Things to consider before purchasing a cutter

If you're thinking about buying a paper cutter, you'll want to know which one is right for you. There are two basic kinds of cutters.

The first is the Guillotine paper cutter, which contains a large blade that can cut many sheets of paper at once. They can also be used to cut cardboard, textiles, and other materials and are available in a variety of sizes to meet your needs

The second kind is a Rotary cutter. Rotary paper cutters use a round cutting blade, which slides along a rail. If you're a graphic designer or photographer you are likely to prefer these, because they provide a very clean, accurate cut.

If your intent is to make highly precise cuts, then you are better off with a rotary trimmer.  In such a cutter, a round blade, which is normally in its own housing (for safety) and connected to a straight bar, is moved along the edge of the cutter´s base.  Besides being accurate, a good rotary trimmer also gives you bur-free cuts that is, the cut is clean with no uneven paper particles along the edge of the cut.   

Whether you choose a manual paper cutter or a rotary cutter, you'll appreciate their ease of use and easy cleanup. Professionals can't afford to be without one of these handy machines.

There are many options in the market when it comes to paper cutters.  Remember, different materials require different types of cutters/trimmers. Some materials like photographs, cardstock, thin plastic, foam board, cardboard, particle board and standard copy paper are common needs of someone looking for a cutter.

If you're with a large engineering or architecture office and deal with volumes of different sized documents, you'll definitely benefit from one or more of these machines in your office. These scales, small and large, and all scopes in between, call for paper cutters, to help save you time and hassle.

You'll want to know how often you'll be using your paper cutter, the size of your paper, and the degree of automation you desire. All this will weigh into your final decision. The various models on the market can suit any of these requirements in different ways.

Many cutters come in a manual or automatic format. The former requires one to two free hands to complete the cutting process successfully, while the latter are motor powered and some high-end guillotine cutters even adjust themselves according to the cut needed. If you will be cutting documents in large volumes, or simply don't want to overexert yourself, you'll want to use an automatic cutter.

Paper cutters are designed in a variety of sizes depending on their function. Obviously large sheets of paper require a broader cutter than standard sheets. You may want a bigger cutter that is compatible with different paper sizes, or a smaller trimmer for lighter projects. Paper cutters generally increase in cost as you increase the paper cutting size, so choose one that best fits your needs. 

Paper cutters can be heavy and generally take up space. Some larger guillotine cutters take up a lot of space and are not mobile, whereas some paper cutters are made for desktop use. They are light and easy to move from spot to spot. Workstations with wheels are available to make transportation easy.

If your need is to cut large stacks of paper, then you have to look at a ream cutter.   These are usually used in in-house print shops and by professional printers where cutting paper in groups of 50 sheets or more is required.  There are both manual models and electrical types.

Use the blade to cut the paper by bringing the arm down or maneuvering the blade depending on the type of manual cutter you have. If you have an automatic cutter then the machine maneuvers the blade for you.

You can easily find reliable wholesale suppliers of these machines on the internet.