How can I cut 5in rolled paper at 7in lenghts?

I have 577' rolls of paper and want to make 5x7 sheets, is it possible or to much trouble? I'm just starting with color printing and don't want to spend money on paper when i have these 5" x 577' rolls.

thanks
Jim

Hi Jim, That is one of the reasons I posted about suitable colour safelights....There's a method in my madness!

Cheers Dave

My first thought was to use a household paper cutter, My first concern was having my fingers all over the emulsion as i slide the paper in place. If i were to cut it emulsion side down then i would ruin the emulsion by scraping it on the cutter board. Would oil or moisture from my fingers cause issues if I cut it emulsion side up? I plan on putting all the paper in a freezer after i cut it, All six rolls.

Jim

For safety reasons I would use a roller blade cutter rather than a goullotine in the dark (I want to keep my pinkies!)

Cheers Dave

Dave Dawson said:

For safety reasons I would use a roller blade cutter rather than a goullotine in the dark (I want to keep my pinkies!)

Cheers Dave

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I dont mind risking a pinkie because i have a spare on the other hand.

J Rollinger said:

I have 577' rolls of paper and want to make 5x7 sheets, is it possible or to much trouble? I'm just starting with color printing and don't want to spend money on paper when i have these 5" x 577' rolls.

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I do this with 4" rolls of Kodak Polymax B&W RC paper to make 4x4 or 6x4 sheets for proof prints. Emulsion side down on a rotary cutter is easy and I've not had any problems with emulsion damage or finger prints.

Ian

I have been cutting kodak edge paper under a kodak colour (#13?) safelight. It's far enough away (8 feet) that it doesn't seem to fog the paper, and permits enough light to sort of see where the papercutter and the roll is. I put the roll on a dowel between two chairs, and feed it into a guillotine cutter, emulsion side up. After cutting, I stack the paper emulsion side down. Time from exposure to the safe light to stacking emulsion side down is about 5 sec. I make sure my hands are clean and dry when I start. I've had no trouble with fingerprints.

Thanks to everyone for the advice! I just cut some and found it to be not that bad. I dont know about cutting all 6 rolls! That would be a PITA!

Thanks Again
Jim

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/225473-REG/Carl_CUI12210_Heavy_Duty_DC_210_12_.html

These work wonders!

The paper size guide allows you to cut the rolls in the dark, so no safelight is needed.

I've posted my method before. A search should pull it up.

Basically. I use a roller paper cutter. Nothing fancy it's a basic unit from the office supply places. I mounted it on a square sided board. Get a piece of plywood cut for you if you can't make sure the sides are square yourself. On the board I placed a wooden edge to make sure the paper is square to the cutter in the dark. This guide is at 90 degrees to the cutter. Must be square. At the end away from the cutter I mount a second guide at the distance needed for the size I'm cutting. This moves so I just hold it down with a clamp. Once again check for square.

The paper is held by a home made setup using the same ideas those rollers that hold butcher paper do. I made up a U shaped wooden stand out of scrap. With a forstner bit I drilled half holes at the top of each U. The roll gets mounted on an old broom handle and then the broom handle sits on U stand holes.


The only things I do in the light is adjust the length and clamp everything to the bench.

In the dark I take the paper out of the bag. Slip it on the broom. Mount the roll on the U. Pull the paper out to the stop. Feel it's square to the side guide. Then cut. Put the paper into the darksafe. Pull some more out and cut.

I wear gloves. Cold paper will end up condensing the moisture on your finger tips.

It's easy. Cheap. Comes apart for storage.

The other thing I would raise is to start looking for a vaccuum easel. The curl on the paper is wicked as you approach the core. Plus a vac easel allows you to print borderless, which seems to be more common in peoples expectaion of unmounted colur prints.

I've a cheap rotary paper trimmer with a metal base. I have a flexible sheet magnet that I stick on where 7" lies. Similar to what that Carl trimmer accomplishes, although not nearly as nice.

Mind you I cut b&w paper under a safelight. As far as curl goes, I definitely agree although vacuum easels are more of a pain when it comes to 5x7 in my mind..

Mike Wilde said:

The other thing I would raise is to start looking for a vaccuum easel. The curl on the paper is wicked as you approach the core. .

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I find if you cut the paper in advance and stack it then the curl is okay. Means you can't cut it just before use so that's a drawback.