Vinyl cutter user guide

Shop Area: Rapid Prototyping Tool: Vinyl Cutter Requires in-person training: No

Procedure Number UG 120-03, Rev. 1

Date 1/29/2021

GENERAL

A vinyl cutter is used to cut adhesive-backed vinyl for stickers, sign making, and screen printing. It can also cut heat press vinyl for use in printing on shirts, hats, mugs, etc.

We have a 28" USCutter MH721 and a Roland SV-8 vinyl cutter.

Inkcut is the software used to control the vinyl cutter. InkCut is a Python-based application that controls 2D plotters, vinyl cutters, and CNC machines. It lets you prepare graphics, scale, add weed lines, and send designs directly to your cutter. It is installed on the computer at the vinyl cutting station at Vector Space, in Printmaking.

Inkcut is an extension of the vector graphics program Inkscape. The general workflow is to design something in Inkscape, save it as an .svg, then open that .svg with Inkcut where it's sent to the cutter.

There are a few adjustment settings available in Inkcut; most of your design modification and prep work will need to be done with Inkscape.

As seen in the screenshot here, within Inkcut you can resize, rotate, and mirror your design.

By clicking on the Material tab (top left tab, pictured), you can adjust your material size, margin, and alignment settings.

By clicking on the Weedlines tab (middle left tab), you can add weedlines (a border cut around your graphic) to your job.

By clicking on the Layers tab (bottom left tab), you can select different layers from your .svg file to display and cut.

SAFETY

Operation of this device requires use of sharp blades.

Disconnect power during assembly, service and maintenance.

Vinyl cutters are subject to static build-up.

REFERENCE

USCutter User Manual & Assembly Instructions: https://www.uscutter.com/static/PDFs/MH_Manual_09172019.pdf

Roland SV-8 product info: https://sfsupplies.com/pdf/Stika_Series.pdf

Inkcut walkthrough: https://www.codelv.com/projects/inkcut/docs/tutorial/

PROCEDURE

This procedure is written assuming the use of the MH721 vinyl cutter. The SV-8 works very similarly, and any differences can be found in the manufacturer's manual.

General Instructions:

1. Lift the three roller levers on the back of the vinyl cutter to open up the clamps.
2. Load your sheet of vinyl into the cutter so that it overhangs the ruler located on the front of the machine. Set the clamp levers to the middle position, locking the vinyl sheet in place. Note the x and y axis labeled on the machine.
3. Open Inkcut.
4. Click File->Open and select the .svg file that you would like to cut.
5. Once the svg image is displayed in the preview window, you can make minor adjustments to your piece.
6. Start the cutting operation by clicking the Device menu option, then Send to device. Alternately, you can click CTRL +P to bring up the same dialog window.
7. Review the dialog window for accuracy, then click Start.

Preparing For Cutting: 1. Place the roll on top of the stand rollers.

  a. For heat press vinyl, please flip the roll.
  b. If cutting from a scrap or single sheet instead of a roll, skip this step on placing a vinyl roll. All other steps will be the same.

2. Release the pinch rollers release levers. 3. Feed the vinyl underneath the pinch rollers.

  a. Working from a single sheet instead of a roll, the vinyl can also be feed from the front.

4. Adjust the pinch rollers so there is one roller located on each side of the vinyl (and, on models with 3 or more rollers, one roller near the center). Avoid lowering a pinch roller to the gap between the two feed rollers. 5. Leave a gap of between 1/2”-1 1/2” from the edge of the roller and the edge of the vinyl on both sides. 6. Engage the Pinch Rollers by pushing down on the Pinch Roller Release Levers.

Changing the position of where the cut will be made: 1. Press the OFFLINE/PAUSE button to enter offline mode. 2. Adjust the vinyl to where the cut is to start by using the Up and Down arrow keys on the control panel. 3. Adjust the blade to where you want your cut to start by using the Left and Right arrow keys. 4. Press the Origin button to tell the cutter that this is the 4 location where you would like the cut to begin.

Key cutting notes: 1. When choosing a starting location, remember that the process will start in the bottom right area of the design. 2. Leave enough room to the left of and behind the starting location to finish the cut. 3. Now is the time to make other adjustments to the pressure, speed, or other settings. 4. If setting up for your first cut with the machine the default values are good starting points. 5. Upon making any adjustments to the cutter, make sure to return to the main screen before cutting.

TROUBLESHOOTING

• Communication Error: If you're hitting SEND and nothing's happening, TuxPlot may be sending to the wrong port (/dev/null). Click "Profile" in the left column and check that the option "plot to CUPS printer" is selected.
• Wavy Lines wavy lines and not cutting through all of design: check that the white wheels are on the track.  If not, see http://Www.USCutter.com/static/PDFs/carriage_off_track.pdf
• Default Parameters Suggested parameters for vinyl are cut speed of 200mm/s and cut press of 200g. 
• Cut Already in Progress: If you shut off the vinyl cutter in the middle of a cut, everyone gets confused. When you try to start a new cut, TuxPlot may give an error saying that it's already cutting. Close TuxPlot and run the script on the desktop named cleanTuxPlot.sh. Then rerun TuxPlot.

A common mistake is having a black circle, filled with black. Tthe vinyl cutter will proceed to obliterate the entirety of the circle. To avoid, turn off the color fill, and turn on the stroke outline so that the design is just the outline for the path the knife to follow.

                                            END OF THE PROCEDURE