What’s the Difference Between Grid-Cut, Ribbon-Cut & Random-Cut Puzzles?
If you’ve done more than a handful of puzzles, you’ve probably noticed they don’t all “feel” the same while you're solving. Some fall together in neat little rows, while others twist and curve with wildly unpredictable piece shapes. That’s because not all puzzles are cut the same way—and the difference between grid-cut, ribbon-cut, and random-cut puzzles can really shape your experience.
Ribbon-Cut vs Grid-Cut: What’s the Difference?
This is where it can get a little confusing, because the terms are often used interchangeably—but they’re not exactly the same thing.
Ribbon-cut puzzles are the most uniform style. They’re cut in tidy rows and columns, and nearly all the pieces follow the same pattern: two tabs and two blanks. The piece shapes are almost identical, which can make for a relaxing, straightforward puzzling experience—but it also means it's pretty easy to accidentally place a piece in the wrong spot if you’re not careful. One brand that carries ribbon-cut puzzles is Lang Puzzles, that offer beautiful artwork.
Grid-cut puzzles still follow a structured row-and-column format, but the piece shapes are more varied. You’ll get a mix of edges, tabs, and blanks that break the 2-in/2-out mold while still staying within that neat grid. A good example of this is Ravensburger and Eurographics. They use a grid-cut style, but the pieces have more personality and are less prone to false fits.
Alien Invasion Collage by Eurographics
Random-Cut: Curvy, Quirky, and a Little Wild
Random-cut puzzles throw the grid out the window. You’ll get pieces with all sorts of unique shapes—some might have five tabs, some might barely resemble a traditional puzzle piece at all. They twist, they bend, and they definitely break the mold.
The cool thing about random-cut puzzles is that the variety makes it easier to visually identify where a piece belongs, since the shape alone can often narrow it down. I actually find them easier in that regard, even if they sometimes trick you with “false edges”—those sneaky flat-sided pieces that aren’t part of the border at all. Brands like Cobble Hill and Springbok are known for embracing this style. We also have a whole blog post to help you identify which other brands use a random-cut.
Whimsies: A Cut Above
Now, if you’ve ever found a puzzle piece shaped like a bird, cat, or teapot, congratulations—you’ve met a whimsy! These special shaped pieces are most often found in wooden puzzles, especially the ones that are laser-cut. At Puzzle Warehouse, you’ll find them in puzzles by Victory (which has a rich history, by the way) and other artisanal brands. Some cardboard puzzles are even jumping in on the whimsy trend—Laurence King, for example, has started incorporating them into their designs.
Beach Huts by Victory Wooden Puzzles
Whimsies are like little Easter eggs hidden in your puzzle. They’re not only fun to find, but they also show off just how precise laser-cutting technology has become.
The Cutting Process: Precision Behind the Pieces
All of these different styles start with how the puzzle is physically made. Most cardboard puzzles are created using a die-cutting process, where a sharp metal template (called a die) presses down and slices the image-covered board into pieces. We go into more detail in our blog on how puzzles are made, but the short version is: ribbon-cut puzzles are often made with dies that are easy to repeat and mass-produce, while random-cut puzzles require a bit more complexity in the design and manufacturing.
Wooden puzzles, on the other hand, are usually laser-cut. This allows for more intricate shapes—like those whimsies—and higher precision. It also means no two puzzles have to be exactly the same.
Personal Take: Try Them All!
I’ve done plenty of puzzles in all three styles, and there are even slight variations within each category depending on the brand. Grid-cut is definitely the easiest for me to solve quickly, especially when I’m in a focused, speed-puzzling mood. Random-cut is more visually engaging and fun to explore, even if I get tricked by a false edge now and then. Ribbon-cut puzzles can sometimes be the most challenging for me—not because of the image, but because it’s too easy to force a wrong piece into place when the shapes are so uniform.
If you’ve only tried one type of cut so far, I highly recommend branching out. You might find that your favorite style has more to do with the cut than the image on the box!
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