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Does anyone have a link to a video or instructions showing how to contour cut with a SC series cutter?

 

Thanx,

 

Rob

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Awesome.   I have the laser-point on my cutter never used it but always wondered how.   Thank you for the video.

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Awesome.   I have the laser-point on my cutter never used it but always wondered how.   Thank you for the video.

You stated you have Flexisignpro.  So, no need for a laser.  Your contour cutting program is within Flexisignpro, IF that is what your going to use for contour cutting.   You measure from the blade in  the middle of the registration marks.  Not with the laser.

 

This same feature is available with the Flexistarter10 program, and can make most any vinyl cutter a contour cutting machine, without a laser, because the program measures from the blade in the middle of the registration marks and records it in the Flexi software.

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AHhhhhh..   Did not know that.   Have not done any jobs that required contour and I did not know that FlexiSign has this feature built in.   I think I need to do some reading as I only use these programs for vectoring and cutting. 

 

This is good to know.   Something I will have to play with.

 

To let you know I have only had Flexi for about a week now or so.  So still playing and finding features I did not know it had.

 

Anything else that might be useful to know about it?

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Check the HELP at the top of the layout screen.   Tons to learn about Flexisignpro..  There  used to be a training video for sale on EBAY, but can't seem to find it now.   I would bet if you searched youtube.com you could find tutorials for Flexisignpro  also online..

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Check the HELP at the top of the layout screen.   Tons to learn about Flexisignpro..  There  used to be a training video for sale on EBAY, but can't seem to find it now.   I would bet if you searched youtube.com you could find tutorials for Flexisignpro  also online..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Power-Your-Hands-Flexi-8-0-Training-Manual-/300508934291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f7ba7093

 

http://www.givemehelp.com/store.htm

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I will check out youtube pricey for the info when I am sure I can find it online.

 

Thanks though guys great information.    Loojks like there is loads to learn.   I basically only know how to size, vectorize, cut, set up cutter of course and well that is about it.  import save.  Come to think about it I dont know hardly anything about Flexi.

 

Loads to learn.

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Mark Rugen is the master of flexi sign - if you can afford the 2500 -4500 for flexi pro the training is cheap

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I know everybody say Flexi can contour w/o a laser and it is true, but it takes so long to move to carriage to the next alignment point I went back to scalp for contour work even though I can do larger images w/ Flexi due to adjustable layout for reg. marks. I asked before if the was a way to change the parameter in Flexi so it doesn't move .0001" at a time so it would be faster to align but I never got an anser.

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here is a video on youtube.com    that is with (it appears to be a)  SC vinyl cutter and Flexistarter, and they are using the laser eye,  they are also using the arrow keys of the computer and moving the cutter head , from  mark to mark..  Are you using the arrow keys on your computer? 

 

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I was using the arrow key and tried it on the qe60 and the LP2. I'll watch the vid. but my problem wasn't making it work just that it took forverer eith the arrows due to the super fine resolution setting.

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I was using the arrow key and tried it on the qe60 and the LP2. I'll watch the vid. but my problem wasn't making it work just that it took forverer eith the arrows due to the super fine resolution setting.

so the stepper motor would be faster to set it manually LOL  :huh: Bet you wish you hadn't upgraded now

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Scott, you may laugh but I contour cut all my shirt transfers on the LP2 because the setup is that much faster. Not as acuurate as the big boy and a whole lot louder but it is so much faster to do the alignment it's worth it. Someday I'll upgrade again and get ARMS but until then or until someone can tell me how to speed up the alignment  on the qe60 I have to keep contouring on the LP2. BTW I don't use the laser thing a ma jig I set to my blade point with offset correction set to zero.

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I just did an example with my Graphtec using Flexistarter and am at the aligment part. I am using manual.  I have it on inches,(there is also steps, and mm).  If I enter a number in the X or y.   Say 5 inches,  X  my   cutter moves the 5 inches, right away.  It don't take long. then if you need to go 4 inches  Y you can just enter in the number without really using the arrows, goes right to it. 4 inches.   Or I can hold down the arrow 4 inches on Y  and as soon as I let up off the arrow, my cutter goes the amount I just changed to in the Y, 4 inches,,   Steps is different and takes longer.   little steps.  Is that what you are referring to? 

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So if you was to pre measure the distance between the registration marks,  on the item,  before you loaded the vinyl, in the cutter and started at Reg,, 1 (I used 4 points)  Why couldn't you just enter those numbers?      So my distance left to right was 9.5 inches,  So I entered 9.5 inches and my cutter  went to the next registration mark 9.5 inches.   Top to bottom was 4 inches,  so I entered 4 inches  it moved 4 inches to the next registration mark ,   Maybe I'm out of my mind, :huh:   LOL,  but did not seem hard this way.  Just something I tried on a  whim..  Using a Graphtec and Flexistarter 8.6 with contour cutting,  Manual set up.

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lso 


To learn how to use all the editing tools is priceless. 

Yes it but I blew threw all my extra cash on getting supplies for the Holidays on Amazon, bought Flexible Pro, MS Office 2013 Professional Plus, a new Zebra 2844 Thermal Printer, Screen Print Supplies, Toner refills, and a load of shipping supplies.   At the moment I do believe it is steep but may be well worth the money in the long run.    My next purchase was going to be a Graphtec tabletop cutter (I think not sure yet).   getting close to the $7k mark already.

 

I have a whole shop set up in a 200sq foot area with a closet and my work table takes up about 20 or so sq feet as it is.  then the computer desk.  I need more space for everything.   Didnt relize how popular vinyl was and now Im running a full bussiness and backing out of working because I dont have time for both.  Plus 2 kids running around 3 on the weekends.      Getting a little cramped in here.   lol

 

This spring I was going to build a 9 X 24 room on top of my goose neck trailer I have.  Kinda of a mobile shop.  But everything was going to be built in so I can stay and leave when needed.  Got the blue prints for it all ready to go.  but thats on ly roughly 200 sq feet as well.  integrated computers, sat link for Internet and phone, sat tv, screen print area, work tables overhead storage for vinyls, ac, heating.   All lit with led lighting.   Seen one similar to it and I have to say it was awesome.  I wanted one and im getting to the point where it is needed.   I dont really want a full on store front.  to much overhead to deal with.  and a trailer I don't have to insure plus its already included in my renters insurance as long as its mine and on the property.  Made sure I checked on that before I upped my limits.

 

I started making vinyl decals about 2 years ago or so and didnt relize it would grow to what it has.  Mainly online sales but things are getting busy around the area as well.   Doing shirts for the local businesses, store front signage, custom vehicle work partial wraps and such.  I do not really know where I want all of this to go from here.  I know I have wanted my own bussiness since I was little and it looks like I am building one.   I have to say I love it.   Dont like weeding much but thats about the only part I dont like.

 

Anyways I think I got a little off topic there for a bit.

 

I am going to play with the contour cutting and see what I can do with it.   Want to make some hardhat stickers as I am 8 miles from the heart of the natural gas industry here in North Eastern Pa.  I know when I was Fracking we collected them stickers.   Traded, Sold, Swapped.  So might be a good idea to get into here in my area as gas guys and trucks pass my house all day everyday.

 

I will also start looking more into the documentation of Flexi and see what else I can learn about it.

 

Thank for all the replies guys.   Sorry for going off topic.   Had to let it out as there is no one else here that wants to hear about vinyl.   Lol 

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I don't have Flexi at the house to see if set to steps or inches but I'll look tomorrow. Honestly other than that 1 function I prefer Flexi over SCALP by leaps and bounds but as it stands right now I save close to 2 minutes doing them with scalp between alignment and swapping the blade out for the pen so I can see the mark with the qe60. IF changing the setting speeds up the alignment I'll give Flexi another go but I believe my issue will be solved when I upgrade cutters again to an arms setup.

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After I got the grasp of how it moved,  and why,,  that was all I did,  enter the numbers. (distance from mark to mark) . Then the cutter moved from mark to mark. To my measurements.

 

This is from a an ad for Flexistarter 10

 

Where it says INCH is a drop down box

 

Step 3:
Bring the prints to the vinyl cutter and process the alignment of the preprint registration marks.

flexi_contour3.gif

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That is how mines set now that I see it. I guess my problem is I was trying to do alignment with arrows instead of typing in a parameter but I still find it crazy you can't change from thousandths to something a little more reasonable so it will move faster with the arrows. Since I never tried manually entering the numbers I'll give it a shot tomorrow and see how i like it.

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After I messed with it a bit, I saw where you could just erase the numbers there, and enter in what you want. Click the mouse and then the cutter takes off.  I just entered 9.5in  and it moved 9.5 inches.

 

You can also erase the numbers (for size) in Design Central. and enter in what you want.

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I'll try it but don't be taking away my excuse to upgrade again. :ph34r:  I've been half watching for a steal on flexi designer like you mentioned so I can try my hand at it and not have to run a separate design program and a separate cut program.  What I need right now is a good format to export from corel that works in flexi also but doesn't mess up my text when I have it set to a path cause right now I save in corel to maintain the editable text but convert to curves and export as pdf or eps to cut in flexi. If I don't convert first the letters tend to go screwy.

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