There are times when it is difficult to keep a ruler steady when cutting paper or an artboard. The surface of your material is slippery, causing the ruler to keep moving around as you attempt to cut.
A simple solution is to line up your ruler to where you need to make the cut. Then tape down the non-cutting edge of the ruler using pieces of painter's tape. This helps keep the ruler securely in place. Grip the ruler with your non-cutting hand, as you normally would. The tape gives you a more stable placement, but the ruler still needs to be held in place with pressure as you cut.
Test this out on a few scraps with the materials you normally use to get more comfortable with how this method works. If the tape marks or removes the surface of the paper or board then take the pieces of tape and adhere them to your pant leg or shirt sleeve first, before applying them to the paper/board.
Below I am preparing to trim off the uneven edge of a piece of Gatorboard.
Always remember to use a fresh, sharp blade when cutting any material. Most accidents happen because of dull blades. Another good practice is not to use cutting tools or anything sharp when you are tired.
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