Originally Posted by
Neuras
Do I buy a mat for each of the dies even if they're the same size or assign them one each?
No, you don't need a mat for each die. The dies come in standard sizes so one mat will fit many dies. As a matter of fact, cutting over and over in the same place on the mat is what wears it out, so using a mat with different dies and positioning it so the die cuts in a slightly different area will extend its life. Usually, you need a mat that's large enough to cover the whole die, but sometimes you might just want to cut a single shape and it's OK to just use a smaller mat and cover that portion of the die. It is a consumable, however. Just like your rotary cutter needs to be occasionally replaced, so do your mats. When it seems that a die is not cutting properly, it's not the die, you need a new mat. You should have one or two on hand so when you need a new one, you have one.