Small Vinyl Cutter Reminders: Difference between revisions

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Vinyl Cutter (Small)
Vinyl Cutter (Small)


# Use the program Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro, on the MacBook (see below).
# You may want to start booting up the Mac laptop now, see the Mac section below.
## Note, the Mac has a sticker on the lid, "VCarve Computer"
 
## The Vcarve computer has both a windows and mac partition, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro is installed on the Mac partition.
# The vinyl cutter power button is on the left end, near the power cord. You don't need to turn it on just yet.
## Hold down the Alt key while booting to get a menu to select OS, boot into Mac.
# Physically insert the vinyl into the vinyl cutter
# Physically insert the vinyl into the vinyl cutter
## At time of this writing we assume:
## At this writing we assume:
### That the shiny side of the vinyl should be up.
### That the shiny side of the vinyl should be up.
### That the vinyl feeds from back to front.
### That the vinyl feeds from back to front.
### We may be wrong.
### We may be wrong.
## Take cutter offline using "On Line" Button
## If Cutter Is On, Take cutter offline using "On Line" Button
## Adjust Rollers
## Adjust Rollers
### Back of cutter has four black rectangular fittings
### Back of cutter has four black rectangular fittings
Line 19: Line 18:
### Move material into place
### Move material into place
### Press lever down to lock the roller
### Press lever down to lock the roller
## Any unused rollers (rollers that the material is to narrow to need), lift lever
## Any unused rollers, lift lever
 
### NOTE:  The little red buttons inside on either end are hard stops.  Make sure you don't put the vinyl so close to the hard stops that the cutting head will hit the hard stop.  There is a small ruler that stops 1/2" from the right-hand hard stop, don't put the vinyl any closer to the hard stop than that.
### NOTE:  The little red buttons inside on either end are hard stops.  Make sure you don't put the vinyl so close to the hard stops that the cutting head will hit the hard stop.  There is a small ruler that stops 1/2" from the right-hand hard stop, don't put the vinyl any closer to the hard stop than that.
# Use arrow button to move head to zero point.
 
## Zero location should be in lower, right corner of material
# Use console arrow button to move head to zero point.
## Press crosshairs button in center of arrows to reset zero to current location
## Zero location should be in lower, right corner (aka front, right corner) of material.
# Press the "On Line" button again to bring the machine online.
## Press console crosshairs button (in center of arrow buttons) to reset zero to current location
## Make sure the screen says "on line"
# Press console "On Line" button again to bring the machine online.
# Back to MacBook.
## Make sure the console screen says "On--Line"
## Start Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro
# Make sure the USB cable labeled "Vinyl Cutter" is plugged into both the cutter and the Mac laptop.
## Import your file.
 
### Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro supports Illustrator, SVG, DXF, PNG, PDF
# Mac Steps
#### Note: With Illustrator docs, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro only imports the first Art Word (i.e. first page)
## Use the program Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro, on the MacBook (see below).
## Use Preview button, at top right.
### Note, the Mac has a sticker on the lid, "VCarve Computer"
## Click the "Cutter" button, at top right.
### The Vcarve computer has both a windows and mac partition, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro is installed on the Mac partition.
### Dialog pops up.
### Hold down the Alt key while booting to get a menu to select OS, boot into Mac.
### Usually take the defaults.
### Start Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro
### Import your file.
#### Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro supports Illustrator, SVG, DXF, PNG, PDF
##### Note: With Illustrator docs, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro only imports the first Art Word (i.e. first pagE)
### Use Preview button, at top right of Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro GUI to review design.
### Use the Document dialog in the upper right of the GUI to select the Mat Size for the piece of vinyl, and the orientation (landscape, portrait, etc)
### Arrange your design on the GUI.  The relationship between the GUI layout and the cutter is determined by the "Orientation" in the Document dialog.
### Click the "Cutter" button, at top right of Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro GUI.
#### Dialog pops up.
#### Usually take the defaults.
 
# When cutting is complete, lift roller levers & remove material
# When cutting is complete, lift roller levers & remove material
# "Weed" the vinyl (peel away the material you don't want)
# "Weed" the vinyl (peel away the material you don't want)

Revision as of 21:08, 6 December 2021

Other Reminders

Vinyl Cutter (Small)

  1. You may want to start booting up the Mac laptop now, see the Mac section below.
  1. The vinyl cutter power button is on the left end, near the power cord. You don't need to turn it on just yet.
  2. Physically insert the vinyl into the vinyl cutter
    1. At this writing we assume:
      1. That the shiny side of the vinyl should be up.
      2. That the vinyl feeds from back to front.
      3. We may be wrong.
    2. If Cutter Is On, Take cutter offline using "On Line" Button
    3. Adjust Rollers
      1. Back of cutter has four black rectangular fittings
      2. Each fitting has a little lever.
      3. Lift lever up (at 90 degrees to fitting) to open the roller
      4. Move material into place
      5. Press lever down to lock the roller
    4. Any unused rollers, lift lever
      1. NOTE: The little red buttons inside on either end are hard stops. Make sure you don't put the vinyl so close to the hard stops that the cutting head will hit the hard stop. There is a small ruler that stops 1/2" from the right-hand hard stop, don't put the vinyl any closer to the hard stop than that.
  1. Use console arrow button to move head to zero point.
    1. Zero location should be in lower, right corner (aka front, right corner) of material.
    2. Press console crosshairs button (in center of arrow buttons) to reset zero to current location
  2. Press console "On Line" button again to bring the machine online.
    1. Make sure the console screen says "On--Line"
  3. Make sure the USB cable labeled "Vinyl Cutter" is plugged into both the cutter and the Mac laptop.
  1. Mac Steps
    1. Use the program Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro, on the MacBook (see below).
      1. Note, the Mac has a sticker on the lid, "VCarve Computer"
      2. The Vcarve computer has both a windows and mac partition, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro is installed on the Mac partition.
      3. Hold down the Alt key while booting to get a menu to select OS, boot into Mac.
      4. Start Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro
      5. Import your file.
        1. Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro supports Illustrator, SVG, DXF, PNG, PDF
          1. Note: With Illustrator docs, Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro only imports the first Art Word (i.e. first pagE)
      6. Use Preview button, at top right of Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro GUI to review design.
      7. Use the Document dialog in the upper right of the GUI to select the Mat Size for the piece of vinyl, and the orientation (landscape, portrait, etc)
      8. Arrange your design on the GUI. The relationship between the GUI layout and the cutter is determined by the "Orientation" in the Document dialog.
      9. Click the "Cutter" button, at top right of Sure Cuts A Lot 4 Pro GUI.
        1. Dialog pops up.
        2. Usually take the defaults.
  1. When cutting is complete, lift roller levers & remove material
  2. "Weed" the vinyl (peel away the material you don't want)
  3. Transfer Tape
    1. The idea is that you stick the vinyl letters or design to the tape, that is the adhesive side of the transfer tape is pressed against the non-adhesive side of the vinyl.
    2. Then you use the tape to peel the vinyl design off the backing, exposing the adhesive side of the vinyl design.
    3. Then press the adhesive side of the vinyl against whatever you want to stick it to.
    4. Buff the transfer tape very hard when applying it.