experience, it can be hard to know which one to pick. Instead of making costly guesses or avoiding printing your artwork altogether, we've created this quick guide to help you understand the difference between die cut and kiss cut.
What Does Kiss Cut Mean In Printing?
Kiss cutting refers to the process of partially cutting into a sheet of sticker material. Sticker material is made from two layers – the adhesive-backed paper and an under sheet. Within kiss cutting, only the adhesive-backed paper is cut, leaving the stickers attached to the original sheet. The stickers can then be individually peeled off the sheet and stuck elsewhere at leisure.
Typically, kiss cutting is used to create sticker sheets. A sheet is first printed with the sticker designs. Then, a metal stamp is pushed lightly into the sheet, cutting the shape outline from the adhesive without cutting all the way through. The paper backing stays intact, holding all the stickers together on the same sheet.
Kiss cutting earns its name from the metal stamp lightly “kissing” the sticker material, instead of cutting through the entire sheet.
How Does Die Cutting Differ From Kiss Cutting?
In the die cutting process, a unique shape is created by cutting all the way through the sticker material. Unlike kiss cutting, die cutting isn’t just limited to sticker printing. In fact, die cutting can be used across a variety of different print products, including business cards, bookmarks, and folded flyers.
To create a die cut sticker, the process is incredibly similar to that of kiss cutting. The sticker sheet is printed and then the metal stamp is pressed into the material. But, instead of cutting only the first layer of the sticker material, die cutting cuts into both layers, completely removing the sticker from the original sheet. The end result is a bunch of individual stickers, all cut to their own custom shape.
The Difference Between Die Cut And Kiss Cut Stickers: Which Should You Choose?
Whether you choose die cut stickers vs kiss cut stickers will depend on your print project. Both methods produce very different results, so it’s important to make the right choice. But which is the better process, kiss cut vs die cut?
When Should You Choose Kiss Cutting?
Kiss cutting will leave you with a complete sheet of stickers that can all be peeled away separately. If you’re looking to create a fun little sticker sheet to include with your orders, then kiss cutting is for you. Another great use of kiss cut stickers is for sealing packaging and envelopes. As you’ll be doing this behind the scenes, there will be no one other than you to see all those blank gaps within a sheet!
The benefit of kiss cutting is that the stickers are much easier to peel compared to die cut stickers. As kiss cutting leaves you with the entire sheet, you have a much wider area to help you peel from. Die cut stickers, on the other hand, are cut to the exact shape. This means it can be hard to get your nails between the sticker and the paper backing.
You’ll need to consider whether a complete sheet is what you need. If you only want to hand out one sticker to each customer, kiss cutting may cause some issues.
When Should You Choose Die Cutting?
Die cut stickers are cut to the exact shape of your design and come separately from any kind of sheet. What’s great about die cutting is that you’re not restricted by this sheet. Your stickers can be packaged into mystery sticker packs and added as a freebie to your orders with ease.
However, as die cut stickers are cut to the exact shape, they can be hard to peel. At Aura Print, we have found that die cutting alone can provide some pretty frustrating results. Having some lovely stickers that cannot be stuck defeats the entire purpose. Instead, we recommend combining the kiss cut and die cut techniques together. Keep reading to learn how this is done.
Die Cut Or Kiss Cut – Why Not Both?
You may be wondering, how can I have both a die cut and kiss cut sticker? We can answer that question in one word. Padding.
The process of padding involves adding an additional area around your sticker design (roughly 5mm wide). This extra area won’t be printed, it usually stays white like the sticker sheet beneath.
With padded stickers, first, the sheet is kiss cut to the specific shape you require. Then, it is cut again, this time through die cutting. The die cutting lands, not on the kiss cut shape, but around the edge of the padding. This results in one sticker receiving two unique cuts.
Die cut and kiss cut stickers leave you with the best of both worlds. You get the desired shape from the die cutting and the easy to peel ability from the kiss cutting.
Kiss Cut Vs Die Cut Stickers: Ask Our Team For Their Advice
Here at Aura Print, we offer a variety of different types of stickers. From classic stickers on sheets to custom cut vinyl masterpieces. We even provide clear vinyl stickers with your own eye catching designs. Request a sticker sample pack to see the difference between die cut and kiss cut stickers in person from our team today.
