Die Cutting lets you customize shape and create 3-dimensional effects, by cutting away portions of a paper sheet. Die cutting makes use of steel rule dies and a special press, or die cutter.

The outline of the die is cut into the board; then the steel rule, which cuts the paper, is inserted into the outline. Rubber pads are glued on either side of the steel rule, to push the paper off the die when the pressure from the is released.

During the die cutting process, minute nicks in the paper are used to pull the stock through the die cutting press. ACME can help you minimize the evidence of these nicks through advance planning. After the paper is cut, the waste is stripped off and the pieces are stacked.

Foil is a general term which describes any roll-leaf, hot stamping material, whether metallic, dusted, gloss or semi-matte pigment, textured or patterned. Foil stamping requires the use of a photo-etched stamping die and a stamping press.

Metallic and white are highly opaque and therefore particularly useful for overprinting dark colors. Pigment foil over printing, it may be desirable to strip the area to be stamped, or leave it unprinted.

One of the unique characteristics of foil is that it does not adhere well to wax. If foil is to be stamped over a printed surface, the ink used in printing should be wax-free. Likewise, when foil is applied to a varnished surface, the varnish should be wax-free. Foil does not adhere to foil surfaces either; in other words, you cannot stamp foil over foil.

If a job requires foil stamping, coating and embossing, the three processes must be done in that order. Call us for help in planning sheets size, as this may be affected by the order of processing.

Embossing, when used creatively with the right kind of paper, adds texture and depth to printed or unprinted material. Embossing requires a special press and special embossing dies. For simple embossing jobs, photo-etched dies may be used. These are produced from flat art, on zinc, steel or magnesium. For multi-level, bevel-edged or sculptured embossing, hand-tooled brass dies are used.

Although embossing can be done hot or cold, hot embossing produces a crisper image. For this reason, ACME offers only hot embossing.

The use of uncoated vs. coated stock is also a factor in embossing. Greater depth and definition are obtainable on uncoated stock, than on coated stock, particularly when embossing thin lines and serifs.

Scoring is the technique of creasing heavyweight or over stock, to facilitate folding. Scoring is done with a steel rule die which uses a rounded rather than a cutting, rule. For best results and minimum stretch, scoring should produce an emboss ridge or hinge on the inside of the fold.

On a work and turn layout, two passes through the press may be required to correctly score all folds, with a ridge or hinge on the inside.

Book covers require a wider score, to accommodate the number of pages in the book without undue strain on the fold.

On the cover stock or for boxes, scored should be made across the grain of the paper, for greater strength and a cleaner fold. On lighter weight stock, the score can be made either along or across the grain.

Folding and gluing of boxes, pocket folders and other folded paper products has been greatly improved by automation. After the folds are scored, an automatic folder/gluer is used to make folds and apply glue where required. Products such as capacity folders, which cannot be folded automatically, are assembled by ACME's hand work department.

When glue tabs are used, all areas on which the glue is to adhere should be spared out from printing or coating. Glue tabs should be placed on the cover panels for automatic gluing; on the pocket panels for hand gluing or capacity folders.