Finishing printing materials

Finishing refers to any of several operations that may be performed on printed material after it has left the press. The most common finishing operations are cutting, folding, and gathering. Other finishing technigues include scoring, perforating, drilling, embossing, and die cutting.

CUTTING. A hand-lever "guillotine" paper cutter is shown in Figure 10-1. The paper to be cut is held in position on the bed of the machine by the paper clamp. Depth of cut is controlled by adjusting the distance between the back fence and the blade. As the operator pulls down on the hand lever. the paper is cut.

Another type of guillotine cutter is shown in Figure 1-2. It is a large hydraulic, power-driven model. The size of a paper cutter is the maximum width of the paper it can cut.

Operating a Paper Cutter. The operation of hand-operated and power-operated cutters is essentially the same.

Safety Notes. Secure permission before using the paper cutter. Only one person should operate this machine at a time. Keep both hands away from the blade and out of the blade path.

Begin by moving the back fence to obtain the desired depth of cut. The front handwheel is used to move the back fence. The distance betwen the blade and fence on most cutters is shown on a measuring tape or a scale built into the bed of the machine.