Crafters that use paper, such as scrapbookers, often have a wide variety of tools at the ready while they are working. However, none are used as frequently as the paper trimmer. Many paper trimmers, particularly high-quality trimmers, can be expensive purchases, and are likely one of the larger investments a crafter makes in her tool collection. Paper trimmers can also be large, and therefore are often given dedicated table space for their use.
Because of their importance to the craft, choosing the right paper trimmer is an essential decision a scrapbooker or paper crafter has to make. There is no one "best" trimmer type and each crafter has to decide what is important to her.
Types of Paper Trimmers
Paper trimmers can basically be sorted into three categories:
- Rotary Blade Trimmers - Rotary trimmers have a circular blade that attaches to a slide bar along the length of the trimmer. The blades can easily be replaced when they become dull.
- Guillotine Trimmers - Guillotine trimmers have a large blade arm that stays sharp for a long time, but is difficult and expensive to replace when it does dull. Guillotine trimmers are generally the most expensive of all of the paper trimmer types.
- Stationary Blade Trimmers - This type of trimmer has a small tooth-like blade that runs in a track along the length of the trimmer. The blades in these trimmers dull relatively quickly, but are inexpensive and easy to replace. Stationary blade trimmers are generally the least expensive of all of the paper trimmer types.
While all of these paper trimmer types can get the job done, different crafters may prefer the performance or other characteristics of one over the other.
Paper Trimmer Characteristics
Different paper trimmers will have characteristics, such as:
- Size - Smaller paper trimmers are best for crafters who are on the move and pack their tools into a tote bag. Scrapbookers who attend crops may want a small trimmer. Alternatively, larger paper trimmers are more stable and provide more accurate cuts. Larger trimmers also generally have higher quality blades, which stay sharper longer. Also, crafters who work with 12 in. paper sheets will require a paper cutter that has a cutting length of at least 12 in.
- Safety - All paper trimmers use a blade in some form, which is obviously sharp enough to cut through thick cardstock or chipboard. Different paper trimmers will have different safety features to prevent injuries. Guillotine trimmers, because of their larger blades, can have a larger potential for injury, so they should have additional safety features such as finger guards to prevent cuts.
- Cost - Most crafters do not have an unlimited budget to work with when buying tools. In many cases, less expensive paper cutters can provide perfectly acceptable performance. However, crafters who work in volume, who sell their work, or who submit their work for media publication may invest in a more expensive paper cutter to meet their personal demands.
- Performance - When it comes down to it, a crafter needs a paper trimmer that works. A trimmer must provide straight cuts and accurate measurements. Scrapbookers and paper crafters can read a wide variety of online reviews to learn more about the cutting performance of different paper trimmers.
- Appearance - While the appearance of a paper trimmer may be one of the least important characteristics a crafter may consider, it is worth mentioning. Crafters who keep their paper trimmer out on their work surface may want to color coordinate their trimmer to their work space.
By deciding what characteristics are important, the crafter can choose the right paper trimmer for her specific needs.
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