A paper cutting question: how do you cut small amounts with a paper cutter without it just bending the paper?

Question

I have lots of paper cutting needs at work.... but always cut unevenly and need to trim the edges. But then the paper cutter won't cut a small amount! It just bends the paper! I need a signmaker or some other professional to give me some tips, please!!!

Answer 1

It's funny you should ask, Heather! I too work for a company which is too cheap to buy me a "real" rotary style paper cutter.

Here is an example of a rotary cutter:

http://www.factory-express.com/Paper_Cutters/Rotary_Paper_Trimmers/Foster_Classic_Rotary_Trimmers/Foster_Classic_12.html

This baby or something similar will solve your slicing needs. Hopefully, unlike my own situation, your company is willing to spring the small cost of a good slicer.

Barring that, I have perfected a special technique for cutting those narrow slivers of paper off the edge, which I will now share with you.

First, you should check the blade and make sure it's snug against the "board". A loose blade puts you at a severe disadvantage.

If necessary, get out the tools and tighten up that blade.

Next, be sure to hold the paper firmly in place, on top of the board. If the paper slides around, this misguides the blade and contributes to the uneven tearing and paper-bending you've been experiencing.

Here's the special magic trick: instead of swinging the blade down as you normally would, VIBRATE it while moving it downwards. In other words, while swinging downward, hold the handle with a "vibrating" motion. Simultaneously, press the blade towards the board, so that it slides down more snugly against it.

Don't "shake" the handle. Just "vibrate" it. The difference between the two being that when you vibrate, the oscillations (length of the "side to side" motions) are small and extremely rapid. Obviously this is not easy to pull off, and requires some coordination. With practice it's not as hard as it sounds.

You primarily only need to vibrate the blade during the initial phases of the slice. Once you've penetrated cleanly, chances are you can continue through the slicing motion without vibrating, and still make a clean cut. In some cases however, where the strip is extremely narrow, you may need to vibrate the entire length of the cut.

Answer 2

From the sounds of it I suspect your using what I call a "guillotine" cutter, or a swing arm cutter, these are the most annoying and grading paper cutters I've ever seen, but my best suggestion is to find something to place along the bottom like a short T-square to keep the edge of the paper straight, usually they have a wooden rule/straight edge on them but some don't. If this still doesn't work invest in a crafter's cutting board, its basically the same thing except the swing arm blade is replaced by a circular blade in a palm slide on a track which pivots down over the paper.

Answer 3

What you might want to use is one of the "sliding" paper cutters rather than the big guillotine style chopping ones. You can trim just slivers off paper with those. You can find them at craft stores and scrapbooking stores. Here is a sample of one on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160027226189&ih=006&category=83985&rd=1
I use this kind all the time for trimming photographs, cutting apart business cards that I print, and more.

Answer 4

Where the blade bolts to the backside of the deck there should be a stud, the blade bar, and a nut.

Check to see if the nut and blade bar are snug against the deck.

The blade should slightly rub on the cutter deck.
If it doesn't, you may want to "gently" snug-up the nut till the blade rubs on the deck.

Answer 5

I would add scrap paper underneath the make it thicker.

Answer 6

Sharpen your blade.