Intricately Cut Lettering

I love the look of a clean-cut title. Most of my layouts feature some sort of exacto work – usually a fancy title, but sometimes a cut out mat or decorative embellishments. A couple of years ago if someone had asked me to cut out letters with an exacto knife, I would have cut my finger off! It was only after lots of practice and finding the right tools that I have been able to master my knife skills and cut out some pretty elaborate lettering and designs. Now I actually find it peaceful to lose myself in thought while I am sitting and cutting. I am often asked for tips and hints about using a knife, so I would like to address some of the most common questions here.

What kind of knife do you use?

I use a plain, plastic handled knife with snap off blades. Mine is made by C-THRU, but I have seen many others like it. There are also many other types of knives out there -- some with fancy cushioned handles, or swivel pen-like tips. I personally feel that whatever knife you feel comfortable holding is best for you. I don’t believe any type will make you cut any better. I prefer the snap off blades because they are cheap and easy to replace. Just use a pair of pliers to snap off the tip and you have an instant fresh blade.

How often do you change the blade?

Because I use the snap-off blade knife and it is so convenient to change my blade, I do it quite often. On a very intricate font I may use a new blade for each letter, but on average I would say I use a fresh blade for each title. Every time I pick my knife up to start a new project, I snap off the old blade and start fresh. A sharp blade makes a huge difference in the quality of your cuts as well as the amount of effort you need to put into them. Of course, the thickness of the cardstock and the amount of detail in the letters also play a role. A dull blade will produce jagged edges, bumpy curves, and can even tear the top layer of patterned paper slightly – making it appear white and fuzzy around the edges.

What kind of mat do you use?

I use a glass mat for all my cutting. When cutting around curves, you want to turn your paper and hold your knife stationary. Using a glass mat allows your paper to glide over the surface while you are doing this. It also keeps the blade up on the surface of the glass unlike a self-healing mat, which causes the blade to sink down into it. I used to have a fancy glass mat with grid lines on the bottom, but I really didn’t use them much and over time, my mat got some nicks and scrapes on it and I had to replace it. Now I use old sheets of glass from picture frames. When it gets scraped up, replace it – it will catch your knife blade and cause irregular cuts.

How do you cut those skinny letters?

Aaahhh, now we’re getting to the good stuff! Since I know you won’t be satisfied if I just say “lots of practice”, I’ll try to go into as much detail as I can. First, I would like to give you some insight as to how I am holding my knife. Although it is a boxy-shaped thing, I hold it much like a pencil, with my index finger resting on the top, just above the blade. Remember when I mentioned those nicks and scrapes in my mat? Those are from my index finger. I press down quite hard with my finger, and I think this gives me more control over the stability of my knife.

I know you hear people say this all the time, but when you are cutting around curves, turn your paper not the knife! This is so important! My knife blade is always straight up, with the sharp edge towards me – it never slants to one side or the other, which will happen if you are trying to curve it. Think of it in much the same manner as feeding fabric into a sewing machine. The needle cannot move -- you have to push and pull the fabric into and out of it. The only time I am actually moving my knife is on straight lines. Then I will slowly pull my knife down towards me, as I feed the paper into the blade with my left hand.

So, to cut a straight skinny line is quite easy – just slightly pull the knife towards you as you push the paper upwards. Then repeat right next to it. It is the curves and swirls that are tricky. My left hand does all the work on curves. Sometimes when I’m cutting really complex fonts, the tiny muscles in my forearm actually get sore! So with your knife in position, pressing down hard on the knife with your right index finger, start pulling the paper out from behind the knife with your left middle and ring fingers. “Walk” these two fingers alternately over the paper to give it a smooth, steady pull while pushing the paper into the blade with your left index finger. Pulling in small jerks will leave your cuts looking like just that.

I also only cut curves in a clockwise direction. Imagine cutting a circle. I place the blade into the paper at three o’clock (not twelve or one because that would mean my blade wasn’t straight), and start pulling the paper out by walking my three fingers over it. Push “six o’clock” up toward the blade with your left index (while pulling the backside out with your left middle and ring fingers) and continue around in this direction. This allows you to keep the outline of your design on the inside of your blade so you can see it easily.

A few final tips…

If you are cutting a full circle (like a letter “o”), you will be turning your paper in a full 360 degree circle, causing the long side of it to bump you in the chest as you’re turning it. To avoid this, once you’ve printed your title onto the paper (or drawn, traced or whatever), cut around the design leaving at least an inch on all sides to be able to work your fingers over it. If you are cutting a long script title, try to cut it and break it apart wherever the letters aren’t connected to give you a more workable size of paper.

Always cut out the insides, and the small tight curves of the letters first, then go back and cut the rest.

Use a good secondary light source that you can pull down right over your paper to avoid shadows on your work.

I hope you will find these tips helpful, and remember that practice makes perfect!

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