Business Card Die

To the group;
What is the largest die you have used to cut business cards on a 12X 18 C&P, Craftsman? Have you ever used a 12-on, 10 on.? —what’s the most your comfortable with?
Thank you in advance.
Winfred Reed
Black Diamond Press (Kentucky)

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I have ran 16 up round corner 2x3.5” with 1/2 gutters on 12x18” C&P handfed. Run slow less nicks required. Stock thickness will affect number up. It is good if you can always put the die in the same place and do a proper make ready under the plate that can be used every time the die is used.
Make ready behind the die will rock the rules and wear out the die and your cutting jacket fast. Most runs are too short these days so usually go 4up on Heidelberg Platen.

Sounds good Mike. I was thinking 12 up for a 8 1/2 X 11 ( No gutters), sheet. Would that be possible? Who would be a good choice to make this? Last cutting die I had made was about 15 years ago. Ozark Dies I believe who made it.

That should not be a problem. No gutters and square corners mean less rule therefore less pressure. Tip try to have die in centre of chase and run landscape (11” runs left to right ) Whatever furniture used to lock up make notes on die for side guide and front lay so die can go in same position next run. Also that way you can store your underlay (under plate) sheet with the die. It takes some time to do a good underlay so it is a good idea to save them. More note the data on your upper and lower impression knobs and use the same settings next time.
Die Maker I am in Canada and make my own. i don’t know who services the area of your State.

Mike, sounds good. Thanks for the tips!
Best
Winfred

I wonder if anyone remembers the ‘proper’ sizes for gentlefolks cards:, Ladies, Gentlemens, and the larger Tradesmens card, then up again for the two sunk panel tradesman card. This was of course in the copperplate engraved days, not so very long ago … . You can still buy some of these in the UK today, but the board isn’t what it used to be. Oh the joys of setting Palace Script Monotype series 429 or fiddlier yet the original Stephenson Blake version. Their 12 point Society script was a typefounding miracle.

No 88 card was 1.875 x 3.375” or so. somewhere along the way business/calling cards got bigger. Maybe made the math easier for designers. Most folks just need a digital printed card and could not tell the difference between steel engraving and thermo type.

card sheets with common cut can get real “Floppy” versus sheets with a gutter. I do understand however the Less knife, and simpler MR/ Pressure sheet. If your sheet is thicker, an “LCB”, Long Center Bevel knife rule will not seperate the cut as much, holding the cuts and sheet together better.