Where to Cut LED Strip Lights

No doubt, LED strip lights are ruling the modern world by lighting up houses. They can be used to beautify your home by highlighting your bedroom or kitchen closets or television’s backlight. These strips are a series of emitters fixed on a circuit board that is adaptable and thin.

Lately, LED strip lights have earned the spotlight in the market; kudos goes to its adaptability feature.  

The LED strip lights are mostly of length of 3 to 16 feet. But this is a matter of concern when you want to reduce the size of the strip. Knowing where to cut LED strip lights is important.

Will it keep working even if the size is reduced?

Yes!

You heard it right! Yes, the lights will keep working even if you reduce the size by cutting them. But you need to cut it along the given lines. The reason behind it is that the light consists of a large number of circuits that are positioned in specific areas.

If you cut the strip in any random place, the LED strip lights might stop working.

 Trimming in a straight line seems to be an easy task; TRUE?

Do you know the grass seems greener from the distance always? People do it in the wrong manner and ruin the wonderful LED strip lights by damaging them.

So, here we have the guide that will instruct you about how to trim the light properly. You will also get to know if you can cut the glare and whether both sides will continue to work or not. 

Read ahead and clear all your doubt about the LED strip light’s working.

Can you Cut LED strip lights?

If this question is hitting your mind frequently and you seek an answer, you have landed on the right place. 

Be it a stiff light, RGB lighting, monochrome, or waterproof and non-waterproof, each of the strips is easy to cut and reduce to a specific length. This is a common characteristic that can be witnessed in the most of lights.

In each of the lights, you can see a scissors logo after a fixed interval of distance. To inform you that these are the safest points to trim your LED strip lights without inflicting any damage to the strips.

These trimming points are arranged in a particular fashion, depending on their own set of rules. But in general, these points are set after three LEDs.

So, if you are worried about the length of the strip and looking for the options to get a perfect fit, stop worrying. You can properly trim the strip and get the lights of your desired size.

Will both sides work once they’ve been cut?

If you are thinking, whether the light will work on trimming it, then the answer is YES!

Even if you cut the LED strip light, both sides of the light will continue to work. 

The reason behind the working of light strips is the points of cutting. If the trimming is done from the specified threshold, then it will not cause any damage to the circuit, and the light will continue to glow.

Because each section between the trimming junctures is its circuit, and choosing the trimming point is not a matter of concern until you cut it from the fixed point. 

Isn’t it great!

Now, you don’t have to stress about cutting the lights, as you can also make use of the second half of the LED strip lights.

Where to Cut LED Strip Lights?

Because the LED strip lights can be trimmed from the line where a scissors logo is placed and adjoined at any juncture between the copper marks on the LED Strip Lights, they are an adaptable creation. Trim sizes may differ from one product to the next.

Here are a few steps to guide you through the process of effective trimming of the strip light.

●    Step1: Locate the Cutting Line

It is important to trim from the trimming dotted line, situated between the copper marks while cutting LED Strip Light. If you trim over or before the copper dots, it can cause damage leading to no electrical conductivity in the following portion.

●    Step 2: Disassemble the LED Strip Light

Trim the LED Strip Light down the cutting line with a scissor gently.

●    Step 3: Determine the Quick Connector’s top. 

When the tip is encountering upwards, Quick Connectors can only be utilized. It is important to match the polarity of the LED Strip Light, as wire colors can be crossed if connected from the opposite end, resulting in lights not working.

●    Step 4: Remove the black plastic.

Tighten the black plastic portion out 1/8 inch at a time. Be confident not to grab too tough or fast; else, the connector will be damaged.

●    Step 5: Remove 3M Sticky tape

About 1/4 inch of the 3M sticky tape should be removed aside. You can also use this kind of double-sided wall tape

●    Step 6: Connect the Strip Light to the Quick Connector.

Now it is time to check the polarity of the wire. The copper dots should be somewhat noticeable after setting the LED Strip Light into the connector.

●    Step 7: Secure Quick Connector 

 Press the black portion fastened with the connector between your four fingers.

●    Step 8: Verify the connection.

Once you are done with all the steps, finally, it’s time to verify your installation. You should now connect the wires to the power source and verify if the connection is proper or not. 

How to Shorten LED Light Strips?

Since the LED Strip Lights are normally available in kits of 16.4ft, 32ft, or 65ft, it becomes difficult to install them at locations that are shorter than these lengths. It can be behind TVs, on cars, or anywhere else where some spaces are shorter. 

The LED strip lights have a feature that solves it. There are some marked spots on the strips where you can make the cuts. Normal scissors can be used to cut the LED strips. 

After you have cut the strip for your specified area, you can either connect it directly to the power source or if it’s part of a bigger project or installation, connect it with other strips.

To learn more, visit our How-To guide on connecting LED strips together. 

Conclusion 

LED strip lights may be adapted to satisfy the necessities of any installation, no matter how big or little it is.

It’s no wonder, then, that they’re rapidly becoming the most prominent type of LED lighting.

If you are still worried about the trimming of the light, you can go to a professional who can cut LED strip lights for you. But these instructions are surely helpful in getting the light trim at home without any professional experience.