Knives and Cutting

In print finishing, knives play a crucial role in various processes that involve cutting, trimming, and shaping printed materials. Here are some common uses for knives in print finishing:

1. Cutting Paper and Cardstock:
   • Knives are used for precision cutting of paper and cardstock to create clean and straight edges. This is essential in tasks such as trimming printed materials to their final size.
2. Die Cutting:
   • Knives are employed in die-cutting machines to create intricate and custom shapes in printed materials. This is commonly used for creating unique packaging designs, promotional items, and specialty print products.
3. Creasing and Scoring:
   • Knives are used in conjunction with scoring or creasing tools to create folds or score lines in printed materials. This is crucial for ensuring accurate and clean folding of items such as brochures, cards, and packaging.
4. Perforating:
   • Perforating knives create small, evenly spaced holes or slits in printed materials. This is useful for creating tear-off portions in documents, tickets, or other printed items.
5. Folding:
   • Knives are utilised in folding machines to cut and fold printed materials accurately. This is common in the production of folded brochures, pamphlets, and other multi-page documents.
6. Trimming Excess Material:
   • After printing, there may be excess material or borders that need to be trimmed away. Knives are used for precise trimming to achieve the desired final size.
7. Laminating and Mounting:
   • Knives are used for cutting laminated or mounted prints to their final dimensions. This is common in the production of signs, posters, and displays.
8. Edge Gilding:
   • Knives are used in the process of edge gilding, where a thin layer of metallic foil is applied to the edges of printed materials, providing a decorative and luxurious finish.
9. Perfect Binding:
   • In perfect binding, where pages are glued together at the spine, knives are used to trim the edges of the bound materials, ensuring a neat and uniform appearance.
10. Guillotine Cutting:
    • Guillotine cutters, equipped with sharp knives, are used for cutting large stacks of paper or cardstock in a single motion. This is often used for high-volume cutting in print shops.
11. Stripping:
    • Knives are used in the process of stripping, where unwanted portions of printed materials are removed to achieve the final layout or design.
12. Routing:
    • Knives are employed in routing machines to cut channels or grooves into printed materials, commonly used for creating signage or displays with dimensional elements.

Using knives in print finishing allows for precision and customisation, enabling print professionals to achieve a wide range of creative and functional outcomes in the final printed products.