I had a customer ask me the other day what the difference was between a rolling paper trimmer and a rotary paper trimmer. Rolling paper trimmer? I had to think about that one. I had previously never heard the term.

After doing a little research I discovered the answer. The biggest difference between a rolling paper trimmer and a rotary paper trimmer is this: NOTHING. They are synonymous terms for the same thing.

It ends up that Dahle is coining the term rolling paper trimmer for the type of cutter that most of us refer to as a rotary paper trimmer. Perhaps this change in terminology is warranted.

How does a rotary paper trimmer work? Typically, a round “rolling” blade is encased in a cutting head that slides along a bar. As the cutting head is pushed, the round blade rolls along and cuts the paper.

Regardless of what you call it, these types of paper trimmers are quickly becoming one of the most popular types of cutters used today, due in large part to the booming scrapbooking industry. If you ask a photographer what type of cutter they use to cut photographs, they will tell you that they use a rotary paper trimmer (usually a Rotatrim).

You can find our entire selection of rotary “rolling” paper trimmers here.

In case you haven’t been around the past decade, scrapbooking is huge. It is a multi-million dollar business and is popular in both hard and computer formats. Although scrapbooking by means of a computer has its benefits, most of the people I know use traditional stamps, custom-printed cardstock, scissors, glue and printed photographs.

I have been asked on several occasions, by customers, family and friends, which paper cutter is the best for scrapbooking. A lot of it depends on what you plan on doing, but I have personally purchased the Carl RT-200 paper cutter for my wife and she loves it. I’ll explain.

The RT-200, although a low-volume cutter, is inexpensive and is packed with features. It uses a rotary blade, which ensures a straight cut every time. Not only that, but about 11 different blades are available depending on the cut you desire. This varies from a perforating blade and a deckle blade to scallop or Victorian blade. It cuts through cardstock and photographs without a problem.

You can find the Carl RT-200 cutter here. For the price you really can’t go wrong, especially considering the cost of ink stamps, thermography powder and other scrapbooking equipment. Good luck with your scrapbooking!