Print & Cut - How Much Trap?

[P Wagner]

When you design files that will be printed on one device and cut on another (or the same device for that matter), how much trap (if any) do you use?

In other words, if you do not want any white space around the object, do you set the cut path directly on the edge of the object, or do you inset it a distance from the edge? What is the distance you use?

 

[Malkin]

1/16" to 1/4" depending on the size of the job. Our vp540 is usually pretty spot on though and doesn't require nearly that much.

 

[Fred Weiss]

The term is "bleed". Trap is a term for colors touching colors, where bleed applies to solid color all the way to image edges. On Gerber Edge prints with bleed edges, we set the print to be .04" outside the cut.

 

[2B]

was wondering the trap reference.

it depends a lot on the amount of ink, more ink = more bleed to reduce curling especially on non-lamination. general rule of thumb is around .075 - .1 for us on stickers

Malkin is correct the length is a direct correlation to the bleed

 

[Sign Works]

.08 - .1 is my standard.

 

[boxerbay]

fred is correct - as usual. The term is bleed. the amount of bleed needed depends on the accuracy of your cutter. We use 1/8 inch. .125

 

[grafixemporium]

The amount of bleed on print/cut vinyl doesn't really matter. You can give yourself .125" or 2.5" or 25'... it's all getting weeded and thrown away. You know your plotter. Give yourself enough bleed to get the job done. Don't waste too much ink. Big jobs with long runs might require a little more bleed. Short runs of smaller decal type stuff will probably work fine with a smaller bleed. Don't get all caught up in having a certain exact amount of bleed for this type of stuff.

Jobs you send out to digital print or offset... different story.

 

[Custom_Grafx]

Usually around 2mm. Hate manually making colours "meet" in corners though for certain jobs. You get better at it with time but yeah... pain. Photoshop actually makes it alot easier after doing it in Illustrator for a couple of years... wish I had started doing it in PS since day one. Eyedrop and brush interface in PS is a lot faster for me.

 

[thmooch]

.125" on a 6' run. I generally slow the plotter down a bit for complex cuts, but thats just me.