Traditionally, product labels have been cut from a large roll of raw material using “cutting dies” – metal plates used to stamp out the printed labels. This cutting operation is one of the last steps in the label production process, and relies on huge mechanical die-cutting equipment to achieve the finished shape and size.
Origins of Die Cut Labels
There are significant challenges associated with the die-cutting process. Each job needs to have the appropriate die mounted and aligned to make the perfect cut around your printed artwork, which involves a lot of setup time and waste before everything is ready to go. The actual cutting itself is usually very high-speed, but the setup process is inefficient and wasteful – adding cost and delays in the production cycle.
You may have faced an extra charge - usually hundreds of dollars - by your label vendor if you need a label size for which they don’t already have a die. Or you may need a custom shape - to add visual appeal to your labels - that doesn’t exist in your printer’s die collection. In the past, these “special shapes” also meant extra cost. Not anymore.
Say Goodbye To Die Cut Labels - We Print in Any Shape
At Wizard Labels, we’ve invested substantial time and money in exploring alternatives to this legacy process of mechanically cutting your labels. We have chosen to install the latest in laser technology to do much of the cutting. If this sounds high-tech, it is! The printed material advances through a special laser-cutting station, where the laser beam precisely cuts though the top layers of label material, while leaving the “liner” (or backing paper) intact.
The finished rolls of labels are effectively the same as those produced by die-cutting, but there’s very little waste and setup time, meaning we can continue to meet our industry-leading 2-Day production times without adding more die presses or additional die costs to you.
It also means that, for most label materials, you don’t have to think about whether we have a specific size or shape already in the collection – the options are almost limitless.
Request a free sample pack to see examples of our work.