Hand cutting roll paper for 3880

[jwwbrennan]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere. It seems likely but searches have been unsuccessful.

Can buying 17" rolls of paper and cutting it be a viable option? It appears it would reduce waste and cost but only if it works well and consistently. Maybe using a knife on a paper like William Turner won't result in an edge suitable to the printer. I can't see a problem...but that may be the problem.

[tomrock]

I've cut paper off 17" rolls but not to save money only to get longer paper.

When you cut it, it pretty curly. I try to cut the day before and let it sit to flatten.

I don't think you'd be happy doing this consistently.

[JeffKohn]

I don't think there would be much savings. If you check the price per sq ft of 17" rolls compared to 50 sheet boxes, you'll find the prices are pretty close. The sheets may actually be cheaper in some cases (for instance, 17x22 50ct of Photo Rag 308 versus 17" roll at Atlex).

The only thing cutting from rolls would really get you is more flexibility in paper size, by not having to buy several different-sized boxes of sheets, and having the option to cut sheet sizes not available for purchase (such as 17x25).

But I think it would be a huge hassle to do this on a regular basis. Handling paper cut from rolls can be a chore due to curl. And curled paper will likely be more difficult to feed into the print. You're also going to need to make straight, smooth cuts; I don't think a knife would work that well, you'd probably want a real paper trimmer (which would definitely eat up any cost savings of roll paper in the near term if you don't already have one).

[jwwbrennan]

Sheets are obviously the way to go. I will still be cutting as I usually prefer an extended horizontal dimension but will seldom be going over 22" in the process. In that case I will just have to order a roll.

Thanks

[Bill Koenig]

I cut sheets from 17" rolls using my mat cutter (my mat cutter does straight and beveled cuts) I put a rod through the roll to support it, made a crud frame to support the rod. If I didn't have the mat cutter, I don't think I could keep the sheets square enough for the printer, you will be fighting the curl no matter what you use, and don't forget the cotton gloves.