Vacuum system to hold down paper

[Aan]

Hi,

Im a newbie here so please forgive me if i ask something so basic. But i need ideas from you brilliant people about the vacuum system.
Im planning to build my own CNC-paper-cutter machine. But when im collecting information and data, i got confused on how to hold the paper on the cutting surface.
Should it be manually held or using the vacuum system to hold it down?
-. if i use the vacuum system, there'll be a lot of small holes and the cutting on the paper wont be smooth anymore as the cutter follows the line to cut. Is there any way to cut down this disadvantage by using a certain material?
-. if done manually, i can easily get a self healing mat.

Thank you,
Aan

[Geof]

Use a layer of low density mdf on top of the vacuum table with a vacuum pump that can pull a good vacuum. The mdf has sufficient porosity that the paper will be held down. You might have to make a border around the mdf or seal the edges to reduce air infiltration here.

[buscht]

If you use Geof's idea, you might need to place a piece of Saran Wrap on top of the paper to get a good vacuum.