hockeygirl

You can run it in XP SP2 compatibility mode

I don't know if your printer use dye or pigment ink (I'm suspecting most likely dye). Not every printer can use pigment ink, so your best bet is to get a cheap epson. If you're only planning on printing letter size, you can get the WF30 from epson clearance center for $40-50 with free shipping. As for paper - most of us like JPSS for light shirts and G3 Jet Opaque for dark. You cannot print white (unless you have one of those expensive garment printers or solvent printers), so that's why you use the opaque paper, which is white, and best result is to contour cut the image after printed.

If you can get the right to sell at events, that's different. But you have to remember that most of the time, you pay to be a merchant at the event and you give a percentage of your sale to the even organizers as well. And most of the time, it's about who you know to get into those events. I've done some rich kid sports events, where they can get a basic white tee with the event organizer logo for $10, and every additional tranfer they add or color shirts or different style shirts costs more. I probably grossed close to $8000 in 1 day for a competition with over 200 competitiors.

If space isn't an issue, the 34" MH871 with stand is only $299 on eBay with free shipping.

Depends on what you're using the cutter for. The Sihouette is made by Graphtec (same machine as the Craft Robo) so it may be a better built machine, but I don't know if it is as well built as their pro machines. It is truely a craft cutter. It doesn't offer flexibility in adjusting blade pressue, only offers 3 different caps to simulate the various cut pressures for 3 different thickness of material to be cut. If you're using it solely for scrapbooking and don't need the additional width, it's not a bad idea, esp since it doesn't offer automatic registration for contour cutter, while the Refine doesn't.

I know it may sound stupid, but make sure your heat press is reading Farenheit and not Celcius. I know someone who pressed at 375'C and wonder why her shirts were burnt.

Make sure you have the correct com port in signblazer/signcut. And also the baud rate in the software is same as your cutter.

Welcome to the forum. Don't worry about the marks from the rollers, they'll go away once you apply the vinyl.

It's probably been said already, but really appreciate your presence on the forum, Levi.

Same for me, I don't do many heatpressed vinyl shirts - maybe if the shirt run is less than 10. With full size graphics, there's no way to be competitive. Most of my shirt orders are screen printed. With that said, I probably have an pretty even 50/50 split with shirts and non-shirts (RTA decals, banners, etc), mainly because I provide a full package for my customers - shirts, stickers, banners, flyers, etc all included.

Make sure the baud rate on the cutter matches the software as well. Sometimes when you power off the cutter it defaults to something else.

Claris ink is dye based but supposed to be more water fast. I haven't tried it personally but some members had good results while others don't. You'll just have to test it out yourself first.

That sounds more like a blade adjustment issue... offset, blade depth, etc.

In Illy - Object -- Live Trace -- Make and Expand You may want to check "ignore white" in trace options, otherwise, you'll get a vector for black and one for white.

For long cuts, I always prefer Flexi over other software, only because I have the option to cut in tiles which comes in handy when making 8-10' cut - tracking can be off by a little and it won't affect the final product.

Easiest way in AI - use offset path (under object) to create your outline

Agree with last poster. Are you sure you mean feet and not inches? Inches - doable. Feet - I wouldn't touch that at all. It'll take at least 3 50yd roll for one color assuming no mistakes.

I always use the teflon sheet.

Have you had any jobs you've already done? If so, why not take a picture of those as samples and put them on your website?

I started out with a used MH-721 and made the money back multiple times. Only 6 months ago did I upgrade to a used Graphtec. And to this day, I've nevered owned a new cutter. I admit, the learning curve for the hobby cutters is a little steeper but most of us started there.

Did you buy your cutter on eBay? I believe signcut is only included if you buy directly from uscutter.

Don't peel off the transfer paper until you're done with both sides.

If you're editing a vector file, do not use the eraser tool, but delete the nodes and/or vectors. Click on the hollow arrow to select each individual node, etc.

What cutter are you using and do you have it grounded? What method of connection (USB/serial)? Also it's not so much the physical size of you cut but the compexity (number of nodes) of the design.

I've seen clear vinyl before (can't remember the brand right now) but it doesn't look that good (and definitely not very clear) because they have to be coated for waterbased ink.