vinyl cutting help

vinyl cutting help

Postby sewin44 » November 18th, 2016, 3:07 pm

Hi, I want to cut vinyl, not as a business, just a small project. I know it's different then cutting cardstock, but that is about all I know!
Could someone direct me to the information about how to cut vinyl with my silver bullet cutter? I have tried searching vinyl on this forum, but the search doesn't work, it says the word is too common, and I have a mental block how else to search:) I need to know if I use a mat or not, is there a blade setting I need to change, I bought some transfer paper, but I don't run that through the cutter right :hide: See, I really know nothing!
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby Gigi » November 18th, 2016, 4:32 pm

The search function does work, but you have to be more specific - there are probably tens of thousands of posts that have the word "vinyl" in it. I don't know if you are cutting vinyl off sheets or a roll. You do not have to use a mat if they are 12x12 squares for instance, but you might want to. I do not cut vinyl off the rolls for instance as I just use it for little things - to enhance cards or words here and there etc.

Under the FAQ section in the learning center you will find suggested settings for different media that you can download, but remember they are just SUGGESTED settings. Some cut vinyl at 4 and others at 20. A lot depends on the placement of the blade in the blade holder (the height of the blade) etc. Use your test button to cut rectangles to get the best setting for your machine. Go through the learning center thoroughly so you understand how to determine how best to cut things.
You should find many of those helpful.
Also, there are a wide variety of videos under "Broadcast" on the forum and they are also on YouTube.

The transfer paper is for removing the vinyl from its backing and placing it on the surface you want so it will remain intact and not stick to itself. No you don't cut that on the machine.

There are examples of cutting vinyl on www.silverbulletcutters.com as well.

The best teacher is truly trial and error but this will get you started in the right direction. And be sure to use your setting tool.
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby sewin44 » November 19th, 2016, 10:00 am

I have vinyl on a roll, so what is the best way to cut that? Do I need to cut pieces the size of my mat?
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby pigtailpat » November 19th, 2016, 12:34 pm

I strongly suggest you go to lowes or home depot, and get some "practice" vinyl (contact paper or shelf liner - smooth kind). Practicing on that will save your sanity and media.

I don't have the same experience as other people here. I only did vinyl once a few years ago, and don't remember the steps. But I vividly remember everyone telling me to get the practice vinyl, and it was the best advice ever received.

Pat
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby Gigi » November 19th, 2016, 1:50 pm

sewin44 wrote:I have vinyl on a roll, so what is the best way to cut that? Do I need to cut pieces the size of my mat?


You would cut it without a mat and feed it through to be sure it is going to roll through straight. I know Suzan runs a long length first to check how it is feeding so it doesn't go off kilter...

I am not sure what you mean about cutting pieces the size of your mat. I think you need to go through the learning center again and watch some of the videos on You Tube to get a better feel for what you need to do. The width of your design is only limited by the width of your machine. Since you have a 15" machine, you cannot cut wider than that. And the 15" is measured from the inside right of the machine out. I don't know how wide the vinyl is on your roll, but you only have 15" of width to play with. And you can make your virtual mat in your software any size you want, so I would correspond your cutting width to the mat size to get used to it.

One of the best things to do is use the pen tool and practice drawing on copy paper so you understand how things on the mat transfer to the machine depending on how you decide to cut (WYSIWYG or Origin).
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby MeFlick » November 19th, 2016, 9:36 pm

First, What kind of vinyl are you wanting to cut? HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl) for putting on shirts, hoodies, etc. or Wall Vinyl for indoor or Outdoor vinyl? Second, what are you wanting to cut from the vinyl? There are different variables and things that come into play depending upon what type of vinyl you are wanting to cut. For example, if you are cutting HTV vinyl, it has its own built in carrier or transfer sheet and you need to mirror your design before you cut it. How big of an image are you wanting to cut? If not very big, then I would recommend that you cut a piece of vinyl and put it on your mat. It can be as big as your mat, or smaller - just depends on how much you need for your design. It is much easier, especially for a newbie, to learn to cut vinyl using the mat until you get comfortable with how it cuts. I say its easier because that is the way most are already used to cutting if you have been using a mat with other media. Plus, learning to get the vinyl on the roll to feed in properly and straight takes a little practice and too much depth or pressure and you risk cutting into your cutting strip on your machine. How much depth and pressure you need to use is going to vary with whether or not you are going to cut with or without a mat. I have cut plenty of vinyl in the years that I have owned cutters (10 years now). I have regularly cut HTV, indoor and outdoor vinyl. Since most of my designs were small enough to fit on my mats, I typically preferred to cut off the size vinyl I needed and then put it on the mat. The only time I would cut directly from the roll was if I had a long design that was longer then my longest mat, or if I had several designs that I wanted to cut continuously.
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby sewin44 » November 19th, 2016, 10:54 pm

Thanks for your help! I have some oracal 651 indoor outdoor adhesive vinyl; I was wanting to do a small sign for my husbands shop door, and I do not want it very big, it would easily fit on my mat! Do you know anything about this vinyl? Will I need to mirror image it? Thanks!
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Re: vinyl cutting help

Postby Gigi » November 19th, 2016, 11:38 pm

Oracal is a good brand but I know nothing about the indoor outdoor - I am sure others do.

You might want to cut your design out of a lightweight cardstock first to be sure there are no issues with the file - if you have not cut it before. You don't have to mirror image regular vinyl because the top of it is what will be seen - the adhesion is on the back side. And I would do as Pat suggested and do some test cuts on contact paper or something similar so you can save the good vinyl for your project.
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