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copyshipresources

Maximum Cutting Length

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you are more limited as to how far the particular plotter will track straight because the memory issue depends on how complex your design is - more nodes - you hit the memory wall much faster than say a rectangle with 4 nodes

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Memory, depends on how detailed the design is, How many nodes are in the design.  Many copies being cut at the same time, can cause it to run out of memory.    But this is the specs from UScutter.com for this machine

Max Cutting Length 144 in

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The memory capacity is pretty large on the SC2.

128MB is plenty enough for virtually anything you can throw at it.

I've been successful running 20+ feet through mine, with the caveat that the design doesn't run out the entire length at once and try to backtrack on that length.  (For instance, a long stripe or something like that).

For instance, THIS design would not be a problem -- 

bus_riders_banner-280x176.jpg

 

This design, on the other hand, could be ---  (that line/separator above the phone #  would cause the vinyl to run a long length at once and probably go off-tracking)

NGKF_42433.JPG?format=300w

 

What are you trying to accomplish?

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12 FT (144") is pretty dang long anyway plus like Slice says that's just what they agree is within it's limits. One thing you can do to help yourself out is cut it in sections. Not sure if the CUT version of VM has this or not but if you go into the general tab and select the PROPERTIES tab beside your cutter and then go to the CUT OPTIONS over on the side you hopefully have a little box called CUT IN STRIPS that I think will cut in sequence as you progress through the job. I have not used this and actually cut with a different program but when I had my budget cutter I used a program that has similar. You can set a defined amount you want it to cut and it will do everything within that length before moving on. This works fantastic for long strips and border boxes around signage. Does not generally work as well with a busy text job because the budget cutters are not accurate enough to start and stop on 20 different small letters and be able to pick back up where they left off. I can't guarantee that is what that tab means but I bet it is. I generally ran about 12" to 15" at a time. 

As far as the detailed cutting of large projects with text I think all the versions of VM have what's called PRESERVE CUTTING ORDER. I think it does this intelligently and figures out the order it should be cut to reduce unnecessary travel which is exactly what it's actually called when you turn this feature on. In the same area of the cutting utility where you went to look for the "cut in strips" there is another tab called PREVIEW right beside the CUT OPTIONS tab. At the bottom of the resulting page there is a box called REDUCE TRAVEL. This is fairly detailed technical stuff but worth knowing a few "work-arounds" to compensate for a less capable cutter. Once again I have not used VM for actual cutting but have been gradually trying to learn the program. Someone with actual user knowledge may chime in at some point. The concept with the Preserve Cutting Order is to have your blade move less as it works though a design. Otherwise it might cut one letter in one corner and then scroll all the way to the far end and cut another obscure letter and then back to where you started and so forth. I don't can't tell you what the program will do exactly but there is the capability to control that whether it's done manually or otherwise.  You could do some easy testing with a small file to figure out this setting. I would design a 12 letter word and build each letter individually but place one at each end sequentially and see if the cutter jumps back and forth when cutting to determine what the setting does for you. 

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