An improved method and apparatus for automatic cutting of graphics area from a sheet of material which includes such graphics area, the graphics areas having a plurality of registration marks in predetermined positions with respect thereto and including a subset of the marks on no more than one side of the graphics area which are initial-positionorientation-determining marks. The electrode system comprises at least two electrodes formed of an electrode material which contains Mo or W or an alloy of Mo or W as a main component. The optical amplifier is preferably a Raman optical amplifier, but may also be any other optical amplifier, or combination of optical amplifiers, known in the art.