providing a fan folded strip of media having a plurality of pieces of media attached end to end, each piece of media comprising a surface, a first side, a second side, a center portion between the first and second side, a plurality of perforations being separated by a plurality of bridges of connecting material, and an end portion;

providing a tear bar comprising a rod having a first tapered portion, a second tapered portion, and a center portion positioned between the first and second tapered portions, wherein the rod has a substantially round cross section, the first tapered portion has an outer diameter, the second tapered portion has an outer diameter, the outer diameter of the first and second tapered portions decrease towards the center portion the rod, the first tapered portion, the second tapered portion, and the center portion include roughened surfaces, and the first and second tapered portions concentrate stress on the bridges to facilitate a separation of one of the plurality of pieces of media from the fan folded strip of media;

advancing and stopping the one of the plurality of pieces of media at a position such that the plurality of perforations contact the tear bar; and

positioning the one of the plurality of pieces of media to facilitate a user's application of a longitudinal force to the one of the plurality of pieces of media to separate the one of the plurality of pieces of media from the fan folded strip of media,

wherein the tear bar is rotationally fixed during separation of the one of the plurality of pieces of media from the fan folded strip of media.