Using a die-cutting machine: dies and embossing folders

A die-cutting machine looks a bit awkward, with its handle and its stack of clear plates. But once you understand what's happening, it's one of the calmest tools on your table. You turn the handle, a shape comes out, and it's exactly the same every time. Here you'll read how a manual die-cutting machine works, what to do when a die doesn't cut all the way through and how to use embossing folders.

What a die-cutting machine does

At heart, a manual die-cutting machine is a press with two rollers. You place a die on paper, stack plates around it and turn the whole lot through the rollers with a handle. The pressure pushes the sharp edge of the die through the paper, and you're left with a cut-out shape.

A die is a thin piece of metal with a cutting edge in the shape of a flower, a letter, a label or a border. You can also emboss with the same machine: then you press a pattern into the paper instead of cutting it out.

Why would you want one? Shapes you can't cut neatly with scissors, like delicate leaves or ornate letters, come out crisp. And if you need ten identical labels for an album or a stack of cards, it saves you an afternoon of cutting.

The sandwich

The stack you turn through the machine is called the sandwich. It usually consists of:

• a base plate or platform, which sets the height
• a cutting plate
• your paper
• the die, with the cutting edge facing the paper
• a second cutting plate on top

The exact order and number of plates vary from machine to machine. There's often a diagram on the base plate or in the manual, and that's your best guide. If your sandwich is too thick, it will jam. If it's too thin, the die won't cut through.

A few things that help:

• Stack the plates slightly staggered, so the rollers grip them more easily.
• Never force it. If it feels stiff, first check the order is right.
• Feed long dies through the machine lengthways.
• Leave some space between dies if you're running several at once.
• Hold a die in place with a strip of low-tack tape so it doesn't shift. Tape with little stickiness, like washi tape or special die-cutting tape, won't damage your paper.

It can creak and crunch quite a bit, and your cutting plates will get scratches and grooves. That's normal. The pressure is high, and that's what the machine is made for.

When a die doesn't cut all the way through

This is the most common complaint. The paper is scored, but you still have to push the shape out, or the fine bits stay stuck. A few causes and fixes:

• Not enough pressure. Put a sheet of paper or thin card under the bottom cutting plate to make the sandwich a little thicker. Many scrappers also use a thin metal sheet, a shim. Place it between two plates, never directly against the die.
• Run the sandwich through again, perhaps the other way round or turned a quarter.
• Worn cutting plates. A plate full of deep grooves or a warped plate gives uneven pressure. Flip it over or use another one.
• Paper that's too thick or too stiff. Fine dies work best with ordinary cardstock or thinner. Heavy card needs more pressure than a small machine can give.
• The die is the wrong way up. Check that the cutting edge faces the paper.

If bits of paper stay stuck in the die, gently push them out with a piercing tool or an old paintbrush. For dies with lots of small openings, there are special brushes and mats. If you want the back of a fine shape to be sticky already, apply a double-sided adhesive sheet to the paper before die cutting. It saves fiddling with glue on tiny pieces.

Embossing folders for texture

An embossing folder is a plastic sleeve with a pattern on the inside: raised on one side, recessed on the other. You put your paper inside, close the folder and run it through the machine with the plates the diagram lists for it. The paper comes out with a raised pattern of diamonds, flowers, wood or bricks. This is called dry embossing, because you don't need ink or heat.

There are standard folders and 3D folders. Standard folders give a flat, even texture. 3D folders are thicker and press deeper, and often need a different combination of plates. Here too, check your machine's instructions.

Tips for beautiful texture:

• Core-coloured cardstock gives the most even result. With paper that has a white core, you sometimes see it on the highest points.
• If you want the pattern to stand out, very lightly sand over the top with fine sandpaper after embossing. The raised areas will then come out lighter. Gently swiping an ink pad over it works too.
• Some dies can emboss instead of cut. Then you put a rubber embossing mat in the sandwich instead of a cutting plate, so the die presses in its lines without cutting.

Cutting a die-cut shape several times and gluing the layers together also adds depth, by the way. Five layers of the same letter, with a different colour on top, give you a title that really lifts off the page.

Do dies from other brands fit?

Usually, yes. The thin metal dies most brands make work in almost any manual machine. What to look out for:

• The width of the opening. Small, lightweight machines only take narrow dies and folders. Measure your die before you buy it.
• Thick dies, known as steel-rule dies. These have a steel blade set in a block of wood or plastic with foam. They're meant for thick materials like felt, fabric or card, and don't fit every machine.
• The plate combination. A die from another brand sometimes needs a slightly different sandwich. Start with the standard combination and add a sheet of paper if needed.

If in doubt, read what your machine's manufacturer says about third-party dies. A sandwich that's too thick can damage your machine, and it can sometimes void your warranty.

Making cutting plates last longer

Cutting plates are consumables. They get grooves, they warp and eventually they crack. A few habits will make them last a good deal longer:

• Flip your plates regularly, so both sides wear evenly.
• Swap their positions too: the top plate gets the most grooves. Some scrappers deliberately keep one plate as a permanent top plate and only replace it when it's worn out.
• If a plate has started to curve, put it in the sandwich with the curved side the other way next time. It will then flatten out a bit again.
• Don't always cut in the same spot; spread your dies across the plate.
• Don't add extra pressure when you don't need it.
• Keep a spare set at home. A cracked plate always happens at the wrong moment.

Store your dies flat, for example on a magnetic sheet in a folder. That way they stay straight and you can see at a glance what you have.

Do you really need a die-cutting machine?

No. To start scrapbooking, scissors, a craft knife, a ruler and glue are enough. A die-cutting machine only really becomes worth it when you notice you often need the same shapes, or if you love making cards.

There are good in-between options too:

• Punches, like a corner rounder or a circle punch, for small shapes.
• Ready-made die cuts from a paper collection, which often already match your paper.
• Fussy cutting from patterned paper, which can be surprisingly relaxing.

Torn between a manual die-cutting machine and an electronic cutting machine? They're two different tools. A die-cutting machine works with dies you buy, a cutting machine cuts whatever you design on a screen. There's a separate article about that.

If you buy one, start with a few dies you'll use again and again: a set of circles or rectangles for mats and labels, an alphabet for titles, and a border. You'll get more out of those than out of a drawer full of odd motifs.