lidowho

Actually, what I meant was I can't do 1/4 inch. So my question is what's out there that's rigid, but thin? Sorry I didn't make that clear.

Hi all, I'm looking for a rigid material to cut on my Graphtec CE 5000. Specs say it will cut up to 10mil. Graphtec told me I could cut thicker, if it goes thru the rollers, if I cut multiple times. I would like a material that would not bend, or be difficult to bend at, say, 10 inches high and 8 inches wide? I could do smaller dimensions if that's how to make it work. Foamcore would work, at least at the normal thickness, which is usually 1/4 inch, but my rollers can't feed that thickness. I realize this may not be possible with the cutter, but was hoping someone had some success working with something. Thanks!!!

Hi all, I'm having big fun with my new cutter despite knowing exactly how to use it. Just stumbling and learning as I go. So far all I've done is cut and plot. Even then, I've been able to do amazing things so far! But now I'd like to contour cut. I've created a file in Illustrator. Created registration marks (done with Cutting Master thru Illy as instructed by Graphtec). Printed on my inkjet printer. Now I'd like to do the cut. Right now I'm just doing a test on plain paper. The goal is to cut the window cling film I printed my design on to. I'm having trouble getting the machine to find the registration marks. I'm working with an 8.5 x 11 inch page. I've done landscape and portrait, just in case that's the problem. When it searches for the registration marks at the back, the page comes out too far and the rollers can't pull it back into the machine. My marks are about .25 inches from the edge, but it's allowing me to place them there so I'm assuming (ya, I know...) that it should work. I tried to place registration marks in other places and I was warned it wouldn't work. But this "does". So, are the registration marks too far into the margin? Should I "cheat" the page and tape some extra on to the bottom so the machine will have enough to pull back in? What's your expert advice? Is my problem in question #2? Dumb Rookie registration mark question #2: when I press send to send the job to the machine, I'm prompted to "position head over first mark located @ bottom right when facing the cutter". Is it asking me to put the optical eye over the registration mark? Or do I put the blade over the registration mark? And I know this is really stupid, but anywhere over the registration mark or in the corner of the reg mark? I did watch the UTube video and saw the guy place something over the reg mark, but not exactly what. Thanks!!

I made 2 rookie mistakes in setting up my cutter: I should have searched the Graphtec website more for setup instructions not included in the box. Late last night I found the technical notes page on the Graphtec site for working with their Windows Graphtec driver. It stated in one of the documents that the cutter default is HP-GL, which was one of my errors through out the last couple of days. I changed it to GP-GL and the resolution to 1016 pts/inch (or .25mm) per their instructions. The instructions also said to change the settings in the windows printer settings. I found the resolution options in the printing preferences menu (not printing properties menu). http://www.graphtecamerica.com/CPtechnotes.html http://www.graphtecamerica.com/CPtechnotes/tnc009.html I assumed....that it would be easy to take my logo file, which I believed to be a properly prepared vector file to test the machine. I didn't want to mess with Illustrator and thought it would be "easy" to use this file. Still unable to get the cutter to work this morning, I called Graphtec. They suggested I create a new file with just a rectangle to see if it would print properly. After changing the settings last night to GP-GL, it printed perfectly. I know better than to fight with a file of any type for too long without trying a stripped down file to see if it's the document. ARGH! One last thing. I watched a few of the Graphtec how to videos. There's great information there. But most of the videos are demonstrating on a FC7000 cutter so there are features that are not available on other machines. One of the features I was interested in was setting the the cutter to look to the software for control. You can do this on the 7000 cutter itself, but I didn't find it on the 5000. I did find it in the Cutting Plotter Controller screen of the software. Hopefully this will help the next rookie looking to setup their cutter. I think I'm good to go now with the above issues resolved. Thanks again for the help!

Yep, I'm unbelievably excited about my new machine! I've got my eye on that flatbed version though. Maybe when my ship comes in.... I've watched a couple of quick videos and it looks like I didn't properly prepare the file in Illustrator. The videos should put me on the right path and get me started. SO exciting!

Wow Ken, I don't know how I missed that part of their website, but it looks like exactly what I need! Thanks!!

Hi all! I'm new to this forum. Actually I'm new to vinyl cutters. I just discovered their existence last week by accident while searching for something completely different. After my mind stopped reeling from the possibilities of what I could do with this kind of machine, I quickly snatched up a Graphtec CE5000 from US Cutter. It was delivered to me yesterday. I set up the machine and have been attempting to plot something, with no luck (thought I'd print to test it out before cutting). It's frustrating because I've read the instructions and am pretty sure it's all setup correctly. But after reading the manual, I realize I don't know any of the basic language and terms of use for this type of machine. I'm an artist in the San Francisco Bay area. I've been paying people a million dollars to make vector files and stencils for me and then waiting months for them to complete the job. I should be able to do all of this, and more, myself now. However, other than viewing every UTube video on vinyl cutters, I have never seen these machines in action. The user manual is for technical information and is lacking descriptions of the various functions. I'd love to see the machine in action and get some very basic information on the use of cutters. I don't mind experimenting to do my own projects, but the basics... Does anyone know of a good book or video to show me the language and descriptions of functions for these machines? Is anyone out there from the SF Bay Area that I could visit to look over their shoulder and see the machine in action? Or is someone out there interested in showing me how to use my own machine. I will, of course, pay for their services. I'm good with computers and learn quickly. Thanks! Lido