print+cut with Adobe Illustrator and SCAL

[Choi to the World]

Hi all and Happy New Year.

I got my SB just before the busy holiday season. I used it for a few projects but couldn't use it as much as I wanted because of how busy I was. So now that things have slowed down I am planning on mastering my machine.

First project is some Change of Address cards. I wanted to use a cut-out on them, of course. My document is saved in illustrator and I opened it in SCAL. I'm not doing a print and cut per se but I am trying to get my cutout on a particular place on the card with text around it. It's not working WYSIWYG doesn't seem to be what I am getting. Anyone have tips for that? Anyway... So I decided that maybe I should wade into the print and cut waters. First up. Calibrate. I am going through the calibration in SCAL using the cut button, then pressing "print and cut" and then pressing "calibrate laser". I load some paper and create and origin point. I hit next it makes the little cut, but from there things go south. I am using my arrow keys on my keyboard to move the laser into position -- no go. So I try pressing the arrow keys on the screen using my mouse button -- still no go. What am I doing wrong Is something broken?

This all brings me to another question. I use the arrow buttons on my Silver Bullet to set may origin points for things I have wanted to cut in the past and it can be quite difficult. The blade carriage usually goes way past the point I want so I go back and forth over and over and cross my fingers that it will eventually land in the neighborhood that I want. Doing this calibration made me wonder if there was a way to move the carriage via my computer, but since that doesn't seem to be working either I find myself at a frustrating impass.

Please help me!
Karin

[allandra42]

I can tell you I just experienced this a week ago, SO I feel your pain. The trick is YOU Have to move it to the spots quickly. If you hesitate too long it stops responding. I think your taking too long between moves. Lesa

[newbiecat]

Hello Karin

The simplest way to get the carriage to land more exactly is to slow the speed way down - the slower the speed is set the easier it is to get it into the right spot. Then you can turn it up again when you are ready to cut.

As to the calibrate try using copy paper(so you dont worry about wasting it) or similar, draw a couple of rectangles / squares towards the bottom of the page (portrait / vertical). Then position the blade roughly in the middle of the paper - above the rectangles with the mat etc in the middle of your cutter ( this avoids other issues)

Make sure that all this is done before you even go into the calibrate menu, then try it again - using ctrl key + arrow to move in smaller steps
It does give you some time - and I have videoed doing it on mine will just edit it and then see if I can upload it here
Pandora

[Choi to the World]

Thank you Pandora! How silly, why didn't I think of that! It makes perfect sense but it didn't occur to me that the speed settings affected the manual placement of that carriage, maybe I would have thought of it in a moment of desperation, thanks from saving me from reaching that point.

As for calibrating, I'm on ot other things for now and print and cut will wait. I will refer back to this thread when the time comes.

Thank you,
Karin