How to Shop for a Stack Paper Cutter
Many companies, including some home businesses, need a stack paper cutter to prepare customer orders or advertising materials. A print shop may need a heavy-duty machine with all the bells and whistles to cut thousands of pages daily, while a home desktop publishing business may get along fine with a manual paper cutter for handmade wedding invitations. Stack paper cutters are expensive, so being aware of the features will help you shop for a model that has the features you need.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
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1
Measure the widest piece of paper or card stock you use. Stack paper cutters have different widths. If you cut paper that is 16 inches wide, then eliminate all cutters of a narrower width.
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2
Measure the longest piece of paper or card stock that you use. Cutting blades vary in size. Buy the length blade that you need, so your finished product will have one professional cut instead of two cuts that may be slightly off.
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3
Buy a quality blade. Cheap machines may use lower-quality metal in the cutting blade. It may dull quickly and not give the appearance of a sharp-cut edge. Additionally, choose a blade you can change out when it gets dull. Blades need sharpening, especially if you cut thousands of papers every day. The last thing you want is downtime during a rush project.
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4
Choose between a desktop or floor model. If you buy a desktop model, then add the expense of a table.
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5
Stack a typical order and measure how tall it is. Then buy a stack paper cutter that holds a stack of that height. Stack heights vary from 1/2-inch to 4 inches.
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Decide if a manual, electric or hydraulic stack paper cutter is best for your workflow. If your customers frequently have large, rush projects, then a hydraulic cutter will help you keep up with deadlines. However, if you make custom wedding invitations that your customers order months ahead of time, then a manual or electric cutter will save you money. Another difference is the preciseness of the cut. With a manual model, you may not get an exact measurement.
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Review your budget to determine how much you can spend for a stack paper cutter. While the manual models are the least expensive, in the $1,000 range, they may not offer the features you need. The electric cutters are mid-priced, and the hydraulic ones are frequently in excess of $10,000. Add the price of a replacement blade as well.
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Decide if you need electronic memory. This is a convenience when you have repeat customers who reorder the same size materials. Machines with electronic memory can remember which settings you used for several different customers. This saves you the time of resetting the machine and possibly making an error.
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Examine the stack paper cutter to see if it has a safety shield. Even the most attentive employee will sometimes get distracted, yet some of the less expensive paper cutters do not have safety shields.
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Tips & Warnings
Always be careful when operating a paper cutter. Keep paper cutters away from children. If a paper cutter is being used at home, then lock your paper cutter away when not in use.
Always exercise caution and pay attention to what you are doing. Do not allow yourself to be distracted when operating a paper cutter.
Never leave a paper cutter unattended without engaging the safety features.
