Counter-die apparatus

A counter-die for use with a die cutting apparatus, the die cutting apparatus including upper and lower platens, the upper platen having a cutting die affixed thereto with cutting blades and rulings extending outwardly therefrom towards the lower platen, wherein the counter-die is supported on the lower platen and further wherein the upper and lower platens cooperate to covert a planar substrate into blank and waste sections in a die converting process, the counter-die comprising:

• a generally planar body portion having an upper cutting surface with a plurality of cutting lines and creasing channels disposed thereon, the cutting lines and creasing channels configured to align with the cutting blades and rulings of the cutting die respectively;
• and
• a plurality of recesses disposed on and extending into the generally planar body portion, the recesses disposed at various locations along the cutting lines, wherein the recesses define relief portions on the cutting surface of the counter-die such that the cutting blades will partially cut the planar substrate at the plurality of recesses, thereby keeping the waste sections connected to the blank sections in the die converting process.