Modern jigsaw puzzles are mostly made of cardboard, making them cheaper and simpler to manufacture.
The puzzle's design is a full-page print of art pasted onto the cardboard surface before cutting. The image can be an enlarged photograph, painting, or other type of two-dimensional artwork.
The pasted cardboard is then fed into a specialized die-cutting machine equipped with a set of steel cutters arranged according to a predetermined pattern. The machine forcefully presses the cardboard, cutting it into pieces. This process is quite similar to the shaping process of graphic cookies, except that the impact force of a jigsaw puzzle die-cutting machine is much higher.
For example, a typical 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle requires the machine to generate up to 700 tons of pressure during operation to ensure the cutters completely cut through the cardboard.
The die (printing plate) for a jigsaw puzzle is usually made of plywood or similar material. The die maker first carves or burns grooves into the template according to the puzzle pieces' assembly pattern, and then inserts the blades one by one into the grooves to assemble the blade assembly. The surface of the blade assembly is also covered with an elastic material, usually foam rubber, which is used to eject the cardboard pieces from the gaps in the blade assembly after printing.
