is my mat too sticky?

[neiko]

Hi, newbie here! I just tested my Silver bullet. The cut is great but when it is done, I cant really peel my paper off the mat, I tried not to press my paper on the mat too hard when i sent it to print. Did I do something wrong? I tried printing it in copied paper and cardstock. Both have the same result. Help please!

[Retta]

You may want to try a soft cloth that does not leave fuzzies. Touch it all over the mat till the stick is toned down. I've done that and actually extended the life of the mat. Hope that helps.

[Elizabeth]

You can also "unsticky" your mat bit by gently pressing your hands all over it. I did this with my new mats to reduce the stickiness a bit, and it worked great. I am amazed at how long the Silver Bullet mats retain their stickiness. I have been cutting like crazy for the past three weeks, and haven't even needed to use my brayer yet, except for chipboard, which stuck without the need for tape!

The "too sticky problem" disappeared with just a few cuts.

[Gigi]

And a different thing that will help as I like that it's sticky , involves how you remove the paper or cardstock. If you try to just pull it off, it can be difficult. If you use a little metal spatula (like the one from Cricut) or a palette knife, slide that under the edges of your paper and it will easily release. Especially when you have a detailed cut, that is a much easier way to get it to release from the mat.

[Angel135612]

Another tip for removing paper from your mat, put the mat on the edge of your table, and gently bend the mat down, while holding onto the paper, and pull the mat away from the paper, instead of pulling the paper away from the mat. It will help to keep the paper from curling on you. It also helps if you use a spatula like Gigi suggested to get a little bit of the paper away from the mat to get it started.

The more detailed the cut, the more you need the spatula to keep from ripping your cut.

I have found that the SB mats don't really need to have the sticky made "less sticky" like the cricut mats always needed. Even brand new mats will release the paper as long as you use something to help lift the paper from the mat instead of just trying to pull it off.

[Elizabeth]

I am using a new mat today, so I will use the "bending the mat" trick you suggest, Diane.

[morning-glory]

I am a newbie at this. My paper stuck to the cutting mat when practicing a cut and when I went to demo a cut from SCAL print and cut, it also tore into my paper and scratched into mat. I think I should clean it. I am wondering what do others do when they have paper residue on the mat.

[PennyDuncan]

Using a spatula is a priceless tool when trying to remove paper from your mat.....especially when you have delicate cuts......you will find it makes your live so much better!!!! Then when I want to clean off my mats....I use a baby wipe and it does a great job!!

[Gigi]

Penny is absolutely right. But I encourage you to use your testing pen while you are figuring out how things work so you dont ruin blades or cut into your mat. Trying to learn print and cut as a very new user is a big jump. It's good to get to know how to do the simpler things first and have success with cutting simple shapes and learning how much force things take before you tackle print and cut.

You can do a search here on the forum for how to desticky the mat if you think it is too sticky, but removing paper with a spatula will help a lot. You can also read in the Learning Center under FAQ what kinds of things might cause your paper to tear (blade too low, force too high, etc) and that should help. Really use the learning center and get comfortable with little things. I cannot say that enough. It will save you a lot of frustration along the way.

We are all certainly here to help if you cannot find the answers but we all are big proponents of the learning center, the test pen, and the test cut. Great learning tools to help you get started!! Good luck.