Pannerz 1 Posted February 24, 2014 please excuse my lack of knowledge as iam completely new to this. iam looking to get into cutting vinyl decals, as well as making t-shirts down the road. for now this will just be a hobby but will possibly turn into a small business for me. iam looking at the USCutter LaserPoint II Vinyl Cutter. will this be a decent cutter for what iam trying to do ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted February 24, 2014 I own 1 as a backup to my Graphtec and it is a pretty solid machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted February 24, 2014 Probably a good learning machine. The cutter is just one part of the equation however but the whole process is exciting and enjoyable. Welcome to vinyl. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pannerz 1 Posted February 24, 2014 Thanks guys for the response..im most likely going to get this cutter as well as the software that comes with it, and Adobe Illustrator. Other than that and vinyl is there anything else you recommend so i can hit the ground running ? edit: would you recommend a different cutter other than the one i plan to get ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,709 Posted February 24, 2014 You will need transfer tape. an exacto knife and pointed down tweezers are good to have. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FrznFire07 217 Posted February 24, 2014 if you're planning on doing just decals some decent vector packs might be a good idea, there's alot you can find online for free but there's plenty to be said for several books of vector clipart. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted February 24, 2014 Do a LOT of searching and reading on the forum. There are answers to just about everything you will encounter. Also recommend watching any youtube videos that you can find for extra tips. It's not super complicated but it is a craft that takes some practice and learning. We are here to chip in and help but we all have jobs and are trying to make a buck just like the rest so time to spend on the forum is sometimes time away from our own work. Be mindful of your requests and try to find the answers you seek first and the forum will be appreciative. This is about as helpful of a group as there is anywhere and most of us have received a lot of help and then have stayed around to help the next guy just out of appreciation for what we got at the beginning. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pannerz 1 Posted February 24, 2014 ive tried youtube, but their havent been too many helpful videos on the cutter iam interested in. i will do plenty of reading on this forum after work tonight..this will be mostly a hobby until iam much more comfortable. But again thank you all again for your help and understanding for my lack of knowledge Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted February 24, 2014 The cutters are all about the same for the most part so try a MH or P-Cut or a different brand. There will be a few minor differences with the buttons and such but the vids aren't going to show much of that anyway. Some of that stuff is just better when you have hands on. Don't take my comments wrong either, feel free to ask questions when you need answers. MOST of us won't give you a bad time. LOL Videos worth watching are the ones about weeding and application and applying app tape using a squeegee properly etc. Take everything with a grain of salt too because nothing says any one of us knows what the heck we're doing either. Ha ha! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pannerz 1 Posted February 25, 2014 Thank you again guys ! I finally got off work so I will now start reading until my eyes fall out LOL 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dwp99 283 Posted February 25, 2014 Hello and Welcome to the forum. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pannerz 1 Posted February 25, 2014 Hello and Welcome to the forum. thank you ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lady_VI 45 Posted February 25, 2014 Hello and welcome. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slice&dice 2,450 Posted February 26, 2014 Bonjour. You can buy that machine with confidence and once you get to cutting for other people, you'll make your investment back lickety-split. Here's a quick suggestion to start you off ----- download and install SignBlazerElements. Play around with it for a while, check out the graphics Library it offers (Draw menu). I would HIGHLY recommend the video showing decal installation with RapidTacII in cold-weather (auto glass application). That single video is probably the most impressive you'll encounter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kauffman21 32 Posted March 2, 2014 I remember when we first started, we wanted to just set up a booth somewhere and sell vinyl decals. A few years later and 95% of our work is t-shirt related. It's funny how you find your market. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kauffman21 32 Posted March 2, 2014 By the way, welcome to the forum. Most everything you could ever ask has already been asked and discussed 5 times...that search bar is my best friend on here lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jaybyrd 3,770 Posted March 3, 2014 I remember when we first started, we wanted to just set up a booth somewhere and sell vinyl decals. A few years later and 95% of our work is t-shirt related. It's funny how you find your market. We started in decals and are mostly shirts now too. Gotta go with the flow. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
