I bought this press to punch out heart shapes in 1/4" thick foam core to make valentine cards. I first tried using a rubber mallet with a leather punch but I wasn't able to consistently strike it with the perfect amount of pressure. If I didn't hit it hard enough, the die wouldn't cut all the way through the foam core. If I hit it too hard, I was dulling the die against the backing surface. This press was very easy to adjust to just the depth needed to cut through the foam core and not dig into the backing material. The backing material under the piece being cut was just a thin plastic cutting mat from Ikea, the kind you might use to cut vegetables on. I adjusted the press to just barely make contact with the mat, and that made it cut through the foam core perfectly. You can see how easy it is to use in the video.The only concern is It came with no instructions at all, but it was easy enough for me to figure out how to adjust it and use it. I like this press a lot and would not hesitate to recommend it.
Ana 
