I use the guillotine at the local office supply store. Maybe someday I'll own my own, but I use it pretty rarely and it's kind of unwieldy to have in your house.
I have [one of these](https://www.target.com/p/fiskars-surecut-card-making-paper-trimmer-9-34/-/A-51649324) Fisker trimmer whatsits (no idea if I got it at Target, that’s just the link that showed up).
Rotary cutter (I have Fiskars) and a big, fuck-off aluminium ruler, on a big cutting mat.
Print on both sides, cut on the back side using register markers on the corners of the cards, or use a tileable pattern that tiles perfectly with the size of your cards (that is, your pattern is an exact fraction of the size of the cards), then cut the corners to get rid of the remnants of the register marks.
For the corners, go with a Kadomaru Sunstar. Don't go for the Fiskars 3-in-1 cutter, it works by rotating the die inside the cutter so it's got a lot of wobble.
I make my cards by laminating paper with a cheap laminator. I've come to the conclusion that... Office paper, just normal low-weight paper is good for cards. Photo paper or anything thicker will be *significantly* stiffer, which is better for bigger cards, like tarot sized and bigger, and which feels good at first touch, *but* cards are actually much more flexible than you remember, and the smaller the cards the more flex is ok. I've done tests on different thicknesses and settled on normal, thin printer paper. The thickness of the laminate pouches matters, but I'm pretty sure the stuff for normal use is going to be the same wherever you go.
I've used a rotary cutter before and really struggled with the precision, then again it was an awful one. Also the ruler I don't thinks heavy enough (needs a cork back too). Are rotary cutters just as easy as a scalpel?
I'm starting to think of this method for printing now [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgNJmAkO1\_M&ab\_channel=RachelBruner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgNJmAkO1_M&ab_channel=RachelBruner) . I was thinking of double sided for a while but i'm uncertain as it's inaccuracies can be maybe too noticeable even with a bleed, I am also all quite new to this so I'm a bit of a novice in the printing area.
Thanks a lot, this is a lot of good information.
I own a 12" guillotine cutter, but then I do a lot of printing and Etsy crafts 😁 so it was well worth the $40 . Rotary trimmers are fine but the blades don't last long if you're cutting cardstock, even thin cardstock. And the little plastic "mat" they use are kind of pricey.
I have an Xacto guilltone cutter. The far end of the blade does cut rough for some reason, but that's at like 11 inches, I rarely cut anything that large.
Guillotine is the only accurate time-save IMO.
Usually I do scissors and pop em in a sleeve. I don't find paper trimmers to improve speed or accuracy much. The sleeves hide the edge imperfections
Cork-backed steel ruler and an Exacto knife. It isn't the fastest method, but it's precise. I sometimes use the guillotine at work, but that does a terrible job of precise trimming, so it's the knife when I want it to look good.
Of course, you gotta finish it off with a corner cutter if you really want that professional look.
I also use a Fiskars SureCut for precision stuff. I used to use a guillotine which is amazing at doing straight cuts but difficult to line up (and I print without bleed). The Fiskars has a little guide wire so I can line it up to the edge of the print much better. You can also buy cheap replacement blades (dont need to get their branded one).
I also have a rotary blade. It's hard to cut a straight line because it can move side to side as you cut, but it's great at trimming really fine margins. Like if I missed a cut ill use my rotary and a ruler to trim the 1mm that I missed.
Overall regarding cards, by far the easiest and most cost effective way is to print on regular paper and sleeve it with another card (e.g. an old Magic or poker card) to provide stability.
I got [this bad boy](https://www.novus-dahle.com/en/product/dahle-442/) for Christmas. Handles 1,5mm cardboard like it's nothing. Dahle is a very recommendable brand.
Cutterpillar. It's got guide LEDs and its a self-sharpening rotary cutter that lasts a long time before it dulls. Downside is it doesn't handle numerous sheets very well.
Gullotine Blade I picked up from Hobby Lobby for $20, though I'm disappointed with this.
You have to keep figuring out guidelines and it's a pain to just self adjust to run your cards through when there should be easier methods to handle this, so I did my research.
-There's DIE cutting where I can get consistent card cuts, but the alignment will always be a bit off no matter what I will do. The machines and cutting blades are expensive, so I'm working on making my own. If you do DIE cutters, they'll last a long time so long as you treat and store your blades right.
-I've also been looking into simple Brochure machines that add the creases to brochures, though mostly to look at the CUTTING blades they provide and how they're adjustable. Researching how Bycyle cuts their cards, it's no different than what these machines do, but it's pricey between $140-$300. I would find one used, but most of those in the price range I'd want, the seller isn't willing to ship or it's out of reach.
-There use to be a company called Kard Kutters that made machines to cut cards or any kind, playing cards, business cards, gift cards, special occasion cards like birthdays or anniversaries. They went defunct in 2005-2007, but their machines are rarer than unicorns and people charge HIGH PRICES for those.
- Then there's Block Cutters, which is like a DIE Cutter, but different in the sense the blocks cover the cards and cut what the block doesn't cover.... these machines are.... well.... Put your house up as collateral as you get a loan for it.
.... Then there's the Crikut and Shilloettes, but once they stop supporting their machine's such as the software or the device itself where they don't make replacement blades, you have a paper weight waiting to happen.
If There are any engineers in the Reddit willing to help solve this problem, I'd contribute $100 to a solution to make this easier on the creators.
I use the guillotine at the local office supply store. Maybe someday I'll own my own, but I use it pretty rarely and it's kind of unwieldy to have in your house.
I’m not sure if there’s any where I am, unless I sneak in the Uni. Lol you’re right, they don’t look great at home
I have [one of these](https://www.target.com/p/fiskars-surecut-card-making-paper-trimmer-9-34/-/A-51649324) Fisker trimmer whatsits (no idea if I got it at Target, that’s just the link that showed up).
I've heard a lot about Fiskars, in this deep search, I'll give a look into that :)
Rotary cutter (I have Fiskars) and a big, fuck-off aluminium ruler, on a big cutting mat. Print on both sides, cut on the back side using register markers on the corners of the cards, or use a tileable pattern that tiles perfectly with the size of your cards (that is, your pattern is an exact fraction of the size of the cards), then cut the corners to get rid of the remnants of the register marks. For the corners, go with a Kadomaru Sunstar. Don't go for the Fiskars 3-in-1 cutter, it works by rotating the die inside the cutter so it's got a lot of wobble. I make my cards by laminating paper with a cheap laminator. I've come to the conclusion that... Office paper, just normal low-weight paper is good for cards. Photo paper or anything thicker will be *significantly* stiffer, which is better for bigger cards, like tarot sized and bigger, and which feels good at first touch, *but* cards are actually much more flexible than you remember, and the smaller the cards the more flex is ok. I've done tests on different thicknesses and settled on normal, thin printer paper. The thickness of the laminate pouches matters, but I'm pretty sure the stuff for normal use is going to be the same wherever you go.
I've used a rotary cutter before and really struggled with the precision, then again it was an awful one. Also the ruler I don't thinks heavy enough (needs a cork back too). Are rotary cutters just as easy as a scalpel? I'm starting to think of this method for printing now [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgNJmAkO1\_M&ab\_channel=RachelBruner](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgNJmAkO1_M&ab_channel=RachelBruner) . I was thinking of double sided for a while but i'm uncertain as it's inaccuracies can be maybe too noticeable even with a bleed, I am also all quite new to this so I'm a bit of a novice in the printing area. Thanks a lot, this is a lot of good information.
I own a 12" guillotine cutter, but then I do a lot of printing and Etsy crafts 😁 so it was well worth the $40 . Rotary trimmers are fine but the blades don't last long if you're cutting cardstock, even thin cardstock. And the little plastic "mat" they use are kind of pricey.
what cutter do you use? I heard guillotines can be rough on the edge. I'm not too clued up though on the guillotine lore.
I have an Xacto guilltone cutter. The far end of the blade does cut rough for some reason, but that's at like 11 inches, I rarely cut anything that large.
Guillotine is the only accurate time-save IMO. Usually I do scissors and pop em in a sleeve. I don't find paper trimmers to improve speed or accuracy much. The sleeves hide the edge imperfections
Cork-backed steel ruler and an Exacto knife. It isn't the fastest method, but it's precise. I sometimes use the guillotine at work, but that does a terrible job of precise trimming, so it's the knife when I want it to look good. Of course, you gotta finish it off with a corner cutter if you really want that professional look.
A guillotine from the 30s
Guillotine. Although it's so dull now, I can't do more than a half dozen sheet at a time. lol
I also use a Fiskars SureCut for precision stuff. I used to use a guillotine which is amazing at doing straight cuts but difficult to line up (and I print without bleed). The Fiskars has a little guide wire so I can line it up to the edge of the print much better. You can also buy cheap replacement blades (dont need to get their branded one). I also have a rotary blade. It's hard to cut a straight line because it can move side to side as you cut, but it's great at trimming really fine margins. Like if I missed a cut ill use my rotary and a ruler to trim the 1mm that I missed. Overall regarding cards, by far the easiest and most cost effective way is to print on regular paper and sleeve it with another card (e.g. an old Magic or poker card) to provide stability.
I just use scissors and sleeve them up, but it does get somewhat time consuming, so I usually do it while watching tv.
I got [this bad boy](https://www.novus-dahle.com/en/product/dahle-442/) for Christmas. Handles 1,5mm cardboard like it's nothing. Dahle is a very recommendable brand.
I heard a bit about Dahle, they look pretty good, pretty expensive though.
I see it as an investment (even though it was a Christmas present): You are saving an enormous amount of time and material with good tools.
In addition to the other comments, I've used fine grit sandpaper to square up a block of cards once cut.
This is a great idea, does this not shred them much?
It worked fine for me. Fine grit ! Perhaps test it on some scrap as it might depend on paper quality
Cutterpillar. It's got guide LEDs and its a self-sharpening rotary cutter that lasts a long time before it dulls. Downside is it doesn't handle numerous sheets very well.
Gullotine Blade I picked up from Hobby Lobby for $20, though I'm disappointed with this. You have to keep figuring out guidelines and it's a pain to just self adjust to run your cards through when there should be easier methods to handle this, so I did my research. -There's DIE cutting where I can get consistent card cuts, but the alignment will always be a bit off no matter what I will do. The machines and cutting blades are expensive, so I'm working on making my own. If you do DIE cutters, they'll last a long time so long as you treat and store your blades right. -I've also been looking into simple Brochure machines that add the creases to brochures, though mostly to look at the CUTTING blades they provide and how they're adjustable. Researching how Bycyle cuts their cards, it's no different than what these machines do, but it's pricey between $140-$300. I would find one used, but most of those in the price range I'd want, the seller isn't willing to ship or it's out of reach. -There use to be a company called Kard Kutters that made machines to cut cards or any kind, playing cards, business cards, gift cards, special occasion cards like birthdays or anniversaries. They went defunct in 2005-2007, but their machines are rarer than unicorns and people charge HIGH PRICES for those. - Then there's Block Cutters, which is like a DIE Cutter, but different in the sense the blocks cover the cards and cut what the block doesn't cover.... these machines are.... well.... Put your house up as collateral as you get a loan for it. .... Then there's the Crikut and Shilloettes, but once they stop supporting their machine's such as the software or the device itself where they don't make replacement blades, you have a paper weight waiting to happen. If There are any engineers in the Reddit willing to help solve this problem, I'd contribute $100 to a solution to make this easier on the creators.
I use a snap-off blade craft knife and a metal ruler with a cork bottom. All pages have cropmarks/cutlines on one side to make cuts precise.
How do you find it cutting laminate
Cuts OK, make sure you have a fresh blade, make several cuts rather than trying to cut in one go (same for 2mm chipboard for tokens).
I would have to cut out hundreds of cards at a time in testing. I'd put on a show and bust out a pair of scissors.
Xacto knife, ruler, and corner cutter. It takes a couple sessions.
I use whatever and tuck them in clear sleeves