dee7966

clear tape seems to get all gooy when wet. I only used it when I had multiple colors to install. Most of the time I would just barely mist some water on the area where the vinyl was going. I eventually got to where I didnt hardly ever use a wet application. Most people like the clear tape and I am one of them, it is just more expensive to use and the only real benefit it had was to be able to see thru it for multi color installations.

dont use a 60 degree blade, they are more fragile. those are for cutting things like heat transfer materials. I cut some magnetic stock before and it was more work than cutting it by hand, a good exacto was much faster! not to mention less wear and tear on the cutter. It can be done but this is something you must decide for your self if you want to do it.

There is a multitude of heat press vinyls out there, you just need to mate the material with what you are putting it on. cotton and polyester are the easiest and nylon, well that is a different story. that takes a material like Gorilla Grip and that is a night mare to use. I would advise staying away from it if you can. as for the teflon sheet, I always used a teflon pad on my heatpress and i would turn the image down on it after applying it and press for just a few seconds, it smooths out the image. if you are good enough you should not need thermal tape, if you are unsure of keeping it in place use it. weeding this heat press vinyl is not always easy. some of the carriers are sticky and some are not. Stahls has a spray that is a must for reattaching any thing that lifs, it wont leave a film on the image. There is also a remover that they carry for taking off something you made a mistake on, just remember, that stuff can stain and not always will you get a clean removal. check out Stahls for the most complete line of heat transfer materials. they also have some really neat weeding tools, they are not cheap but they are invaluable once you use them you are hooked! Stahls also has some kits that come with video on installing and tips. That would probably be your best place to start. it comes with quite a large amount of trial pieces, even flocked transfer material. the main thing with heat transfer material is that you MUST use a 60 degree blade and make sure to do test cuts to make sure the blade is sharp. excessive pressure is a sure sign of a dull blade. this will cause weeding issues and jagged edges. not to mention broken blades and expensive material losses.

COROPLAST HAS A SPECIAL INK. THERE ARE MANY AIR DRY INKS BUT THERE IS A SPECIAL ONE FOR CORO. ANY SILKSCREENING INK SUPPLIERS SHOULD CARRY IT. IT IS NOT CHEAP BUT IT IS WHAT YOU NEED.

IMPERIAL BANNER SUPPLY IN TAMPA ST PETERSBURG MAKES CUSTOM SIZES . YOU CAN ALSO CHECK ONLINE FOR SUPPLIERS OF POLYBANNERS, I KNOW THAT DIAMOND NEON IN TAMPA CARRYS THEM AND YOU CAN GET MANY SIZES

THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP, BOTH FROM USC AND THE FORUM. ALL IS WORKING WELL NOW AND MY PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED!

this plotter/cutter is a great machine. Signblaster is a bit of a bugger sometimes but the machine is great. had a few problems with software at first but got it cleared up mostly.

change your blade to a 60 degree instead of a 45 if that is what you are using. heat transfer material is supposed to be cut with the 60. that could be the jagged edge problem, oh and by the way,,,, that stuff wears out blades faster than you think. make sure the blade is sharp, do test cuts from the plotter. higher pressure is a sure sign of blade dullness.

I used to own a sign and screen printing company and cutting the heat transfer material has a few issues. first of all you need a 60 degree blade. it cuts the material right and the bunching up you may be having could be caused by the wrong blade. the pressure setting is best figured out by running several test cuts (test button on the cutter) they make small cuts and it is easy to determine which pressure is best. as for the white strip, the clear covering is a protection for the blade so that it doesnt get into the felt of the strip. it keeps fragments from getting caught on the blade and also keeps down the chance of the blade getting bound in the strip and breaking, which is one thing you will experience when cutting heat transfer materials. the best way to avoid this is to make sure you do the test cuts. this will keep you from cutting through the carrier film and into the cut strip. hope this helps, dont be afriad to use your cutter, if the local sign company can do it you can too!

I am new to the refine but I had a roland for many years. There is always a clear sealing surface on the cutter strip to keep small fragments from coming up and getting on the blade. This acts as a binder for the strip. Ideally you should never cut into the strip but anyone who has used a cutter knows that it happens. That clear sealer is just a protection and should not be removed. It wont cause a failure but it will keep you from breaking a blade tip off in the strip more than likely. oh and by the way, when that happens, you will find the tip, cut your finger finding it or replace several blades before you realize what is going on!

I had the same issues and it took uninstalling SB and doing a reinstall from the website given to me by Bruce. I still have a few lock ups but now I can just unplug the usb from the plotter and plug it right back in and it clears the problem. Try it, your files should be saved in a file that would not be removed on the uninstall. Check to see where the files are located before you do it. I think that there were some issues with the SB version I got with my cutter so maybe you are having the same issues.

Any clues on the advancement of the vinyl from the cutter after the cut is made? no matter whether I check the advance page box or not it still pulls the vinyl behind the cutter.

Finally, after much work I have this thing mostly on the way. Occasionally I still have a lock up but not much. It is working much better. I still think the problem is the SB but it works somewhat now so I will not complain. Thanks for all the help I got from USC and members here. You were all wonderful.

Ok, yesterday I was mad because this thing did not work. Ken did call me that afternoon and was very understanding and helpufl. I don't think that the plotter is junk, I had a roland and loved it. I didnt want to spend that kind of money again so I tried the refine. I have no complaints about the machine, only the software. I do however appreciate the help from bannerjohn and tater. as for the blatent hatred of the other reply. I did not solicit for critisim of the unit only help to solve a problem. maybe you should not have helped your friend. I don't need your help as a sign pro... been there done that, sold the t shirt and the business. take some advice from me, find a new place to hang out.

for anyone else not getting help with this issue, I uninstalled SignBlazer and reinstalled it and now things are working again, for how long I don't know. I am begining to believe this is a software issue and not a USB issue at all. One thing I do know is that US Cutters does not help with the issues. I have not been able to get them on the phone, email or tech support on line. I am going to go to ebay and post their timely shipping and nice looking product but I am surely going to add in the failure of the product, and their untimely help.