How to Cut Printable Planner Inserts

In this blog post, we will share two simple methods for cutting planner inserts. This guide would be useful for those opting to print planner inserts on US Letter or A4 paper. We recommend printing directly on pre-cut planner insert paper to save time and will be making a guide for that in the near future.

Method 1: Xacto Knife & Paper Trimmers

Required Tools:
Set 1: Xacto knife, Non-slip ruler and Cutting matt OR Set 2: Paper Trimmer with lifting blades

• Step 1: Make all vertical (blue) cuts using trim marks as guides. Ensure to not cut all the way across the paper. 
• Step 2: Make all horizontal (red) cuts using trim marks as guides

Method 2: Guillotine & Paper Trimmers

We recommend this method for cutting large quantities of planner inserts.

Required Tools: Guillotine or Paper Trimmer

Important: Always ensure your paper is completely against the top of your guillotine/trimmer to avoid slanted cuts. This also allows you to cut using only one trim mark instead of needing both trim marks across.

• Step 1: Cut across CUT 1 (Red) using the top horizontal trim marks as guides. Cut across CUT 2 (Pink) using the middle vertical trim marks as guides.
• Step 2: After the first 2 cuts you should have two parts of the sheet(s). The left sheet(s) should be flipped horizontally so that the “8LOTUS” logo is on the left side.
• Step 3: Using the ruler attached to your guillotine or trimmer, align to the width measurement of your insert to make CUT 3 (Blue). Alternatively, you can use the remaining vertical trim mark as a guide.
• Step 4: Turn the sheet(s) counterclockwise (the logo should be at the bottom ). Using the ruler attached to your guillotine or trimmer, align to the length measurement of your insert to make CUT 4 (Green).

Other types of Trim Marks

At 8Lotus we pride ourselves in providing professionally designed products and are always looking to improve. We are aware that some users are not familiar with trimming using the design industry standard trim marks, hence we created this quick guide. Hopefully, this guide will help everyone cut their inserts hassle free.

The reason why we do not use the “trim marks” in the example image below is because it intrudes the design. With these type of trim marks, you will need to trim 1 – 3 mm or more into the design to avoid the trim marks showing on your inserts depending on how perfectly your front and back pages match up. A typical home printer will not produce perfect alignment on the front and back page as it does not have a registration sensor. We recommend using industry approved trim marks to ensure consistency and avoid extra work when printing inserts.

Thank you for tuning into our blog post, we hope some of these tips were of value to you. This post will receive ongoing updates to ensure it contains the most up to date information. If you have any tips for cutting planner inserts at home feel free to share them in the comment section below!