Ask Ozone

If you’re shopping around for a paper cutter, you may be thinking, “which of these models should I choose?” There are hundreds of different paper cutters out there from literally dozens of different brands. So which paper cutter should you go with? I will explain some of the most common paper cutting projects, the best paper cutters to use and the pros and cons of each style of cutter.

To begin with, there are 3 main types of paper cutters. There are divisions within those categories, but most people categorize paper cutters as:

• Rotary Paper Cutters
• Stack Paper Cutters
• Guillotine Paper Cutters

I’ll go into more detail in this article what each of these paper cutter types are and what they are used for.

The term paper cutter and paper trimmer are often used interchangeably. Most industry experts, however, consider trimmers to be light-volume machines and paper cutters to be medium to higher-volume machines.

What do most people cut? Having spoken to thousands of customers, most people want to cut paper, photographs, card stock, business cards and laminated materials. Here is the paper cutter you may want for each of these projects:

• Photos / Photographs – If you are cutting photos, I generally like to steer people towards rotary paper trimmers like those made by Rotatrim, Dahle or Carl. They are precise, excellent for alignment and are affordable for photographers and scrapbookers alike. If you are looking for a multi-purpose cutter that can also handle photos, you may want to consider using a guilllotine paper cutter.
• Card Stock – If you are cutting down dozens to hundreds of sheets of card stock, I recommend using a stack paper cutter. These amazing cutters are capable of cutting entire reams of paper, with some even capable of cutting up to 3″ of card stock at a time. If you are only cutting a few at a time, I recommend to first consider a guillotine paper cutter and then a rotary paper trimmer.
• Business Cards - I first and foremost recommend using a business card cutter. These cutters are designed to cut standard 3.5″ x 2″ cards. Simply print your cards and run them through one of these handy machines. If you are cutting non-standard size business cads, or need to cut hundreds to thousands of them, I recommend using a stack paper cutter. In a few passes, a stack paper cutter can create thousands of cards.
• Laminated Paper – If you are cutting out menus, signs, ID badges or other laminated paper, I recommend using a rotary paper cutter like those made by Dahle or Rotatrim. These trimmers are designed for precision, and thanks to self-sharpening blades, the lamination film does not easily dull them. If you also need to cut card stock, chipboard and other material, a guillotine paper trimmer also does a great job.

Now that we have covered some of the most common uses of paper cutters, let me go over the pros and cons of each style of paper cutter.

• Rotary Paper Cutters – These cutters are extremely precise, which is why they are so popular for cutting photographs, art prints and artwork in general. They are also great for cutting paper, cover stock, laminated material and much more. The only downside to rotary paper cutters (aka rolling paper trimmers) is that they don’t usually have the cutting capacity of guillotine or stack cutters.
• Guillotine Paper Cutters – Guillotine paper trimmers are one of the most common style of trimmers used in schools and copy centers. Many of the older guillotine trimmers cut crooked and were a little dangerous. Modern guillotine trimmers have excellent paper clamps, razor sharp blades and are chuck full of safety features. Simply put, guillotine paper cutters are the best rounded machines out there.
• Stack Paper Cutters – Stack paper cutters are available in manual, electric and hydraulic designs. The are designed for high-capacity and heavy-volume cutting. You will often see these cutters in print shops, copy centers and other locations where hundreds of sheets of paper need to be cut at a time. These workhorses are great for cutting a lot of paper, but are not the best machines for cutting a single sheet or a few sheets of paper.

Hopefully this helps you determine which cutter is best for you. We have over 30 years of experience with paper cutters and trimmers, so feel free to call us at 1-800-543-5454 for advice on the right paper cutter for you. You can find Office Zone’s entire selection of paper cutters here.

If you’re looking for a precision paper cutter that is more rugged and can handle cutting thicker stacks of paper than a standard table top paper cutter then you should seriously consider purchasing the MBM Triumph 4305 stack paper cutter.

The MBM Triumph 4305 stack paper cutter is built from solid, high quality metal that is designed to hold up for years of use. The design of this manual, high performance paper cutter enables the user to make clean cuts through stacks as thick as 1 1/5 inches. This capacity for clean, heavy duty cuts makes the MBM Triumph 4305 stack paper cutter an excellent choice for print shops, in-house design departments and publishing companies and other businesses.

The MBM Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter is an arm style paper cutter that has some special design features that sets it above other table top paper cutters. The extra-large cutting arm and blade makes cutting through thick stacks of paper require minimal effort. The MBM Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter has a spindle-guided back gauge with calibrated crank so the user can set the paper to a precise cut measurement. It has a 17 inch cutting blade length that enables it to cut through larger sizes of paper, leaving a precise and clean cut as good as an original factory edge.

To operate the MBM Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter, the user begins by placing the stack of paper to be sliced on the cutting board. This paper cutter is designed for heavy-duty use and can accommodate a stack of paper almost 2 inches thick. The user adjusts the side guide with measuring scale to match the desired measurement to be cut. For convenience, the lever-activated, fast-action clamp holds the stack of paper in place so there is no shifting during cutting. This is especially important when cutting thicker stacks. One the paper is set and secured the user can make the cut.

The Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter is a product of MBM Corporation, Inc. Headquartered in historic Charleston, South Carolina, the MBM Corporation has produced world-class equipment for the graphics and printing industries for 75 years. According to their website, MBM has used innovative thinking and exhaustive research and development to design and build all their products.

There is a lot to like about the Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter that makes it a good purchase option. The fact that it can cut through stacks of paper repetitively without breaking the user’s back or wearing out the user’s arms is a big plus. The Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter features a safety cutting system that includes transparent front and rear safety guards the cutting edge of blade to prevent injury. The blade also stays covered when it is being changed to a new one.

The Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter is a good, affordable option for print shops, publishing houses, churches, schools, scrap book and craft stores, manufactures, colleges and large businesses.

You can purchase the Triumph 4305 Stack Paper Cutter, along with the rest of the MBM catalog of paper cutting equipment at Office Zone. You can find Office Zone’s entire selection of stack paper cutters here.

School teachers, professors, print shop workers, or scrapbookers have to cut a lot of paper for art projects, assignments, books, marketing material and other print media. Most use some sort of table top guillotine style paper cutter that can make precise cuts, like the MBM Kutrimmer 1046 guillotine paper cutter. This paper cutter can cut sheets into precise strips or angles so the projects won’t look like it was cut by a knight with his helmet on backwards.

The Kutrimmer 1046 paper cutter is a good choice for any school, church, print-shop, in-house design department, publishing company or any other business that trims and cuts large amounts of paper. The MBM Kutrimmer 1046 has several features that make it perform better and make it safer to use than old style table top paper cutters. The design of the Kutrimmer 1046 Paper Cutter makes the paper cutting action very easy and requires little force or effort.

Using the Kutrimmer 1046 Guillotine Cutter is pretty straight forward. The user begins by placing the single sheet or stack of paper to be sliced on the cutting board. This paper cutter is designed to cut sheets of all sizes and can handle thin novelty paper or heavier bond paper. The Kutrimmer 1046 is a medium-duty paper cutter than can accommodate cutting a stack of 30 sheets of paper. The user then adjusts the paper on the board to match the desired measurement that will be cut.

The precision, automatic clamp holds the paper firmly in place will cutting, to prevent it from moving and ruining the paper while cutting. For convenience, the scale bar used for measuring the length of the cut shows both inches and centimeters. Once the paper is positioned and secured, the user pulls down on the cutting arm of the Kutrimmer 1046 Paper Cutter and slices through the paper, making strips or smaller sheets.

The safety features on the Kutrimmer 1046 Paper Cutter eliminate most of the risk of injury that your old grade school teacher used to warn you about. The blade is shielded by a plastic safety guard. This keeps it out of the way of fingers while cutting. The safety shield also doubles as a cutting line indicator, ensure the cut will be in the right spot.

The Kutrimmer 1046 Paper Cutter is a product of the MBM Corporation. According to their website, MBM has been producing state-of-the-art finishing equipment for the graphics and printing industries for over 75 years. MBM is the leading manufacturer of small format paper cutters in the world and have one of the best warranty packages in the business.

There is a lot to like about the Kutrimmer 1046 Paper Cutter that makes it a good purchase option. The safety features can’t be beat, and the ability it has to cut such narrow, precise strips of paper make it ideal for craft shops, schools, and print shops. Its all-metal construction, and cutting blade that can be re-sharpened make it a durable choice that will provide years of use.

You can purchase the MBM Kutrimmer 1046 guillotine paper cutter at Office Zone. You can find Office Zone’s entire selection of guillotine paper cutters here.

Professionals that have to cut a lot of paper, such as teachers, professors, print shop workers, or scrap bookers, know how important it is to have a table top paper cutter that can make precise cuts. Paper that is cut into wrong angles can cause books, documents and other projects to look like it was cut by a cross eyed ninja with a broken sword. That’s why the Kutrimmer 1058 paper cutter is a good choice for any school, church, print-shop, in-house design department, publishing company or any other business that requires slicing paper.

The Kutrimmer 1058 is a table top paper cutter that makes old style table top paper cutters look like a butter knife.  The cutting board and arm-blade have several innovative features that make it more practical and efficient for making precise cuts on single sheets of paper or thicker stacks. The design of the Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter makes the paper cutting action very easy and requires little force or effort.

To operate the Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter, the user begins by placing the single sheet or stack of paper to be sliced on the cutting board. This paper cutter is designed to cut sheets of all sizes and can handle thin novelty paper or heavier bond paper. The Kutrimmer 1058 is a medium-duty paper cutter than can accommodate cutting a stack of 40 sheets of paper. The user then adjusts the paper on the board to match the desired measurement that will be cut.  The hand clamp keeps the paper from moving while it is being cut, this helps insure precise cuts. For convenience, the scale bar used for measuring the length of the cut shows both inches and centimeters. Once the paper is positioned and secured, the user pulls down on the cutting arm of the Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter and slices through the paper, making strips or smaller sheets.

The Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter has several features that make puts it on the cutting edge of desk top paper cutter machines. The Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter has several safety features to prevent injury, the most prominent of which is the plastic sheath that keeps the blade covered during cutting. It also has precision side guides to ensure each cut is the proper dimensions.  The front gauge is adjustable using a calibrated rotary knob with fine adjustment scale, enabling it to cut extremely narrow strips of paper. In fact, the Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter is able to cut strips as narrow as 1 millimeter.

The Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter is a product of the MBM Corporation. According to their website, MBM has been producing state-of-the-art finishing equipment for the graphics and printing industries for over 75 years.  MBM is the leading manufacturer of small format paper cutters in the world and have one of the best warranty packages in the business.

There is a lot to like about the Kutrimmer 1058 Paper Cutter that makes it a good purchase option. The safety features can’t be beat, and the ability it has to cut such narrow, precise strips of paper make it ideal for craft shops, schools, and print shops. Its all-metal construction, and cutting blade that can be re-sharpened make it a durable choice that will provide years of use.

You can purchase the Kutrimmer 1058 table top paper cutter at Office Zone. You can find Office Zone’s entire selection of guillotine paper trimmers here.

Precision paper cutting is of extreme importance to print shops, in-house design departments and publishing companies.  No one wants the edges of their books, magazines, flyers, or print marketing pieces to look like they were sliced by a drunken samurai with a dull sword. That’s why the Dahle 858 stack paper cutter is a good choice for any business that involves slicing think volumes of paper.

The Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter is a guillotine style paper cutter.  The off-with-their-heads style action of the Dahle 858 paper cutter makes it more practical and efficient for slicing thick reams of paper. Arm or rolling style paper cutters tend to make more jagged cuts on thicker stacks. The design of the Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter makes the guillotine paper cutting action very easy and requires little force or effort. It also has user convenience features that ensure that cuts will be as precise and clean as the original factory edge.

To operate the Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter, the user begins by placing the stack of paper to be sliced on the cutting board. This paper cutter is designed for heavy-duty use and can accommodate a stack of paper 700 sheets thick. The user then adjusts the paper on the board to match the desired measurement that will be cut. For convenience, the scale bar used for measuring the length of the cut shows both inches and centimeters. The Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter has an automatic cutting system that will securely hold the stack of paper to prevent shifting during the cutting process. The user will then pull down on the ergonomically correct handle to bring down the blade and make the cut.

The Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter has several features that make it a cut above other heavy duty paper cutting machines. Prior to user pulling the cutting lever, a laser targeting light is projected on the paper to show the exact spot the blade will touch the paper. This effectively prevents any crooked cuts and ensures precision edges.  The ergonomic handle is designed to reduce fatigue and minimize the exertion needed to cut through thicker stacks of paper.  There is also a built in safety cover that prevents potential injuries.

The 858 Paper Cutter is a product of Dahle North America, Inc. a fully integrated manufacturer and distributor of business machines and office products. According to their website, Dahle has been developing and manufacturing quality and durable office equipment using cutting edge technology since 1930, and is one of the top office equipment manufacturers in the world. And based there their track record they seem to know what they’re doing.

There is a lot to like about the Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter that makes it a good purchase option. The fact that it can cut through bricks of paper repetitively without breaking the user’s back or wearing out the user’s arms is a big plus. The built in electronic console that verifies each step of the cutting process is also a convenient touch the maker added. And after you’ve used the laser cutting guide you’ll never know how you went without it.  It’s recommended that purchasers also get the optional floor stand for better performance and stability.

You can purchase the Dahle 858 Stack Paper Cutter at Office Zone. You can find Office Zone’s entire selection of stack paper cutters here.

If you own a paper drill, then chances are you’ve had to buy new drill bits, which can quickly become frustrating.  My experience with selling drill bits is many people do not know which style of bit they need.  Paper drills themselves can last a long time, and more often than not, the employees will come and go, leaving the new person without the knowledge of which drill bit to purchase as a replacement.

Because it is so important to obtain the same style of bit for your machine, you don’t want to make the mistake of getting the wrong ones.  Fortunately, there are many ways drill bits can be prolonged.

Proper Drill Bit Depth – For starters, an easy mistake to make is not having the drill bit depth adjusted right.  If it is set too deep, you risk causing extra damage to the drill blocks.  Worse than that, you may also wear your drill bit tips out faster.  A sure sign the depth is not set right is you’ll probably see smoke.  Never a good thing.

Sharpen Your Drill Bits – Another great way to extend the life of your bits are to sharpen them.  Officezone offers a wide variety of different paper drill sharpeners for each occasion.  Depending on your budget, we have the very basic sharpeners from hand held models and pencil sharpener styles, to mounted precision models.  You can find our drill sharpeners here.

Depending on how often you use the bits, I would recommend sharpening them for every new job, if not daily.  I would also recommend keeping your drill bits constantly lubricated.  Paper drills use a lot of heat, which can damage your paper and leave burn marks.  Properly lubrication will eliminate this problem.

Sharpening the bits is fairly simple.  One of our most popular sharpeners is the Lil-Bit sharpener, which can be found here.

To sharpen this your bits using this model, simply use your machine to lower the bit on top of the sharpener.  Make sure the machine is turned off before you do so.  Once you have it properly aligned under the sharpener, turn on the machine until you hear a slight grinding noise.  You only need to leave the bit on the sharpener for about 5 seconds.  Note: It is not recommended to use this sharpener on a hydraulic paper drill.

Use Clean Drill Blocks – When you’re paper drilling, the bits should make just a slight impression on the drill block.  If you forget to replace the drill blocks, or abuse them, your bits will wear aware much faster.  Drill Blocks are cheap and affordable, yet crucial to the process.  Our entire selection of drill blocks can be found here.

Chip Board Or Thick Covers – This is a tip most people aren’t familiar with.  Sometimes the bottom of your stack of paper doesn’t come out with a smooth, complete drill or cut.  Having a thick cover or chip board piece on the bottom of your paper stack will make sure you get a perfect drill each time.  This will also help buffer the amount of pressure applied to the drill block.

While these tips will definitely prolong the life of your drill bits, they won’t last forever.  When it comes time to replace them, we will have what you need.  We sell a variety of drill bit styles, in varying sizes, from many different brands.  Our complete selection of drill bits can be found here.

If you simply need to upgrade or replace your damaged paper drill, we have what you need, as well.  Ranging from table top models, to floor models, to pneumatically powered models, we have you covered.  Our paper drills can be found here.

While office technology continually improves, some document binding methods pretty much stay the same. Take three-hole paper punches for example. Paper punches haven’t really changed over the years. And why change? These convenient punch machines still provide a fast and efficient way to organize and bind large stacks of paper. Office Zone has a wide selection of paper hole punches for almost all applications. Popular models include three-, two- and single-hole style punches. Office Zone also offers a unique selection of customizable paper punches. Custom paper punches are available with a wide assortment of punch heads and punch hole diameters. Be sure to ask one of our customer service reps for more details.

A rotary style paper cutter comes highly recommended for low-volume paper cutting. Rotary cutters deliver the best option for precision and accuracy when trimming a few sheets of paper at a time.

There are several stack paper cutter models available for high-volume paper cutting. These cutters use a laser light that helps you line up your stack of paper and determine exactly where the blade will slice. This makes it possible to cut 500 or more sheets of paper at a time within an amazing 1/64 of an inch!

Manufacturers of arm style paper cutters have improved the accuracy of their machines over the years. Kutrimmer and Dahle brand paper cutters are known in the industry for their precision and quality cutting capabilities. Be sure to ask one of our customer service representatives for the paper cutter model that will best fit for your specific needs.

Question

I’m interested in the Model 124 cutter (cuts 24″) for my school to replace a broken cutter. Is this model suitable to cut bristol board, construction paper and other papers of similar material?

Thanks,

Laura

Answer

You can quickly and easily trim bristol board, construction paper, photographs and other papers with the Dahle 124 Paper Trimmer. The Dahle 124 offers a convenient gray-coated particleboard with a grid printed in 1/2-inch increments for precision cutting. Due to the cutter’s unique blade design, no safety latch is required. The blade will not unexpectedly fly up or drop down on unsuspecting fingers on its own. This type of paper cutter is typically found in copy shops, schools, churches and small businesses.

Question

Greetings!

I am researching paper cutters/trimmers. I am hoping you can give me some advice on product selection? I have two different tasks, maybe one cutter/trimmer can do both? We have a medium-volume color laser printer that can do saddle-stitched booklets. We would like a machine that could trim the 1/4″ margins off three sides after they were printed and bound. Also, we sometimes would like to trim flyers, etc. into 1/2 page (8-1/2′ x 5-1/2″), 1/3 page, 1/4 page etc in small quantities up to about 3,000 sheets or so. We don’t need 3,000 sheets in one cut, just want to do them faster & easier than our manual, guillotine-style cutter.

Thanks,

John F.

Answer

We highly recommend the Intelli-Cut 550MS Electric Stack Paper Cutter. This cutter was specifically designed to tackle large cutting jobs such as yours. The model 550MS handles thick stacks of paper with ease, yet will execute accurate trimming strokes as well. It can cut through sizeable quantities of standard paper, card stock and chipboard. This paper cutter is made from durable metal components and includes a long-lasting cutting blade that stays sharp for a long time.