Leaderboard

Greatly depends on what/where it's being installed. There's no generic answer. In some cases having a border or some sort of straight edge is very handy, others it draws attention if not lined up perfectly.

Mom22boys, I would remove your motherboard and check if it matches the image provided on the USCUTTER ordering page -- chances are it won't. (My MH, for instance, didn't have the COM ports attached as the one pictured does). Anyway, they want just $300 for a refurbished one, complete, but the cost is about $100 for just the replacement MB. I cannot imagine a difference of $200 being worthwhile to get an MH unit running (maybe, no guarantees), especially when you have a ton of work ahead. Perhaps you can spring for a different machine (SC2) to 'put under' your Christmas tree this year, and thank Santa for providing you with a new unit that will be a substantial improvement over the MH? Meanwhile, here's a little gift from me to you --- Holiday FontDings. https://www.fontspace.com/category/christmas,dingbats

I have learned to be very precise when I do a final clean-up cut after applying the app tape. I use one of the see through craft ruler (Fiskars) and I cut as straight and square as possible. I usually try to use a common offset like a half inch around each side. (enough to be able to hinge without overlapping the vinyl with my masking tape. I have found that being able to use the outside of the masked decal to align with is easier than trying to see through the app tape and figure out if it's hanging straight or not. Having a nice square decal works wonders on simple things like flat glass and signage. If it's going on a car, keeping it looking straight is a whole other art form with all the wild body lines these days. I usually find a window or door bottom or something like that to match and hope for the best. Another worthy piece of newbie advice... go find an Auto Paint & Glass supply store and splurge on some PG grade masking tape.(3/4" or 1") I'm pretty sure the PG stands for Professional Grade. It adheres about 10 times better than the regular stuff you get at normal stores. It also comes off clean without leaving residue. It's not cheap but you'll use less and when the wind catches an edge and tries to take off with your work about the time you have the backing off it just may save your day.

What are those numbers about? 12-6 -4 -5? Have you looked at your cutting strip? No gouges or scratches? They will cause problems. Move the carriage head to a different location and make your test cuts. Did you look at the blade tip with a magnifying glass? Clean cut are the best blades. You should back your blade so far into the blade holder, that you would not think it would even cut. And that would be about right. Then use the force to cut with. Barely see the blade tip stick out of the blade holder, barely feel it. .

Judging from that photo I would disagree. If the blade is set correctly it is impossible to cut into the backing paper as seen in your photo.

If you don't back the force off at least 50% when you put that new blade in, you will break the tip right off, at the start. Very easy to break the tips off those Clean Cut Blades. This has been posted hundreds and hundreds of times. The force is determined by the blade depth and vinyl being used. Cuts are not determined by force. until the blade depth is correct. Blade depth MUST be correct first. A correct blade depth, will not cut into the wax paper backing. To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing. You should barely see and feel the blade out of the blade holder. Regular sign vinyl is only 2-3 mil thick. You only cut with the very tip of the blade.

He did not order a motherboard. He stated he has a "parts" machine. (A non working extra cutter) Depending on how old your vinyl cutter is , you may be able to get one at UScutter.com https://uscutter.com/vinyl-cutter-parts/

I run both my LaserPoint and Graphtec from an (old) MacPro (intel), MacBook Pro (intel), and Mac Mini (M1). All through Parallels. The Intel-based machines are running Win7, because that's my preference, the M1 runs Win10. The only issue that I've run into, is the LaserPoint on the new M1 machine, but it runs the Graphtec CE6000-60 Plus just fine. I can run the Graphtec Studio natively in Mac OS, and can run Graphtec Pro Studio and SignBlazer in Win7&10.

You can search that all online, People here use Windows on a Mac. https://www.parallels.com/pd/bootcamp/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5oiMBhDtARIsAJi0qk3q7-U_p8pzKkYWHLQ4zF_fNwNdMJ3GrErPnV2J7SjvnNDh9WCjFrkaAlmnEALw_wcB

I figured out the issue. When in doubt reinstall VM, and install your new cutter upon it asking you when going over adding your cutter.