In the past, we’ve utilized a self-sealing cut mat Olfa knife and an edge safety ruler made of steel to complete all of customized trimmings of prints and posters. The most of our projects hasn’t required any custom trimming because we design our standard posters on 17.17″ (43.18 millimetres) rolls of paper. All posters are produced by our printers that have been cut according to the size required and are ready to be shipped.
Our client recently gave us an order for 700 custom safety signs we realized it was the right time to implement a more efficient way of trimming. We not only had to cut the posters to a size that was custom-designed and then wrap them in five mil laminate film and then trim the 15 mil thick posters again. We wanted something that was simple to store away for when it is not being used, easy for operation, as well as produce consistently professional outcomes.
After a bit of research, we decided to add Dahle 554 professional Rotary cutter to our collection of printing equipment. It measures 36 14.13″ x 14.13″ (91.4 36cm) and is capable of cutting lengths as long as 28-1/4″ (71.8 centimeters).
The Dahle 554 has an upper rotary blade that self-sharpens and a lower permanent steel blade. We observed that it cut extremely precisely and did not leave any traces of burrs along edge of the posters. The trimmer also cut into posters enclosed in a 5 mil laminate film with no problems whatsoever. The blade that is fixed in the lower part is very sharp, and the trimmer should never be held near this edge.
This rotary device is housed in a plastic enclosure for extra security when using the device.
The design of the rotary cutter allows cuts to be made in both directions, which can save considerable time when performing large-scale work.
The guide is transparent. It functions as a cutting guide that functions as an automated paper clamp and applies pressure downward on the object being cut when the trimming motion is activated. The guide is flexible, and can impact the precision of cutting when the guide is employed as reference point for cutting.
An adjustable backstop can be activated by pressing the red clip. It can be then slid down the bar guide. This setup allows regular trimming of bulk things.
The base of the metal provides excellent stability and is marked with a grid pattern to aid in trimming. While most people will appreciate this grid but those from the United States may be disappointed that the majority of markings are in metric which could hinder the usefulness of the grid.
On the bottom of the trimmer, you’ll discover non-slip rubber feet that help to stop the trimmer from sliding it is in use.
There are mounting brackets that can be fitted to the trimmer, which allow it to be mounted to the wall. Because of the amount of job we perform, I don’t believe that wall mounting is suitable for us, but other users might feel differently. There are two more powerful models (556 558) within this range of Dahle professional rotary trimmers which mounting stands are available. It is something you should think about if you run a business that is a large volume producer of custom-tailored trimming.
The Dahle 554 Professional Rotary Trimmer worked like an absolute success with our large custom-designed poster order. Our only problem faced was with the very early wear on the pre-printed grid lines. After contact with B&H their customer service department, the staff were able to connect us with Dahle, a company based in America. United States. A quick phone call and sending them some photos of the wear and tear and resulted in a free replacement being approved by Dahle as well as a quick RMA service provided by B&H. According to Dahle, the premature wear of grid lines we encountered using our trimmer is a extremely rare event.
Summary
Dahle 554 is a Dahle 554 professional Rotary Trimmer is high-quality trimmer for intermediate grades which is perfect for professional photographers who have a an average amount of trimming work that they need to perform. It runs smoothly and produces high-quality cuts. It is quicker and more precise in use over trimming using an edge mat or knife and a safety ruler.