Perforation Explained
Perforation refers to a series of small holes applied to paper or board, allowing a section to be removed cleanly without damaging the remaining piece. When used on printed materials, perforation can create a detachable area such as a voucher, appointment reminder, or promotional tear-off. Adding perforations, often called perf lines, removes the need for scissors and adds convenience for the recipient. For example, a printed card with a perforated section can be stored intact, with the tear-off portion used separately when required.
Perforations are created using either a perfing wheel or a die-cutting process, which presses the perforated line into the material. The method selected depends on the number of perforations needed and the overall quantity of the print run.
Although commonly used for tear-off sections, perforations can also serve as an alternative to scoring, helping thicker stocks or multi-fold designs sit flatter once finished.
Perforations are created using either a perfing wheel or a die-cutting process, which presses the perforated line into the material. The method selected depends on the number of perforations needed and the overall quantity of the print run.
Although commonly used for tear-off sections, perforations can also serve as an alternative to scoring, helping thicker stocks or multi-fold designs sit flatter once finished.
Considerations
Before adding perforation to your printed materials, there are a few practical factors to consider. Artwork setup, paper weight, and the number and placement of perforation lines can all affect how well the finished product performs and how cleanly it tears.
Artwork
When supplying artwork please show the perf lines as a series of dashes in a spot colour (most commonly magenta). These lines will be removed from the artwork before printing takes place.
Consider The Paper Weight
Perforation isn’t recommended for paper weights of less than 135gsm for leaflets and booklets.
Consider How Many Perfs You’ll Need
The basic perforation has just one line to create a single tear off sheet, but, this can be increased to several lines either vertically or horizontally. You might want to create tear off boxes by having your perfs running both vertically and horizontally or you may need your perfed line to be in the shape of an ‘L’ or ‘T’.
Standard Perfing vs Microperfing
The holes which have been cut into the paper will cause a serrated edge to be left behind once the tear off section has been removed. This is fine for most items, e.g tickets, vouchers etc but sometime a neater edge will be desirable. In this instance microperfing is the answer.
As its name suggests microperfing uses much smaller holes to create a perforation which is just as strong but leaves behind a neater torn off line.
As its name suggests microperfing uses much smaller holes to create a perforation which is just as strong but leaves behind a neater torn off line.
Using Perforations in Print
Perforations can be added to printed cards to create a clean tear-off section, such as a voucher, appointment reminder, or promotional tab. This allows part of the piece to be removed easily while keeping the main section intact for continued use.
When incorporating perforation, selecting an appropriate paper weight is important to ensure the tear-off performs cleanly without compromising the strength of the remaining card. Heavier stocks are typically recommended to maintain durability once the perforated section has been removed.
It is also essential to allow sufficient space between the perforation line and the edge of the design to prevent unwanted tearing. Careful positioning of the perf line helps ensure the finished product remains neat, functional, and professional in everyday use.
When incorporating perforation, selecting an appropriate paper weight is important to ensure the tear-off performs cleanly without compromising the strength of the remaining card. Heavier stocks are typically recommended to maintain durability once the perforated section has been removed.
It is also essential to allow sufficient space between the perforation line and the edge of the design to prevent unwanted tearing. Careful positioning of the perf line helps ensure the finished product remains neat, functional, and professional in everyday use.
Print Perforations
If you are considering perforation for your printed materials and want to ensure it is suitable for your design and chosen stock, our team is happy to help. We can advise on layout, paper weight, and perforation placement to achieve the best possible result before your project goes to print.