Joe stared at his monitor for a moment, then quietly pressed 'Print'. He watched as the document quickly compiled itself, and set off for the printer.

Milliseconds later, the printer came to life, anxious to fulfill its master's wish. Through the midst of gears and rollers, Joe could distinctly make out the old familiar sound of a dot-matrix printer.

But this was an inkjet printer. It created images from a reservoir of ink; it had no ribbon at all. The sound Joe heard was that of his document cutting itself out. The pins of the dot-matrix printing head had been sharpened to a point, allowing them to pierce through the document, creating thousands of tiny holes.

These holes had been carefully scribed around the perimeter of the shapes, causing it to create a perforated outline. The printer finished and happily gave up its document. Joe took it and carefully tore out the shapes, the tear following the precisely machined line of least resistance, freeing the shapes from the rest of the paper.
-- Aq_Bi, Dec 26 2004

SummaCut D60 desktop cutter http://www.summasto...d3125a2ebcac772640d
Has a pounce kit perf option available. [bristolz, Dec 28 2004]

VersaLaser http://versalaser.com/english/index.html
Laser cutting system for sheet stock. $10K and up. [bristolz, Dec 28 2004]

GCC Cutting Plotter http://www.gccworld..._cutter_jaguar.html
Cuts all kinds of thin stuff from mask film to metalized stock. [bristolz, Dec 28 2004]

CraftRobo http://www.graphtec...raftrobo/about.html
Probably the closest thing to what this idea describes. I have ordered one (they're not yet shipping in the US) and will let you know what it's like. [bristolz, Jan 05 2006]

Sorta/kinda Dot_20Matrix_20Cookie_20Cutter
[Giblet, Jan 06 2006]

You know, with all the competition in the computer printer business, I'm surprised someone hasn't done this yet! Nice one. Welcome to the bakery.
-- krelnik, Dec 26 2004


Stencilicious.
-- contracts, Dec 27 2004


These exist in virtually every sign shop in the U.S. They usually cut adhesive-backed vinyl stock and use knives instead of a pin matrix head. Pounce systems, also used in sign shops, do cut perfs and *may* use a pin-head.
-- bristolz, Dec 27 2004


And desktop laser cutters exist in many architect's offices that can cut up to .25 inch foam board and myriad other substances. Substantial cost though.
-- oxen crossing, Dec 28 2004


has anyone implemented this on a standard desktop LASER printer ? I'm really only thinking it would be handy to be able to cut straight lines (rather than holes) e.g. to create name badges.
-- neilp, Jan 05 2006


A STANDARD laser printer? How would that work?

Or do you mean like the VersaLaser? (link)
-- bristolz, Jan 05 2006


I was thinking of something a lot less hard core, and less flexible than the VersaLaser. Just something which fits just before the paper is output (either) cutting the paper along it's length and/or along its widths.
-- neilp, Jan 06 2006


I thought a cutting printer would be one which shreds highly sensitive documents as they're printed.
-- hippo, Jan 06 2006


Maybe instead of perforating the edges of the shape, the surrounding blank paper could be colored completely with a paper eating acid. The acid would then run off the paper and back into the printer, get any papery remains cleaned out and reused. It would be nice to hear, along with the other common printer sounds, a sizzling sound as the paper was disintegrated. "weee! kachung, va vuu va vuu... ssssssssssssss."
-- ultra-toaster 3000, Oct 12 2009


I think that the fact that this can already be bought under the guise of "laser cutters" from a company called "HLlaser" would pretty wel put this one to rest. Then I saw the VersaLaser link. Really not a novel idea, just still very expensive.
-- WcW, Oct 12 2009


//paper eating acid.// now that is a great idea! It needn't be a very violent acid, just something that would slowly degrade the paper. Then, a special ink cartridge could be used in a regular inkjet printer. If there's no easy way to dissolve regular paper, the manufacturer could provide the "etching ink" and also a special "etchable" paper. Yes.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Oct 12 2009


Maybe we could make a cheaper version by combining a laser printer with an ant farm full of leaf-cutter ants.
-- wagster, Oct 12 2009


I thought the laser version might hole the paper up in a frame and them beam a high power laser cutter from a swivelling laser, to slice the outline. Do not position in front of a mirror.
-- pocmloc, Oct 12 2009


Yeah but do they work on paper? I didn't want to bring it up if they only work on vinyl.
-- WcW, Oct 12 2009



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