Two ways to fold a book. One needs scissors and one doesn't, and the difference decides which designs you can actually make.
A folded book is made of vertical strips — one sheet of paper is one thin column of the finished picture. Fold the top corner back and the bottom corner back, and what stays sticking out is a single band of paper. That band is the only mark that sheet can make.
MMF — measure, mark, fold — works entirely within that limit. Two measurements per sheet, no cutting, and every mistake is recoverable because paper unfolds. It's how most people learn book folding and it handles the great majority of designs.
The limit bites when a vertical line through your design crosses two or more dark areas. Think of a ring: near its middle, a vertical line passes through the top of the ring, then the hole, then the bottom. One sheet, two bands wanted, one band possible. MMF has to drop one — and across the whole book that turns a clean ring into a dashed ghost of one.
Cut & Fold removes the limit by cutting in from the outer edge at each band boundary. Now the sheet is in sections, and each section folds independently. On a ring at 300 pages that's the difference between showing about two-thirds of the design and showing all of it.
A strip that touches the top or bottom of the sheet doesn't need a cut at all — the paper beyond it is still attached to an edge, so it creases back the ordinary way. Only the boundaries between strips have to be cut free. Mixing the two on the same sheet is what the craft calls a combi fold, and this generator does it by default: a ring in a 300-page book comes out at 152 cuts rather than the 436 you'd make by cutting every boundary. Sheets wanting a single strip get no cuts whatsoever — they're plain folds.
135 of the ready-made patterns are built this way, because plain folding cannot hold what they show — the eye of a face, the hole in a ring, the seams of a ball. All are cut for a 300-page book about 20 cm tall; for any other book, run the artwork through the generator instead.
314 cuts across 86 of 150 sheets — the other 64 are plain folds.
320 cuts across 110 of 150 sheets — the other 40 are plain folds.
178 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
138 cuts across 47 of 150 sheets — the other 103 are plain folds.
46 cuts across 23 of 150 sheets — the other 127 are plain folds.
86 cuts across 33 of 150 sheets — the other 117 are plain folds.
44 cuts across 18 of 150 sheets — the other 132 are plain folds.
84 cuts across 42 of 150 sheets — the other 108 are plain folds.
58 cuts across 28 of 150 sheets — the other 122 are plain folds.
194 cuts across 71 of 150 sheets — the other 79 are plain folds.
160 cuts across 70 of 150 sheets — the other 80 are plain folds.
120 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
194 cuts across 80 of 150 sheets — the other 70 are plain folds.
268 cuts across 100 of 150 sheets — the other 50 are plain folds.
272 cuts across 87 of 150 sheets — the other 63 are plain folds.
124 cuts across 62 of 150 sheets — the other 88 are plain folds.
68 cuts across 34 of 150 sheets — the other 116 are plain folds.
154 cuts across 69 of 150 sheets — the other 81 are plain folds.
128 cuts across 64 of 150 sheets — the other 86 are plain folds.
92 cuts across 43 of 150 sheets — the other 107 are plain folds.
152 cuts across 61 of 150 sheets — the other 89 are plain folds.
194 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
100 cuts across 37 of 150 sheets — the other 113 are plain folds.
68 cuts across 34 of 150 sheets — the other 116 are plain folds.
192 cuts across 80 of 150 sheets — the other 70 are plain folds.
112 cuts across 56 of 150 sheets — the other 94 are plain folds.
88 cuts across 40 of 150 sheets — the other 110 are plain folds.
90 cuts across 45 of 150 sheets — the other 105 are plain folds.
220 cuts across 90 of 150 sheets — the other 60 are plain folds.
118 cuts across 57 of 150 sheets — the other 93 are plain folds.
92 cuts across 46 of 150 sheets — the other 104 are plain folds.
70 cuts across 35 of 150 sheets — the other 115 are plain folds.
184 cuts across 80 of 150 sheets — the other 70 are plain folds.
56 cuts across 28 of 150 sheets — the other 122 are plain folds.
220 cuts across 72 of 150 sheets — the other 78 are plain folds.
232 cuts across 97 of 150 sheets — the other 53 are plain folds.
258 cuts across 73 of 150 sheets — the other 77 are plain folds.
342 cuts across 91 of 150 sheets — the other 59 are plain folds.
252 cuts across 78 of 150 sheets — the other 72 are plain folds.
264 cuts across 81 of 150 sheets — the other 69 are plain folds.
120 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
156 cuts across 65 of 150 sheets — the other 85 are plain folds.
116 cuts across 54 of 150 sheets — the other 96 are plain folds.
80 cuts across 38 of 150 sheets — the other 112 are plain folds.
56 cuts across 25 of 150 sheets — the other 125 are plain folds.
58 cuts across 27 of 150 sheets — the other 123 are plain folds.
36 cuts across 14 of 150 sheets — the other 136 are plain folds.
14 cuts across 6 of 150 sheets — the other 144 are plain folds.
8 cuts across 4 of 150 sheets — the other 146 are plain folds.
100 cuts across 28 of 150 sheets — the other 122 are plain folds.
152 cuts across 63 of 150 sheets — the other 87 are plain folds.
282 cuts across 104 of 150 sheets — the other 46 are plain folds.
144 cuts across 72 of 150 sheets — the other 78 are plain folds.
216 cuts across 98 of 150 sheets — the other 52 are plain folds.
200 cuts across 75 of 150 sheets — the other 75 are plain folds.
96 cuts across 32 of 150 sheets — the other 118 are plain folds.
130 cuts across 49 of 150 sheets — the other 101 are plain folds.
90 cuts across 32 of 150 sheets — the other 118 are plain folds.
116 cuts across 42 of 150 sheets — the other 108 are plain folds.
50 cuts across 25 of 150 sheets — the other 125 are plain folds.
32 cuts across 16 of 150 sheets — the other 134 are plain folds.
70 cuts across 35 of 150 sheets — the other 115 are plain folds.
96 cuts across 32 of 150 sheets — the other 118 are plain folds.
170 cuts across 58 of 150 sheets — the other 92 are plain folds.
162 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
78 cuts across 23 of 150 sheets — the other 127 are plain folds.
38 cuts across 19 of 150 sheets — the other 131 are plain folds.
76 cuts across 28 of 150 sheets — the other 122 are plain folds.
70 cuts across 28 of 150 sheets — the other 122 are plain folds.
130 cuts across 49 of 150 sheets — the other 101 are plain folds.
44 cuts across 22 of 150 sheets — the other 128 are plain folds.
66 cuts across 33 of 150 sheets — the other 117 are plain folds.
106 cuts across 39 of 150 sheets — the other 111 are plain folds.
146 cuts across 54 of 150 sheets — the other 96 are plain folds.
86 cuts across 43 of 150 sheets — the other 107 are plain folds.
114 cuts across 40 of 150 sheets — the other 110 are plain folds.
152 cuts across 76 of 150 sheets — the other 74 are plain folds.
180 cuts across 90 of 150 sheets — the other 60 are plain folds.
540 cuts across 129 of 150 sheets — the other 21 are plain folds.
388 cuts across 118 of 150 sheets — the other 32 are plain folds.
220 cuts across 88 of 150 sheets — the other 62 are plain folds.
364 cuts across 102 of 150 sheets — the other 48 are plain folds.
458 cuts across 132 of 150 sheets — the other 18 are plain folds.
448 cuts across 131 of 150 sheets — the other 19 are plain folds.
408 cuts across 108 of 150 sheets — the other 42 are plain folds.
464 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
428 cuts across 124 of 150 sheets — the other 26 are plain folds.
492 cuts across 89 of 150 sheets — the other 61 are plain folds.
596 cuts across 138 of 150 sheets — the other 12 are plain folds.
400 cuts across 111 of 150 sheets — the other 39 are plain folds.
374 cuts across 118 of 150 sheets — the other 32 are plain folds.
320 cuts across 137 of 150 sheets — the other 13 are plain folds.
234 cuts across 74 of 150 sheets — the other 76 are plain folds.
264 cuts across 90 of 150 sheets — the other 60 are plain folds.
294 cuts across 118 of 150 sheets — the other 32 are plain folds.
518 cuts across 143 of 150 sheets — the other 7 are plain folds.
502 cuts across 136 of 150 sheets — the other 14 are plain folds.
400 cuts across 140 of 150 sheets — the other 10 are plain folds.
250 cuts across 68 of 150 sheets — the other 82 are plain folds.
408 cuts across 146 of 150 sheets — the other 4 are plain folds.
398 cuts across 127 of 150 sheets — the other 23 are plain folds.
478 cuts across 138 of 150 sheets — the other 12 are plain folds.
278 cuts across 89 of 150 sheets — the other 61 are plain folds.
300 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
252 cuts across 70 of 150 sheets — the other 80 are plain folds.
320 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
336 cuts across 123 of 150 sheets — the other 27 are plain folds.
450 cuts across 115 of 150 sheets — the other 35 are plain folds.
334 cuts across 108 of 150 sheets — the other 42 are plain folds.
336 cuts across 122 of 150 sheets — the other 28 are plain folds.
268 cuts across 99 of 150 sheets — the other 51 are plain folds.
412 cuts across 114 of 150 sheets — the other 36 are plain folds.
210 cuts across 77 of 150 sheets — the other 73 are plain folds.
444 cuts across 112 of 150 sheets — the other 38 are plain folds.
490 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
574 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
248 cuts across 84 of 150 sheets — the other 66 are plain folds.
334 cuts across 139 of 150 sheets — the other 11 are plain folds.
220 cuts across 81 of 150 sheets — the other 69 are plain folds.
292 cuts across 128 of 150 sheets — the other 22 are plain folds.
282 cuts across 134 of 150 sheets — the other 16 are plain folds.
136 cuts across 64 of 150 sheets — the other 86 are plain folds.
220 cuts across 60 of 150 sheets — the other 90 are plain folds.
436 cuts across 142 of 150 sheets — the other 8 are plain folds.
426 cuts across 116 of 150 sheets — the other 34 are plain folds.
378 cuts across 129 of 150 sheets — the other 21 are plain folds.
524 cuts across 128 of 150 sheets — the other 22 are plain folds.
528 cuts across 128 of 150 sheets — the other 22 are plain folds.
376 cuts across 126 of 150 sheets — the other 24 are plain folds.
258 cuts across 95 of 150 sheets — the other 55 are plain folds.
414 cuts across 130 of 150 sheets — the other 20 are plain folds.
364 cuts across 118 of 150 sheets — the other 32 are plain folds.
340 cuts across 124 of 150 sheets — the other 26 are plain folds.
422 cuts across 135 of 150 sheets — the other 15 are plain folds.
470 cuts across 138 of 150 sheets — the other 12 are plain folds.
| MMF (fold only) | Cut & Fold | |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | A ruler. Nothing else. | A ruler, plus scissors or a craft knife. |
| Marks per sheet | Two — a top and a bottom. | Two per strip, so four or six on a busy sheet. |
| What one sheet can show | One strip. That's the hard limit. | As many strips as the design needs. |
| Solid shapes (heart, cross, a name) | Ideal. No reason to cut. | Works, but you're cutting for nothing. |
| Hollow shapes (outlines, rings, line art) | Comes out as dashed lines. | Comes out whole. |
| Cuts on a single-strip sheet | None — there's nothing to cut. | Also none. Those sheets fold plainly (see combi, above). |
| Time for a 300-page book | An evening or two. | Roughly double, and slower to start. |
| Recoverable mistakes | Yes — unfold and refold. | No. A cut is permanent. |
Don't cut a solid shape. If every sheet only wants one strip anyway, cutting adds hours and risk and changes nothing about the result. The generator tells you which case you're in before you start.
It doesn't decide, because no measurement can. The same count that flags one design as needing scissors flags plenty that fold perfectly well without them. So the generator scans your artwork once and draws every reading of it side by side — the plain fold, and Cut & Fold both ways up — with the scissor work each one costs written underneath. You pick by looking, not by knowing any of this beforehand.
Upload and generate
Enter your book's real page range and height, then generate as normal.
Compare the previews
Every version is drawn from the same scan. What a plain fold drops is visible rather than described, and each one says how many sheets need scissors.
Take the one you want
Each preview carries its own PDF and its own on-screen folding mode. Nothing to switch, and nothing regenerates.
Download the guide
The Cut & Fold PDF lists, for every sheet, where to cut and which sections to fold back.
Cut about 2–3 cm deep
Just past where the fold will sit. Deeper weakens the sheet and starts showing at the spine; shallower and the folded section won't lie flat.
Cut one sheet at a time
Stacking to save time is the most common way people ruin a book — the sheets shift and the cuts drift out of line down the stack.
Scissors beat a knife for most people
A knife is faster and neater if you already use one. If you don't, small sharp scissors are far more forgiving and don't need a cutting mat.
Mark everything before you cut anything
Work through a batch of sheets with a pencil first. Switching between measuring and cutting is where mistakes get made, and cuts don't undo.