Hi, All. Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American friends !
I thought I would share two things that I have learned. I'm sure all of you seasoned SB cutters know this already, but if it helps someone just starting out, then good. My machine is a 13" so the 12" end of the mat is the end that is introduced into the machine. I have learned to insert the mat from the left-hand side of the machine, and not move it to the right until the paper edge is at the white cutting strip. Then I slide it over carefully to avoid hitting the blade with the mat.
The second tip deals with CutMates card stock. I bought Heritage White (65 lb.) and Heritage Black (65 lb.) The black is heftier than the white , and they both have a smooth side and a "soft" side. I was disappointed with the white card stock because it was sticking to the mat and tearing when removed from it. The black doesn't seem to be as susceptible to this. I have learned that placing the smooth side down on the mat solves the tearing problem. Little bits of paper don't stick to the mat either when the smooth side is down. There is no problem with the actual cutting --- it cuts beautifully. I have some metallic paper by WordWin too. It's 90 lb. and cuts like a dream.
I hope that's helpful to someone. If not, no harm done. {smile}
Thanks to everyone on this forum who has helped me many times.