Contour Cutting
What is Contour Cutting?
A key to good marketing is to think “outside the box.” The box, in this case, would be the common visual of printed material like a poster or signage that almost always takes the shape of a rectangle or square. These boxes full of advertising appear so often that many people subconsciously ignore them as they go about their daily business of life and work.
However, by altering this regular shape, we can use the unlimited variations of 2D shapes to draw the eye to exactly what we want our potential customers to see. This process is called contour cutting. Another distinct feature of contour cutting is that you won’t need any background for the image or design, whether clear or solid. Your target audience sees only the most important part of your work.
While we specialize at SpeedPro in creating large format printed materials for your marketing campaign or events, we also offer the ability to create these printed materials in attention-grabbing shapes via contour cutting. SpeedPro can offer big flatbed computer-controlled cutters to contour cut rigid substrates like aluminum, foam core and plastic.
Contour cutting opens up a world of possibilities for marketers, businesses, and event planners who want their printed materials to stand out. Rather than being limited to standard rectangular formats, contour cutting allows any printed product to take on a custom shape, making it far more likely to catch the eye and hold attention.
Printed products that are ideal candidates for contour cutting include:
- Wall & door fabric
- Seasonal decorations
- Poster boards and party props
- Custom banners and wind banner flags
- Museum and gallery wall narratives
- Sintra / PVC boards
- Vehicle decals
- Window clings and window decals
- Floor decals
- Self-adhesive removable vinyl
Contour cutting works by using an automated cutting plotter, such as a vinyl cutter, whose blade follows a digitally predetermined path around the edge of your printed design. That edge is called the “contour line,” which is where the name comes from. A familiar everyday example is the sheet of stickers you may have played with as a child, where each sticker is individually shaped rather than simply square. The blade slices cleanly through materials like paper, vinyl, or mylar laid flat on the cutting plotter’s surface.
How the File Setup Works
Unlike standard large format printing, which requires a single artwork file, contour cutting requires two files: the artwork file and a separate cutting file. The artwork file contains your design; the cutting file contains the precise path and dimensions of the cut you want made.
Within the artwork file, small evenly spaced black dots called registration marks are placed in non-printed areas. These marks guide the cutting plotter’s blade, ensuring accuracy across the entire cut. As a general rule, one-quarter inch is the recommended size for registration marks if your printing partner hasn’t specified otherwise.
Once registration marks are in place, a second layer is added to the artwork file so the cutting file outlines can be overlaid on top. This lets you verify that the two files align correctly before going to production. All text in the design should also be converted to outlines at this stage to eliminate any risk of missing fonts during production. Both files are then saved as high-quality PDFs and handed off for cutting.
The cutting plotter reads both the registration marks and the digital cutting path simultaneously, which is what gives contour cutting its precision and consistency, even on complex custom shapes.
The file setup process has a few steps but is straightforward, and our team at SpeedPro Greater Atlanta is here to guide you through it. Request a quote or contact us and one of our specialists will walk you through exactly what’s needed for your project.
Types of Contour Cutting
The two primary contour cutting choices are known as “cut through” and “kiss cut." The method you choose really depends on what kind of material, or medium, you want to contour cut. Cut Through contour cutting: This is perhaps the most often-used method. “Cut through” refers to the blade slicing all the way through the medium, which leaves behind your desired custom-cut shape. “Cut through” is ideal for creating big cut-outs of images and shapes. You can think of movie theater standees as examples of “cut through” contour cutting. Kiss Cut contour cutting: “Kiss cut” contour cutting takes advantage of the precision inherent in using an automated computer-based system. This method actually controls the depth of your requested contour cuts and is utilized to create those popular sticker sheets. The top sheet of sticky material is cut while leaving the liner material beneath it completely intact.Contour Cutting vs. Die Cutting
It is important not to confuse contour cutting with die-cutting. The die-cut process involves creating custom metal dies, or cutting stamps made of metal, that are used to repeatedly press through the material and create your shaped product. The creation of the metal die itself has a cost all in its own, in extra time and money. This is above and beyond any setup required for contour cutting done with an automated cutter plotter machine using a digital source for your design. For projects that require only a handful to a few hundred products, this cost may not be worth it. However, die-cutting may be a process to consider if your project involves a very high volume of custom-cut items such as specialty boxing, pocket folders, unique packages and uniquely-shaped cardboard items. For SpeedPro’s large format digital printing, a die is not required. Our flatbed cutting plotters can cut a wide variety of media for almost any type of project you can imagine and get you the great results you want.SpeedPro Greater Atlanta — Large Format Printing for Atlanta Businesses
SpeedPro Greater Atlanta is Atlanta’s full-service large format printing studio, helping businesses across every industry communicate their brand visually through high-impact printed displays, signage, graphics, and environmental installations. From a single custom sign to a complete branded environment spanning an entire facility, we design, produce, and professionally install large format print solutions built to your exact specifications.
What We Produce
Our capabilities cover the full range of large format printing, including vehicle wraps and fleet graphics, custom signs, wall murals and wall coverings, trade show displays, banners, decals, office graphics, indoor signage, and event graphics. Every product we produce uses commercial-grade materials and professional-grade printing technology for results that hold up in real-world conditions and reflect well on your brand.
Why Atlanta Businesses Choose SpeedPro Greater Atlanta
- 18+ years serving Greater Atlanta — we understand the local market, the venues, and the industries we work with
- Design to installation — we handle every step in-house, from initial design consultation through final professional installation
- Exact brand matching — we match Pantone colors and work from your existing brand guidelines to ensure consistency across every printed piece
- Fast turnaround — we offer competitive production timelines and rush services for time-sensitive projects
- Expert guidance — not sure what product or material is right for your project? Our team will advise you on the best solution for your goals and budget
Areas We Serve
We serve businesses and organizations throughout the Greater Atlanta metro area including Atlanta, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Smyrna, Vinings, Buckhead, Midtown, Dunwoody, Decatur, Tucker, Chamblee, Johns Creek, East Point, and College Park, and all of Fulton County, DeKalb County, Cobb County, and Gwinnett County.
Get a Free Quote
Request a free consultation and quote or call us at 404-577-9090. We’ll discuss your project, recommend the right solution, and provide a detailed quote typically within one business day.