The amount of the shear is controlled by a shear angle.

Horizontal lines, in particular, get tilted by the shear angle to become lines with slope .

Therefore the shear factor is the cotangent of the angle by which the vertical lines tilt, called the shear angle.

Calculate the cutting ratio, shear angle, the cutting and thrust forces on the tool and the power required at the tool.

For larger shears the moving blade may be set on an angle or "rocked" in order to shear the material progressively from one side to the other; this angle is referred to as the shear angle.