Workshop safetyWash hands after handling typeVentilate for solvent and powderKeep both hands behind the bladeNo lead dust — never dry-sweep

WORKSHOP & SAFETY

Paper Cutter

A guillotine or a board shear: the tool that trims a text block square and a sheet to size.

5Finishing stage Rank 26 of 28

Line drawing

Specification
Guillotine cut width	300–720 mm
Maximum stack	40–100 mm
Board shear length	600–1300 mm
Blade type	Straight, single-bevel, replaceable
Clamp	Manual or hydraulic, adjustable
Guard	Full-length blade guard, mandatory
Lock	Blade lock for transport and storage
Safety devices	Two-hand control, or a light curtain on newer machines

Working parameters
Cut width	300–720 mm on a guillotine
Stack height	40–100 mm
Blade angle	20–25 degrees
Suitable stock	Paper, card, board, cloth
Processes	Trimming, squaring a text block, cutting to size
Compatibility	Board above 3 mm needs a board shear, not a guillotine
Cut quality	A sharp blade leaves a polished edge; a dull one leaves a burr
Blade life	200–1000 cuts per sharpening depending on stock

Overview

Every book needs three trimmed edges, and every printed job needs to be cut down. A guillotine cuts a stack under a clamp; a board shear cuts single sheets and board with a long lever blade. Both do the same job and both are the most dangerous tool in a bindery by a wide margin.

The blade path is the hazard. It is a straight, guarded, high-force cut and there is no version of the operation where a hand should be in it. Guarding, a clamp, a blade lock and a sharp blade are the four controls, and all four are needed.

5Finishing: Foil, gilding, embossing and edge decoration.

Safety

Before you use itKeep both hands on the handle, never in the blade path. The single most common bindery injury is a hand in the cut line while the blade is coming down.

Before you use itFit and use the blade guard. A guillotine without a guard is not a tool, it is a hazard that happens to cut paper.

Before you use itEngage the blade lock whenever you change the blade, adjust the clamp, or move the machine. Most serious cuts happen during maintenance, not during cutting.

Before you use itA blunt blade is more dangerous than a sharp one, because it needs force and slips. Change or sharpen it as soon as the cut starts to drag.

Before you use itNever cut more than the machine is rated for. Overloading the stack kicks the work back.

Using it well

Trim the fore-edge first, then the head and tail. Working in that order means you always have a square edge to register against.
Take a light cut — 2 to 3 mm — off a text block rather than a heavy one. A heavy cut compresses the block and the middle of the stack ends up concave.
Keep a note of the blade change date on the machine. A dragging cut is the first sign and it is easy to miss when you are in the middle of a job.

What it works with

Papers and substrates

All papers and board to the machine rating

Type and fonts

Not applicable

Processes

Trimming
Squaring
Cutting to size
Cutting board

Note. Specifications are conventional working ranges for this class of tool, not a measurement of any particular machine. Follow the instructions that came with your own equipment, and treat every figure here as a starting point to check rather than a limit to trust. Nothing on this page is for sale and no manufacturer had any input into it.

PaperBind

Book Board

Laminated grey board, 1.5 to 3 mm thick, cut to make the covers of a hardback.

Binding stage

FinishingFinish

Edge Gilding Kit

Gold leaf, size, and a burnisher, for gilding the trimmed edges of a text block.

Finishing stage

BindingBind

Bone Folder

A polished, tapered bone used to crease, burnish and rub down a fold or a pasted sheet.