How to Cut Magnetic Sheeting: Tips for Clean, Accurate Results
Cutting magnetic sheeting might seem straightforward, but achieving smooth, accurate, professional-looking results requires the right tools, techniques, and cutter settings. Whether you’re producing magnetic signage, promotional magnets, displays, direct mail pieces, or custom shapes, proper cutting techniques can help improve accuracy, reduce material waste, and protect your equipment.
At Magnum Magnetics, we work with printers, converters, sign shops, and manufacturers that process flexible magnetic materials every day. While every cutter, material thickness, and application can be different, the following recommendations provide a strong starting point for achieving clean, consistent results.
1. Mask Metal Surfaces on Your Cutter
Many digital cutters and plotters contain metal components around the feeder, cutting bed, or exit area. Because magnetic sheeting is naturally attracted to ferrous metal, those surfaces can interfere with smooth material movement.
Before feeding magnetic material through your cutter, identify areas where the magnet could make contact with exposed metal and cover them with masking tape or another appropriate non-metallic barrier.
This helps prevent the magnetic sheet from sticking or dragging against the equipment, which can contribute to feeding problems, registration issues, or misalignment.
A good general rule is simple: if the magnetic material can stick to a surface along the feed path, consider masking that area before cutting.
2. Choose the Right Cutting Blade
Standard cutter blades are commonly available with a 45-degree angle, but thicker flexible magnetic materials can often benefit from a 60-degree blade.
The steeper blade angle can help the cutter work more effectively through thicker material while reducing unnecessary drag.
Begin with moderate cutting pressure based on your cutter manufacturer’s recommendations and the thickness of the magnetic material. If the blade is not producing the desired cut, make small adjustments rather than dramatically increasing the pressure.
Increasing pressure too aggressively can contribute to excessive blade wear and may affect cutting quality.
Also pay attention to the condition of the blade. If cuts become inconsistent, incomplete, or rough even after reasonable adjustments, the blade may simply need to be replaced.
A sharp blade is one of the most important factors in producing clean edges when cutting flexible magnetic sheeting.
3. Slow Down Your Cutting Speed
Faster isn’t always better when cutting magnetic material.
For many applications, a cutting speed of 20 cm per second or less can provide a good starting point. Slowing the cutter gives the blade more time to follow curves, corners, and detailed shapes accurately while reducing the likelihood of the material shifting during processing.
The ideal speed will vary depending on factors including:
- Magnetic material thickness
- Cutter model
- Blade type
- Shape complexity
- Cutting force
- Material construction
If you’re working with an unfamiliar magnetic product, start conservatively and perform a test cut before running an entire production job.
A few seconds spent testing your settings can save significantly more time and material later.
4. Print and Cut in Manageable Rows
When printing and contour cutting magnetic media, shorter production sections can help maintain better registration.
For example, rather than printing a long section of material and then feeding backward through the cutter to complete the entire job, consider printing and cutting in shorter rows or manageable sections whenever your workflow allows.
Long lengths of material can shift, curl, or move slightly during processing. Even small changes in position can affect contour-cutting accuracy.
Breaking the job into smaller sections helps reduce the amount of material traveling through the cutter at one time and can make registration easier to maintain.
This is especially helpful when producing multiple magnetic decals, promotional magnets, labels, shapes, or other repeat graphics.
5. Try Scoring or Kiss-cutting Instead of Cutting Through
Not every cutter has enough force to cut completely through thicker magnetic sheeting in a single pass. Attempting a full-depth cut can sometimes create more problems than it solves.
Depending on your application and equipment, scoring or kiss-cutting may provide a better solution. A score typically cuts about 80% of the way through the material, leaving just enough thickness to allow the magnet to snap cleanly from the sheet.
By cutting most of the way through while leaving a thin layer of material intact, the sheet remains stable during processing. The finished shape can then be separated cleanly from the surrounding material.
For materials with a printable vinyl surface, placing the magnet side down during cutting may make separation easier when the magnetic layer is scored rather than cut completely through.
If the vinyl side is placed down and the cutter only partially penetrates the magnetic material, removing the finished piece may require additional force and could potentially affect the printed or laminated surface.
As always, test the material and cutter settings before beginning a large production run.
6. Understand Your Cutter’s Capabilities
Flexible magnetic materials are available in a wide range of thicknesses and constructions, and not every cutting system is designed to process them.
Standard plotter-style cutters may work well with thinner magnetic sheeting, but thicker materials, specialty constructions, and double-sided magnetic products may require more powerful finishing equipment.
For demanding applications, digital finishing systems from manufacturers such as Zünd, Kongsberg, Summa, or Cutworx may provide the cutting force and tooling capabilities required for heavier magnetic materials.
Graphtec cutters are also commonly used for processing magnetic materials in many print and sign environments.
Whatever equipment you’re using, don’t assume one group of settings will work for every magnet. Material thickness, surface construction, magnetization, liner configuration, and finished shape can all influence cutter performance.
When possible, perform a test cut and fine-tune the settings for the specific magnetic material being processed.
7. Use Extreme Caution with CO2 Laser Cutting
Magnum Magnetics does NOT recommend laser cutting magnetic sheeting.
The high temperatures produced during laser cutting can break down components within magnetic materials and surface laminates, potentially releasing hazardous gases, vapors, smoke, and airborne particulates.
Do Not Laser Cut Vinyl-Faced Magnetic Material
Vinyl-faced magnetic sheeting presents particular concerns because PVC and other chlorine-containing polymers can release hydrogen chloride gas when subjected to the high temperatures generated by a laser.
Hydrogen chloride can react with moisture in the air to form hydrochloric acid. This creates potential concerns for both worker safety and equipment, including possible corrosion of components within a laser cutting system.
For these reasons, vinyl-faced magnetic materials should not be laser cut.
Vinyl-Free Does Not Mean Hazard-Free
For customers whose manufacturing processes require laser cutting, Magnum Magnetics can produce vinyl-free magnetic materials using PVC remill-free magnet formulations, such as MFs1051.
However, it is important to understand that vinyl-free or PVC remill-free magnetic material should not be interpreted as safe or emission-free when processed with a laser.
Magnetic formulations may still contain a small percentage of other chlorine-containing polymers, including chlorinated polyethylene, or CPE. When subjected to laser-cutting temperatures, these components can release hydrogen chloride gas, which may react with moisture to form hydrochloric acid.
Laser cutting magnetic material can also generate other emissions, potentially including:
- Carbon monoxide
- Carbon dioxide
- Hydrogen chloride
- Organic acids
- Alcohols
- Hydrocarbons
- Smoke and airborne particulates
Even magnetic materials formulated without vinyl therefore require appropriate precautions when exposed to the temperatures generated by laser cutting.
Proper Ventilation Is Essential
Customers who choose to laser cut magnetic materials should use appropriate industrial ventilation and exhaust systems designed for the materials and emissions involved.
They should also consult the laser equipment manufacturer’s safety guidance and conduct their own workplace safety evaluation before processing magnetic materials.
Because formulations, laminates, equipment, operating conditions, and ventilation systems can vary considerably, Magnum Magnetics recommends contacting our technical team to discuss material options before considering laser cutting.
Bottom line: Magnum Magnetics does not recommend laser cutting magnetic sheeting. Mechanical cutting, scoring, and digital finishing systems are generally the preferred methods for converting flexible magnetic materials.
Choosing the Best Way to Cut Magnetic Sheeting
Clean magnetic cutting comes down to matching the material with the right equipment and settings.
For most applications, start by:
- Masking exposed metal surfaces along the cutter’s feed path
- Using a blade appropriate for the magnetic material thickness
- Starting with moderate cutting pressure
- Slowing the cutting speed for improved accuracy
- Working in manageable print-and-cut sections
- Considering scoring or kiss-cutting when a full-depth cut isn’t practical
- Testing settings before beginning a large production run
Most importantly, understand the capabilities and limitations of your finishing equipment before processing thicker or specialty magnetic materials.
Get Help Choosing the Right Magnetic Material
From magnetic signage and retail displays to promotional magnets, direct mail, labels, and custom applications, different projects can require different combinations of magnetic strength, thickness, printable surface, and finishing method.
Magnum Magnetics can help you identify a flexible magnetic material that works with your printing, cutting, and converting process.
Before starting a new application, especially one involving an unfamiliar cutting method or specialized finishing equipment, talk with our team about your material and production requirements.
Contact Magnum Magnetics to discuss your application, request samples, or learn more about flexible magnetic materials manufactured in the USA.