PixelPusher

Did you not get Roland CutStudio software for your GX400? https://www.rolanddga.com/products/software/roland-cutstudio-software It should have come with the cutter. You may wish to contact Roland and find out more. It's easy to use and has plugins to export directly from Coreldraw and Illustrator directly to the cutter... Even if you have to buy it because you don't have it, it's worth $69USD. It's made for Rolands. Chances are they might even give it to you if you bought your cutter retail and not used. Best bet is to contact Roland Support/Help. Not sure if you realize this but you have a $5000USD cutter...they better give you something! http://support.rolanddga.com/_layouts/rolanddga/productdetail.aspx?pm=gx-400 possibly bad news: http://support.rolanddga.com/_layouts/rolanddga/kbarticle.aspx?ArticleId=677&pm=gx-400 Contact them at (800) 542-2307

You CAN get X4 to work on Windows 10 but it's a huge pain. For the record for anyone whose interested: https://community.coreldraw.com/talk/coreldraw_graphics_suite_x4/f/246/t/51500 And http://vendyxiao.com/how-to-fix-windows-10-start-menu-and-cortana-cant-be-clicked-after-installing-corel-draw/ Be aware, the patches for updates to Coreldraw X4 are NO LONGER AVAILABLE from Corel's website. They only support X5 and higher as of the day I am posting this. When X9 comes out, X5 patches will most likely be dropped too...it's how they seem to do things these days. In the old days they kept patches and updates available for a long long time. But not anymore...Corel is greedy these days. ----An Aside---- I love Coreldraw and have used it since version 4 (and spent thousands of $ as a result) but I'm now strongly in support towards Open Source software and thus I too would suggest Inkscape from http://www.inkscape.org to new users. Inkscape has just released version 0.92 and it has grown up quite quickly. It now supports Gradient Meshes too which was it's major weakness previously. Having a built in rudimentary plotting/cutting feature for free is something Coreldraw or Illustrator does not have. If the free and Open Source Inkcut http://inkcut.sourceforge.net/ vinyl cutting plugin for Inkscape ever gets released and supported for Windows, watch out commercial cutting software companies! You can't beat free...

Found some manuals for Mac on my hard drive in PDF format. The driver install guide below happens to have all the missing images in it from the semi-useless install link I gave you in the first post. This one should get you going. Copam_USB_Mac.pdf I also have some USCutter videos on cutter assembly and setup. I also have one on stand assembly. I have no idea where I got them from, I think YouTube. But they're on my hard drive and 45MB and 2.7MB in size so I would have to put them on a file hosting site like Zippyshare.com or Uploaded.com, Rapidgator.com type thing...let me know if you want this stuff sometime. Motherboard replacement manual is attached. Material loading guide is also attached. copam_motherboard_replacement.pdf material_loading_guide.pdf Found the official USCutter Copam webpage that's "supposedly updated" I say that because the setup video they have on that page is "PRIVATE" and it's the same video I have I think...who tests this stuff on here anyhow? Sheesh! http://www.uscuttersupport.com/copam-vinylcutter-setup.html

If you download and install Inkscape as design software (vector editor) you can find lots of videos on how to use it via Inkscape's own website http://www.inkscape.org or via YouTube (search out Inkscape tutorials) or my suggestion is see if your local library has access to http://www.lynda.com Lynda.com is awesome for video tutorials on how to use all kinds of software... My local library has free access to the ENTIRE Lynda.com video library for the cost of my library card (which thankfully for me is $0.00/year) That's where I learned how to use Illustrator and Inkscape vector editors. I already knew how to use Coreldraw (another vector editor typically found on PC's though Coreldraw 11 was available on a Mac at one time). Anyhow, I should be able to get you going but only to a certain point as I don't know anything about Mac hardware...just PC. I also know a lot about replacement knife holders and knife blades that you can buy through EBay.com. If you were on a PC, I would point you to download Signblazer Elements as cutting software (it's now abandoned and free...) and using Inkscape as design software, you can export to Signblazer to cut...but ya, I don't believe SignBlazer Elements is available on a Mac so that's not much help.

You should have posted this in the Copam section and I probably would have noticed it faster. I have a Copam CP-2500 but run Windows 7. I don't have much Mac experience however. Unfortunately, USCutter has taken down much of the setup information for the Copam's. But I do have good news. I know where you can get the latest VCP (Virtual Com Port) Drivers you need for Mac, Windows and Linux! http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm Bookmark that page! It's critical. Here is an old link for the Copam's for installation. I know it's semi-useless because all the images are not there...but the links work and the actual instruction words may help. http://start.uscutter.com/copam/osx I have included my Copam CP-2500 manual (.PDF) as an attachment to this post that should help. Our cutters are identical except yours is bigger (cuts a wider swath). How are you going to hook this up to the Mac? USB? Serial? It depends on what ports are available on the cutter. My CP-2500 has USB, Serial and Parallel ports. I can connect directly to USB but I sometimes use something called a Keyspan Adapter to go from the cutter's serial port to the Keyspan USB adapter and then to my PC's USB port. I find it's a more reliable connection. I had to buy the Keyspan adapter separately and the brand I used is the best, Tripplite USA-19HS https://www.tripplite.com/support/USA19HS If you use serial connection through a Keyspan Adapter you will need a straight through serial cable and NOT a null cable. A regular printer type USB cable will connect to the other end of the Keyspan adapter and connect to the USB port on your laptop. You may not need this kind of setup though if your cutter has a USB connection on it. In that case I believe just a printer style USB cable will connect directly from the cutter to the USB port on your laptop. A picture is worth a 1000 words: https://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1366&bih=624&q=printer+usb+cable&oq=printer+usb+&gs_l=img.1.0.0l10.1496.3613.0.5835.12.12.0.0.0.0.189.1515.1j11.12.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.12.1505.WWbJfOg0Ir4#imgrc=_ Anyhow this is the Copam section on the forums http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/forum/26-copam-cutting-plotter-support-requests/ and http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/forum/25-copam-cutting-plotter-discussion/ You will need some type of cutting software and design software. Some cutting software will include design tools. Some software is purely cutting only. Inkscape from http://www.inkscape.org is free and there is a Mac port. That's pretty much design software but there is a rudimentary cutting feature under the Extensions > Export > Plot menu heading. Cut only software (until at least version 2 arrives in Feb/March) I'd suggest is SignCut Productivity Pro from http://www.signcutpro.com/ It's available in a Mac format and version 2 will include a vector drawing interface. Still, Inkscape is much much better for design. Of course Adobe Illustrator is available too if you have the budget for it - even for a monthly subscription. There is a lot to say but one email isn't going to cut it. Download and install the drivers and follow the PDF manual I posted. See if that gets you going. copam_cp-2500_manual.pdf

Not sure if many have noticed but the latest version of Inkscape 0.92 has been released on Jan 4/2017. It's a pretty major overhaul and I'd strongly suggest upgrading to it. https://inkscape.org/en/news/2017/01/04/inkscape-version-092-released/ The Inkscape project announces a new version 0.92 of its popular vector drawing software. New features include mesh gradients, improved SVG2 and CSS3 support, new path effects, interactive smoothing for the pencil tool, a new Object dialog for directly managing all drawing elements, and much more. Infrastructural changes are also under way, including a switch to CMake from the venerable Autotools build system. Exciting New Features Mesh gradients are a powerful tool enabling artists to more easily create photo-realistic drawings - a feature we would love to see made part of the W3C's Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) standard; if you find this feature as cool as we do, please request that your favorite web browser adopts support for it too! Inkscape works closely with the SVG standards committee, and thanks to our many generous donors, the Inkscape project sponsors an engineering representative to attend SVG working group meetings over the past few years. A welcome outcome of this participation is the improvement and addition of over a dozen SVG and CSS properties. Live Path Effects are proving to be a vibrant ecosystem in the Inkscape project, and many innovative new ideas have been percolating over the past couple years since our last release. Spiro Live, BSpline, and Roughen essentially provide new drawing modes. The Simplify LPE cleans up vector elements non-destructively by smoothing paths, shapes, groups, clips, and masks. Perspective/Envelope and Lattice Deformation 2 enable artists to interactively deform/transform drawing elements. Other new features enable interactive mirroring, interactive rotation of copies along an arc or circle, and dozens of other additions and enhancements. The above barely scratches the surface of all the new stuff included in this release. For the full story, including examples, screenshots, and animations, please see our detailed Release Notes. For a short tour, watch the video for 0.92. Important Changes All software must evolve with the times, and Inkscape is no different. To maintain consistency with the CSS standard, Inkscape's default resolution has changed from 90dpi to 96dpi. Inkscape will detect files created with previous versions and offer to convert them. A number of infrastructural changes are in process to help Inkscape keep up with progress. For 0.92, we are changing to the CMake build system, which builds faster and is easier for developers to work with. (Future infrastructure changes include switching from bzr to git, shifting from Gtk2 to Gtk3, and moving to the C++11 standard.) Get the Latest Version If you're on Linux, you'll soon be able to install Inkscape 0.92 from your distribution via normal methods. We also intend to publish a distribution-independent snap file for Inkscape 0.92. If you're on Windows, we have a set of packages that we hope will let you maximize performance on your platform. For Mac OS X, no new packages are available -- our old (X11/XQuartz) packaging was long overdue to be updated to current standards and is no longer being maintained. If you wish to compile Inkscape yourself, then of course, the Inkscape source code is also available from our website.

Introducing the Maslow $500 open source CNC cutting machine. Website: http://www.maslowcnc.com/ They've successfully raised $314,547 from 1279 backers via Kickstarter. No soldering, no programming...You need to add your own router, and 2 bricks, 2 sheets of plywood and 3-2x4's. Can be put together in a weekend. Linux/Mac/Windows compatible via USB port. Non-patented design. Apparently it's easy to use and the software is free too. I want this... Watch the videos on the Maslow website. Pretty awesome!

Thanks for your comment. I appreciate the offer to answer questions. I'm getting this stuff from good old China. Everything takes 20-30 days to ship from China to Canada. Even if I would have purchased from the US it would take about 20 days to get here (and I have to deal with customs and insane shipping costs). Shipping is via mail and only cost $1.75 out of the $19 price. I'm used to it by now. In fact, when things show up it's kind of like Christmas because I've usually forgotten about it by the time it shows up...I get a cheap thrill out of checking the mail and finding a package. If I could have got everything closer at a decent cost, including shipping, I would have done so. Canadian prices for all the parts necessary were too high. So I'll wait impatiently... I see your reasoning for choosing waterproof lights. Here, it's practically a desert so incredibly dry (even in winter) so I cheaped out and saved a whopping $3. If it becomes that big of a deal to me down the road I'll upgrade. At $19 for everything shipped, I'm cool with taking that risk.

FYI, I talked with Igor Novikov (the original author of this software) this morning about sK1. These are some screenshots of the current program: http://sk1project.net/modules.php?name=Products&product=sk1&op=screenshots#screenshots Version 2.0 of sK1 is at Release Candidate 2 state by the way. This is a link to their Facebook page to keep up to date on progress: https://www.facebook.com/pages/sK1-Project/308311182521658 They have now built in some SVG file format capability and are looking to add WMF file format capability too. Anyhow, the exciting news to me is that there are plans to incorporate the code from another of his projects called LinCutter into sK1. This is Linux vinyl cutting software. Old legacy code for Lincutter is available at GitHub https://github.com/sk1project/lincutter Some old screenshots of LinCutter can be viewed at http://libregraphicsworld.org/blog/entry/vinyl-cutting-on-linux-the-real-deal This is a quote from his email to me: There is no information about when this will occur but seeing how awesome sK1 2.0 has become, I definitely think it will materialize. This looks to be a fantastic all-in-one vector editing and cutting solution for Linux. There is of course Inkcut for Inkscape as most people know about too but this is a whole integrated solution. Having the ability to import Coreldraw CDR files is a definite plus in my opinion.

I have attached some charts I found off of an eBay seller for guidance. My package came to just under $19 shipped to Canada (lousy $0.74 cents/USD exchange rate). I chose 5630 Cool White LED lights. The Warm White didn't seem bright enough to me. I chose non-waterproof LEDs because my cutter darn well better not get wet or else I have bigger problems I figure. The one thing I'm curious about is that since 5 m = 16 feet so I will have plenty of lights left over. Can I solder in a second power adapter receiver wire on the off-cut LEDs to be able to use them on my second vinyl cutter? I'd obviously have to purchase a separate remote and power adapter for it too but once the lights are trimmed off with scissors, are they totally useless or can they be salvaged? Update: I have now seen that you can indeed get additional power receiver adapters (non-solder snap-in ones are also available) to attach to the cut-off lights. There is really all kinds of adapters and parts available for these things. Just have to figure out how it all works once I get the package in a month. There is also a switch available that looks like this. I chose a remote control though which I'll adhesive velcro to the cutter and the back of the remote.

See my post for December on page 2

This is absolutely brilliant! Good job guys! Do want! Question: Does this have any negative impact on Automatic Registration Mark Sensor (ARMS) for contour cutting (cutting prints)?

I love the bubblegum smell of RapidTac...it's addicting. I've never tried anything else. I like the recipes posted for DIY though

Just curious, does an MH cutter use FTDI Virtual Com Port drivers? If yes, I'll post a link to the updated drivers from their site. If not, then please disregard as I'm not familiar with MH cutters specifically. Anyhow, here is the official MH driver page for USCutter: https://support.uscutter.com/support/solutions/articles/14000030240-mh-mk2-driver-download And information on how to install on Windows 10. After reading the instructions on that page and reading the PDF it appears BikeMike is correct. Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 Driver and Setup Instructions Windows 8, 8.1, and 10 require a driver is digitally signed to install. So there is a bit of a process to installing the driver. To download and install the Windows 10 compatible driver for your cutter. Please download and save the file attached to this article (SEE ABOVE LINK IN THIS POST). Then follow the steps included to complete the driver installation. STEP 1: Assuming that you already plugged the cutter via USB you need to access the Device Manager to access the Update Driver Software and install the driver.To access the Device Manager, use any of the following methods: Start > Run > and type: devmgmt.msc Start > Control Panel > Device Manager or System Start > and do a Search for Device Manager or dev Start > Control Panel > System and Security > System > Device Manager Hold the Windows key + Pause Break > Device Manager Right-click My Computer > Properties > Device Manager STEP 2: Locate Other Devices and double click on USCutter Series. STEP 3: The USCutter Series properties will display. Select the Driver tab and press the Update Driver button. STEP 4: Select Browse my computer for driver software. STEP 5: Press the Browse button. Be sure to have the box next to “include subfolders”, checked. STEP 6: Search and select the USCutter folder that was extracted in Step 5 and press OK. A message may appear during the driver installation, select Install this driver software anyway. STEP 7: Press Next. STEP 8: Once the driver has been successfully installed you will see the following screen. Press Close.

I have come across a very good Sure Cuts A Lot 4.054 user manual (does have reference to pro edition also) created by Sandy McCauley, published Dec 8, 2016 from http://www.iloveknk.com/support/user-manuals/zing-user-manuals/ Look for the Sure Cuts A Lot header on the page to find the download link for the PDF version. I have chosen not to hotlink directly to the PDF manual link here (also available as an interactive manual) as it is specific to the Zing and Zing Air cutters, but if you disregard that specific information, I think users will find it quite applicable to their needs regardless of cutter type as it goes into great depth about EVERYTHING SCAL and SCALP has to offer. It has pictures, documentation and lots of useful information. I've attached a screenshot of a particular set of pages of Sandy's work to give you an idea of depth of coverage. It's very well done and contains 300 pages of information. It also gives tips and suggestions on creating reusable mats and what types of semi-adhesive glues are available. Anyhow, it's definitely worth a look. From their website:

I'm logged into the sourceforge website, there is still ongoing work. https://sourceforge.net/p/inkcut/feature-requests/7/?limit=25#ae5f/54cd/a2bf/154a/724d That was posted 2 days ago so indeed not dead yet. Though I love the spirit behind Sourceforge and the work of everyone involved, these open source projects tend to be a mish mash of information and progress and I find that frustrating. But that's because I'm an "organizer" I guess. Now there is another layer of confusion between the Inkcut plugin and the built in Plot feature in Inkscape which is definitely a problem. Now I see how the desire to kill one off makes sense. Good to see people are still alive and interested in the project. I wish I could get in touch with the guy who runs the http://inkcut.sourceforge.net/ website. It needs a lot of work. I'd volunteer to do that.

Oh really? Wow, OK, I didn't know that...Kind of good and bad all in one. Good in the fact that more people will be able to use it by default without a cumbersome installation procedure but bad in the fact that updates to the functionality of the cutting aspect won't occur until the major release of Inkscape. Am I mistaken about that thinking? Seems logical. Anyhow, thanks for the information. I'll have to check it out to see what's been done. I have my cutters setup using a serial to USB Keyspan adapter so I'll see if that works. The first three images are from what's built into Inkscape now by default. The last three "different color" images are from the Inkcut plugin. Seems the plugin has a lot of different features...at least a preview.

Interesting! I will take a look at it sometime. I do still wish to solve the Inkcut with Inkscape on Windows issue everyone seems to have but that's a longterm project I think. I can't believe after all this many years, no one has figured it out by now and made a simple installer for it...I don't actually KNOW how to make an installer or I'd do it myself.

I sent you an updated file with a lengthy explanation. I think the way I've re-organized things using the object manager and splitting out the different designs into their own specific pages with their own bitmap layer will solve your "filling my whole page when it prints" issue. Check out how I set it all up. Using the object manager and splitting out the design into different pages in the fashion I did will help you with more complex designs down the road. I got a little fancy with Page Sorter View with resizing the pages to their content, but that's not actually necessary to do but could help with templating in the future (using the same file again for future work). In fact, when doing lengthy books or brochures, it's the only way to keep organized without losing your mind. Just a different way of doing things...

I found this: http://www.inkscapeforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=4987&start=100 by OttoHermansson on Tue Dec 04, 2012 9:23 am. It still looks awfully complicated to me but who knows. I wish someone would just build an installer out of the good of their heart to help build Inkscape's usage numbers. I know I'd like to try it myself. After all the Windows 10 spyware and forced upgrading tricks, I'm finished with Windows and will be moving to Linux in the future once my Windows 7 machines die. Besides Inkscape (and GIMP for that matter) I know Coreldraw X4 https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=440 and Photoshop https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=17 run under WINE in Linux so that's very positive. These two links are just for others who may be following along interested in Inkcut for Inkscape. https://sourceforge.net/projects/inkcut/ https://inkscape.org/en/news/2011/03/16/meet-inkcut-vinyl-cutter-and-vectors-plotter/ There has been some development to implement Cut by Color, contour cutting and calibration too https://sourceforge.net/p/inkcut/feature-requests/4/#21d2

There is also a book (both printed and electronic PDF) called Inkscape - Guide to a Vector Drawing Program 4th edition (covers version 0.48 but can extend to 0.91) by Inkscape guru Tavmjong Bah ( http://tavmjong.free.fr/INKSCAPE/MANUAL/html_old/ ) and published through Pearson. It's tremendous. You may also be able to get this through your local library. http://www.informit.com/store/inkscape-guide-to-a-vector-drawing-program-9780132764148 Edit: I see Skarekrow published some of his links also.

That's awesome if your library has access! I don't think mine has but I haven't asked yet (makes mental note to ask). They did go to free library cards (access though) for locals where it used to be paid annually.

Good stuff and no problem

Don't give up on Coreldraw, it's a fantastic program and easy to use! But yes, you'll need a bridge program to take an exported file and cut with your cutter (with the latest versions of Coreldraw - like X6, X7 or X8 - older versions running under Windows XP you could cut directly from Coreldraw without a plugin by installing your cutter as a printer driver). I'd strongly suggest going with SignCut Productivity Pro from http://www.signcutpro.com/webshop/ It's the easiest to use and you can buy a subscription that won't break the bank at first. They offer a free 7 day trial and have a good online chat feature. It also has a macro plugin for Coreldraw that interfaces directly with the program. So when you press the "macro button" from within Coreldraw it automatically sends the file you're working on to SignCut ready for cutting. USCutter has a perpetually licensed dongle edition on sale for $269.99 USD which is a steal of a deal. http://www.uscutter.com/Vector-Clipart#product_listing=%3Fcurrent_page%3D1%26results_per_page%3D16%26order_by%3Dcategory_product_position%26search_params%3DCategory_DELIMITER_id%3A58%3A%3AProduct_DELIMITER_manufacturer_id%3A5%26search%3Dtrue%26search_params%3DCategory_DELIMITER_id%3A58%3A%3AProduct_DELIMITER_manufacturer_id%3A5 SignBlazer is free and in this thread I posted the latest valid links which include the manual. http://forum.uscutter.com/index.php?/topic/17773-signblazer-elements-downloads-and-other-info/&page=2 It is a perpetual trial edition and can even be patched to remove a registration nag. All that info is in the SignBlazer section of the software section of the forums. It is no longer being developed as the original author has passed away several years ago. It's ugly but powerful and works. Other software to think about is SignGo Lite or Pro from http://signgo.com/ They have a 30 day free trial unrestricted. SignTools 4 will work too from http://www.signtools4.com/demo.htm will work too and they also have an unrestricted 30 day trial version. VinylMaster CUT, LTR, Pro or XPT is also one to look at. The CUT version is super basic and inexpensive $59.99 USD on USCutter http://www.uscutter.com/Vector-Clipart but if you want it just to cut files exported from Coreldraw it will work. You can crossgrade (upgrade) to more powerful versions as your funds increase and/or you need a RIP for printing with the XPT version. There are more too...FlexiStarter (Flexisign Starter), WinPC Sign (Basic or Pro), Sure Cuts a Lot Pro 4 and on and on...cost varies between basic vs pro versions. Flexisign has a pro/cloud version that is super expensive so for all intensive purposes, forget that one... But in my opinion, if you just want to cut vinyl from Corel in the easiest fashion with the nicest and easiest to understand interface, it's SignCut Productivity Pro.

Is it a pure vector (meaning just a vector) or a mix of a bitmap and a vector? I have X8 and am online right now if you want to send me a PM. I can re-save it for you if needed in X5's version or see how complicated it is and redo it if it's just a vector. Hard to say without looking at the file. Also, you say "filling my whole page when it prints", can you take a picture of it with your cellphone and post it here? Can you simply post the file here too?