Can you trim a polymer plate?

Hi all-
I’m working on my first custom design and will order the plates (from Boxcar) next week. Never used theirs before so I am wondering if I can put more than one smallish image (like an address) on the same plate as something else, and then trim it down when they arrive? Trying to save the bride-to-be some money since they have a minimum order.

Thanks!
-ashley

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Ashley,

Plastic backed plates are easily cut with ordinary scissors. Just be sure to leave yourself enough room around each image in order to trim (at least half an inch).

Happy printing.

Shelley

Fabulous! Thanks!

Ashley, I use plastic backed plates. I usually get a lot of designs together and place them around eachother on an A4 page on the computer - using every little bit of space in that page. When the plates come back to me, I trim carefully around each design so I’m left with lots of little designs. Works out so much cheaper this way.

Great information, I’m interested in this too. Thanks!

I too ganged up some artwork and thought I had left enough room for cutting - LOOK OUT FOR THOSE SHOULDERS! It makes the base of your artowrk wider at the bottom than the top - so just make sure you leave heaps of room. Good luck!

Having been involved with photopolymer plates for some long time now I guess I would recommend the opposite. While ganging is certainly going to optimize your initial outlay t may cost you in production. Leave as much room for your plate as possible for efficient laydown and register. Give yourself some space and use registration guides in your preliminary layout and generate with the film.

Presswork should not be a war between you and the press, it should be a walk in the park. Pinching pennies will not give you the latter.

Gerald
http://BielerPress.blogspot.com