When it comes to getting your products out to market, there are a few things that you should always take into consideration. Chief among these considerations is the quality and demand of the products you’re producing. However, it’s also important to present your products to existing and prospective customers in a creative way that makes your brand stand out from your competitors. Enter: custom packaging design. In a previous post, we already established that short-run packaging production is the ideal option for small businesses.
Now it’s time to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of two distinct printing methods that have revolutionized the custom package production industry in their own rights: digital laser cutting vs. die cutting.
Small businesses are more likely to benefit from digital laser cutting instead of die cutting for a number of reasons.
How Does Digital Laser Cutting in Custom Print Packaging Work?
Creating custom-printed package designs for your product is only half the battle. The method you choose to realize your creative visions for your business also makes a huge difference. Thanks in large part to cutting-edge (pun intended) technological advancements within the custom packaging industry, digital laser cutting has been proven to be a far more practical and cost-effective solution than die cutting for a number of reasons.
Traditionally, die cutting was the main method of choice for companies that needed to produce high volume custom printed packaging for their clients. This method involves automated cutting of materials such as printed cardboards using steel ruled dies. These dies are made from bending metal strips, called “rules” into the desired shape and mounting them into wooden blocks
Akin to cookie cutter shapes, the main pitfall of this method is that it doesn’t easily lend itself to custom designs because many of the shapes must be predetermined by the design of the steel rules.
That’s where custom digital laser cutting technology comes in. Digital laser cutting technology doesn’t depend on predetermined shapes. As the name suggests, digital laser cutting is an innovative technology that has the capability to create infinite custom designs on demand without having to change out blade shapes or sizes.
Digital laser cutting allows the user to input the exact custom design and quantity of printed materials they want into system. While the lasers create a precise shape of your products, all folding creases are produced by a polymer extruded rules similar to 3D printing technology.
Advantages of Digital Laser Cutting over Die Cutting
There are a lot of great advantages of using the digital laser cutting method instead of die cutting. Convenience and practicality are the first two that come to mind. Here are a few other reasons you should go with digital laser cutting for your next big custom packaging design project:
Ability to Create Intricate Patterns
Digital laser cutting gives you the opportunity to get more creative with the types of patterns you want on your packaging, which is perfect for short-run packaging. Not only can you change up your package designs on the fly or on a seasonal basis, but you’re not limited by the pre-existing cookie-cutter designs that die cutting entails.
Low Volume Production Runs
Whether you own a bakery, a catering business, or put together special care packages for your customers to send to their loved ones, the current COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly forced you to alter your business model to some degree. That means high production costs are completely out of the question for your business. With digital laser cutting technology, you can make necessary changes to your packaging designs by adding new ideas and changing whatever doesn’t work for your business at a minimal cost. Additionally, you’re not obligated to stick to a specific packaging design.
Quick to Market
With its unparalleled convenience factor and cost-effectiveness, digital laser cutting is the clear-cut choice for all of your custom package design needs. The simple fact that it completely eliminates the need to create custom-designed cutting dies grants you faster access to the finished product so you can maintain absolute quality control. It also allows you to deliver your goods to your customers a lot faster.
Space Efficient Due to Lack of Dies
Since digital laser cutting excludes the use of dies in creating custom packaging designs, this process is far more space efficient than the traditional die cutting method. Given the rapidly ever-changing economic climate in the midst of COVID-19, moving inventory at a fast pace is more important than ever before. The last thing you want is to be sitting on merchandise that you can’t sell with an outdated design. Digital laser cutting gives you the ability to quickly update your designs on a seasonal basis or whenever new inspiration strikes.
When Is the Use of Die Cutting More Appropriate?
Despite the fact that we’ve made an excellent case for the merits of digital laser cutting over die cutting, there are still a few remaining instances in which the latter can and should be used.
High-Volume Production Runs
Generally speaking, die cutting can aptly be used in high-volume production runs in which the same designs will be used for large quantities of product or if the same designs will be applied to various business projects. In such cases, it makes perfect sense to keep an inventory of predetermined designs that you can use time and time again. This includes brand logo designs that you plan on using for non-seasonal promotions.
Low Equipment Cost
Since die cutting is an older method of custom print packaging, the equipment is much more widely available at a lower cost than state-of-the-art digital laser cutting equipment.
Benefits of Digital Laser Cutting in Custom Print Packaging
- On-Demand Production
- Fast Turnaround
- Competitive Edge
- Greater Creativity
- Improved Profitability
Magenta Depot’s Digital Laser Cutting Custom Print Packaging Solutions in Toronto and the GTA
Serving Toronto and the GTA, Magenta Depot is committed to helping local small businesses create unique custom package designs for their products at minimal cost. We can simplify the process by giving our customers a variety of low-volume package design options at an affordable price.
All of our products are printed in Canada with a two-week turnaround time and no additional setup fees. For a full list of our creative packaging products, please visit our website or contact us for a free, no-obligation quote.
