You’ve seen those life-size cardboard cutouts in stores, or at parties and trade shows. Whether it’s a full-size image of your favorite celebrity or a cutout of your parents for their 50th wedding anniversary, these cutouts liven any event and make fun souvenirs for years to come.
At Alexander’s, cutouts are printed and shipped out of our warehouse for some special occasion that we get to hear about later. So whether we’re creating cutouts of popular rap artists for a corporate birthday party or a cutout for our founder’s 60th birthday party, life-size cutouts are one of our favorite wide format print projects.
However, ordering cutouts can actually be quite a headache if you don’t do some research up front. Here are a few things you should consider before purchasing a cutout:
Use
First ask yourself what you’re using the cutout for. If it’s a one-time use item, you’ll want to consider a disposable and cheaper material. However, if you plan to use the cutout over and over again, talk to your printer or vendor about printing on something more substantial, like foam core. Also think about transporting the custom cut-out; you may want to have your printer include folds in the material, making it easier to ship or transport.
Size
Typically people come to us looking for a life-size cutout, but rarely do they think about the actual height and width of the space they’ll be displaying the cutout. If you only have a small booth at a trade show, you’ll want to make sure that you select an image of a person that isn’t placing both hands on their hips, since that extends the cutout display quite a bit. Small considerations like size, often turn into big problems if they aren’t taken into consideration before the cutout is printed, shipped and displayed.
Price
Pricing on items like this can range anywhere from $30 to hundreds of dollars. Working within a budget is important, but be sure to consider quality of the item, especially when ordering online. You might find a killer deal for a cardboard cutout for only $19.99, but you’re likely to receive a low quality image on flimsy cardboard. Before all else, be sure that the materials (whether it’s cardboard, foam core, Gatorboard or Falconboard) is substantial enough to stand up. In fact, you should ask about all materials, finishes available and machine capabilities before before purchasing.
Image Quality
You’ll want to select an image that’s not just clear and sharp but also helps you maintain the structural integrity of your custom cutout. Your cutout will last longer if you don’t select an image of someone standing on one foot or holding their arms out straight. You also want to select the highest resolution photo possible. Images should be at least 300 dpi for any wide format print job.
We hope that whatever cutout you choose, whether it’s custom or not, makes your birthday, anniversary or corporate event a day to remember.
If you’re interested in ordering a custom cut out please let us know. We’re happy to help.
