what base/pad use for die cutting ?
hi people. hope all is fine!
today I try to cut in my letterpress machine.
(my machine don’t have brand, but is similar to a pearl 7x10)
I don’t know who kind of base/pad I need to put on the machine..
I tried a usual cutting base for X-Acto-knife, it works but after few cuts the rubber base/pad gets some decals and starts to crease the paper and don’t cut it…
I tried a 0.15” thick inox base/pad, but didn’t work so well..
I can’t adjust the machine to hit everything right, and I’m afraid of ruining the blade of the die cutter.
what kind of material for the base/pad that usually used for this work?
thank you!
regards,
João
Hello João, I just want to make sure I understand what you’re asking. You mean what you put underneath the paper, correct? Generally what is used is a steel plate called a die-cutting jacket. On platen presses like it sounds like you’re using, this can be simply a sheet of stainless or tool steel underneath the tympan paper. It needs to be something rigid for the die to cut against. Softer things like cutting boards (as you’ve discovered) allow the paper to deform rather than be cut.
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Michael Hurley
Titivilus Press
Memphis, TN