Guillotine Paper Cutters: What to Look For
A guillotine paper cutter is a useful, even vital piece of equipment for today’s offices. Obviously, they let you trim documents or papers neatly and evenly, thanks to the ruler grid. But even if you don’t think you have much “trimming” to do, you probably have more need for a paper guillotine cutter than you think. Companies and offices today are trying to be greener by using less paper – as a result, documents and memos that would often take up a whole page are now being reduced to two per sheet, if not four. A guillotine paper cutter will let you quickly and easily cut these papers, without having to cramp up your hand by using scissors.
A guillotine paper cutter is also great to have around the house for your scrapbooking and photo trimming needs. Perhaps you are creating homemade gift tags or your very own greeting cards. All of these tasks are made much simpler – and have better results – when you use a paper guillotine cutter.
But, what is the best paper guillotine cutter for your needs? There are many elements to take into consideration. The articles on this website contain lots of valuable information on all kinds of guillotines, from smaller at-home models to larger, industrial-strength versions. But first, here are a few general considerations you’ll want to keep in mind:
Your first and most important criteria is cutting capacity – that is, how many sheets the guillotine can cut at one time. The higher the capacity, the sharper the blade. Whatever maximum you choose, be sure to always cut at least a few sheets less than the stated capacity, as it will help prevent the blade from dulling.
Your second criteria is size. The length of the cutting blade can reach up to 36 inches, which is quite long. You will also want to be sure that the cutting table is also large enough for you to correctly measure and support your documents.
Once you know how large your guillotine paper cutter needs to be, and what cutting capacity it should have, you should choose the one with the best safety features. These are dangerous items, even when used by adults. For that reason, most paper guillotine cutters have several safety features. The most important one is a tension spring that will “hold” the blade up when it is raised (as opposed to letting it just drop freely). Conversely, a blade lock holds the blade down (next to the table) when it is not being used – this makes it easier to transport without worrying about the blade just swinging open. In addition, the higher-capacity guillotine paper cutters usually have a blade guard which helps prevent the user from touching the blade.
Other convenient elements you can look for in your paper guillotine cutter include clamps (to hold your papers or documents in place as you cut), an alignment grid (standard on most cutting tables, though measurements may be in standard, metric, or both), and an adjustable paper stop (useful when cutting larger amounts of paper).
If you can find the right guillotine paper cutter – with the features
that match your usage needs, and all the safety elements to prevent accident
– you’ll find that many of the tasks around your office can be completed
with ease and style.