Two critical factors that increase the risk of Cracking are low environmental humidity and executing Scoring/Creasing against the material's Grain Direction. Materials have less flexibility in drier environments and are more prone to fracture; thus, controlling the humidity in storage and production halls is essential to prevent fiber brittleness.

Operationally, running the Scoring or Creasing line against the grain direction multiplies the natural resistance of the material fibers to the Fold. This leads to Cracking even with correctly set tooling. To maintain Quality, mandatory procedures include performing Score Bend tests and continuously monitoring the Die Line alignment with the grain, along with precise calibration of tool pressure.