i need to cut from illustrator cs5 on my PCUT CTN630

[AAviation 0]

no idea how i can do this, cant find any plugins. any help is very much appreciated.

 

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

Did you purchase your cutter new from USCUTTER recently?  If so, you should have gotten Sure Cuts A Lot cutting software,  then you can use the plugin for it.  

 

You have to have a cutting software of some kind. 

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

to cut directly from illustrator with a plugin I think you will have to upgrade quite a bit on the cutter . . . .like skeeter said you need a cutting program.

[Wildgoose 4,200]

If you didn't get SCALP with the cutter then you can try a subscription to SignCut Pro which they will let you have a two week free trial (great program BTW, I actually use it on my $3K Summa cutter) You will need to down-save your artwork to illustrator 8 which seems to be a requirement for several of the cutting programs (not SCALP though, they were running right from CS5 last time I used mine). If you decide to go with SignCut Pro you will need a live internet feed. They also sell a dongle for about $300 that doesn't require an internet connection.

[AAviation 0]

Did you purchase your cutter new from USCUTTER recently?  If so, you should have gotten Sure Cuts A Lot cutting software,  then you can use the plugin for it.  

 

You have to have a cutting software of some kind. 

I received SignBlazer with the cutter and from what ive seen so far trying to use it its not possible to have it communicate with CS5.

[AAviation 0]

If you didn't get SCALP with the cutter then you can try a subscription to SignCut Pro which they will let you have a two week free trial (great program BTW, I actually use it on my $3K Summa cutter) You will need to down-save your artwork to illustrator 8 which seems to be a requirement for several of the cutting programs (not SCALP though, they were running right from CS5 last time I used mine). If you decide to go with SignCut Pro you will need a live internet feed. They also sell a dongle for about $300 that doesn't require an internet connection.

You wouldnt happen to have a link to more information on either of those programs would you?

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

I received SignBlazer with the cutter and from what ive seen so far trying to use it its not possible to have it communicate with CS5.

You will have to save your Illustrator files back as a version 8 .eps file and then import into Signblazer.   Signblazer has not been updated .

[Wildgoose 4,200]

http://www.signcutpro.com/

 

If you didn't get SCALP then I can't in good conscience recommend that you buy it but SignCut Pro works great in opinion. Try the free trial, looks like it might just be 7 days but I think you will like it. Has great cutting tools like tiling, registration marks and you can cut in step-by-step user defined lengths if you have a lang design that the tracking is giving you trouble. Just save to Illustrator 8 and then open that file in SignCut Pro and you're ready to go. (you will have to load the correct drivers when you install but it will give you a list to choose from and it has most of not all the USCutter machines as well as high end cutters. 

[FrznFire07 217]

I don't know if this will work with your plotter but you could try cuttingmaster.

It's a plugin for Illustrator that i use occaisonally.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

I don't know if this will work with your plotter but you could try cuttingmaster.

It's a plugin for Illustrator that i use occaisonally.

That is in GP-GL language which is Graphtec language.   That is why your cutter has to be on GP-GL command to make it work. 

 

 

Most cutters run on DM-PL HP-GL   so you can use software like Signblazer, Flexi,  Scalp etc.

[knucklehead 530]

Download SignBlazer, save design as EPS from ILLY, import into SB, click cut button.

[FrznFire07 217]

That is in GP-GL language which is Graphtec language.   That is why your cutter has to be on GP-GL command to make it work. 

 

 

Most cutters run on DM-PL HP-GL   so you can use software like Signblazer, Flexi,  Scalp etc.

So is the cutting master plugin specific for graphtec than?

or can you adjust the cutter language?

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

So is the cutting master plugin specific for graphtec than?

or can you adjust the cutter language?

CuttingMaster2 is a bare bones WINDOWS program that SAI has made for Graphtec cutters.   It runs on the GP-GL language command in Graphtec.   I have never heard of anyone being able to use it on a different cutter.  Other cutters don't have GP-GL  language.(that is Graphtec language)

 

You can run the newer Graphtec vinyl cutters on GP-GL  (cutting master 2 and 3) or HP-GL command. (FLEXI, SIGNBLAZER, SIGNCUT etc)   I can run my FC7000MK2-75 on either one.  It has both language commands.  I believe I read that the FC8000, has AUTO also for the command. Runs on both.

 

 

 DMPL=Digital Microprocessor Plotter Language

 

HPGL = Hewlett Packard Graphic Language

GPGL = Graphtec Plotter Graphic Language

[FrznFire07 217]

ok well that explaine why my other two plotters use HP-GL.

Thanks!

[AAviation 0]

http://www.signcutpro.com/

 

If you didn't get SCALP then I can't in good conscience recommend that you buy it but SignCut Pro works great in opinion. Try the free trial, looks like it might just be 7 days but I think you will like it. Has great cutting tools like tiling, registration marks and you can cut in step-by-step user defined lengths if you have a lang design that the tracking is giving you trouble. Just save to Illustrator 8 and then open that file in SignCut Pro and you're ready to go. (you will have to load the correct drivers when you install but it will give you a list to choose from and it has most of not all the USCutter machines as well as high end cutters. 

any idea how to vectorize a drawing? I opened a drawing i did in illustrator and it wouldnt open because it wasnt vectorized.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

any idea how to vectorize a drawing? I opened a drawing i did in illustrator and it wouldnt open because it wasnt vectorized.

Illustrator is a vector program.  Vector it in Illustrator. 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

We need a little more information to be of much help. #1 What program did you use to open it? I assume you are talking about a cutting program that wouldn't open the drawing, signcut, sure-cuts-a little-pro, signblazer...which one are we talking about. #2 Did you draw the design in illustrator? if so upload it here and we will take a look. Depending on whats going on there could be several reasons for having a problem. If you drew in illustrator then it should be a vector already but if you simply imported (placed) a picture in illustrator then you still have a raster image. Assuming you actually drew a vector then perhaps you saved it at the wrong setting for your program to open it. SCALP will open CS5 versions but just about every other cutting program out there needs to be saved as Illustrator 8 which is much older before the CS versions came into being.  

 

Hang in there. Once you figure out the basics it will start to be easier.

[AAviation 0]

We need a little more information to be of much help. #1 What program did you use to open it? I assume you are talking about a cutting program that wouldn't open the drawing, signcut, sure-cuts-a little-pro, signblazer...which one are we talking about. #2 Did you draw the design in illustrator? if so upload it here and we will take a look. Depending on whats going on there could be several reasons for having a problem. If you drew in illustrator then it should be a vector already but if you simply imported (placed) a picture in illustrator then you still have a raster image. Assuming you actually drew a vector then perhaps you saved it at the wrong setting for your program to open it. SCALP will open CS5 versions but just about every other cutting program out there needs to be saved as Illustrator 8 which is much older before the CS versions came into being.  

 

Hang in there. Once you figure out the basics it will start to be easier.

The cutting program is signcut pro. The drawing was done in illustrator cs5. As for posting the drawing file on here im not sure how.

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

The cutting program is signcut pro. The drawing was done in illustrator cs5. As for posting the drawing file on here im not sure how.

where is says POST, beside it is more Reply options,  click it,  attach the file there.  Post

[AAviation 0]

too big of a file

 

[Wildgoose 4,200]

Ya a lot of CS5 files will be too big especially if they have a raster image in there or even if they were there and were removed it causes a larger file size. Well. For a test run go into AI and write some text and then convert it to outlines by the keystroke shift>control>O (all three together) or shift>command>O on mac. There is also a pull down menu on the top in text where it will give you the options to convert it from that direction too (and shows you the keyboard shortcut). Once you have the text converted save it and it should pull up the first save dialog box where you can name the file and choose the destination then after you do that it will give you a second dialog box where you can choose the file type. It will have CS5 as the default but there is a pull down and choose Illustrator 8. After that it will probably give you a warning about saving in a legacy format but you can ignore the warning. Once you have done these steps go to SignCut and open the file you just made and is should pull it right in. If you can get to that point then you will be over the first hurdle. Continue to give us feedback.

[AAviation 0]

So i figured everything out finally and started cutting, only problem is the font for the decal isn't cutting out right. I slowed the cutter speed way down to see if that would help but it still doesn't look the way my boss is wanting it to. Any pointers?

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

So i figured everything out finally and started cutting, only problem is the font for the decal isn't cutting out right. I slowed the cutter speed way down to see if that would help but it still doesn't look the way my boss is wanting it to. Any pointers?

pictures - pretty vague description

[AAviation 0]

pictures - pretty vague description

The letters look sloppy, Font is larger and squared like but it cuts out rounded. Some letters have multiple cuts to them and the different parts seem too far apart from each other.

[Dakotagrafx 7,297]

when you do a test cut are the box corners square (checking to see if offset is correct).  is the letters created using a font or are you tracing them then cutting.  need more info and pictures help a lot in diagnosing