Free design proof on every custom order: no templates, no stock SKUs
Die-cut folders take a standard two-pocket presentation folder and cut the cover, tab, or pocket edge into a custom shape. A rounded corner, a notched flap, or an outline built around your logo. They're built on 10pt to 28pt cardstock with die cutting, gluing, and scoring included on every order, and print in CMYK or PMS for exact color matching. Choose one of three standard sizes or specify a fully custom shape, and review a flat-view or 3D mock-up proof before anything goes to press.
A die-cut folder is a two-pocket presentation folder where the cover, flap, or pocket edge has been cut on a custom steel die instead of a plain straight edge. The rest of the build follows standard folder construction. Cover stock in a range from a light 10pt up through a heavy 28pt (roughly 60lb to 350lb), scored along every fold so it closes flat, and glued along the pocket bottoms and outer edges. Printing runs in CMYK for full-color artwork or PMS when a brand color needs to match exactly, and die cutting, gluing, and scoring are all included as part of the standard build rather than priced as add-ons.
Three sizes cover most orders. 6" x 9" is the compact option, sized for smaller inserts, folded brochures, or a leave-behind that doesn't need to hold full letter-size paper. 9" x 12" is the workhorse size. It holds an unfolded 8.5" x 11" sheet without creasing it and is the size most buyers reach for by default. 9.5" x 14.5" is the oversized option, built for legal-size documents, larger presentation booklets, or bundles that combine several inserts. Beyond those three, a fully custom die can be cut to any shape or dimension a project calls for, with the shape confirmed on a proof before production starts.
Common add-ons include a business card slit tucked into one pocket, a CD or DVD slit for including physical media, and customized pocket shapes that go beyond the standard rectangular pocket. Useful for folders meant to hold odd-sized inserts or to reinforce a specific brand look. Coating options run from gloss to matte to spot UV, each changing how the printed cover handles light and fingerprints; lamination is included standard and adds scuff resistance for anything that will be handled repeatedly or mailed.
Turnaround runs around six business days for standard production, with an express option for tighter deadlines, and order quantities span from small runs of a hundred up to large corporate runs in the hundreds of thousands. Every order includes a proof. A flat digital view as a baseline, a 3D mock-up to see how the folder will actually fold and sit, or a physical hard copy on request for jobs where color accuracy matters most. For anything that will ship or be handled often, choosing a heavier stock weight up front tends to hold up better than trying to compensate with lamination alone.
The board decides how the finished folder feels in hand and how well it survives repeated use. 10pt to 12pt C1S is standard for a handout that is used once; 14pt is the point most people describe as "sturdy" without feeling like a binder cover. Above 14pt the folder gets harder to fold cleanly without cracking the coating at the score.
Which weight should I ask for? One-time event handout, 10-12pt. A folder clients keep on a desk, 14pt.
Full color (4/4 or 4/0) covers most orders. Where a brand color has to match exactly across reorders (a specific corporate blue, a metallic) we run it as a Pantone spot rather than approximating it from CMYK. Inside panels are usually left unprinted or carry a light pattern, since the pockets and their contents cover most of that surface anyway.
Do I need to print the inside? Rarely worth it, that budget usually does more on cover finishing.
Laminate is a film bonded to the printed sheet, not a varnish. It is what lets a folder survive being opened and closed dozens of times without the corners softening or the color scuffing. Gloss maximizes color pop for a folder that needs to catch attention on a table; matte reads as more restrained and hides fingerprints better in daily handling.
Do I need lamination at all? For a single-use event handout, no. For anything kept and reused, it is the difference between lasting a week and lasting a year.
The fold is scored, not just creased, before it is folded. Pressing a blunt rule into the stock so the fibers bend along a controlled line instead of cracking the coating at random. Skip the score on 14pt or heavier stock and the laminate visibly fractures along the spine on the very first fold.
Why does my folder crack at the fold? Almost always a missed or misplaced score on 14pt or heavier stock. Tell us the exact caliper and we set the score line for it.
The difference here is the cut itself. Instead of a rectangular cover, a steel-rule die cuts the outline into a shape. A rounded corner, a notched tab, a silhouette built around your logo. That die is a one-off tooling cost carried into the first order and reused on reprints, which is why a shaped folder gets cheaper the second time you run it.
Is a custom die worth it? On a single run of a few hundred, rarely. Across a year of reprints the tooling is amortised after the second order and the shape becomes recognizably yours.
Ask for samples of any stock on this list before committing to a run.
Maximizes color pop. The right call for a folder meant to stand out on a table.
Kills glare, hides fingerprints. Reads as more restrained and corporate.
A small die cut into one pocket. Standard on most orders, no added cost.
A rounded corner, an angled flap, or a fully custom silhouette, tooling carried into the first order.
Same family, genuinely different jobs. Your current selection is highlighted.
| Folder | From | Construction | Order it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Folders | $420 | Two side pockets | Everyday branded handouts |
| Presentation Folders | $420 | Two pockets, premium finish | Pitches, proposals, client meetings |
| Legal Folders | $475 | Oversized pockets | Legal-length contracts and filings |
| Custom Folders | $395 | Your layout | Anything standard sizes cannot hold |
| Die-cut Folders | $440 | Custom cut outline | A folder shaped around your brand |
| Certificate Folders | $460 | Corner / ribbon slits | Diplomas, awards, ceremonies |
| File Folders | $530 | Reinforced tab, no pockets | Everyday document filing |
| Photo Folders | $370 | Print slit | Portrait and event photographers |
| Tri Panel Folders | $520 | Three panels | Multi-piece kits |
More complex than most designs need. The practical limits are thin projecting elements, which weaken and bend in handling, and very tight internal corners, which the rule cannot turn cleanly. We flag either on the proof and suggest the smallest change that keeps the shape intact.
Yes, and it is stored against your job. The tooling is charged once on the first order; reprints of the same shape carry no further die cost, which is what makes a custom shape economical over a year rather than a single run.
That depends entirely on where the shape is cut. A shaped cover edge or corner has no effect on capacity; a shape that intrudes on the panel area does. We check the usable interior against letter dimensions as part of the proof and tell you if the contents will overhang.
It can, but think carefully before doing it. A decorative cut through the pocket wall reduces how securely the pocket holds a stack. If the effect is the point, we usually suggest cutting the cover and leaving the pocket solid.
Pricing for die-cut folders starts at $440 and moves with quantity, size, material and finish rather than sitting on a fixed list. Setup is shared across the run, so the per-unit price drops steeply as the quantity rises: the gap between a few hundred and a few thousand is usually the significant one. Send the size, quantity and what it has to do and you get a firm figure back, not a range.
There is a practical minimum rather than a hard one. Every run carries artwork checks, a proof and a press setup, so a very small quantity of die-cut folders prices poorly per unit even though we will still make it. If you are ordering a small batch, ask for pricing at two or three quantities at once: the curve usually shows that a modest increase costs very little more in total.
The clock starts when you approve the proof, not when the order is placed, which is the part most people are surprised by. You get a proof first: artwork checked by a human, die line and score positions set to your caliper, proof issued free. Turnaround after approval depends on the finish: anything laminated, foiled or die-cut adds a stage that cannot be compressed without causing problems later. Tell us the date you actually need them and we will work backwards from it rather than quoting a generic lead time.
Print-ready artwork with bleed and a safe margin, supplied as a PDF, AI or EPS. Because this product is cut to a shape, the file also needs a live vector path for the blade to follow. A JPG or PNG has no outline to cut to, so it has to be redrawn first. If your file is not print-ready, say so when you order. We would rather fix it before the proof than after the run.
Yes. Custom die-cut outline is the standard build, and the dimensions around it are yours to set. A size that sits efficiently on the press sheet often costs no more than a standard one, while an awkward proportion that wastes half the sheet does. Ask before you commit and we will tell you whether a small change to the dimensions saves a disproportionate amount.
In most cases they are the same product under a different name: the trade uses several terms for it depending on the region and the supplier. What actually defines this one is the build: $440. Order it when custom cut outline. If you have seen it called die-cut folders printing elsewhere, describe what it has to do rather than which name you found, and we will match the specification.
Yes. We provide free samples, and on die-cut folders it is worth asking for one, because the difference between coated cover c1s and coated cover c1s is obvious in the hand and invisible on a screen. Most orders run on coated cover c1s, but ask for whichever you are weighing up. You also get a free design proof before anything goes to press, so nothing is printed that you have not seen.
The usual choices are gloss lamination, matte lamination, business card slit. Finish is not decoration on this product so much as a decision about how long it survives and how it reads in the hand, so it is worth choosing against the job rather than the budget. Tell us where the finished piece ends up and we will say which finish is doing real work and which is only adding cost.
Yes, and that is what almost every order here is. Nothing in this catalogue is a stock item: die-cut folders are manufactured to the specification you give us, with your artwork on them. Send your logo as vector artwork where you have it, since that scales to any size without softening. If all you have is a low-resolution file, tell us and we will say what it needs before it reaches the press.
Yes, and a repeat run is simpler than the first one. We keep your approved specification on file, so a reorder skips the setup decisions and goes straight to production. Where the job used custom tooling, that tooling is reused, which is why a shaped run costs less the second time. Tell us the previous order and we will match it rather than starting the specification again.
Yes. Regalo Print has been producing custom commercial print for businesses across the USA and Canada since 2008, and every order ships tracked. The tracking number reaches you the day the job leaves, not the day it arrives. If you are working to a fixed date, say so when you order so the production schedule is built around the delivery date rather than the other way round.
