Cutting Vinyl

[KristenKhan]

I am about to cut some script on vinyl for the first time (my first time cutting vinyl, actually). Any tips or tricks or suggested force and velocity? thanks!

[KristenKhan]

Never mind just found a video v: 800 f: 50 on this video for anyone else looking!

[MeFlick]

Make sure you do some testing before cutting - especially if you have limited vinyl to work with. What type of vinyl you are trying to cut - can influence the settings needed. Also, if you are cutting with a mat or without a mat are factors that must be considered. Also, if it is a script font, it also depends upon how large or small you are cutting - the smaller and finer you need it, I would suggest that you want to cut slower. Also, that force sounds a little high from my personal experience but again it depends on how you have your machine setup, the vinyl being used, etc. Everyone's machine is different. You don't want to cut through the backing on vinyl.

[KristenKhan]

Ohh thanks for the input on that! I would rather not go too hard and cut through my mat, either. Do you have a suggestion on what v and f to start out with when testing? I'm using the Recollections adhesive vinyl.

[Gigi]

Everyone sets their vinyl a little differently. Depends on where the blade holder is and the blade. I would start a test cut with 20 and go up by 10 until you get a clean test cut. If you get close then you can go up more slowly in increments of 4-5. Just take it easy and you will not cut through the mat!

[MeFlick]

As Gigi said, everybody has different settings that they find they can cut different media with due to lots of variable factors unique to each setup. For example, many on here who have posted information in the past on cutting vinyl indicate that they use a higher force then I typically due. If I have a new blade in my machine, I can often cut in the middle to low teens on my force. If my blade is older and used, I might bump it up to low teens. If I go much higher then that, I will start cutting through the backing usually. Others indicate they are usually higher than mine.

As far as Velocity or speed. That depends more on the intricacy and how small the cuts are you are trying to make. I often cut at "full speed" - both card stock and vinyl UNLESS I am cutting something "curly" or with fine details and/or very small. Then I will slow my speed down significantly to ensure it cuts smoothly and without lifting or catching in corners and such.

Another tip that I should have pointed out but was focusing on your request for tips on F/V - if you are using a mat to cut your vinyl with - make sure that you have it brayered down well to the mat so that it sticks well. If you have a mat that is not so sticky, you can use painter's tape to help hold it down to the mat. What you want to ensure is that it is not "lifting" off the mat any while cutting. Another thing I often do is to brayer across the vinyl and it backing to ensure that the vinyl its self is sticking well to the vinyl backing. As some vinyl gets older and is rolled for longer period, it sometimes will lift a little off its backing making it more difficult to cut since it is not properly adhering. As a result, I have just gotten into a habit of doing that with my vinyl before cutting (regular wall type vinyl - not necessary on HTV for clothing.) Also, you can then run a brayer back over your cuts (especially when they are small and intricate) before weeding the excess vinyl. This will help to ensure that those little letters and other small items may stick to the backing better while weeding. Weeding is an art into its self so learn to do that well. Also watch for those little dots to i and such - they sometimes "disappear" when weeding!

[rosetindall]

I have a question with siser easy weed vinyl. I have always cut regular vinyl 651 750 and 32 and wanted to find out the settings for easy weed siser vinyl that I will be ironing onto shirts. About what settings should I start with.

[Gigi]

There are no exact numbers. The best thing you can do is make your test button your best friend and find your best value. the heat transfer vinyl usually takes higher settings and you cut it in reverse (you can search for posts on here for HTVthat may be helpful).

You say you cut regular vinyl at 35 - I cut it MUCH lower - so that is why there is no absolute value - you have to find your own. Start at 35 and go up by 10 until you get a clean cut. But everyone says cut from the back side and remember to reverse your design.

Make the test button your best friend - always!

[Suzan]

Oh yes mirror the image, Ask me how many times I haven't. lol. I think I cut mine about 10 - 15 higher than normal siser. This is for the normal HTV right not the glitter ( I cut that even higher around the high 40's). These won't be exact numbers. But based on your setting and adding 10 that might work. And I do find the more intricate the slower I go. And another biggie, is put the shiny side down on the mat. You cut this from behind (hence the mirroring), Then what I do is actually print the image mirrored it helps me with the weeding.

[Adriennewot]

Good morning all! I just tried my FIRST vinyl cut last night - Siser HTV. I used the recommended click w 45 degree blade. After 4 test passes, setting 4 (I think - might have been 5), V - 400, P - 30. Cricut mat. When I looked at the finished piece on the mat, I could see lines where the blade had moved across the design in various places on its way to cutting. This included going "home" to 0, 0. Should I have used the "regular" cartridge, even though the video I watched said to use the click cartridge? Do I not understand the mechanics of the click cartridge? That is highly likely. Any help is appreciated.

[Gigi]

Is this your first cut period or just the first time cutting HTV vinyl. Cutting HTV is totally different from cutting regular vinyl and can be problematic. Are you cutting from the reverse side? That is usually the easier side to cut. Did you do a test cut first as we always recommend? That will save you wasting unnecessary material and insure that your cut "works" when you want to cut out a design.

You might want to refresh your memory on the pros and cons of the different blades and holders regarding the click blade. Some people swear by it ( like me!) and others prefer the regular blade holder. It is really a user preference. The benefits of the click blade holder is that you can adjust how much your blade protrudes by turning the dial, rather than having to remove the blade holder and go through more difficult adjustments. So, for example, if you are cutting vinyl or lightweight paper, you can put it on 1, but then if you switch to a heavier card stock, you can switch to a higher number without having to put take the holder out and readjust. Totally user preference. Even if you don't adjust the numbers often, some just prefer the click blade but there is no right or wrong here. If you love it, use it. If not, try the regular blade holder and see if you like it better.

Is there a reason you are using a Cricut mat? They are ok for practicing cuts and doing things that maybe you don't want to "risk" using the SB mat for, but we don't recommend it. They are made differently - not the same material and they do not feed as evenly as our mats. They absolutely can affect your cut. I have a bunch and will use them to practice just to use them (!), but I have had problems with consistency and always default to my SB mat when I am cutting something I care about, which is 90% of the time! I don't recommend it, especially for a material that can be difficult to cut under the best circumstances.

Did you set your blade with the setting tool? That also is important. It sounds like your blade is set too low based on the fact that you can see it make lines when it moves from cut to cut. If it is at the right height, you wont get the lines or dragging. And if your blade is too low it can't get the force that it needs to cut any material. That is the point of the setting tool - to help you get the optimal height above the material for the blade. Once you do that, and then do your test cut and sue the proper mat, you shouldn't have a problem cutting the HTV, but it is important to do all of the little steps to be sure you will get the end result that you want.

Be sure your material is well brayered to the mat to be sure it is making good contact for good cutting. Again, there are a lot of basic steps to take when cutting any material, and if you follow all of them, your end results will be what you want and you won't have the problems you are experiencing.

I also know a lot of people who prefer to use the 60 degree blade when cutting HTV, in fact I think that is what most use - but I could be wrong. I haven't cut it in ages and don't as a rule, but do recall many regular users of HTV preferring the 60 degree blade. Again, use your test cut to see what gives you the best results and keep notes so you will easily be able to do it again.

If these are your first cuts in general, I suggest you cut some lightweight card stock and get a better feel for the machine first, rather than trying the HTV first.

So to sum it up, use the setting tool to get the proper placement of your blade height, use the SB mat, utilize the test cut feature to find the correct force before you cut your design, brayer the material onto the mat well, and if you are still struggling, try using the 60 degree blade to see if that works better. Always go back to basics when starting a new cut - that should help.

Let us know how you are doing. (and if you cut from the back side, be sure to remember to mirror your image).

[MeFlick]

First, if you are using HTV for clothing, make sure that you have the correct side of the vinyl DOWN on the mat and make sure you have mirrored your image. The "shiny" side is the side that goes down on the mat because this is your "backing sheet" that you will "weed" or "remove" the unwanted vinyl from in order to transfer the design correctly to the clothing or other material. If you have the wrong side up, it will not cut correctly.

Second, I never use the click blade holder or the 60 degree blade when cutting regular wall vinyl or HTV vinyl. I have always used the regular blade holder and have never had issues with it. Everybody is different so you can use the click blade holder if you prefer. I have been cutting HTV vinyl for years now and have made a ton of team shirts, bags, sweats, and so much more for my kids sports teams, and more. I always used Siser brand. Cutting HTV is one of the primary things I have done with my cutters. One thing to remember when cutting HTV, is it is hard to "see" the cuts and it may not seem that it has cut through when it has in fact. That is why I always use a weeding tool to pull up a small "excess" piece to see if it cut through before removing from my cutter. For example, the inside of a letter like an O or an A. You want it to cut through the vinyl, but not into or through the shiny backing. You shouldn't need 4 passes on HTV vinyl. One should be enough. My pressure or Force settings tend to be lower then many others use but I would start at 20 and adjust if needed up or down. Mine tended to be a bit lower usually then that, others have indicated theirs might be a bit higher. It has somewhat to do with how low your blade holder is and/or how much blade you have exposed and how new or used your blade is. However, If you are getting "drag" marks, then I agree, you probably have either your blade holder set too low or the blade out too much. Note, that the original OP here was discussing cutting wall vinyl originally so some of the information listed here would not apply to trying to cut HTV. (Some later part of the discussions does discuss HTV though - just be aware of the differences.)

[Adriennewot]

Thank you Gigi and MeFlick for your great responses. Here are my answers to your questions:

Materials previously used - Cardstock, paper, vellum, all with good results using regular holder and 30 or 45o blade. I "experimented" with the click holder, but the one I had was damaged (had come w the machine) and had to be replaced. This holder is new and this is the first time try on it.

Brand of material/ use - Siser HTV. Using for T shirts. Cutting from reverse side (dull, not shiny - that was an education in itself, hah!), image mirrored. I also have some Cricut "Iron-on" to use. Expect it to require re-adjustment, based on previous postings.

Reason for Cricut mat - twofold - was told "it will work just fine" so have not purchased a SB mat. The one that came w the machine has a foam backing and is about 8x11. I am not sure what it is for. I put it through the machine once with mat side up and cut clean through it !! This was when I first got my machine. I was warned about the "steep learning curve" ha-ha! I am having a ball, though!!

Agree it is difficult to see the cuts - I did 4 test cuts and could not see any of them!! I will go in this morning and do some more on the vinyl, re-adjusting with the 2 holders and 45o blade to see what works.

YES, I used the spacer, but then the blade did not touch the vinyl at all. That is when I started messing with the dial on the click holder. Uh-oh.

YES I brayered the vinyl to the mat. The mat is lightly sticky. The blade "lifted" it when positioned at the edge, so I hope that will resolve with better blade position. This was not a problem during the actual design cut. I may try the mat w higher "sticky".

It only took one cut.

Please let me know if I answered all your questions. Thanks again for all your recommendations. I am going to go try a few different things now and see what works. I will report back to you (imagine a salute and heel click).

[pigtailpat]

Adrienne:

I recommend you get the shelf liner stuff from the home improvement stores as "practice" vinyl. That tip has certainly saved my sanity. It is less expensive than the real thing, but has close properties to the real project media. This way you can test your file, and understanding of the orientation of the cut, without sacrificing precious project media.

Pat

[Adriennewot]

Thanks, Pat - good suggestion!

[Adriennewot]

Update - Using Siser HTV, I tried both the click and regular holders with the 45o blade, making sure to use the spacer to adjust height before cutting; this prevented the drag marks previously noted.

Conclusion - Click holder at 2, P-45 gave a clean cut which "weeded" without stretching, tearing or distorting the vinyl design. Regular holder, "dime" extension of blade, P-45 gave the same results. V was 385. No reason for that velocity, that is just where it landed as I was fiddling with things. I did want it slower rather than faster in case things went off the rails.

Research - Testing was done with both holders using the 45o blade, V - 385, P at 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40. 40 was an "almost OK", but still had stubborn spots at square test corners.

Future questions - Since the consensus is that pressure should be 20 - 30 with the 45o blade, do I need to invest in a new blade (how DOES one tell when the blade is kaput)? Is this typical pressure for this brand of vinyl? Do other vinyls such as glitter (HTV), non HTV (for wall stencils, cups, mugs, it seems the uses are endless) require higher or lower pressures, or is it a "try as you go" method? Again, thanks to everyone for their help, encouragement and infinite patience!!

[Gigi]

Adrienne -

As we have said, using the regular blade or click blade is essentially a user preference. Use whatever feels "best" to you. They should both give you similar results, as you experienced.

I will let Melanie weigh in on the different kinds of HTV and how they cut since I just don't cut them often enough, but I do know that, for the most part (depending on the brand) regular vinyl cuts at a much lower force than HTV. We have customers cutting regular vinyl anywhere from 2 to 22! Again, it depends on the blade extension, clearance on the setting guide, and if you are not using the SB mat, that will also vary the results and is why we recommend it for projects that matter.

If your cuts are "less sharp" or you need to increase your pressure to get the cut you are used to getting, then it is time to change the blade. If you are not cutting plastic materials or thicker materials like chipboard that can dull the blade quicker, a blade should last you quite a long time. As I said, if you have to increase the pressure or your cuts start looking a little less than perfect, it is time to change the blade. You will know because your cuts will just not be as clean as usual. If you are only cutting vinyl, a blade should last a very long time......

One last things, just because the majority may be cutting at 20-30 doesn't mean your blade is bad. There are variables like the mat, how high your blade is above the setting tool, the depth of your blade, etc. There is no definitive right or wrong as far as the pressure goes when it comes to vinyl. For instance, there is not a lot of pressure difference between 30 and 40 - don't worry about that as much as how your cuts look.

Hope that helps. Have fun cutting!

[MeFlick]

No, that pressure doesn’t mean that you have a bad blade, depending on what you have been cutting with it, how long you have been cutting with it, could mean it is a little duller and the duller the blade, generally the more pressure you would need. So, if I put a brand new blade in, it will typically cut with less pressure then one I have been using for a while for example. Everything you cut, will dull your blade a bit. Some things, like glitter paper is worse then other things. How much blade exposure you have, and thus how “deep� it cuts will impact how quickly it dulls as well.i would always keep extra blades on hand in case you have an issue with a blade.

It is pretty much a “try as you go method� with cutting anything with a drag blade cutter as there are so many user variables that come into play as already discussed. Generally, overtime you find the typical “sweet spot� for your machine and setup. If I know I have an older blade, I may bump my pressure up a small bit. If I have just put in a brand new blade, I will bump it down a small bit, generally, when I cut Glitter HTV vinyl will take a little bit more pressure then regular HTV vinyl. Wall vinyl generally takes a little less. My best recommendation is always try a small test and make sure it weeds correctly. Better to use a small test piece then waste a large piece. While you are learning, or if it is so,etching you won’t cut regularly it is a good idea to keep a written notebook with what you have done in the past so you have a starting point,

[Adriennewot]

Thanks very much for the additional reassurances. So far, I think I am on the right track, based on your comments and the results I got. The condition of the blade SHOULD be pretty good, since I have used it only for cardstock and now the HTV. The unknown variable is this is a "previously loved" machine and accessories. The click holder that came with it was damaged and had to be replaced. Who knows what blade was in the click holder when it was damaged!!! My guess is the 45o blade, since it and the 45odetail blade are the only ones that have been taken out of their envelopes. Also, early on, I managed to drag the blade across the silver piece (looks like a tiny 1/4" molding across the width of the unit right where you put the mat) somehow, so THAT may have done something to it. Ah, the joys of learning. Thank goodness it wasn't a car bumper!! I guess it's time to go shopping for a SB mat and blades. Thanks for your help!! I will post a piccie or two when I finally get something worth looking at.