Die cutting is a process that uses a specific die to cut uniform shapes or sheets out of various materials including plastic, rubber, foil, cloth, paper, foam, and more. The process began historically by cutting leather for shoe making in the 1900s. Most die cutting processes are either flat bed or rotary die cutting. Flat bed die cutting is a simpler and less expensive method with slower run times for smaller jobs. Flat bed machinery is also better suited for use with harder materials. Rotary die cutting makes use of cylindrical dies on a rotary press with multiple stations and increased efficiency. Rotary machinery works best an faster with softer materials. In order to assist in locating potential suppliers of die cutting services, the tables below summarize the top suppliers based in the US.