die cutting could refer to the industrial manufacturing process used to create a large amount of objects of the same shape, or the more craft oriented definition where people use a small machine to cut custom patterns of fabric, vinyl or paper for use in various artistic projects. In manufacturing die is a specially bended blade used to cut away pieces of material to precise specifications, the die blade is painstakingly crafted, as the cutting it does must be just as precise. The process entails a piece of unworked material such as wood, plastic or metal, called a blank, pressed through the specially shaped blade or die, trimming away the blank to create the shape of the die.
Die cutting is a widely used process with many variations. Each specific die cutting process is named after the die used to do the job, such as such as blanking, shaving, broaching and trimming. Die cutting in manufacturing can be analog or computer numerical controlled (CNC). CNC is when computer software such as CAD(computer aided design) and CAM(computer aided machining) is used to control the path of the cutting. Die cutting can also be executed using a program such as illustrator to create a vector path for the die to cut along.
