plotski

Hi all! I bought my US Cutter MH721 over two years ago. Here is my Tshirt entry, first as a viewable .jpg and also as a finished vector with reduced notes and no crossed paths for two-color plotting: plotski_vectorfest entry.EPS plotski_vectorfest entry.EPS

My 1-month license with Signcut X2 is about to expire. I'm trying to use my $100 Purchase Ticket Code that came with my Refine/US Cutter plotter to purchase the 3-year subscription to Signcut X2 PE, but the "form" page on the Signcut site doesn't seemingly accept it. Have any of you overcome this problem? DOH, nevermind! I was entering the Ticket Code in the License Number box!!!

Yes, the force and speed settings actually change on the display. They start out lower, then I hear a difference in the "music" the plotter plays, I look and see that the settings have changed on the screen in mid-cut (and sometimes there are some strange "hieroglyphics" on the display, too -- like parts of letters).

Got my MH 721 on eBay and it was delivered Jan 11, 2007. My problem is: I change my speed settings to 8 inches and force settings to 30g for optimum premium vinyl plots but, in the course of the cut (especially longer ones of 4 feet or more), the settings will invariably move up in speed and downforce. The result is that many times the plotter cuts through the paper backing in the middle of the plot. I also think it strange that I have to ratchet the speed and force down to such low settings to make a successful plot (at least, at the start). Please help, as I have ruined lots of premium vinyl! I have grounded the stand to the plotter, I'm using a serial connection on Comm1, and I'm running Signcut X2 PE on XP.

Got back into vinyl signage after a 12 year "retirement." Just today set up my MH 721 and, despite having to cut at the ridiculously low downforce of 10 grams on premium (cast) vinyl, have had only one problem. When cutting a traced bitmap from CorelDRAW 7.0 (using CorelTRACE), I noodled the vector nodes to my satisfaction and exported from Corel as an AI (Adobe Illustrator) file. I opened it in SignCut-X2 PE and can cut it fine at 8". However, when I size it to the 22" inch width that it needs to be for a sign, the plotter stops at midpoint (while the SignCut software continues to spool). Is this a problem with the plotter's buffer? The file isn't terribly complex, but it does have slightly over 1000 nodes. Also, why does any downforce setting over 10 grams cause the plotter to cut through the vinyl paper backing? I do have the blade retracted so that it is less than the thickness of the vinyl.