Cutter newbie questions

start here

cameo has a test cut feature that cuts a tiny piece of material (~3/8" square)
then you simply place your blade next to the first test cut, adjust settings and do another test cut
continue until you have your settings, you maybe 'wasted' 2" of vinyl
save your cut settings

i'll have you cutting htv in 15 mins
start here: speed 3-5 blade 2 force 12 dialythingy 2
always use a cutting mat
(pick up a 2 pack of cricut 12"x24" mats and cut one at 8" across, now you have an 8", 12", 16" and 24" mat)

i don't understand the need to draw out your designs before cutting
what you have in cameo is how it will cut
how it looks in your design software is how it will look
unless you are asking about a mock-up on a t-shirt, that is done in a raster program like gimp or photoshop

Thank you for the replies, I ordered the pen holders. Does a "weeding hook" make the job easier? I see that Silhouette offers a tool kit but the reviews on Amazon are all over the place, with the "spatula" getting the highest praise. I did order some Siser Easyweed to get her started.

Elena, the person who will be using the machine, is absolutely graphics-software naive. Not only will she be learning how to work with the cutter and the transfers, but also how to use the software and create designs.

I worked as a systems analyst (glorified technical support) at a newspaper for seven years. The graphic artists there always, ALWAYS, printed out their work before submitting it. These were people with many years of working with Photoshop and Illustrator. Even for them it was easier/better to "proof" something on paper than on screen.

Elena will be working on a laptop, so the image on the screen will not accurately represent the cut/printed size of the design. Maybe after she's done this for a while knowing how something will come out based on what's on the screen will become second nature, but it won't be at first. A sheet of paper is a lot cheaper than a sheet of vinyl.

gary

Waiting said:

Does a "weeding hook" make the job easier?

Click to expand...

Hooks like that for me only help in digging into an edge of a piece of vinyl you are about to weed. You basically tear a rip on the edge of the vinyl so you have a place to start weeding. So helpful in that first step. Without it, you end up trying to use your fingernails, which can work, but is frustrating sometimes. I should say I find it better to work from the edge inward than say starting in the middle.

The tool I use most of the time is just a pair of needle tweezers, with sharp tapered ends. They can do the job the hook does. Often I use the tweezers to get under the vinyl and just loosen it, and finish it up with my fingers. A good pair of of the right size scissors is a good thing too. The standard size scissors can work, but I find a smaller one to be better to get into nooks and crannies. One thing that can happen and just lead to a world of trouble is if you drop a wad of vinyl your weeding back down on the rest that hasn't been weeded yet and it sticks and tries to pull up everything. Using scissors to section your areas reduces the risk of this.

Looking at the spatula, it just looks like something for those cases where a piece of vinyl you want to stay on the carrier is trying to lift with the stuff your weeding. This can happen when you have fine details that are pushing the limit on what the machine can cut, like tiny letters. In those cases you want one hand with a tool that can hold the vinyl you want to stay on the carrier down and another hand with a tool that can weed around it. I have something I'm pretty sure is a dental tool with a oval protrusion. Not sure where I got it or what its called, but it works as it is flat enough to hold something down and small enough to use in a tiny area. That spatula looks gargantuan to me but haven't tried it.

$3.29 at Harbor Freight