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I have been working with Graphtec support for over a month trying to troubleshoot this issue and haven't gotten anywhere so I want to ask here to see if anyone has a suggestion.

When I cut fonts, Really anything under 80pts The letters end up all jagged like it couldn't figure out how to connect the circles properly. Graphtec has had me reset my unit, replace the blade holder ($100 down the drain still having the problem) I have replaced the blade. Checked to make sure the holder is in there tight and also that the Pen Block isn't loose. I ran a test with the pen in instead of the blade holder and blade and it was perfect.

I am running Version 1.30-STU

Condition 1 - CB09U S30 F14 A2

I only run rolls of Oracal 631 indoor vinyl. Can anyone brainstorm a different solution? The 3rd photo without writing is after changing the blade holder but still slightly getting issues that you can see on the 2 and the 9, they just aren't smooth cuts.

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Which software? Have you tried a different cutting software?   Does it do the same if you use the Graphtec cutting controller.  How did you set your blade depth? It doesn't look like your cutting with the blade tip. more like the side when the blade turns.   What are your settings?  Where did you get your blades?  And you typed all of these letters numbers from your software? None are traced right? 

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I use Cut Master 4(I use a mac) I've never used the Graphtec Cutting Controller I don't even see that with the Mac software.. Blade depth is set at just shy of 2mm. ( I use the PM-CT-001 to set the depth)

 

 

 

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I can't help you with a Mac.  Or Cutting master.   But have you tried to use Signcut trial?   It is for a Mac.   Can you borrow a Windows computer and try it on?    Very few Mac people on here,  except   member haumana, that I can think of.   She has a Graphtec Ce6000

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Did you try it on Signcut or Scalp Mac trials?  Us old timers don't use Mac.  We can't help, because we don't use what you use. 

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27 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

Did you try it on Signcut or Scalp Mac trials?  Us old timers don't use Mac.  We can't help, because we don't use what you use. 

Exploring right now. When I look at the wireframe in Signcut it looks off, SCAL 3 that I used with my old US Cutter the Illustrator file is perfect.

But when I just used Signcut to cut it... It is perfect. The mystery continues!

 

 

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I know its been a hair since I brought up this thread again. I have played around with a newer version of Illustrator and seems to be fixing the horrible cuts better. Not perfect but better.

The issue I am experiencing now is making me scratch my head.

I only cut Oracal 631 Vinyl. I only use Graphtec CB09UB blades. Recently (maybe 5 days ago) I got new blades in the mail, I am not sure how long they last I was just thinking maybe its time to replace the current since some of the smaller letters I am cutting were getting harder and harder to weed.

Put the new blade in, first few cuts were horrible and could barely weed the cut fonts. The blade holder was set so the depth of the blade should not have changed. I put the blade holder in the magnifying unit, sorry forgot its name, to set the blade depth and stuck the blade out a little more. Cuts are a little better but I never in the years of cutting have had so much trouble weeding fonts. I watched this video a few months back about cutting small fonts and settings to use on the CE6000 so my current settings are CB09U+0 S20 F10 A2. Should I set the pressure more? 

It's very frustrating. The bad cut issues I had a month and a half conversation with Graphtec Support who basically told it was my blade holder, I purchased a new one and didn't change anything,  and now they won't help and won't respond to messages.

You can see the font below in the picture with the memory card is not a small a font and the circle doesn't connect. Weeding the fonts pulls up every few letters and I have to sit and spend time placing letters back on the backing paper. 

Ideas?

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 I have never ran my cutter ever at Speed 20.  EVER.    Try slowing the cutter down.   Small items you need to.   Speed only gets the order done faster, but it does not mean it gets done correctly.     I cut around 2-3 Speed and I never have problems.  I am in no rush, and my designs are cut correctly.  If that is too slow, then bump it up a little. Maybe 4-5

If they are not cutting correctly at Speed 2-3 then you have other problems.  Blade depth, etc.   At Speed 20 your just wearing your machine out faster, and not getting good cuts. 

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I'm trying to think what the normal speed for the Condition 1 out of the box is. I thought it was faster. I will slow it down and try that.

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Speed is according to what size of design you are cutting and material.  Forget the conditions,  The correct condition, is making it cut correctly. You have to make adjustments for that.  There are no set in stone settings.   My cutter is not set up on any condition.  I only use the Graphtec Cutting Controller,  for the FC7000,  it is on Condition 9, my own settings. And it cuts perfect to my settings.  I only need to change the speed once in a while depending on what I cut.   Or force if I cut Chrome. Nothing else changes.  My main cutting vinyl is 2.5-3 mil vinyl.  Pretty much the same as Oracal 631.

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Well for each condition includes a speed. That is why I mention Condition 1 that Graphtec sets out of the box because I didn't remember what their speed set in that condition was.

 

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6 minutes ago, ericmschwanke said:

Well for each condition includes a speed. That is why I mention Condition 1 that Graphtec sets out of the box because I didn't remember what their speed set in that condition was.

 

I think you will find that most of old timers, cut slow, and we don't have problems.   Speed does nothing but get it done faster.    If you read on this forum, we tell people all the time when cutting smaller fonts to cut slow.  It doesn't matter which cutter they are using, to cut slow.   If it is not cutting good at slower speed, it sure is not going to at a faster speed. 

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4 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

I think you will find that most of old timers, cut slow, and we don't have problems.   Speed does nothing but get it done faster.    If you read on this forum, we tell people all the time when cutting smaller fonts to cut slow.  It doesn't matter which cutter they are using, to cut slow.   If it is not cutting good at slower speed, it sure is not going to at a faster speed. 

Totally. That is my next try tonight. How long do you usually go between changing blades? I would say in the last month I cut 180 decals ranging from 12x12 inches to 32x 20 inches.

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I cut large decals, 20-27" w x up to 16 ft Length  Cutting about every day. Several orders.   I use Seiki blades and I get about 9  months average out of them. 

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10+ months on clean cut blades here.  Seems most of these problems we see like this one are from Mac scalp users, will be curious what the final fix is.  

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Each and every time I change blades, I will inspect the blade holder to make sure there is no debris in it - which often times there is. I also will go through the motions for setting the proper blade depth, because I've learned that when I've changed blades, nothing good will result if I do not treat it like everything is brand new and needs to be individually tweaked.

If you're having a difficult time weeding, then there is a chance that you're not using enough force to not just cut through the vinyl, but through the adhesive as well. It could also mean that it's time to change the vinyl. Older vinyl that I have is notorious for needed a higher force, and sometimes a slower speed to get the results so that I can be easily weeded. Make sure that you're weeding whatever you cut sooner rather than later, because the adhesive will find a way to bond back to itself through the cuts over time.

Blade offset for Graphtec is 0

Since you have a Mac, I would suggest downloading and trying Graphtec Studio. It may not be your software of choice, but right now, you're trying to eliminate what it's doing, so let's see if it's a software issue vs. hardware.

I also highly recommend Clean Cut Blades.

The vinyl that I own are various colors and various ages, most of the vinyl can be cut using a single condition which is awesome, but there are some vinyl colors and ages that require fine tuning until it cuts right so it's easily weed-able. The fine tuning will include blade force and speed. Never underestimate the value of speed. The smaller or more intricate the text or design, the slower you go. I'm usually never in a rush when I'm cutting, and mutlitask while the machine is running, so often times I will be cutting at 30, maybe 40, but have slowed the machine all the way down to 15-20 for smaller stuff.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what's happening.

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On 5/28/2019 at 12:06 PM, ericmschwanke said:

I use Cut Master 4(I use a mac) I've never used the Graphtec Cutting Controller I don't even see that with the Mac software.. Blade depth is set at just shy of 2mm. ( I use the PM-CT-001 to set the depth)

 

 

 

I was reading through this earlier post and noticed the 2mm comment. That is a LOT of blade. Your Oracal 631 is 3 mil (or 3 thousands of an inch) that's only about 0.08 mm. I would try setting the blade depth just to be sure because even though it doesn't seem like it would matter it totally does. As Skeeter has said many times, pull the blade holder off the machine and set it so that it barely cuts into the paper backing but not all the way through. When you are actually cutting you should be just grazing the surface of the carrier but not be able to feel it from the back and you should be able to just barely see a gap from the actual holder to the surface of the vinyl when it is cutting. I lean down and make sure I can see just a touch of air almost nothing. 

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Like Wildgoose states. Set the blade like I have posted hundreds of times on here. You should just barely see the blade tip out of the blade holder.  Graphtec also told me, back the blade into the blade holder, Push the blade holder down to the cutting strip, turn the blade out just til you see daylight. Get down eye level with it.   That is all it takes to cut vinyl. You only cut with the very tip of the blade.  I stated in posts above, that it looks like your cutting with the side of the blade. You only cut with the very tip of the blade. 2mm is too much when vinyl is only 2.5 mil.   Set your blade depth like this.

To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing.  You should barely see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder. 

 

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Have you ever cut the same file one right after the other? Are the problem areas at identical locations or do they vary?

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12 hours ago, pawdell said:

Have you ever cut the same file one right after the other? Are the problem areas at identical locations or do they vary?

Usually it is custom pieces so I don't normally print more than 1 copy but would be interesting to check that to see when I notice the issues. 

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53 minutes ago, ericmschwanke said:

Usually it is custom pieces so I don't normally print more than 1 copy but would be interesting to check that to see when I notice the issues. 

 So what changes have you done since yesterday?  Show your work since the changes. Also try it on a different condition.  You can change any condition to your settings. 

Have you ever tried it on a Windows computer? Plenty of trial software for that. 

Just type a bunch of text and repeat it several copies. 

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29 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said:

 So what changes have you done since yesterday?  Show your work since the changes. Also try it on a different condition.  You can change any condition to your settings. 

Have you ever tried it on a Windows computer? Plenty of trial software for that. 

I slowed it down to 10 instead of 20 like I had it, also took the blade out, air sprayed the blade holder, re-set the blade depth and printed about 15 things last night. Peeling was very easy. Didn't notice any big issues like I was before. I haven't had a chance to closely examine some of them that i normally have issues with. Had to run out the door this morning. But I'm hopeful its just a settings issue like you gave suggestions on.

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