Did you know that there are multiple ways that jigsaw puzzle manufacturers can cut puzzles? The two most popular jigsaw puzzle cutting types are ribbon cut and random cut.
What’s the difference between these cut types, and which one is right for your next puzzle? That’s exactly what we’re going to answer in this guide. Let’s get started.
A puzzle that’s ribbon cut looks like a grid. It has cohesive vertical and horizontal lines throughout its shape. Theoretically, puzzlers can work line by line with a ribbon cut puzzle.
Ribbon cut jigsaw puzzles also have more uniform pieces. They are all about the same size, and their shapes don’t vary too much. eeBoo Piece & Love, Ravensburger, and Galison are a few examples of brands that make ribbon cut jigsaw puzzles.
The exact opposite of the uniform ribbon cut, random cut jigsaw puzzles are cut exactly how it sounds: randomly. Instead of a grid, they have an abstract pattern. The pieces vary much more in size and shape.
Puzzlers typically work random cut puzzles in chunks rather than by column. Eventually, you can join all of the clustered parts together to form the overall puzzle.
Dowdle, Cobble Hill, and New York Puzzle Company are the most popular brands that use the random cutting style.
One type of jigsaw puzzle cutting isn’t necessarily better than the other. It simply depends on what kind of puzzling experience you want.
Some people find ribbon cut puzzles easier because you can work in the grid. However, if you are working on a puzzle that is all one color, the ribbon cut can actually be quite challenging.
If you are working on a puzzle with more variety, such as a landscape or animal photo, a random cut option is usually harder, but that is subjective. The type that you find the most challenging will depend on which type you have more experience with. If you’re used to random cut puzzles and have never tried a ribbon cut jigsaw puzzle, you may find that it takes you more time to match the uniform pieces.
If you have primarily worked on ribbon cut puzzles, you will be challenged by the unique long, short, wide, and skinny shapes that random cut puzzle pieces can come in. We encourage you to try both types of jigsaw puzzle cutting styles and see which one you prefer.
At the end of the day, puzzles are meant to be fun and challenging. Your experience with a puzzle can be totally different from someone else's, and that’s the beauty of puzzling.
If you want to try a variety of different jigsaw puzzle cutting types, check out our puzzle rental subscription program. Every time you complete a puzzle, we’ll send you a new one, so you can master both ribbon and random cut puzzles. You can also customize your difficulty level or give a subscription to a friend.
And check back here in 2 weeks as we continue our Brands Breakdown series! You can learn more about the brands that are included in the Completing the Puzzle membership and which ones are the best fit for the puzzling experience you are looking for!
What do you prefer? Ribbon or random?