Ah, the sweet satisfaction of completing a jigsaw puzzle. There's something special about turning a messy pile of pieces into a beautiful, cohesive image.

But have you ever wondered how those puzzles come to life? How do they go from a blank canvas to a challenging and entertaining activity for sports fans of all ages?

In this blog post, we'll take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of how jigsaw puzzles are created, with a special focus on sports puzzles. So, get ready to piece together the puzzle of puzzle-making and learn how your favorite sports-themed puzzles come to be.

Designing the Puzzle

Once the idea for a sports-themed puzzle has been conceived, the design team gets to work. They start by selecting an image that will appeal to sports fans and puzzle enthusiasts alike. This might be a photo of a baseball stadium, a soccer field, or a basketball court. The image should be colorful, visually interesting, and - of course - sports-themed. For example, one popular puzzle design features a packed football stadium, complete with cheering fans and a scoreboard in the background. Another design might show a basketball player dunking the ball, with the court and stands visible in the background. Of course, many puzzles are hand-drawn as well.

The design team uses special software to adjust the image and make it puzzle-friendly. They might change the colors, contrast, and brightness to make the image more vibrant and challenging to piece together. They might also add in some fun details, like the team logo or a mascot, to make the puzzle even more engaging. The approved image will be a digital design that will be transformed into a puzzle with hundreds or thousands of pieces. But how do they turn that design into an actual puzzle? That's where the printing comes in.

Printing the Puzzle

The design will be sent to the printing machine next. Lithography is the process used by most puzzle-makers to print usable images. It uses plates to apply ink to designated areas that will form the eventual image. This machine can produce several puzzle pictures at one time. Once the printing is completed, the litho sheets are laminated onto cardboard. Technicians will put the boards aside to dry for several days. Then they will be ready for cutting.

Cutting the Puzzle

Now it’s time to bring it to life as a physical puzzle. Most large puzzle manufacturers use cardboard as a backing material since it’s inexpensive and easy to cut. However, many high-quality custom-made puzzles are still made of wood. Both puzzle types are made with adhesive which bonds the artwork or image to the backing material.

The process of die-cutting uses metal ribbons to stamp out individual puzzle pieces. Experts will take the drawings of the cuts for each puzzle and bend razor-sharp steel rules into the appropriate puzzle shapes. Those metal rules are then formed into a wood-mounted die.

This is where the cutting process comes in. The design is sent to a ‘punch’ machine that will cut the image into hundreds or thousands of individual pieces. Imagine a large, high-tech cutting machine whirring to life, its laser beam slicing through the puzzle material with precision.

For example, let's say we're creating a 500-piece puzzle of a baseball stadium. The cutting machine will produce pieces of all shapes and sizes, each one featuring a different part of the image. Some pieces might be brightly colored, like the grassy field or the players' uniforms. Others might be more subtle, like the stadium seats or the cloudy sky above. The cutting machine is so precise that it can create intricate shapes and patterns, like the stitching on a baseball or the laces on a football. It's a marvel of modern technology, and it's what makes each puzzle piece so unique and challenging to place.

With the cutting complete, the puzzle pieces are sorted and packaged, ready to be enjoyed by puzzle enthusiasts of all ages. But before we get to that, there's one more crucial step in the process.

Piece Sorting and Packaging

With the cutting finished, the puzzle pieces are broken up in a separate machine, after which the pieces are spit out and dropped into waiting open bags. Those bags are then packaged into boxes. Then those boxes are sealed and labeled – now they’re ready for shipment to stores or customers.

All Together Now – Puzzle Wrap-Up

And there you have it: a comprehensive guide to creating a successful sports puzzle. From designing the image to cutting, sorting, and packaging the pieces, we've covered every step of the process. Creating a sports puzzle is a labor of love, and it requires a great deal of care and attention to detail. But the end result is well worth it – an attractive, challenging puzzle that will delight sports fans of all ages.

Source:

How Jigsaw Puzzles Are Made? (Mega Factories Video). YouTube

 Jigsaw Puzzle. Madehow.com