It depends. If I am cutting lots of strips with inch/s or 1/2in width, I use the slotted square. If it is odd increments or only a few, I cut with the bulk on the right and use my ruler. However, depending on which mat I am using (3 choices, 3 sides of a table), if I don't have room on the right, I put the fabric to the left, align the ruler as if I was left-handed, then carefully align another ruler next to the one already on the fabric and remove the 1st ruler before cuttting. This is my least preferred as it allows for greater chance of error. If the distance is very short to cut, I can use my left hand.