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Artwork for Die Making | |
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Art Quality
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Quality dies
begin with quality art. Try to only work with black &
white artwork, 600 DPI minimum. The goal is to have text and curves with
smooth lines and edges. Pixelation or any visible 'steps' in the edges or
corners of the artwork will be reproduced on the die, which will then be
reproduced in the hot stamp. Artwork Style : Think of hot stamping in relation to spot color printing : the artwork diciplines are very similar. Fonts should be medium to heavy @ 8+ points. Bold graphics are best, but try to avoid wide areas of solid coverage, line art, dot art, and halftones. Cut Marks : Malahide ribbon machines are shipped with at least 1 @ Snap Chase . This chase is normally 1, 2, 3 or 4 inches wide, and your die will need to be cut to the same width. For instance, if you have a 2" Snap Chase, your die needs to be trimmed to 2". The Snap chase employs a spring-loaded side-bar that clamps the die in place. The ability of this system to work is dependent upon the dies being cut to a precise width. It's acceptable for a die to be cut slightly oversize, for example 2 1/32". The die becomes difficult to clamp however, if it is cut undersize, for example 1 31/32". It is therefore critical to give your diemaker clear directions as to where to cut the die. |
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| Software : Best results will be achieved with either Corel Draw or Adobe. | |
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| File Submission : Although you can send artwork by mail or courier, it's now common to simply e-mail a zipped file into your diemaker. | |
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Die Suppliers
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