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Good morning, I've been having some issues with my oil slick vinyl. I've ordered from two different companies and no avail. The vinyl is sticking to the backing paper. I've tried the depth of the blade but I am leaving no impression on the backing paper. I've noticed when I Try to separate the vinyl from the backing paper(fresh roll) It doesn't peel off smoothly it stops every 3 cm or so. I am clueless on what to do. Thank you for the help.

Ok.....I finally got my CT630 working! Now the question is how do I set it so that I'm not wasting a lot of vinyl for small designs??? Is it possible to rotate the image so that it cuts lengthwise and not vertically on the vinyl? And can I set it up were it will cut the same image side by side....in case I have to continue to cut vertically. Thanks!

Hoping to chat with some folks about vinyl choices for caps in particular but in general as well

Hey guys! My names Axyl and I run a small vinyl sticker business in Western Australia. Refine Pro-24 & Signcut Pro Last weekend my cutter started malfunctioning mid-cut. The screen is stuck on "Thank you for cutting!" And the actual cutting module keeps repeatedly bashing up against the side of the machine as soon as I flick the power on. I'm stressing out like crazy because I have a lot of people relying on me for business stickers and car vinyls etc. If anyone has any idea on how to fix this error, or perhaps anyone in WA, or even Australia can fix it. Even Refines contact details would be greatly appreciated. Thanks heaps guys! Axyl

Is there such thing as an affordable automatic vinyl weeding machine? I am aware that the weeder sheeter exists; is there something that weeds the inner pieces as well as the background pieces? Thanks!

Hello everyone! I am wanting to make a monogram tote bag for myself. I found the the faux leather tote bag at Hobby Lobby on clearance for $11. Everyone on etsy selling these for $25 or more. I have a uscutter plotter. The problem is I don't know which heat transfer vinyl works on this type of material. Everywhere I have read says this material is a pvc not leather. Please if anyone has made these and know which vinyl works I would appreciate them letting me know. Thanks

Hi, I’m new to the community and would appreciate your honest feedback. Does anyone know if it’s possible to make 50k+ selling small vinyl decals that are less than 15” online via. Etsy, Ebay, and/or Amazon? Thanks!

Hi. Does anyone know where I can find/order removable / Temporary wall vinyl in neon (flourescent) colors or glow-in-the-dark (photoluminescent). Thanks.

Hello Everyone! I am hoping that someone can just kinda give me some simple straight forward advice on vinyl choices. I started my printing company about a year ago and every time I think I have this stuff figured out something happens to make me realize...I indeed, do not. I have a lot of requests at the moment for outdoor yard signs and then some more permanent type of signage on establish MDO boards. I want to be able to offer good prices but being so new I am afraid that if I go with a less expensive vinyl that it will somehow just slide off the coroplast in the middle of the night. hehe. So- anyway...I have been using Orajet 3551 with 215 laminate for anything vehicle. What is the cheapest material that I could get away with for yard signs that for the most part will be disposable for the customer. And for the more long term outdoor signage that isn't vehicle..what is the best to use for that? Thanks for any knowledge you can send my way. And if anyone out there that wants to be my mentor and field my questions on a daily text basis just let me know. Thanks!! Angie

I'm trying to figure out what to charge to physically apply vinyl to an awning, for a business. The Awning is 20'x7' and the vinyl length in total is 13.8' x 4.5'. The vinyl is broken up into sections, as it is mostly verbiage. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

When I was in IKEA sourcing out my media basket parts for another DIY I'm stumbling through, I saw they had stands all over the store with hanging meter stick rulers that are IKEA branded digitally printed on paper. Customers are free to use them to measure items in their showroom when cruising around their store. They're free for the taking - I asked. I wouldn't take a whole pile of them in one go or anything but two here and there are perfectly acceptable according to the sales rep I was talking to and he encouraged it. It dawned on me that I could use two of these freebies taped onto my vinyl cutter (one on the front of the cutter and one on the back - upside down so the numbers and measurements could be read easily while facing the front of the cutter, both properly measured and aligned of course) to assist in lining up vinyl on the cutter for consistent tracking. Simply align the front most part of the vinyl from the roll or scrap piece to the same ruler line on the back of the cutter's ruler line (both left edge and right edge) and you're more than likely going to be tracking straight. Do some feed tests to see just how accurate or far off your alignment is and adjust accordingly. If you wear these rulers out over time, just replace as needed. They're also handy to quickly see if a scrap piece of vinyl you're wishing to use will fit a design you plan to be cut before you go through the hassle of setting it up. Checking the net, people do make an adhesive tape or transparent film type ruler too though for a more permanent and professional look for your cutter. A Bing Images Search shows adhesive ruler tape (Safe for work). An example of this is also attached to this thread. I don't know exactly where to buy this stuff but with some more Google searching, I'm sure one could obtain it.

Hello, this post will be a work in progress as I brainstorm (and fumble) my way through a process to make a working media basket for my Copam CP-2500 vinyl cutter on a low budget. The goal here is to get others to make a similar media basket for their cutters, regardless of brand (unless they've purchased a factory stand that already includes a media basket). I'll edit this post to be more concise and proper once I work through some design challenges (like how to mount it to my existing stand), what sizes and dimensions I'll use etc. It is not intended on being an instructional article per se (at least off the start), but rather a bit of motivation for others to use to make one themselves for their cutters. We can also brainstorm and post ideas on how to overcome design challenges and make improvements since others may have better ideas than myself. This post may be rewritten as a "How To" though if I make some satisfactory progress in the period of time to come. Running cost total so far: $19.99 CAD So far the materials I've sourced out include: 1 - IKEA shoe rack called LUSTIFIK for $7.99 CAD that I will disassemble and cut and drill accordingly to make the basket frame and arms. There are ample metal tubes included in this shoe rack as it is. It will easily fit a 38" or longer (or shorter) plotter stand since the pipes can extend horizontally or lengthwise depending on how you're positioning them. Also, IKEA sells these metal tubes separately in their Drapery section of the store for $1.99 or more (I can't remember what the larger tube piece cost). I will need to buy two more "arms" in the future so I have 4 in total (you get 2). 1 - 54"x84" 60% Polyester and 40% Cotton Window Curtain for $12.00 CAD from a discount merchandiser for the basket material. I wanted a material that was as static friendly as possible in it's blend since we all know that static and vinyl cutters are no fun and pure Polyester is a static unfriendly material. I looked this up on the web and I was led to believe that the more Polyester blend, the worse off you'll be since it holds a negative static charge. Cotton on the other hand seems to be neutral in static charge. The material had to be strong enough to take some abuse but not heavy enough to cause other issues. I'll obviously need to get someone to cut and sew this material into a suitable looping "W-shaped" basket but that's where I'll employ my Mother to help I also chose a brown color for the basket since my Copam is beige and the store didn't have a black curtain available at the time I was buying. I have attached some pictures of what I've got so far and I'll add more pictures as I go along... I have also attached some images of a USCutter stand (from this website) so those images are Copyrighted by USCutter and all credit goes to them accordingly. I'm sort of emulating the USCutter stand as a template to work from. My plan is to cut the curved/rounded sections of the bars exactly in half to make identical sections for the front facing frame section as well as for the rear facing frame section. The arm extensions simply slide into the curved pieces as well. I'll need mounting brackets of some type too and the goal is to slide the basket arms forward and backward as needed to allow room for the media to come off the cutter into the basket. Of course, I think they should be able to retract so not to take up space when not needed. Anyhow, this is Day 1 of my design challenge. I'll post more as I progress. Stay tuned! Your comments and feedback (good or bad) are encouraged. Let's make this design something functional and decent but not too "ghetto looking".

Today I am cutting Vinyl lettering for a trailer. I am using Adobe illustrator to create my layout and then sending it to Sure Cuts Alot 3 Pro to cut on my Titan 2. The first file cut some of the text higher than the rest of the word. I decided to start all over with a fresh file and even arranged things a bit different. The same text is cutting out offset each time and then some are and some aren't. I created outlines in illustrator before sending to SCAL. Any idea why this might be happening? I have a customers vehicle here for install and need to figure out ASAP!

I have just purchased the US Cutter SC Plotter. and Sure Cuts A Lot 3. The cutter is not cutting the right direction. I am cutting "Growing in Grace". It is 15 inches in Hieight and 120 inches long. It wants to cut it across the vinyl. I have changed direction with my mat and it does not make a difference,,,, cuts the same either way. Not sure what I am doing wrong

I am working on a small project for my wife, some vinyl typography applied on the second surface of glass. The silver leaf is used within the vinyl lettering. The problem is I am using two layers of vinyl to make up the letter forms and when I apply the mona lisa metal leaf adhesive it seeps inbetween the tiny gaps of the vinyl layers as its a liquid glue (like watered down elmers glue really) and leaves a glue stain which can be seen through the glass, it also doesnt seem to adhere the silver leaf very well but thats probably my lack of skill lol!. Im wondering what kind of glue should I be using - I was thinking of using some kind of spray on glue but it needs to dry optically clear so it doesnt make the silver leaf look drab- anyone have any suggestions for this. I could buy the oracal 383 gold leaf and easily evade all of these issues but I like the look of the silver leaf, plus i really only need a small amount. if only I could get to work for me :/ any suggestions would be a great help. Thanks

Hi, I noticed that when my plotter is cutting the vinyl, it scratches it while moving from one point to another. I tried troubleshooting by adjusting the needle, the up_speed, pressure, and baud rate. I finally tried pressing the vinyl down with my fingers while cutting and that helped. So now I want to know how I can keep the vinyl as flat as possible on the plotter. An even better solution would be to allow for the needle to go up higher when moving from one point to another. Any suggestions?

I have a client that's looking to do some designs on a concrete wall inside of a gym. The design is simple and single colored but I'm looking for advice, what works best for a concrete block wall that is painted. I know they have rough wall vinyl and such but that is for a printer and cost wise I don't see it being effective to have it printed then cut. My thoughts would be to use a solid color vinyl in the color and lay it on the wall. To give you an idea its EKG strip(heart beat strip) going around the room in all around 50' at about 20'' tall

I've always wanted to have a custom shirt shop and I would love some input from anyone that works specifically with vinyl. I'm literally starting from scratch. I need to get a solid vinyl cutter w/ software compatible with my Mac. Reliable and precise and I'm willing to invest as I know you get what you pay for. Also, the reason I was going to focus on vinyl heat transfers only is because I don't want to worry about ink fading. Any ideas, suggestions or comments are appreaciated. I was looking at purchasing the Titan 3 but then again, I've just begun doing research on heat presses and vinyl. Warranty, repair fees and maintentance are things I still have to look into as well. Glad to be a part of this forum, thanks again! Side Note: I'm a new dad and my son turned 1 year old this year and I'm the only one working since my wife recently lost her job. Being able to earn that extra income for my family is what is driving me to make this buisness a success.... - Rick

Hi, " I want to start a small online business on Etsy and sell my designs as (small wall decals and car stickers: max 8*8"). I need some help with cutter and vinyl choice: 1. I did some research for "desktop vinyl cutter" and finally I decided to buy Cricut Explore (air) print and cut. Before buying I want to make sure that it is a good choice: a. Can it do a good quality print on vinyl (ex Oracal 631) for colourful designs b. what other options I have (other than silhouette cameo) with the price range of 300-500$ c. Is it a good choice if I print and cut 10-15 stickers per week? (durability of machine;blades,etc). 2. For wall decal I will buy Oracal 631. Tell me if it is not a good choice. 3. For car stickers I don't know which vinyl I choose (waterproof and lasting at least 5 years) 4. I live in Canada ... Is there a trustable and famous company I can buy supplies and cutter (other than ebay and amazon)

So I am part of a Huge car club and I create and make my own Decals for my cars, it got the attention of the club president and now wants to use me as his source for the clubs decals. I have done decals and just used transfer tape from hobby lobby. I want to get some good stuff and a large amount. Since I am doing car decals mainly for windows or wherever they stick them what would be the best transfer tape for me to buy. club president wants to buy from me in bulk, and I use oracal 651 as my vinyl of choice. what will be best since they may sit and i will not be doing the applying for anyone.

I'm cutting rolls of vinyl usually anywhere from 12 x 12 to 12 x 24 on my cricut explore air the problem I'm having is trying to place the rolled vinyl onto the tacky cricut mat, is there anyway to get the vinyl to flatten out?

I am trying to finalize my search for an upgraded cutter in the next 24-48 hours. I have been using the Cricut Expression for 6 years and it is a complete workhorse for the vinyl I have done. I need a bigger and more capable machine, as most of my jobs now require it. At heart, I am still just a girl who likes scrapbooking and making stuff. So, I am intrigued and giddy over the KNK 24" Maxx Air...but the majority of items I cut is strictly vinyl. I like the print and cut feature, I like the ARMS and contour...is the motor a true factor? Is there any comparing these two machines or is there a clear direction I should go? Does the Titan 3 cut a wide variety of items well? engrave, etc?

I've read quite a bit online about choosing a cutter, and understand that the general concensus is "you get what you pay for". Here's my context: -buying it for a non-profit -need to be able to cut 36"x48" vinyl pieces out to mask 3 seperate light box signs. (so a 40"+ cutter to get clean 36" strips is what I've been told is minimum) -primarily signage that will be placed on walls and windows -not a ton of little details work, mostly lettering at least 2" high -budget: would love to stay under $1k if possible Any insight? I've been trying to pull the trigger on this for 2 months and honestly am discouraged it's taken so long to get it figured out. Would love some clarity Thanks!

Hi All, A little new to the world of cutters and vinyls still. I bought my Roland cutter second hand from a family member. Eventually, it came time to change the blade. Some of my dinosaur clip-art was showing need of dental work. Small things didn't cut well, and the dots on 'i's began to peel up. I watched some tutorials, then braved up to changing my blade with one of the Roland Cemented Carbide blades that came with the machine. It is a 45 degree I am fairly sure. I moved the blade force down to the recommended 60gf for the Premium vinyl from Stahls and moved the pen force down to zero. Performed a few test cuts and the new blade performed beautifully. Ah, the wonders of a fresh blade, I thought, excited to fill new orders. A couple of days later I came back to cut vinyl. Everything was peeling up. The cuts were dash cut. Letters were coming up. I adjusted the gf and pen force and did more test cuts until it appeared it all had improved. Next vinyl run, just as awful. Then I realized my cutting strip had a few gouges in it from a couple of times my vinyl had come off the tracks. I turned it around after placing an order for another one. Check my blade's edge, exposure, rotation, etc. etc. upped the pen force to +2 and after a few more test cuts, found ABSOLUTELY NO improvement. I am pulling my hair out now. I am getting uncut corners in the insides of Ns, Ms, Ws, etc. Letters are still peeling up to the point I wonder if my vinyl is just a bad batch with no stick.... For help, my cutter's specs are: 20cm/s 70gr 0.25mm Thank you for your help,

Hello all, I searched the forums and couldn't find this discussion. I have gotten some new gold 2 sided mirrored vinyl (Avery A1850-S-K or SF100-247-S-K), . My machine is a TC US Cutter. My machine tends to rip the vinyl at tight transitions. I've changed the speed, depth and even the blade and it seems to not help. Can anyone tell me the ideal settings for my TC plotter for this thin sensitive material? Thanks, Wade