This 19" electric paper cutter is an upgrade to the 17.7" one and is worth the extra difference in price. Looks like the blade will be easier to adjust and you can program your sizes in to have the back gauge automatically move to the next position. The manual is very hard to understand, and customer service takes a long time to respond to any problems you have. There's a switch on the front to raise and lower the clamp (paper presser). To lower it, you simply push the down button, but to raise it, you have to push the up button on the switch and the LEFT cut button at the same time. For helpful videos on how to use this cutter, go on YouTube and search "E490T electric paper cutter", they may not all be the same brand but are very similar in operation.