Vinyl & application
What is kiss cut?
A kiss cut slices through the vinyl layer but leaves the backing liner intact, so the cut pieces stay in place on the sheet until they're lifted with transfer tape.
The plotter blade is set to just 'kiss' the liner — deep enough to sever the film, shallow enough to leave the backing whole. That's what makes weeding and transfer possible: the liner holds every letter in position until the tape picks the whole layout up at once.
Blade depth drift is the classic failure. Too shallow and the weed tears the graphic; too deep and you're cutting the liner (a die cut you didn't want), and the layout falls apart when lifted. When a batch suddenly weeds badly, check the blade before blaming the film.
Related terms
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