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3 articles
A flatbed cutter shapes material without a cutting die, so a small batch of boxes or stickers stops being uneconomical. These 3 articles explain what changes in practice and how to prepare the file.
04 September 2026
New packaging looks great on screen, but the real test comes in a customer's hands. We show how to split a launch into a prototype, a trial run and a revision.
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31 August 2026
A plotter cuts the shape without a die, so a short run becomes realistic. We look at the runs and uses where it wins, and when ordering a bigger batch simply makes more sense.
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05 August 2026
A plotter will not guess where to cut and where to fold - you have to write it into the file. We explain cut lines versus creases, where bleed goes and how to label layers.
Read articleIn classic packaging production the shape is cut by a die - a tool made for one specific design. On a large run its cost spreads across thousands of units. On fifty copies it becomes the main item on the bill.
The cutter follows a line taken from the file, so the shape can change between batches without new tooling. That opens the door to trial runs, seasonal versions and contour-cut stickers.
On the design side you need separate cut and crease lines plus bleed. These articles show how to prepare the file so the result matches the intent.
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