USCutter SC User Manual page 10

Making Your First Test Cut
A Basic Guide To Vinyl Cutting
Now that you've got your system fully Assuming you're cutting standard signage
assembled let's take a moment to test it and vinyl, you'll want to use your 45° blade. If
also take moment to learn a bit about how you received vinyl along with your cutter
to "fine tune" the machine so that it will do package, chances are very good it's a standard
quality cuts on the different materials you'll be GreenStar or Oracal signage vinyl. Now, find
cutting. To do this we'll do a standard test cut, the TEST button on the cutter control pad and
which when competed will a simple triangle press it. It should cut a pattern that looks like
inside of a square. Load the material roll and this:
adjust the pinch rollers. Remember to make
sure the top roller is placed so that there is a
bottom roller (called the "grit roller") beneath
it. Remember to line the material up so that it
is moving straight through the feed area, and
resist the temptation to run the material close
to the edge of the cutter feed area or you
increase the risk of a mis-feed that will wrinkle
your vinyl. (See the graphic on the top of pg.
21 for an example.)
For thin and regular sized media,
B
B
L
L
A For thicker materials, such as Siser
A
D D
E StripFlock, Siser Glitter, and Hexis
E
60
CutFlex 600 Reflective,
MEDIA MEDIA
CARRIER
CARRIER
a 60
1
MEDIA
CARRIER
LOAD MATERIAL
Most vinyl products
loaded from over the top.
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This Test Cut will help you to calibrate the
machine for this material. Examine this cut
and use a weeding tool or exacto knife to
weed the square out while keeping the
triangle on the paper. ("Weeding" is the word
for removing the cut vinyl in the design.)
Use this simple diagram to make adjustments.
There's a certain amount of trial and error to it
at first, but you'll quickly get a feel for it.
CHOOSE BLADE
Load the blade so
B
B
B
L
L
L that the length of the
A A
A
D D D
blade shown is not
E
E E
use a 45 o blade.
MEDIA longer than
MEDIA CARRIER
CARRIER
thick.
o blade is needed.
2
are
16
18
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B
L
A
D
E
60
60
MEDIA
the media is
MEDIA
CARRIER
CARRIER
MEDIA
CARRIER
MEDIA
CARRIER
FORCE/PRESSURE
This setting determines how hard the blade comes down onto the material.
Test Cut
This setting determines how fast the design is cut out
and is usually measured in centimeters per second.
small intricate
large simpler de-
3
outer square INCREASE
won't weed FORCE
blade digging too far DECREASE FORCE
into carrier
weeds easily with a light-
PERFECT!
ly scored carrier
17
19
425.481.3555
CUT SPEED
DECREASE CUT
designs SPEED
INCREASE
signs CUT SPEED
4
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