If you work with thicker paper including
cardstock, you will probably have a project that requires you to fold your
paper. However, folding thicker stock or paper that's been pre-printed
with can be difficult which is why many people choose to score their
paper beforehand. Scoring the paper ensures that you'll get a clean fold
and that the paper won't crack. I
If you work with thicker paper including
cardstock, you'll probably have a project that requires you to fold your
paper. However, folding thicker stock or paper that's been pre-printed
with can be difficult which is why many people choose to score their
paper beforehand. Scoring the paper ensures that you'll get a clean fold
and that the paper won't crack. It will also make your work look more
presentable. There are three different ways you can score your paper.
Here they are:
Use a dull knife and a straight edge.
If you're on a budget, your best solution is using a knife and a
straight edge or rule to score your materials. When you do this, you
need to be careful not to cut the paper, so don't exert too much
pressure. And naturally, you need to exercise caution so you don't
accidentally cut yourself. Using a knife and straight edge is a great
choice if you don't have a lot of paper to process.
Use a rotary trimmer.
There are a lot of rotary trimmers on the market and some of them have
interchangeable blades that can cut, perforate, and score your paper.
Using one of these devices can be very helpful since you can do three
different things with it. Also, since the cutter has a designated
scoring blade, it's incredibly easy to score your paper without any
problem. If you're interested in using a rotary trimmer to score your
materials, you'll be glad to know that these cutters are made by good
manufacturers like Swingline and Martin Yale. Thus, you can expect to
get a lot of use out of the cutter you choose.
Use a scorer.
If using a knife and straight edge or a rotary trimmer doesn't appeal
to you, using a scorer might be the way to go. There are actual machines
available that do nothing but scoring and these devices are perfect if
you need to score your materials on a regular basis. Using a scorer is
very similar to using a rotary trimmer, so operation is quick and easy.
Scorers are produced by respected manufacturers such as Lassco Wizer and
Standard. If you have a Powis Parker Fastback binding machine, you'll
be glad to know that there's a Fastback scorer available. This device
comes in really handy if you're creating paperback documents.
Those
are the three different scoring options that are available. As to which
one you should choose, it depends on your needs. Using a knife and
straight edge is helpful if your workload is small and if you want
something budget-friendly. Rotary trimmers can be really helpful,
especially if you also need to perforate and score your paper. And using
a scorer is recommend if you regularly need to score your materials.
Keep in mind that no matter which method you choose, scoring is pretty
easy and it's essential if you want to produce professional-looking
work. Start scoring your paper and cardstock today so you can make your
work look fantastic.
Jeff McRitchie is the Vice-President of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his reviews have been published in thousands of locations
on the Internet. If you're looking for information about paper handling equipment, his articles are a great place to start.
