Wildgoose

As far as your list goes my recommendations would be: Already picked a great cutter Software - you can start with Inkscape Other software - possibly some vector packs but they get expensive so you may want to wait and decide what your actual needs are before just buying a whole bunch Vinyl - Oracal 651 is the best bang for the buck ad you are safe to pick up white and black for certain App tape - you might try several types but you are always safe with any of the paper R-Tape. The ones with RLA are nice IMO Weeding tools - I end up settling in on a pair of sharp pointed tweezers but there are a host of options out there and taste differ. Squeegees - I buy good quality 3M squeegees they seem to stay straight a little better. I like the 3M Gold for most applications but the Blue are nice and flexible so i keep one of those on hand too Ruler - Definitely need a good ruler, I have settled in with a 24.5 inch see through Fiskars which help when cutting after the app tape. I also have a long SOOPER Edge but I use it less Cutting mat - Buy the 36.5"x24.5" OLFA green mat or probably similar. As big as you can get without a fold in it. I also bought the 48"x 24" white cutting mat from USCutter but it says it is self healing and it's really not. The green IS self healing and stays smooth for masking your work. Marking Pencils - I use the water soluble marking pencils Coroplast and Banners - I bought some banners thinking I would move more of those than I have so I would wait until you get an order on any substrate. Other things you might want - Heat press and associated accessories to have a completely different revenue stream. You will be all set to do Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV) with your cutter. It's easy and affordable Good quality masking tape for application time. 3M automotive refinishing masking tape or American PG are a couple good available brands. These are going to cost you double what the cheap stuff is but no comparison. After you get going if you find yourself doing a lot of large graphics using full width 24" wide vinyl you might consider a Big Squeegee Cut Vinyl Tool. Takes a little learning but they are awesome for taping off big jobs by yourself. Pre-application - I recommend some Orange citrus adhesive remover and plenty of rubbing alcohol and probably some application fluid. I have used a couple different brands of app fluid for wet apps and they seemed similar to me. I also use some methyl alcohol mixed/diluted with water as a basic cleaning solution. It comes in a tin can and you mix it yourself and is affordable to use a lot of for cleaning off grime and also after suing the orange citrus. Don't buy the squirt bottle from USCutter, most won't even work. I buy mine at Home depot and they are better quality. OK that was a lot of info. Last thing I can think of right now. You are going to want to get set up with at least one of the wholesale suppliers in your town to buy substrate and you may need to prove to them you are a viable business. I don't know what suppliers are in your area. We have Denco Sales and Sun Supply. They will stock all sorts of substrates, vinyl, app tape and tools. Probably not as cheap as USCutter for any of it but they are close and quick and sell cast vinyl by the yard for one off jobs that require a unique color.

I would be at $165 at a minimum. With no install.

I just used the arc text command which does distort things a but but it creates a nice circular shape along the top and bottom of whatever text you are working with. One of the trade offs vs text on a path which doesn't distort the letters but just rotates them along the path. I did it both ways and like this look better. Unless you are talking about the tiny one on the shirt. That one I just tried to fit on there so it looked like it belonged.

There should be some tutorials in the help menu. I am sure there are youtube vids too. It definitely takes some time getting your head wrapped around it. All the vector programs end up with the same basic result. They all seem to go about it a little differently but in general you are preforming the same actions under different names or in some cases in different methods of achieving the same end. Here are two pics of one of my personal designs. One is the image you see as you build something in the other is what the cutter sees.

I hired this company to do some framing for me one year and they spelled their name Graffix construction and I later found out that Graphix is a bong manufacturer or something like that, they evidently thought it was hilarious. Needless to say I was less than impressed.

just click on one of the paths you are talking about and then use the select similar box to select all objects with similar fill and it will highlight all the open paths and then just hit delete and they will be gone but your image will look the same. Try to use the "unite" rather than the "merge" as merge treats things a little differently and doesn't discard the open areas for you like unite does.

Those red buttons are on the far sides are shutoffs if it goes too far to the side. Not usually a problem but on the P-Cut 1200 model I had you used different locations on the machine to hit certain widths of vinyl and once I was over near the far left side and upsized my design too much and the cutter head ran over there and hit the red button and it shut me down. I think it's primarily so the machine doesn't try to force the cutting head and mess up the drive belt. I only had an issue the one time. As for your actual post about driver protected I don't have any idea unless that is a bogus copy of flexi or something that is shutting you down.

Doing some wall art is a great idea to get some practice time in. I did several best friend and family vehicle jobs before I ever did one I charged for. Those I did for free were aware they were guinea pigs and after the job they then advertised for me to all their friends. It worked out great. What software are you planning to design in? If you are trying to go on the cheap for now I would download Inkscape for free. Good program. Spend your waiting time learning to draw and trace so you don't have a new cutter setting ready to go and no designs to cut. Even if it's just text quotes it's worth getting used to manipulating things to look better than just typing something out plain. If you plan to use SCALP from USCutter you might want to reconsider and download Inkscape for free. Good program. If you are planning to purchase or cloud rent Corel or Illustrator then I would definitely recommend spending some practice time and you still might want to download a copy of Inkscape for free. Good program. Partly because it's free and because it still comes in handy one in a while.

Looks like it's built stout. With that kind of down pressure I would think it will be a pretty big hit with the servo motors and all. Is that a knife slit for cutting off the vinyl about 3 inches down from the cutting strip? Hard to tell if it's meant to be used for that or not, maybe it's just a panel edge.

Pure luck that I tried it. I had been using it in my heat press on some printed transfers and just noted how nice you could see through it so I wondered if it would work with regular vinyl and the rest is history. It's cheap too!

My recent P-Cut had static issues and I bought some of the anti-static cling spray that women use on their skirts and just hosed the area down if I was having problems or thought I might. It worked great and a spray can lasted a lot longer than I thought it would.

Nice work SignTorch! You guys that have the natural talent (and I assume a tablet) always make me jealous. I bought a Wacom tablet one year and tried to use it and found out I can't draw for crap by hand. LOL! I ended up just returning it and getting my money back.

Too funny! I didn't even look at the date for the OP. LOL

Post a copy of your file if you want some better help. It's hard to figure out what is going on just from a description. Sounds to me like you did a trace so you should be able to just select and delete unwanted items. Typically I don't rely on trace to re-create text. It almost never produces a good copy. I would rebuild that file with all new text. The center graphic is relatively simple too. I think I would hand trace that out. THe background color may cause tracing imperfections. My steps to do this would include: import the image Select image and reduce the opacity to about 50% lock the layer so it stays put while you work on top of it in a new layer trace the center image by hand starting with the farthest back portions (golden mountains) replace the text over the old to keep it in the same layout (assuming you are trying to duplicate the original) When you are all done unlock the original pic and discard it and you are done.

Here is a 5 color trace. Had to save it as and SVG to get the file small enough to upload. It's hard to get it to come out with all the chrome and reflections off the paint. Probably going to have to hand draw it but it will take a lot of time. Chevelle Wagon Trace.svg

I didn't mean to make you panic and I doubt it's going to all of a sudden start falling off peoples cars but I limit the size of most of what I buy to what I need so I keep things rotated best as I can. Price is a little more per foot but I also don't have to outlay quite as much at any given time and I price my jobs accordingly to cover it. White and Black are always safe as I'm sure you have found same as I have. Most used by far. The reds and blues are heavy users too but often different shades so I don't pre-order.

Well printing is a bigger deal than you might think. To print on vinyl you have to have a solvent or eco-solvent based printer and they cost....well...A LOT! Starting above 10K I believe. I also imagine that if you buy the lowest price printer you may also be getting the cheapest. Follow me? Any way. Cutting vinyl is another story and you will have tons of fun with that new cutter once you figure out the ins and outs. There is a definite learning curve and you may be frustrated at first but once you get the hang of it then all you have to do is figure out how to install it properly. <deadpan humor> While you wait for your cutter go online and download "Inkscape". It's a free vector graphic program that is superior to what will come with the laser point (You will still need the program that comes with your cutter to be able to send files to cut). There are tutorials in the help section and there are tons of youtube videos to help learn to draw and trace which you will need to know how to do and might as well get started learning while you are setting around biting your nails waiting for the cutter to come. This forum is a veritable cornucopia of information so at some point you are going to want to set down with a cold drink and do some searching on various topics but until your cutter gets here you don't even know what you don't know yet. That will all come soon enough. Welcome to the forum and I speak from experience that you will not find a better group to help you. Most if not all of us started out exactly where you are right now.

Who knows with the factory and that's always my worry that I am already getting an old roll! I think it's a year or two shelf life. Probably better if you keep them in the plastic bag sleeves. I have some stuff that is three years and still seems to work but I have been able to tell the difference when I used up a roll I had for a while and opened the new stuff I had just gotten. Cut easier and weeded better (the new). I have never thrown any out but I bet the stuff that you see on discount sale or to ebay is getting up there.

Wish I had a DTG. I'm jealous

It does if you use it up. If you don't it gets old and stale. Vinyl has a shelf life.

I'd say you jumped in in a big way with a full 50yd roll. Maybe they only sell 50 at a time directly?

White shirt no graphics? Pretty plain IMHO. LOL <edit> Ah now I see it! Much better and they look great. is that going to be DTG printed or what?

Welcome from Idaho.

Ya light boards are cool. i broke mine. They don't work out on an install either where the parchment works great and you can avoid the bubbles that sometimes come when layering on a carrier prior to install.

I'm thinking about seeing if I can find a slightly upsized roundstock and drill the whole thing out. I am afraid the handle part is as worn as the two flatbars. Not sure if there are any options like that out there. For now I just unhooked the springs and am setting it aside as a back-up that cost me all of about $8 in HTV It works you just can't walk away. I definitely prefer the swing away for what I do. I don't like being under the platen all the time. If I ever decided to go do a booth somewhere I might take that press along rather than the swing away because it's lighter.