Whatever size of organiser you use with the exception of A4 size, if you are printing your own inserts you are going to need some form of paper cutter, unless you print on the exact size of paper for your organiser.
There are lots of options available, some easier and cheaper to use than others.
The most simplest solution would be a large pair of scissors, may be wall paper size scissors, long bladed and sharp enough to crisply cut paper.
Then there are a variety of paper cutters, rotary cutters available.
There are the most scary ones!
These guillotines can cut up to 12 sheets at once. I used to have access to one like this, but it didn't have a guard on it which was a bit scary!
I currently use a rotary trimmer similar to this one.
We have had it for a number of years. I'm not sure what the claimed capacity is, but it cuts 2 or 3 sheets without too many issues. The above example found on Amazon claims to be able to cut 10 sheets, which I find hard to believe!!
Then there are 'Heavy Duty Paper Cutters' that claim to be able to cut 300-400 sheets at once! The paper is clamped, and then you pull a lever to operate the cutting blade.
The thought of being able to cut to size a full year of diary inserts, ensuring that all of the pages are equal size has its attractions.
Have any of you had experience of using this type of paper cutter? Please comment below.
I have all of these cutting aids, but I actively only use the rotary cutter and the heavy-duty model. The Guillotine is something inbetween the two others, so I either use the rotary or the stack cutter.
ReplyDeleteI use the rotary cutter to cut my diary inserts sheet-by sheet, and the heavy-duty one to cut the edges of spiral coil bound stuff, or to cut spines from books.
My heavy-duty cutter is the very exact models as shown at the bottom. I bought it in 2018 at 79.99 Euro shipped. I think it is about twice the price nowadays.
It does make a super clean cut up to 38 or 40mm (whatever fits under the blade), and the blade will last "forever" if you only cut paper or board, and you do not cut through any glued or stapled areas.
However, it is not easy to get the cut exactly where you want it.
The manual paper pressing acts on a narrow bar. If you press too hard, the paper buckles up towards the cutting edge. If you don't press strong enough, the paper tends to slip backwards.
The backstop is only plastic on a single Aluminum tube. Professional cutters have geared rails at both sides, making sure that the backstop does no move at all.
There is also no cutting indicator. If you want to make precise cuts, you move the stack against the lowered blade, then raise the blade, move the stack inwards by the required amount, then press, adjust the backstop, cut.
From time to time, I turn books into spiral coil bound ones. The cutter will remove spines from glued paperback books, but with thicker stacks, the blade will cause the stack to slant while cutting, so you have to compensate for that before pressing. And you have to avoid cutting through the glued area, else you might have to remove and clean the blade. That would be an extremely dangerous task. I also use the cutter to turn crossword puzzle books into single-sheets for my mother.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
Hans
The generic model number is 858A4, and there also an A3 version 858A3.
DeleteI took the opportunity to do some maintenance...
The blade cuts against the red bar, a bit off-center. You can rotate the bar by 180", and then roll it up to four times until it needs to be replaced.
Then I adjusted the press bar angle and the blade angle/stopper. I think adjusting the press bar did improve the pressing a lot.
These are the instructions, for those who'd be interested:
https://manuals.plus/m/0931b78f2fad8be6f3c667ace2a7a921f1e79a2c32852f7831365ae11225a2f7.pdf
We've got a big old rotary trimmer in work, whick can do a few pages at a time, but never cuts straight at the end.
ReplyDeleteI just fold the papers over, press the fold and run a knife along it to split it in two. You can do a few pages at a time, but the result is neater if you do one at a time. It doesn't actually take that long to split a year's worth of A5 a day on two pages. And once you've done that, any monthly or weekly insert seems easy.
A good quality rotary cutter will make cleaner cuts than scissors or knife. The problem is slipping of single sheets on the base plate, or slipping of sheets within a stack.
DeleteUsually, rotary cutters have automatic pressing, but in most situations it is necessary to hold down the sheet(s) with one hand.
And as a rule of thumb: Never cut the specified maximum. If you want a clean cut, stay well below half of that.
I am using a Dahle 440 (360mm width) and Dahle 444 (670mm width), for example. They are specified for 3.5mm and 3mm respectively, but I would only cut paper stacks up to 1mm, or greyboard up to 2mm.
Hans
I’ve no history with serious paper cutters other than brief exposure to the pirate sword pivot type years ago from school and office and a mental guillotine that incredible was able to cut newspaper perfectly. Completely useless for my fILOFAX use case.
ReplyDeleteThe most compact, multi use, cost effective and more than adequate for my Personal size paper cutting needs consists viz:
A) Steel Ruler - reasonable size so it is easy and stable to handle;
B) Box Cutter - changeable blades and good ergonomic handle;
C) Cutting board - A3 size;
D) Corner cutter - Corners cut with radius curve banish curling for mine. This aspect is far more appreciated than I thought when starting to use it; &
E) A clear or frosted plastic divider sheet that doubles as a template for making cursing lines on donor paper.
My needs are mostly lots of different writing paper for task, project management, notes and diary week per page (both sides). I use mostly fountain pens with different colour inks. Pencil and multi-ball points are also in the mix.
I have a cheap rotary trimmer, but also used to use a scary guillotine without a guard at work many years ago. A colleague managed to slice off part of his tie once!
ReplyDeleteI use a rotary trimmer just like in the photo. I find it works well for small quantities.
ReplyDeleteI have a small Dahle rotary trimmer, but the larger one at work is better. There's also a Dahle guillotine.
ReplyDeleteBut I do find myself fascinated by videos of huge press knife cutters that can cut huge stacks of paper...
I have never yet found a rotary trimmer or guillotine trimmer which cut accurately. Especially with guillotine cutters, they pull the paper into the cutter, and you end up with a cut that isn't 90°. And I've never seen a guillotine with a guard. Back when I worked at an art supply store in the 1990s, our guillotine was immense, with a blade that would cut a full 36" width.
ReplyDeleteI have never had access to a professional cutter that actually clamps the whole stack of paper to ensure the cut is square and accurate.
When I print my inserts, which are printed on US Letter paper, simply because it's too much trouble to find A4 paper in the US, or a printer that will print sufficiently accurately on Filofax Personal size paper, I cut them using a straightedge and a #11 X-Acto craft knife. When I print my PDFs 2-up and double-sided, most printers are accurate enough to get them registered within 2 mm, which is "close enough" for my personal use.
It takes six cuts to get two Personal sheets out of one US Letter sheet. It's slow going, but unless I make a mistake, I know the cuts are going to be as clean and accurate as possible.
Right now, I'm working on some page designs that are about 85 x 120 mm, a little wider than Filofax Pocket, and they should fit 4-up on a US Letter page. Cutting those out will be even more tedious, taking 8 cuts per US Letter sheet, but at least giving me 4 inserts.
Regarding blade guards: The higher Dahle models have a rolling blade protector that will only expose the part of the blade that is about to cut. For example Dahle 561.
DeleteThese cutters have automatic paper pressing, but this is spring loaded. I added washers to the paper press bar, this reduces the insertable height, but increases the pressing force.
I know what you mean by the pull effect. These cutters have a relatively thick blade, and cut fully at one end, while the paper is still connected at the other end. That's a typical drawback of this type of cutter, if a solid blade is used.
With the heavy-duty "stack" cutters, the blade is almost parallel to the paper, so the top of the stack is already fully cut and pushed aside, before the bottom is reached.
Hans
I recommend a healing cutting mat, metal straight edge (ruler with cork on the back) and a craft knife for cutting paper. Blades are inexpensive and easy to replace as needed. You are only limited to size by how long your straight edge is and the size of your mat.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all this great feedback.
ReplyDelete