Wildgoose

Super Moderators
  • Content Count

    6,513
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    293

Posts posted by Wildgoose


  1.  

    I'm not impressed with the program either, but I use it in a bind or if I'm just cutting simple text.  Though now I know that it cannot be trusted to give me accurate test sizes :mellow:

    Try converting the live text after writing it out and at that point it will be an object and you should be able to nail the size. I use SignCut Pro 1 (the old original) and I have to convert all my text anyway. That's why I asked the question. If the 3" object was spot on it pretty well has to be something to do with the interpretation of the text. If working on something that will need revised later I save a working file with some live text saved over on the side so I can recreate the overall thing if needing to modify. Then I save a cut file with the text all converted. 


  2.  

    Anyone else out there that runs a Graphtec CE6000-60 Plus & Graphtec Studio setup?

    I recently did a quick text cut, and noticed that the cut text was smaller then what I had laid out in the workspace.  I thought that this was kind of odd, and was concerned that the overall scale was off, but when I checked all the setting, it's all set 100%.  I then cut a 3" square, and it was spot on, so I'm wondering if this is just the text that's doing this, and if it is, has anyone else ran into this situation - and if there's a fix.

    I don't run the cutter or program. Does that cut from live text or do you have to convert the text to lines and curves first? 


  3.  

    I am happy to discover that Vinylmaster is exactly the same as my program "Drawcut" purchased with the SECABO "German" brand.

    Ther is no support website and then no online help for draw.

    I can now try to find Vinylmaster helps and videos.

    I encounter also problems to vectorise some pictures and i really need to reduce a lot the size (in pixels) of some of them.

    Hopefully, i use them for T-shirts but i can imagine that trying on bigger support may requires bigger files.

    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    Leticasanova.fr

    Interesting. I often do just the opposite. I sometimes have clients who don't have a vector of their logo and only have an old business card or similar and it's small and perhaps messy or in an image file and not clear enough. When I need to do a trace I use a program called SimillaEnlarger that lets me blow them up much bigger. It uses some sort of engine to interpret what the edges probably should be. I find that going about 500% will let the trace program smooth out the fine details a bit better. Once I trace and expand as a vector then I'm good with less clean-up. Most of the time I actually just hand trace logo's for more direct control. Image trace engines always tend to do funky things in their quest to create a vector. 


  4.  

    True that.  I've spent countless efforts making "incompatible" software work with different computers.  It's like they're trying to test my ability to circumvent the way they want their program to install and run.  Challenge accepted!! :P    Clearly there are times when I simply have too much time on my hands :lol:

    Agreed with you and darcshadow. The work-arounds are there if you are diligent and patient. I OWN an older CS5 Adobe Illustrator version for Mac that I used for a long long time and didn't have to pay monthly rent for the cloud based stuff that it has become. Once apple upgraded their intel it started causing issues with several things when running it. Namely it would crash AI if I was trying to scroll through the font list in a certain way (the way I usually do it). I lived with it until I upgraded to my current new iMac and finally broke down and started paying subscription to avoid the crash and fight that running the old CS5 was giving me. Don't love the payment but I write it off and the upside is I have access to AI on several computers now and can store my work in the cloud if I want to be able to mess with it from other locations. I pay the price because I am doing business and it works for me but if I were a hobbyist it would be a tough pill to swallow. 


  5. My biggest problem is I actually can't draw for crap freehand. Ha ha!

    I bought an iPad Pro a few years back and Adobe Illustrator CC is available for the pro. I use it occasionally but there is so much to AI that they have to modify to make work on the tablet that it's a whole new learning curve. I basically use it for emergency situations when I am away from a regular computer. 


  6.  

    well actually has said the file shows "on downloads" so that raises the question, what does that mean? It's also possible to have multiple "download" locations so the first step is to determine what location the file is actually being downloaded to, and then what location Vinyl Master is looking at. Unfortunately, the way windows works now, and the way everything is going, the casual computer user, has no understanding of folder structures and file locations.

    I'm sure this was it. I often download to my desktop rather than my downloads folder. Definitely not a VM problem, just user error. 


  7. This is an old thread but still relevant. Illustrator is now fully functional on the iPad Pro and I hear works good with the Apple Pencil. I sadly still have little to no freehand ability so I stick to what works for me. (old school Illustrator with standard drawing tools through a Magic Mouse) I don't freehand but I run a mean trace over an inserted picture. I do have the iPad version on my tablet but it's got enough new tools or more accurately new methods of using the Illustrator tool sets, that I feel clumsy and use the pad mostly when out of town and need to make an edit for someone rather than as my go-to workstation. 


  8.  

    You would be amazed at how many businesses that I interact with, who do not have their own artwork for one reason or another.  I often dread having to recreate someone else's logo because it seems like reinventing the wheel, but it's the same wheel without any improvements :P

    I get some sort of perverse kick out of it. I do it for fun sometimes when I have free time. I'm weird I know. 


  9. I tweaked it to try and see if it would help. Still didn't get there in FMF but Agency FB Bold is close and with some work could be made to work. If you figure it out to be an actual font post the name cause it's a cool look. 

    Screenshot 2023-08-20 at 7.15.06 AM.png

    • Like 1

  10.  

    By the way, a google search for CJ500 produces a Mahindra jeep, a classic!

    They sell the Mahindra jeeps a few miles from me. It's silly what they want you to spend on those things. As near as I can tell they must have bought the patent rights to the old Willys and made a few upgrades and started rolling them off the production lines. 

    To the OP - Most upscale printers that have sensors for the rollers are magnetic and trigger when the roller is in a specific location. Not sure on the Rolland but form follows function. Be sure you have the pics rollers placed in the proper location in case you're just not getting started correctly. Typically there are several spots for the left hand roller to sit (usually in about 6" increments starting about 12 inches from the right side. The right side roller typically has a larger variable location that lets it fit different sizes of vinyl. If using scraps they would both go on the variable area. Not sure if that makes sense in written form and I don't own a Rolland so it's just general information. 


  11.  

    Do you use Vinylmaster with Windows 7? I found an old windows desktop with 7. Trying signblazer right now, no luck though...

    I actually use SignCut Pro (there is a newer version out now) because I mostly work on a Mac platform and it is able to run the cutter from either Windows or Mac. I have found that the older laptop is simple and effective and removes the cutting operation from my main workstation. My cutter sits across the room and I just transfer cut files on a thumb. If the windows computer gives me a problem I can pull the cutter over and use my Mac (requires a lifetime dongle do do this without deactivating it the other) 

    I am not sure what the new Pro 2 version is like but the original Pro 1 that I use is simply a cutting utility but has most all the bells and whistles you can get for a cutter interface. The company also has live tech support which occasionally comes in handy if something is going wonky. When I bought my first cutter it was a Creation P-Cut and they used to come with 1 year subscription of SignCut Pro. At the year mark I poked around for something that I didn't have to rent or spend too much on but there really wasn't a lot to offer that was Mac compatible and fully legit. I tried out a beta version of Sure Cuts a Lot Pro (often called SCALP) and missed all the bells and whistles from SIgnCut too much so I broke down and bought the Dongle (at the time was $400). This was in 2011. I design in Illustrator so have no use for the design side of most of the other options. 

    If you are running on a windows platform and need the design AND cut tools the Vinyl Master program is probably the best overall bang for the buck I've seen. I suggest paying to get up to the Pro level. There are tools that I tend to find essential that the lower tiers hold out on you. That is sort of the way they entice you into spending more and they all pretty much do it.  It's a fairly big investment if it's only a hobby but the open source options out there are very rudimentary by comparison. (InkCut being one such).


  12.  

     

    Big question I have....
    Can this plotter use Windows 11? I'm tempted to buy a cheap older desktop off marketplace with a lower version of windows on it. 

    I would try an old cheap laptop. I cut from a windows 7 myself. I do my design work on a mac and transfer via thumb drive and it's double helpful because I can continue to work while the cutter is working. 

    I also recommend signing up in the forum so we don't have to review every post you make. 


  13. I don't have any help for you on this. Hopefully someone will be able to chime in. If no one responds in the next day or so you may want to start a new thread to garner more attention. You are way down on page three and sometimes it matters, sometimes not. I recommend joining the forum so you don't have to wait for an admin to approve each and every post. We (admins) are all volunteer and often get busy so you may get stuck waiting. If you are planning on keeping the cutter you will find a lot of helpful information here. It's a nice forum with experienced regulars who enjoy helping out. 


  14.  

     

    EDIT; one thing I just notices was the blade feels crunchy(dragging maybe) when taking it out of the holder, is there something I can use to make it move more freely in the holder?

     

    Blade holders do wear out. I had one give up on me and it definitely caused issues. That would be my first guess based on your results and what you've tried. You can add some oil (just a tiny drop) but if it "feels" at all a bearing has probably dropped and any kind of drag or misalignment is going to screw with you. I run a different brand but the same form and function exist. 


  15.  

    Well, maybe, but not completely. Graphtec offers a small range of pens and special settings to use a pen. I wasn't expecting it to be plug & play, but I already had to solder back a new USB connector and fix a whole host of other issues with the machine since nobody ever took any time to do maintenance on the poor thing.

    I'm glad it's getting there. Your comment made me realize that to get my design in the correct spot in the X-direction, I would probably just have to write down the actual length instead of the polled length. I reckon that could work. I'll give it a try right now! Thanks for that insight :)

    Also bear in mind that the polled length or either axis is not measured by the actual edge of your paper. Meaning that the cutters poll is to define how much actual working space is within the cutting area between the rollers side to side and between what you tell it is the origin and when the back of the paper comes off the sensor on the back. You could easily place the paper to one side a bit and inadvertently throw off the side to side result or get the paper crooked and have problems that way. I don't use your brand, but my Summa has a sensor on the back and there is a given amount of space left at the end so that the vinyl/paper does not roll past the pinch rollers. Mine leaves about an inch on the back. 


  16.  

    I have mh-721 mk2.  I adjusted what I thought was the pressure, pressed setup then + & - ....Now my cutter will not cut.  when I send a job its says TEST with the offline and setup light blinking its does a short pass then stops.

     

    I dont know what Ive done

     

    Not sure either. What software are you using? 

    If you sign up as a forum member you will receive quicker responses. All guest posts have to be approved by admin. 


  17.  

    Ah - I see. I didn't think about the mat.Thanks.

    I find that some non-USA models offer the cut out holder position. We are planning on offering cut-out standard contact paper (and vinyl) designs for various craft project requests.

    I cut stencils from time to time out of used carrier sheet and have found that applying a couple layers of transfer paper to the back side to act as a cutting mat works pretty good. 

    • Thanks 2

  18.  

    That is the one I have. The heat pillow is a must have in my opinion. Buttons, collars, seams, so many things on shirts that make them not smooth, the heat pillow takes care of all of it.

    As an aside, when you find that your pillow is getting flat you can unsew a side and go to a craft store and buy 1" foam and change it out and re-sew the side back up and have a new pillow for way cheaper than replacing the whole thing. Done it twice with mine. I also recommend a 6" X 20" pillow for sleeve work. A mouse pad also works for getting around buttons and seams. Lots of options. 


  19.  

    Good to see the forum is still going strong. Was a member here many years ago, but had the opportunity to do some contractor work all over the world as a medical professional so I've been far removed.

    Looking forward to learning again, and meeting new folks on the comm here...

    Welcome back.