Fellowes Astro A4 paper cutter, guillotine, 50 sheets, 46 cm cutting length

On a guillotine paper cutter the blade comes down on a lever and cuts through the entire stack in one stroke. Unlike a rotary or sliding trimmer, which usually handles a few sheets at a time, a guillotine suits jobs where a larger number of identical sheets needs trimming: margins on printed material, cards, signs or several designs printed on one sheet.

According to the manufacturer, the cutting capacity is up to 50 sheets. A thicker bundle can be cut in one go instead of sheet by sheet, and every sheet ends up with the same edge. Fewer repeat cuts also mean less risk of the cutting line drifting from sheet to sheet. The exact number depends on paper thickness, which the manufacturer does not state separately.

The cutting length is 460 mm and the manufacturer lists A4 and A4+ as supported formats. The long side of an A4 sheet is 297 mm, so the cutting line covers it completely and leaves room for slightly larger A4+ sheets. That way an A4 sheet can be cut along its long side in a single stroke.

The unit measures 588 × 216 × 418 mm (width × depth × height). At only 216 mm deep, the cutter fits on a narrow shelf or on a desk next to the printer. The grey finish matches ordinary office furniture and equipment. The pack contains one unit.

Offices that produce their own printed material, name badges, cards or presentation handouts; schools and kindergartens that cut lots of worksheets and craft material; copy centres and small print shops that regularly trim stacks of A4; and any workplace where scissors and a craft knife are no longer enough.