Print cutters

I've finally had it with forced cropping of my pics in order to try to fit

them on an "intermediate" 8.5" x 11" letter sized print papers available on

the market, and have made the decision to go with cutting the readily

available 13" x 19" papers in (almost) two halves at 9" x 13" for printing 8"

x 12" on them at the correct 35mm aspect ratio. I'm sure others must be doing

something similar.

 

Which brings me to look for a good print cutter that can comfortably and

precisely cut a very thick fine art media (e.g. I use a variety of papers from

Hahnemuhle). Though my current printer only prints up to 13" x 19", I would

like to get a cutter that can accommodate a potential future upgrade to my

existing printer that can print up to 17" on the wide side.

 

What are some of the prudent choices among folks who regularly cut their print

papers? And while I'm at it, can someone recommend an alternative to signing

prints with regular pencils...there must be some acid free ink based pens out

there that don't "bleed" into a fine art media?

 

Thanks.

I use a Rotatrim cutter. I've had it since 1985. Works fine on Hahnamuhle FineArt Pearl

Rototrim here too. I have the '15" Mastercut Professional Rotary Cutter' model. The 15"

handles most of what I've needed for paper sizes up to 13x19 inch paper. Works fine with

Hahnemühle Fine Art Photo Rag (Smooth) and Epson Velvet Fine Art papers, which are the

heaviest I've worked with.

 

In retrospect, I should have gone for the 18 or 24 inch model to handle up to 16x20 cut

sheet paper, or A3/11x17" lengthwise cuts. The difference in price is not that great.

Another device to update someday ...

 

Godfrey

Ditto Rotatrim. I got the 30' Mastercut, the largest trimmer that fits properly on my paper/matt board cutting table. I don't usually need a trimmer that large, but I occasionally cut larger prints and get my money's worth:

 

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=45037&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

BTW, as Ellis notes, the blades on the Rotatrims are amazingly long-lasting. We have one Rotrim at the store I work at that's been used to cut dozens of C-prints per day, 7 days per week for more than ten years. The blade has never been changed and it still yields a perfect trim edge.

All in agreement on one brand....must be nice. I went to order an 18" version from B&H but they won't accept orders until tomorrow...they have it for $250.

Here's another vote for the Rotatrim. It cuts matting board without difficulty.

 

One thing, though. Get one sized for the biggest print you will need to trim. The price difference is not that great between the 18" (which I have) and one large enough for a 16x20 (24"). You can use longer cutters with the blade parallel to the edge of the table.

Wait a sec. I haven't yet considered cutting matting boards. If this device also cuts mats with equal precision, I indeed need to get one size larger than what I need.

"If this device also cuts mats with equal precision, I indeed need to get one size larger than what I need."

 

 

That depends on how thick your matt board is. Rotatrim Mastercuts are designed to cut paper products up to 3mm thick. For matt board, I use a large, old Premier guillotine-style trimmer.<div></div>

Realizing that I'd need to cut matt board along the longer edge as well, this choice suddenly gets more complicated and bulky than what I originally intended - to buy custom-cut matt boards online. I think I'll stick with the 18" option. Thanks.

"(T)his choice suddenly gets more complicated and bulky than what I originally intended(.)"

 

 

Add the phrase "more expensive" and you've described virtually every photo-related equipment purchase I've ever made. :>)

For rotary trimmers I prefer Keencut to Rotatrim. The absence of an overhead bar being a

feature. Available in many sizes, including models that can mount on the end of a table.

Brad, good info on Keencut. Wow..little things do make a difference. They also have an open ended format which I believe allows one to cut bigger sized media than the device length. Of the two types of models they sell, I guess the Advanced rotary trimmer is the one I want. Thanks.

Nels, just a heads up...

 

I have the Keencut 24" Advanced rotary trimmer and like it a lot. It is not intended to cut

mat board though. I think they spec max thickness at 2mm, which is around 0.080". <p>

 

They do make a line of sheet cutters that will go up to 0.5" thickness - but they're way

expensive.<P>

 

I use my trimmer for prints. If you're interested, <a href= "http://www.oregonlam.com/

keencut.htm">Oregon Laminations</a> has the best prices on Keencut in the US.

Shipping is only $6. That's where I got mine a few years ago.<P>

 

For sizing matboard, say, cutting four 16x20s out of a piece of 32x40, I use a large table,

and a 50" <a href= "http://www.amazon.com/Tru-Grip-CT50C-50-Inch-Clamp-N-Tool-

Guide/dp/B0000224DM">Clamp-N-Tool guide</a>.<P>

 

Hope this helps. Feel free to email if you need more info...

Another note... Oregon Laminations also sells Rotatrim and they're spec'd to 0.125 max

thickness. But to handle a 32x40 mat you'd need a huge and expensive machine. And,

in

principle, I'd be reluctant to use a rotary trimmer for that kind of work - they're really

designed for trimming paper. That's why I like my hybrid approach - a guide bar and

table for sizing matt board, a matt cutter for cutting window mats, and a roatary trimmer

for trimming prints.

 

Another possibility is to have your mat board supplier cut your mats down to whatever

size

you need. Might cost a dollar extra - not too bad considering a sheet of Bainbridge

Alphamat is around $11 retail.

Thanks for the heads up, Brad. I'll be ordering the 18" version tomorrow. For now, I'll be staying away from matt cutting business and simply order them online as needed. Should the situation change, your tips would come in handy.

OK, another tip if you're gonna order mats online. If you standardise on a particular size, you

can get custom-cut mats pretty cheap in qtys of 25. For example, 16x20s in archival

Bainbridge Alphamat (don't use anything less) are around $3.20 ea in qty 25. Almost as

cheap as blank mat board.

Got it. Thanks, again.

If you're going to consider Bainbridge matts, you might consider one-stop shopping with Nielsen Bainbridge frames sold with thick, archival matts. My favorite is the large-profile, black, metal 16x20 frame with the white 11x14 matt:

 

 

http://www.nielsen-bainbridge.com/Readymades/artcare_frames_metro.html

If you cut mats, a mat cutter (I have a Logan) is essential. The Rotatrim is a lot faster to use than the mat cutter for squaring up smaller layouts, and very accurate. 24 inches would be a good compromise, suitable for matting 16x20 inch prints in a 20x24 inch frame. You can cut any size with a mat cutter or T-square and a razor knife, with due diligence for alignment.

I use 18" x 24" frames for 13" x 19" pictures, and my current set of frames and matts were purchased from <a href="http://www.sendaframe.com/">Send-a-frame</a>. When I consider the next round of purchase, I'll look into other recommendations here. Thanks.

Quick update:

 

I received the Keencut 18" model, and decided to try it on a simple printer paper. The amount of pressure I had to use to cut with it was unbelievable. The cutting assembly wouldn't move very easily and there was too much resistance. The cuts were worse than I could make with a pair of scissors. The shipper said the unit might have been damaged during shipment, and it did seem as though the two rotating blades weren't aligned, part of the reason there was so much resistance needed to move the blades. I also felt that the build quality of the device wasn't very high (a subjective assessment).

 

At any rate, they suggested that for better build quality and smoother operation during cutting, I go with Rotatrim version, and they agreed to swap out my Keencut for it. The Rotatrim model is more expensive but upon receiving it today and trying it out, all I can say is that it's money well spent (another subjective assessment). Both the build quality and the smoothness of operation are beyond comparison with Keencut, and the overhead bar doesn't bother me. This one is a keeper.

Nels, I recommend the GBC Shredmaster 1036A for your print post processing.