How to get started????

[kingmg 1]

Hello All

i am new to all of this and wondered if anyone could help me in what I would need for what I want to do.  I design candy bar wrappers for special occasions and wanted something that would cut out designs on the wrappers(say hearts or stars) so foil will show through.  Also my kids like it when i make them t-shirts...just from the inkjet printer or my laser and print on transfer paper and then iron them on,( can't afford a press at this time!!) but i wanted to do dark t-shirts and to have something to cutout the designs so that the white does not show through....clear as mud?  I am not the best with cutting with scissors on most of the designs where there is alot of cutting. My son loves it when i put his name on the back of his baseball shirts, since our league doesn't do that. Just wondered what kind of cutter would be good for this.  Would love to someday be about to make the wall letters and to do tiles too...but didn't know if that took a special printer and ink to print on.  Just wondered what all I needed to start this as mostly just a hobby.

Thanks for any input!!!!

mary

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I'm not sure I know what you mean..but I think that you might need a cutter that does contour cutting. Maybe if you could post a pic of something like you want to do it would help my feeble brain comprehend.

[kingmg 1]

I can't find a picture right now but let me see if I can explain it better.  i wrap hershey candy bars and first i would wrap the bar with foil then i would wrap a designed wrapper over it and say I would have stas in my design... i would want them cut out so i could see the foil through the stars.......  I am assuming any of the cutters from uscutter would do that

Next I would love to do designs on tshirts with say my sons name on the back but did not want to have to cut each letter out separately and then use my iron to iron it on.  Can I just us an inkjet printer with normal ink to do them.

Also the wall words and tiles do you use vinyl to make them and do you have to use a special ink in your printer for them too. 

Sorry hope I am not too confuising

Mary

[BannerJohn 1,324]

I think I comprehend...for the hershey bars, one of teh smaller craft cutters would do...but for the difference in proce ($50 or so) you can get a 24" cutter that would allow you to do the T-shirts,.wall words,and just about anything you want.

[Brandon_Davis 1]

Hey KING,

Banner is on the money, spending the extra $$ and getting a 24" will open up a whole world of projects up to you. If you want to really go over what exactly you want to do with it... Just give me a call!

1-888-298-8143 x7113

[Jay2703 704]

For the candy wrappers you may want some sort of sticky backed pad to use for holding your wrappers in place while cutting. The Cricut Craft cutters have one that is available at Walmart and could but used with the USCutter machines.

[kingmg 1]

Thanks all for you help..... one more question... so if i wanted to do tshirts (just simple ones that i use a household iron for but cut out the design in the cutter) word tiles and wall words...do I need a special printer and ink or could I use either my inkjet or laser printer to do that.

thanks

mary

[Brandon_Davis 1]

You can use a number of different types of printers to print onto heat transfer vinyl. Although you probably don't have one of these printers, otherwise you would already know that you do. Do a google search for "printing on coated surfaces"...

You will really want to use a heat-press and not an iron... The consistency of heat across the graphic is very important! Not to mention the temperature.

-BD

[lexiprice 1]

Hi There!

I do the wallwords type stuff. For those, you just get the vinyl in different colors. I'd totally get a cutter from uscutter before I'd get a smaller craft cutter. The cricut is about $300+ and you have to buy cartridges every time you want a new font. With the cutter, you can cut any font you can find- and that includes dingbats. I just did my sons whole room in star wars stuff from a font.

As for the shirts- I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I've done the printer ones and hate the clear area that shows up. I've never done shirts with the cutter, but I've put vinyl on capes and flags and other type stuff that doesn't have to be laundered. I'm sure someone out there knows if there's a vinyl that works on clothing.

I use my cutter to cut cardstock and craft paper too. They were right when they said to get the cricut sticky pads. Get the 12x12 size, two come in a pack. If you use a coupon at JoAnns and michaels they end up being like $6 for the two and they're reusable. The only problem I can forsee with you cutting things out to see through is that you're going to have to find a way to adhere the middles of letters (like B's) so they aren't just the shadow. Does that make any sense?  PM me if you have more questions.