A modular cookie cutter is a cutter printed in several separate pieces that you assemble on the dough. It is used when the design is larger than the print bed or when it has protruding parts, such as legs or antennae. Also when the outline is so thin that a single piece would break while cutting. On kingscutter.com the Designer splits the artwork, delivers each piece as its own STL file and lays them out on the plate with an 8 mm gap by default.
What is a modular cookie cutter and when should you use one?
Short answer: a modular cookie cutter makes sense in 3 specific cases. The first: the design does not fit the print bed. The second: it has parts that stick out from the main body. The third: it has areas so thin that they would be fragile as a single piece. The modular cutter splits the outline of the artwork into pieces that print separately and are pressed together on rolled-out dough.
The starting point is the perimeter. The Designer follows every closed contour of the drawing and builds one piece with its own cutting wall and its own grip band. All pieces end at the same height, so none of them hangs off the print bed and the set needs no supports.
When a modular cutter is NOT the right choice
If the design fits the bed and its strokes are thick, a single-piece cutter is better. There are fewer pieces to store and fewer edges to line up on the dough. The modular cutter solves the exception, not the rule.
How does the Designer split a complex design into pieces?
Short answer: upload the image to kingscutter.com/designer, pick Modular Cutter and review the detected pieces before downloading the STL. The system works on the closed contours of the drawing, not on colour areas.
- Upload the image. A clean outline on a light background works better than a photo with shadows.
- Pick Modular Cutter in the product selector. The product requires a Pro plan or higher.
- Review the detected pieces. The panel lists the groups the system found and lets you switch off the ones you do not want to print.
- Adjust the spacing between pieces. The default is 8 mm and the minimum allowed is 2 mm.
- Download the STL with every piece already arranged on the plate, ready to print.
How is a modular cutter different from a multi cutter?
Short answer: a modular cutter splits one complex design into pieces used together. A multi cutter, by contrast, groups up to 8 different designs on the same plate to print a full set in one run.
| Criterion | Modular cutter | Multi cutter |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Split 1 complex design into pieces | Group several designs on 1 plate |
| Designs per job | 1 design split into pieces | Up to 8 different designs |
| Size | Set by the contour of each piece | Adjusted design by design |
| Grip | Every piece has its own grip band | The handle is dropped to save space |
| Default wall thickness | 0.8 mm | 0.8 mm |
| Built-in stamp | Not included | Enabled by default |
Modular cutter specs and real measurements
The values in the table are the default settings of the kingscutter.com Designer. They are not estimates: they live in the generator code and they are what you see when you open the product.
| Parameter | Default value | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Gap between pieces | 8 mm | Distance between pieces on the plate (minimum 2 mm) |
| Wall thickness | 0.8 mm | Thickness of the sheet that cuts the dough |
| Blade depth | 12.5 mm | Height of the cutting wall |
| Grip height | 3.8 mm | Top band you press with your fingers |
| Starting size | 7.5 cm | Scale of the design when the product opens |
| Reference plate | 220 x 220 mm | Typical bed of a desktop 3D printer |
How do you print and use the pieces?
Short answer: print them in food-grade PETG, in a single run and without supports; then wash them by hand and press them onto rolled-out dough to form the full design.
- Material: PETG. Title 21 of the CFR, section 177.1315, lists the PET polymers cleared for food contact.
- Fit accuracy: the dimensional accuracy of a printed part is checked with standard test artefacts, such as those of the NIST AM-Bench programme.
- Cleaning: by hand, with warm water and mild soap. Dishwasher heat warps PETG.
- Assembly: lay all pieces together before cutting, so you spot any misalignment while the dough is still whole.
- Storage: keep the pieces of one design in the same bag, because with several parts they are easy to lose.
Common mistakes with modular cutters
Printing the whole set before testing
In the workshop we always print one test piece before running the full set. Every printer has its own tolerance, and a joint that closes cleanly on one machine leaves a visible line on another.
Not marking the order of the pieces
A 6-piece design is assembled in stages: first the central body, then the ends. Marking the number of each piece with a permanent marker saves time on every use.
Ordering a single piece of the set
The modular cutter can also be ordered already printed in PETG at store.kingscutter.com. If you order one piece alone, the design cannot be assembled: the modular product is ordered as a complete set.
Why are large custom designs growing?
The global cookies market was estimated at USD 30.6 billion in 2025. Projected annual growth to 2032 is 4.1% according to Research and Markets (2025). At the same time, 37% of home bakers who sell part of their output pick cookies, brownies or bars as their main product (Better Baker Club, 2022). Custom orders arrive with ever larger artwork, and that is where the modular cutter solves what a single piece cannot print.
Sources and standards
The technical data in this guide relies on verifiable official sources:
- Definition and sizes of a cookie cutter: a cutter is an open mould that cuts dough under pressure.
- Cookie cutter sets: how to choose sizes, with the standard sizes of a decorated cookie.
