Business cards are essential for any professional. Depending on the volume of cards that your business needs, you should either create them in house, or have them sent out to a print shop. Some types of businesses require hunders or even thousands of cards each month, and should invest in some equipment to create these in house. Many people and companies have already purchased a nice printer, which makes it easy to create professional looking cards on demand. The market for business card cutters can be confusing, especially with so many options. Here are some key features to look for in a business card cutter that will help determine the right one for you or your business.

Number of Cards Per Sheet

Business card cutters come in 3 different cut styles, 8-up, 10-up, and 12-up. Generally 8-up cards include a gutter in the middle of the page, to allow for full bleeds, and have 4 cards stacked in two columns. 10-up cards are printed with vertically with 5 cards stacked into two columns, while 12 up are printed more horizontally with 4 cards stacked into 3 columns. No matter which format you choose, the standard business card size is 2" x 3-1/2".

Adjustable Guides

Some business card cutters will allow you to make slight adjustments to the the cutting guides, which allows for partical customization of templates. While this will not make it so a 10-up model can be a 12-up, it does allow for the margins to be adjusted to accommodate custom designs. Before purchasing, make sure you ask your sales rep if the business card cutter can be adjusted.

Gutter or No Gutter

Depending on the style of business card that you want to print, you may need to shop for a gutter cut business card cutter. These card cutter will cut completely around each card, including a center strip. This allows for full bleeds of color to appear of the card. Typical margins for gutter cut cards are 1/4” in the center, 1/4” between cards, and a left & right margin of 5/8”. If you have no need for a full bleed card, then you do not need to look into buying a gutter cut model, as you will make less cards per sheet of paper.

Manual or Electric

Depending on the volume of cards that are needed, you may be able to save money and buy a manual card cutter. These cutters do not have a feeding mechanism, and require the user to feed the paper in, and then turn a wheel to operate. Electric models vary in their usability. Low end electric cutters, do not have an automatic feeding mechanism, but eliminate the need to manually turn a wheel or crank. Higher end models will have automatic feeding and will able to produce hundreds of cards in one minute.

Waste Catcher

Some models will include a waste catcher for margins and gutters. This helps with clean up, which will ultimately save you time, and keep your cutting organized.

Hopefully determining what you want in these features, will help you choose the best cutter for you.