Best-est Gear Purchase Ever!!!

One of the few zero-regret photography purchases I've made.

Twenty-five years later, still works like new, same blade that came with it. I can cut hair-line trims over, and over, and over. The Rotatrim Professional is built like a tank and does what it says on the tin— no muss, no fuss.

A couple weeks ago I wrote what I hope was a practical guide to printer purchases. While not nearly as exciting to write about as cameras, lenses, and other photography gear that may be gnawing at you, here’s another extremely practical, boring recommendation on how you should probably spend your money. The title of this newsletter might seem over the top but I am being serious. Let’s say you pulled the trigger on your first really good 13” or 17” printer after pondering my take on how to decide. What’s the very next thing (after some paper) you really, really, really should buy? Drum roll please… And the survey says… A paper trimmer.

Exciting? No! Must-have? Yes!!! I am going to fast-forward as to which one is THE ONE. Just buy the 24inch Rotatrim Professional M. Buy it new unless you find a really great deal on a used one. It’s not a ton of money. The one pictured at the top is my 24inch dual rail I purchased in the wee-early 2000’s, possibly in 2000? Prior to this trimmer I must have had a dozen household, office supply store, mall art store trimmers of various brand names. They were all junk. I didn’t know they were junk until I used a Rotatrim exactly as pictured. I immediately bought one the next day and have never looked back.

This Rotatrim has been used continuously since purchase. It’s moved around the country with me. It’s outlived many printers, cameras, tripods, lenses, and flash systems. I’ve never changed the blade. It came with an extra blade I still have. It still cuts everything I through at it from stiff heavy paper to crazy thin and delicate Awagami and it’s never been the cause of any ruined prints. It cuts hair-line strips perfectly. It’s accurate and precise just. like the day it was made. It’s actually without exaggeration a pleasure to use, like it’s fun.

When I first partnered up with Les way, way back almost 20 years ago we were making prints. The first time I was around and needed to cut one sheet into a few I asked where his trimmer was. He went and brought in some sort of office-store “Fiskers” or something trimmer. I refused to use it, seriously, I refused, calling it a piece of junk that will ruin more prints than not. The next day I chucked the ol’ Rotatrim in my car and it’s never left the studio again. In fact Les immediately bought the 24inch' cutter’s big-big brother — The 54inch, not just the biggest but also with the 36inch extension ruler (which can be used on any of the Pro-M series trimmers).

For size comparison; An A4 print on the 24 inch Rotatrim Professional surrounded by the 54 inch Professional-M and measurement extension. Those extensions come in 24 inch and 36 inch. Just unscrew the stock measuring bar and screw in the extension. Note: The black background is a Rotatrim cutting mat. Yes, we like their stuff and no they do not sponsor us.

Why You Need A Trimmer

• Obviously to trim prints on the wrong sized paper to the size you want to mount and frame.

• To print lots of small prints on large paper

• To make custom sized holiday cards, invitations, book folios, artist cards, catalogs, etc.

• To make even borders on most roll-paper prints where the printer doesn’t do a great job.

• 100 other things I forgot but will remember the next time I print.

Why This Trimmer & Why 24inch

• It’s big enough to handle 95.62% of everything we make, in all the workshops, and all the exhibitions we print. Seriously if it were smaller it wouldn’t cover as many things as this does. We use this trimer almost every time we print.

• It’s small enough to use no matter how small your workspace is.

• It stores easily.

• It travels in any car easily.

• Rotatrim does make a down market trimer. I’ve never personally used it and the price difference is not worth me figuring out if it’s as good and as durable. If any of you have long experience with the other model, let us know but specify if you’ve actually compared it to the dual-rail.

• Take a look at the link at the top. You’ll quickly figure out the smaller sizes are not that much less money. That’s how I ended up with the 24inch 25 years ago.

• The bigger sizes get much bigger, much quicker. Unless you already know you need it don’t bother. If you do need it the big ones are great too but require a much larger work surface and are a bit more cumbersome to move and transport, especially with the extension.

• The price goes up pretty quick as well. We make enough really big prints where Les could justify it. That in no way indicates we use it nearly as often as the 24inch.

What are your seemingly boring purchases that turned out to be great decisions for your photography and printing endeavors? We’d all love to know the stuff you’ve purchased that made a huge difference in your work over the years and still do…