An Overview of Manual and Electric Paper Cutters

From business cards to scrapbooking projects, there''s a paper cutter out there for your needs.

People use paper cutters for everything from scrapbooking to commercial use in paper-oriented businesses. This simple tool has morphed from a blade and cutting board to sophisticated electric paper cutters that can be programmed to cut precisely the same way each time.

Many companies have tossed their old manual guillotine types of cutters to make way for electric paper cutters. You probably don''t need an electric paper cutter unless you have big print jobs that need to be cut on a daily basis. Smaller businesses generally don''t need electric versions and do just fine with manual cutters.

Paper cutters can cut as little as one piece of paper to stacks of paper that are three inches thick. All paper cutters feature some kind of attachment, like a clamp, to keep the paper in place as it''s being cut to create sharp corners and straight lines.

Manual paper cutters can cut through an average of 50 sheets of paper at one time, but can vary by model to cut up to 1000 sheets of paper. Most manual cutters have a blade attached to a guillotine, lever or arm. Rotary manual cutters have a circular blade that slides along a rail (or rails) to create straight cuts. These and other manual cutters aren''t just for paper. They can also cut through mat board, poster board, foam boards, plastic, film and even textiles. Generally, manual cutters are used in the home and for businesses that don''t have a lot of cutting needs.

Electric paper cutters do the same thing as manual cutters, but they do it much faster and more precisely than manual cutters. Electric cutters can cut up to three inches of stacked paper at a time, making them efficient for those who need to cut a lot of paper every day, like printing companies. Various companies use electric paper cutters because they need professional cutting services and can''t afford to have their paper items cut a little crookedly. Electric paper cutters can consistently give you the same, uniform cut. The nice thing about electric cutters is that you don''t have to worry about paper cuts. Safety is a priority when it comes to electric cutters, and electric cutters are generally safer than manual cutters simply because the blade is hidden so there''s less chance for accidentally bumping your hand or other body parts into the blade.

Both types of cutters have clamps to keep the paper in place and most manual cutters also have a ruler etched along the cutting side so you can perfectly measure your cuts.

One variation of the paper cutter that is popular is the corner rounder. Corner rounders can be manual or electric. Corner rounders are an easy way to add professionalism and class to many paper products, such as gift tags, business cards and other promotional materials. Manual models start at $8 and electric models go up to $2,500.

Another variation is the business card cutter, or business card slitter. Businesses that need to print lots of business cards in a short amount of time benefit from having a business card cutter on the premises. These cutters cut 8.5"-x-11" card stock into business cards in minutes. Business card cutters can cut 40 business cards per minute upwards of 600 business cards per minute. They all produce standard 2"-x-3.5" cards. If you want to produce business cards that are a different size or different shape from the standard, you''ll need to do some research on the Internet for a cutter that can handle different sizes and shapes.

You can expect to spend anywhere from $40 to $25,000 on a paper cutter. They are affordable for every budget and every need.

Andy West is a communications specialist. For more information visit Instant Keyword Research or read reviews on keyword research tools.