Hand Cutting long Sheets for Printing?

[dwswager]

Hate inundating this forum with questions, but I'm trying to wrap my head around some of the issues.  Lets say I want to make a 10" x 30" print and I have a 17" wide printer, I can cut 17" roll paper  to length with my 24" Rototrimmer.  Now I have a 17" x 32" sheet of paper.  

Is is possible and worth it to cut this sheet lengthwise to say 11 inches wide so I can use the 6"x 32" piece for other images?  Or is this extra waste of paper just the cost of printing?  I have a 40" heavy straight edge Ruler that I use to build golf clubs.  I'm just wondering if the one super edge from the original roll is good enough to prevent skewing.

If cutting is viable, would is it better to cut print surface side up or down?

Thanks.

[Johnny_Johnson]

 I have a 40" heavy straight edge Ruler that I use to build golf clubs.

Now that must be interesting. I had no idea that some individuals build golf clubs in their basement.

Later,
Johnny

[dwswager]

Now that must be interesting. I had no idea that some individuals build golf clubs in their basement.

Later,
Johnny

Apparently the ruler is 48".  I used to use Dynacraft heads with Aldila and True Temper graphite shafts.

[Chris_Brown]

I'd leave the roll intact. I think the paper will remain better aligned/straight in the printer. If you want to not waste paper, place test prints/swatches on the unused area for evaluation.

[Pic One]

Hate inundating this forum with questions, but I'm trying to wrap my head around some of the issues.  Lets say I want to make a 10" x 30" print and I have a 17" wide printer, I can cut 17" roll paper  to length with my 24" Rototrimmer.  Now I have a 17" x 32" sheet of paper.  

Is is possible and worth it to cut this sheet lengthwise to say 11 inches wide so I can use the 6"x 32" piece for other images?  Or is this extra waste of paper just the cost of printing?  I have a 40" heavy straight edge Ruler that I use to build golf clubs.  I'm just wondering if the one super edge from the original roll is good enough to prevent skewing.

If cutting is viable, would is it better to cut print surface side up or down?

Thanks.

Why not print first, and then cut off your strip of 6" paper?   If it works, great.. if not, nothing lost.

[dwswager]

Why not print first, and then cut off your strip of 6" paper?   If it works, great.. if not, nothing lost.

Wasn't sure if running it through the printer would 'ruin' it for future printing.  I'm somewhat anally frugal.  I'm not cheap, I just hate waste. 

[David Sutton]

When I had a 3800 I'd cut sheets from a roll. Roll paper is much cheaper than buying cut sheets.
I'd allow and inch either end for head strike and flatten the sheet on the kitchen table overnight. Never had a problem with skewing, though I seem to remember there was a little lever that had to be turned out on the printer.
Cut the wastage after. If the printer will take thinner strips, you can use the leftovers for test prints for things like determining whether to print with perceptual or relative.
David

[David Sutton]

Wasn't sure if running it through the printer would 'ruin' it for future printing.  I'm somewhat anally frugal.  I'm not cheap, I just hate waste. 

No, it won't.

[jferrari]

I don't know what application you are printing from within but if you use LightRoom you can use a custom layout and print as many images as you like on your custom sized paper all in the same pass.   - Jim

[dwswager]

I don't know what application you are printing from within but if you use LightRoom you can use a custom layout and print as many images as you like on your custom sized paper all in the same pass.   - Jim

Photoshop CS6.  I really keep meaning to try Lightroom as it is probably a better solution, but I've been using Photoshop so long I can't seam to give it up and the whole Lightroom library thing is a paradigm I hate. 

[Phil Indeblanc]

I'm with you about LR, but if you have a steady and regular pace in shooting, I do recommend it. I starte4d with the end of LR3 version, and I forced/learned to embrace it. I will still give it the daily verbal abuse, but, there are few options, and going from PS to LR is a little bit easier than a new animal.

but as answered, unless your printer is dragging dust or lint, it shouldn't touch any other area of the paper and makes it easy to simply print on it.  You can create the page size in PS, and select your images that way and just print. But if you were to use this layout regularly, and you still don't want LR, I would highly recommend Qimage, which makes all printing needs unlocked and under control. I use LR, and still use Qimage to print.

[Ernst Dinkla]

Hate inundating this forum with questions, but I'm trying to wrap my head around some of the issues.  Lets say I want to make a 10" x 30" print and I have a 17" wide printer, I can cut 17" roll paper  to length with my 24" Rototrimmer.  Now I have a 17" x 32" sheet of paper. 

Is is possible and worth it to cut this sheet lengthwise to say 11 inches wide so I can use the 6"x 32" piece for other images?  Or is this extra waste of paper just the cost of printing?  I have a 40" heavy straight edge Ruler that I use to build golf clubs.  I'm just wondering if the one super edge from the original roll is good enough to prevent skewing.

If cutting is viable, would is it better to cut print surface side up or down?

Thanks.

Maybe you could start from a 36" roll and cut the widths you actually need per job. Then you only have to worry about the 6x10" paper waste. Decurl that piece and feed it lengthwise. With your method feeding a 6" wide strip of 32"length may not stay aligned on the printer, depending on the printer type.

Qimage Ultimate solves a lot of my paper waste questions.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2014 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots

[dwswager]

Maybe you could start from a 36" roll and cut the widths you actually need per job. Then you only have to worry about the 6x10" paper waste. Decurl that piece and feed it lengthwise. With your method feeding a 6" wide strip of 32"length may not stay aligned on the printer, depending on the printer type.

Qimage Ultimate solves a lot of my paper waste questions.

Met vriendelijke groet, Ernst

http://www.pigment-print.com/spectralplots/spectrumviz_1.htm
December 2014 update, 700+ inkjet media white spectral plots

24" rolls are the largest I can handle with my Rototrimmer.  I thought about the 24" rolls where I could cut to WIDTH up to the printer width of 17 inch at a 24 inch length.  Then cut down to smaller sizes as necessary.  I'm still left with that single hand cut to get something like 11"x32" paper, but now I also have 13" x 30" I can cut down.

[jferrari]

Photoshop CS6.  I really keep meaning to try Lightroom as it is probably a better solution, but I've been using Photoshop so long I can't seam to give it up and the whole Lightroom library thing is a paradigm I hate.

You can still do the same type of concept in PS. Make a new image that is 17" by 32" then drag in your images each on its own layer. Move and place as desired then print. Use your straightedge to trim. LR is more elegant with the layout but it will work in PS.    - Jim

[Phil Indeblanc]

Or bust out the oooooollld chop saw trick (think Get Smart)!