sustek4 0 Posted June 28, 2008 What program will be needed to work the cutter? Will paint shop pro 8 work? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benr98 40 Posted June 28, 2008 I don't believe so. We use PSP to change art work sometimes. If you are buying the cutter, the software you need will be included. We use SignBlazer for our cutter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted June 28, 2008 Paint shop pro, Adobe Photoshop etc is raster based. You need a vector based app such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape etc to do your design. The machine you get should come with the software to run the machine Such as Flexi, SignCut, SignBlazer, ArtCut and so on. I suggest if you plan to get a machine to do contour cutting you get SignCutx2 with it. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sustek4 0 Posted June 29, 2008 So the program that comes with it is just for cutting the vinyl. And you have to design your design in a different program like Flexi? Then convert it to signcut? What program would be the best to get with the machine? Signcut or Signblazer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benr98 40 Posted June 29, 2008 Signcut or Signblazer will be a matter of preference. We didn't know anything about vinyl cutting software or vinyl cutting for that matter when we started. Signblazer was easy to learn, we were cutting the same day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jay2703 704 Posted June 29, 2008 So the program that comes with it is just for cutting the vinyl. And you have to design your design in a different program like Flexi? Then convert it to signcut? What program would be the best to get with the machine? Signcut or Signblazer? SignBlazer allows you to design too (Not sure about SignCut because I have never used it.) It is not just cutting software. It is by no means as powerful as Adobe Illustrator but is has some good features and is easy to learn. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted June 29, 2008 Signblazer is a design and cutter software, Sign Cut is cutter only, which means you would design using something else. However inkscape is a design program and is totally free at www.inkscape.org people say it's "almost" as good as Illy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted June 29, 2008 P.S. Just to make things clear I have been using SB for sometime now. But if you want to print your own decals off your desktop printer then you need to use SignCutx2. Flexi you can hang it up, SignLabs not a chance and so on and so forth with others. These programs only support Wide format printers. Talk about a headache on my end finding that out. So there's reasoning behind why I suggest SignCutx2 for contour cutting. Not just some bias opinion thrown out there. I have SB and wish I had got Signcutx2 instead. SB is great for cutting vinyl and easy to use with cut by color feature. It Just blows when it comes to contour cutting IF you are printing high def colors etc SB just doesn't handle this well and you have to make a work around for it etc etc contour cutting it's self in SB is no problem alone.... but it's glitchy as all hell. Crashes etc. I feel like a trader for saying such things about SB (having used it for so long) but it's the honest truth. SignCutx2 is much more stable and cleaner cut GUI software. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted June 30, 2008 Eric Flexi PRO 8.1 supports any printer, it doesn't have to be a wide format printer. I am using a lexmark el cheapo 25.00 printer to contour cut with my refine. Granted the Lexmark isn't what I am going to be using for doing t-shirts I am gettting an Epson but Flexi PRO 8.1 will work with any printer. Now cutting with the contour is a different story, it will work with a refine but not with a p-cut or laserpoint, at least not the contour cutting part, regular cutting works great. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted June 30, 2008 Hum... Well I couldnt get it to work, the Product manager kept coming up cause I didnt have the printer in the list. Am I missing somthing? Maybe I should reinstall and take another look. I thought it did work with The LP. Crap. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted June 30, 2008 Dont you have to click RIP to print and contour cut the decals? I can control the LP with Flexi. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted June 30, 2008 I can't remember how I did it now, I am at home and it is at the store. I know I just told it to use my current printer. As for the LP working, I couldn't get it to contour cut using any of the pcut drivers. I tried the Roland PNC1000 and 1100 drivers. DO NOT USE THEM, It will make some very funky cuts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted June 30, 2008 Dont you have to click RIP to print and contour cut the decals? I can control the LP with Flexi. Eric Yes you use the RIP and Print function, when I did it with the LP it would not bring up the interactive screen to control the cutter, it does with the Refine and roland PNC 1100 driver. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 Well I got the LP to work from the (product manager) RIP. But in order to contour cut you have to have your printer setup in the RIP right? Cause thats where I am having the problem. The printers are just not supported. Their almost all like wide format printers. I know I can draw something up and click file and print but my understanding is you have to have both the printer and cutter setup in the RIP. Again I didn't see one desktip printer supported for the RIP. Maybe we can get this working. Lets work on this, other wise I am going to have to invest in Signcut or keep going the long way around things with freaking SB. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted July 1, 2008 Eric what version of Flexi you running? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted July 1, 2008 When it comes up to install printer there's a printer called "desktop printer" click it and you'll see all the printers you have installed on your puter. Pick the one you want to use and you'll have 'er installed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 Ok installing now right now.... I'll keep my eye out... I'll be on here while I going through the install to check on your reply's Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 Crap sorry... Version 8.1 Pro Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 Ok I got it installed. Then clicked test cut. Then my machine started moving (cutting) I have nothing in the machine but everything was moving. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 I am using Driver CT 630 DMPL (Per Ken) if I remember straight 99.9999% sure. Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 Now how the heck do I add my printer? Ahhh!! Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted July 1, 2008 Eric also make sure you do a contour around whatever your trying to print/cut under effects then contour cut. Then when you go into the rip/print click the advanced tab then the contour button towards bottom and you can change it to only contour cut if you want, so you aren't always printing the graphic while you're trying to get the cutter to work. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest fivestar Posted July 1, 2008 Now how the heck do I add my printer? Ahhh!! Eric When you click rip/print and it comes up to add printer look for desktop printer, click it then right hand side should show you your printers installed on your machine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dbtoutfit 5 Posted July 1, 2008 I LOVE YOU LMFAO DUDE I have been beating my self to death trying to do this!!!!! I am not going to be able to sleep tonight Eric Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
