Back in the early days of the scrapbooking movement, one of the main draws of the corner scrapbook store was usually a massive (and expensive) die cutting machine. These large machines were designed for the craft space but were based on industrial die cutting design concepts. The Accucut machine was one of the most popular large craft machines. Many home crafters now own their own die cut machines - or multiple machines - and die cutting is an essential part of the daily crafting experience.
What is Die Cutting?
At its most basic, die cutting is the use of a die to make repeated identical cuts from a material using a machine. Consider the die to be similar to a cookie cutter. Obviously, in manufacturing, this is useful for quickly and affordably producing thousands of identical items. More information on general die cutting can be found here. Die cutting also allows scrapbookers, cardmakers, and paper crafters to easily create perfect renditions of any given shape time after time. You can cut out nine 3" circles in minutes for that colour blocked layout, or 22 shapes for wedding invitations, getting the perfect shape and cut every time, and so on. But, more importantly, die cutting machines enable the cutting of shapes that are too detailed to cut by hand, or the cutting of shapes that perfectly match together (as a set) to create an image or 3D item. You can make an intricate doily in seconds or treat boxes for an entire class or group of friends with a lid that fits snugly. Isn't that cool?
Die cutters are now used with accessories to add beautiful foiling to handmade cards and projects. Simply purchase one of the simple heat add-ons, and your die cut machine will now have a gleaming alter-ego.
What is a Die Cutting Machine?
A die cutting machine (also known as a card making machine by some crafters) can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The machine's purpose is to apply enough force to the cutting surface (paper, chipboard, etc.) to cut or form the shape into said surface. In the crafts industry, die cutting machines can be manual or digital, and even within those types, they can have a variety of features. Most manual die cutting machines have a cutting path that leads to compression rollers through which the die and material are moved manually or by an electric motor.
What is a Die?
Both manual and digital die cutting machines use dies to cut designs. A die is a pattern or form used to make identical duplicates of materials such as paper, cork, fabric, leather, foam, thin metal and wood, chipboard, and others. Consider the cookie cutter analogy.
There are two types of dies for manual die cut machines: steel rule and thin metal. The centres of thin metal dies are cut out of etched metal. They have a flat back and a thin raised area that outlines the design and acts as the cutting edge.
Steel rule dies are similar to steel cookie cutters in that a steel "rule" is formed into the desired shape. This rule, or "cookie cutter," is then attached to a wood base, with the steel edges surrounded by protective foam to protect the steel and keep the cut pieces from becoming stuck in the die.
Steel rule dies have more cutting force and are stronger than thin metal dies, allowing them to cut through more difficult materials (such as mat board or leather) or multiple layers of material at once (such as multiple layers of fabric for creating quilt pieces). Thin metal dies, on the other hand, allow for much more detailed designs, and they are much more affordable. Thin metal dies are also lighter and take up less storage space.
