MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 5, 2019 Yes, the blade depth is the first thing you have to get correct, when you set up a vinyl cutter, it makes a huge difference when too much blade is exposed out of the holder. The combination is less blade , more force. The rest of the settings come after that. Then if you try a thicker or older vinyl, you step the force up a number or 2 not change the blade depth. Even when I go to Avery Chrome from Oracal 651. (it is a polyester vinyl.) I only change the force up. . You should not have to change your blade depth until the blade is totally dull. Just step up the force a little and get more use out of it. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted September 5, 2019 glad you got it figured out with skeeters help - one note that scrapes like nails on a chalkboard - you are cutting or plotting - you are not printing. skeeter has helped hundreds if not thousands of people with proper set up of their blade Haumana gve sold advice too - great team we have on the forum 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 6, 2019 After more cuts last night and examining this morning. It really cleared up some interesting cuts I was not happy with. I was still having some issues with sticky letters not weeding as easy as I hope but I am thinking I am going to pump the speed down even a little more to see if that helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 6, 2019 Also you must remember not to cut more than you can weed at 1 time right away. Vinyl will self heal it's self and be very hard to weed later. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 9, 2019 Now I am lost. Slowed the cutter down. Blade has been set since the last recommendation and I have cut this twice in a row now. I can't believe how awful this cut is. The names turned out usable but the October font is god awful. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 9, 2019 Do you have enough vinyl slack to do the entire order? You should never be pulling from the roll while cutting. Are you prefeeding your vinyl for the order? Is there gouges/scratches in your cutting strip from having the blade too far exposed? Take the blade out of the holder and look at it. That 2nd C looks like tracking problem. Is that a weed box, you cut around it with the cutter? If so, it is not even the same width, left to right, top to bottom. Which is tracking. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted September 9, 2019 Just to back up a little as you tried different things suggested prior to this, Still using Mac? using which cutting software, have read scalp, cut master with some other software? Or maybe 5he mac version of graphtec (pro?) studio??? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted September 9, 2019 Is the Blade holder carriage tight on the rail? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 9, 2019 Yes, pre-feeding. Always making sure there is slack. Carriage is tight. I reset the entire cutter and re-set it up and the problem on that same cut has disappeared now. I'm lost. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted September 9, 2019 4 minutes ago, ericmschwanke said: Yes, pre-feeding. Always making sure there is slack. Carriage is tight. I reset the entire cutter and re-set it up and the problem on that same cut has disappeared now. I'm lost. Still using the Mac? What program to cut from . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 9, 2019 29 minutes ago, Dakotagrafx said: Still using the Mac? What program to cut from . . Yes Mac and cut master 4. I see sign cut pro 2 has a monthly software subscription but I'm not familiar with that software. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted September 9, 2019 glad 1 hour ago, ericmschwanke said: Yes Mac and cut master 4. I see sign cut pro 2 has a monthly software subscription but I'm not familiar with that software. so to drag our the rest of the anwer if you are using cutmaster 4 are you sending it to cut from corel or ILLY? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wildgoose 4,200 Posted September 9, 2019 Those are definitely ugly cuts and not what a Graphtec is capable of. You must have something wrong or a busted cutter. I use SignCut Pro and it works great with mac and Illustrator. Might be worth trying the free trial just to rule out once and for all any kind of software problem but I don't think it's software. Software doesn't get it THAT wrong, at least not on any quality cutter like the Graphtec. I would say you have something broken, loose or your pinch rollers are not over the drive wheels. I am not a Graphtec owner so the machine specific stuff I am no help. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 10, 2019 22 hours ago, Dakotagrafx said: glad so to drag our the rest of the anwer if you are using cutmaster 4 are you sending it to cut from corel or ILLY? I send straight from Illustrator CS6 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 10, 2019 22 hours ago, Wildgoose said: Those are definitely ugly cuts and not what a Graphtec is capable of. You must have something wrong or a busted cutter. I use SignCut Pro and it works great with mac and Illustrator. Might be worth trying the free trial just to rule out once and for all any kind of software problem but I don't think it's software. Software doesn't get it THAT wrong, at least not on any quality cutter like the Graphtec. I would say you have something broken, loose or your pinch rollers are not over the drive wheels. I am not a Graphtec owner so the machine specific stuff I am no help. I will re-alight the pinch rollers and look at that. I feel everything and nothing seems loose. Thats the strangest part. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 10, 2019 possibly show a picture of the vinyl loaded across the front of the machine. Like stand back and take a picture of the vinyl loaded, so we can see pinch rollers and all. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 11, 2019 Here are my roller positioning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 11, 2019 As I stated before, put the pinch rollers about an inch in from the edge of the vinyl. The roller marks will not hurt the vinyl. I even use a tape measure sometimes, Measure side of roller out to the vinyl edge. Why does the vinyl look so rippled up in front and not laying flat? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 11, 2019 41 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said: As I stated before, put the pinch rollers about an inch in from the edge of the vinyl. The roller marks will not hurt the vinyl. I even use a tape measure sometimes, Measure side of roller out to the vinyl edge. Why does the vinyl look so rippled up in front and not laying flat? I was curious about the ripples also. It has been rainy and humid in Wisconsin the last few days and we have had all our windows open in the house so I am wondering if that is it. I don't see it after I cut and its laying flat to weed. I will move the rollers in even more. I just want to use as much as the 24width as I can. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 11, 2019 You can turn the pinch rollers off. I turned mine off day 1, 11 years ago. FC Unit, and the CE5000, you could do the same. It will cut right up to the vinyl edge. Hit the ORIGIN button before you send cut. I have told CE6000 users before how to do it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakotagrafx 7,297 Posted September 11, 2019 I was about to mention that rippled vinyl - for years we have ran the central air for humidity control - but the printer was much more sensitive to humidity Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ericmschwanke 23 Posted September 11, 2019 55 minutes ago, MZ SKEETER said: You can turn the pinch rollers off. I turned mine off day 1, 11 years ago. It will cut right up to the vinyl edge. Hit the ORIGIN button before you send cut. On the CE6000 you can just ignore the pinch rollers? I looked on how to extend the cutting area but it was only like .175mm past the pinch roller. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MZ SKEETER 4,708 Posted September 11, 2019 Yes, you can turn them off. It's in advanced settings. Disable the push roller sensor. I also disabled the media sensor, so that it did not measure the vinyl at start up.. I just place the carriage head where I want it and push ORIGIN. I just send my design after prefeed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
haumana 1,220 Posted September 12, 2019 My Graphtec doesn't have the 2nd page in the Advance menu. It goes from 1/3 to 3/3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mfatty500 454 Posted September 12, 2019 I run my Graphtec outside in my garage yearound, and my vinyl never ripples up like that. What brand of vinyl is it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites