Do you own or use a business card cutter and keep running into issues? While most business card cutters are pretty cut and dry (excuse the pun), there are some common issues that people run into. Some of these issues have simple solutions, where others may be a little more involved. Here are some of the most common issues I have experienced or have heard from customers.

Common Business Card Cutter & Slitter Troubleshooting Issues

1. Pages Keep Slipping – Does your paper keep slipping as it’s pulled into the machine? This may either be a simple annoyance or it may be causing serious issues. This is usually a result of coated paper or glossy paper. Most business card cutters use friction to pull paper through the machine and coated / glossy paper slips on the friction rollers. The only solution to this issue is to use non-coated or non-glossy paper.
2. Cut Is Crooked – Does your business card cutter seem to cut crooked lines when cutting business cards? This is typically a result of paper that is too thick being run through the machine. The quickest and easiest solution to this is to use thinner weight paper.
3. Business Cards Bleed Into Each Other – Do your business cards bleed into each other? Chances are pretty good that you are using a standard business card template on a standard business card cutter. In order to create edge-to-edge color on a business card (full bleed), you need to use a full-bleed business card template with a full-bleed business card cutter. If you only have a standard business card cutter, you will have to adjust the template of your business card.

Hopefully these tips will help you get more use out of your business card cutter and will help lower the stress in your life. If your business card cutter issues do not relate to the problems I have posted, you may want to contact our Service Technician by calling 1-800-658-8788 x129 or by filling out this form. You can also find our entire selection of business card cutters and slitters here. Have a great day!

Are you looking for a business card cutter, but aren’t sure which pattern you should use? You’re not alone. Many people get confused about this and aren’t exactly sure which pattern is best for them. I have used business card cutters for years now and have a few tips that may help you out.

To begin with, the number located in front of the “Up” is the amount of cards the business card cutter can create per sheet. A 10-up business card cutter can create 10 business cards on an 8 ½ x 11-inch sheet of paper. An 8-up is 8 business cards and a 12-up is 12 business cards.

So which pattern is most popular? The 10-up business card pattern is by far the most common pattern used today. This patter is most compatible with printers and more machines are available to cut that pattern. You can find a 10-up business card template in an MS Word format here.  The 8-up business card pattern is probably the least common used today.

Popular 10-Up Business Card Cutters

• The Cardmate business card cutter (found here) is the most popular manual 10-up business card cutter that we offer.
• The most popular electric business card cutter we sell is the Martin Yale 210 10-up business card cutter (found here).
• The most popular gutter cut business card cutter we sell is the Martin Yale GC210 10-up business card cutter (found here).

Business card cutters are great for creating custom business cards and allow you to create cards from the convenience of your own printer. You can find our entire selection of business card cutters here.

So you think you want to take a crack at creating your own business cards? No worries. It’s actually pretty easy. I make my own business cards and you can too. One great way to do this is by using a business card cutter. Right now, the CardMate is one of the hottest things out there for doing just that. Here is my review.

To begin with, the CardMate is a very compact little machine. It easily sits on a desk or table. A great place to put it is near your printer. It only weighs about six pounds and is perfect for light to medium-duty use.  It is primarily designed to create business cards, but it can also be used to create teaching cards, labels, product cards and more.

To begin with, you will want to print your cards on a laser or inkjet printer. This is easy to do. The CardMate uses a 10-up pattern, which means you can print a total of 10 business cards per sheet of paper. You can create a business card template using software such as Avery Zweckform, Corel Draw, Microsoft Word, Data Becker, Sigel and others.  We have a CardMate template that you can use to help design your own cards found here.

Once printed, the cards are fed into the machine. A total of two passes are required to create the cards. The machine itself is manually operated by use of a hand crank. It is very easy to do.  The entire process takes less than a minute.

One thing you will want to take into consideration when using the CardMate is that it is not designed to be used with slick or glossy paper. It may work, but it isn’t designed to handle that type of paper. This is because the CardMate uses rubber rollers to pull the paper through the machine. These rollers have habit of slipping on slick paper. I have had customers tell me that they had no problems where others said it seemed to slip on the paper a little.

I have personally used this little machine and have to say that I really like it. It is simple, yet effective. If you want to create your own business cards, and save some serious money in the process, consider getting the CardMate. You can find the CardMate business card cutter here. You can find our entire selection of business card cutters here.

Happy cutting!

Creating your own business cards is convenient, quick and affordable. Templates are readily available, with some software templates included with the machines. Simply print the cards and cut them out using the business card cutter.

Finding the right business card slitter isn’t always the easiest process. I am going to highlight five of our most popular business cards per our customers. This includes both manual and electric business card cutters.

Top Five Best Business Card Cutters

1. Tamerica CardMate Business Card Cutter – This business card cutter is one of our most popular units. This is due in part to the portability, durability and reliability of the slitter.
2. Martin Yale BCS 210 and 212 Cutters – These cutters have been out for years and have proven themselves over time to be reliable and easy-to-use. Choose between a 10-up or 12-up design.
3. Martin Yale BCS 410 and 412 Business Card Slitters – These cutters are identical to the 210 and 212, but include extra trays for paper scoring and perforating.
4. Martin Yale  GC210 10-Up Gutter Cut Business Card Cutter – This slitter is a replacement to the older Intimus 8-up system. This is one of the most affordable gutter-cut business card cutters and allows for full edge-to-edge color printing.
5. MBM BC 10 Business Card Cutter – This business card cutter is for those who plan to create a lot of business card on a regular basis and is designed for a 10-up business card pattern.

Hopefully this list helps you as you search for a reliable business card cutter. Post here with your questions.

Business card cutters have been around for some time now, both electric and manually-powered versions. Gutter cut business card cutters, however, are relatively new. They are designed to cut business cards in a way that allows for a full bleed print. Full bleed business cards are cards that feature full edge-to-edge color.

What does the gutter cut business card cutter do that a standard business card cutter can’t? Why not use a standard business card cutter for full-bleed prints? First of all, it is difficult to print a full bleed card using a standard business card template. If this were done, business card colors would bleed over in to other cards, ruining them.

Even if the print turned out OK, it would be very difficult to align a standard business card cutter to cut the line straight enough that the full-bleed color from one card, even a sliver, wouldn’t appear on another card. In other words, there would be some fine-tuned alignment issues.

Business card cutters, like the Martin Yale GC210, are designed to cut a gutter cut business card template. This doesn’t mean the GC210 can only cut full-bleed prints. It can also cut out more traditional prints that utilize more white space. The GC210 uses a 10-up cutting pattern, which allows it to cut 10 cards per sheet of paper. You can view the new Martin Yale GC210 business card cutter here.

Creating business cards in-house is a fast growing trend. Many businesses, home businesses and entrepreneurs are realizing how much money they can save by creating business cards by using a business card cutter. Which business card cutter is the best deal for the dollar though?

The business card cutter you go with will depend a lot on what you intend to cut and the template you decide to use. Ten-up and 12-up patterns are still the most popular used today, but if you want to create business cards with full edge-to-edge color, you may need what is known as a gutter cut. This article will focus on non gutter cut machines.

If you are creating standard business cards, I highly recommend these two models. Option one is manually operated (and very affordable), while option two is electric:

Option 1: Cardmate Business Card Cutter

Option 2: Martin Yale BCS210 & BCS220

I have personally used both of these machines and can recommend them both. As far as manual business card cutters go, the Cardmate is in a league of its own. Nothing else out there (manually operated) even comes close.

You may find our entire selection of business card cutters here.