The Makery has two cutter/plotters:
If you want to learn more, please visit our website.
The Cricut is perfect for smaller projects. It can draw on and cut through a variety of materials including paper, fabric, thin leather, even thin balsa wood. We have a variety of blade types for the machine, as well as ink pens of many colors, including fabric pens.
The Graphtec is set up to cut adhesive-backed and heat-transfer (&#;iron-on&#;) vinyl, but can also be used to plot large diagrams (like blueprints.) The Graphtec cutter/plotter is up to seven times faster than the Cricut, and is also more precise and capable of much larger projects.
Both machines can be used to create:
To get started, walk in during our open hours in Rose Library or make an appointment (select &#;vinyl cutting&#;). As always, assistance and materials are provided by Makery staff.
(More information on the Cricut machine is here.)
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Safety is the number priority while operating and maintaining the cutter/plotter machines.
Both the Cricut and the Graphtec machines have moving parts and sharp blades. Caution is advised both during setup and while the machine is in operation. Be sure to keep all clothing and body parts away from the machine while it is in operation.
Similarly, many of the tools used to process or weed the cut designs (such as dental picks, tweezers, and scissors) can be dangerous if used improperly. Always use care when handling and keep any sharp edges pointed away from your body.
The Graphtec cutting plotter is directly connected to one of the workstation computers in the Rose Library makerspace. There is a dedicated plugin within Adobe Illustrator used to send designs to the machine. You have your choice of any of the colors or varieties of adhesive vinyl or HTV we have available.
To cut a design onto one of these materials, follow the steps below:
The cutter/plotter is driven by vector images, not bitmap images. If you have a design that&#;s in a bitmap image, it will need to be &#;traced&#; and converted to vector.
More info on vector and bitmap images:
To convert a bitmap to a vector in Adobe Illustrator (&#;Ai&#;), make sure it is &#;embedded,&#; select the image and hit &#;image trace&#; at the top.
Some bitmaps are more easily converted to vectors than others:
The first one won&#;t work well because of the gradient. The clean lines of the second one will allow the image trace to work easily. If a patron brings in an image like the first, you should suggest they redesign the image; if they&#;ve downloaded it from the internet, encourage them to either modify the image to make it more clear, or find a different one.
Every line that shows up in Cutting Master 4 will be a cut.
If there are more lines than expected, go back into Ai and revisit the design. If you hover over a shape with the mouse and it reveals a line that you didn&#;t realize was there, that means the shapes are not grouped together so Cutting Master still sees them as separate shapes&#; Go to Window > Pathfinder. The Pathfinder tool has a lot of different options for grouping items together. Select the appropriate objects and try out the different options. Depending on how you want it to look, you may use &#;Trim&#; &#;Merge&#; or any of the other options in the Pathfinder box. If it doesn&#;t do what you wanted just hit Edit > Undo, and try again! The best way to learn is to try it!
Cutting Master will cut everywhere there is a stroke (what lines are called in Ai) BUT the thickness of a stroke will not affect how Cutting Master views it. If you want it to cut on either side of a line, make sure there is a stroke on either side of the line, don&#;t just make the stroke thicker.
There&#;s more information in the plotter&#;s user manual beginning on page 2-6.
Once the vinyl has been cut, you&#;ll need to manually remove the vinyl that&#;s not part of your design from the backing. We provide dental picks to do so. You may also use a hobby knife, but ONLY if you&#;re wearing cut-resistant gloves, which we can provide.
Once the extraneous vinyl has been weeded, cut a piece of transfer tape slightly larger than your design, and carefully place it flatly on top of your design, taking extra care to make sure there are no bubbles in between it and the vinyl or backing. It&#;s easiest to place one corner of the transfer tape down, and then slowly press it across the design while peeling its own backing away.
Some of the most common problems that arise with projects are listed below, along with basic steps to take in order to diagnose and potentially fix the issue:
cncvicut Product Page
Cutter/plotter machines do not &#;see&#; images the same way we do&#;both the Cricut and the Graphtec are designed to follow the vector paths provided in the file and largely ignore things like fill color and stroke width. In general, overlapping shapes are the cause of any discrepancy between how the image appears on a screen and how it is interpreted by the cutter/plotter. If you would like to see a preview of how the software will interpret a given design, you can do so by entering Outline View in Adobe Illustrator with the keyboard shortcut &#;Command + Y&#;. Each line visible in this mode will be cut or drawn when the design is sent to be processed. To return to the standard view, use the same keyboard shortcut.
In general, the fastest way to convert a layered image to a cut-ready format is to select all of the artwork and use the &#;Object > Expand&#;&#; option from the top menu bar to update all underlying vector paths to match what is visible, and then use the &#;Merge&#; setting in the Pathfinder Panel (&#;Window > Pathfinder&#; in the top menu bar) to flatten the image. This is a destructive edit which CANNOT be undone if saved. Be sure to make a copy of this edit as a new file so you do not overwrite the original design.
Any time the material is changed on the Graphtec cutter/plotter, the machine must be updated with the type of material loaded (i.e. a roll or a sheet). If the Graphtec is turned on and is connected to the computer but still will not cut, check the LCD screen to make sure that it is not waiting for user input. If it is, choose the appropriate option (roll or sheet). The Graphtec stores all pending jobs in its memory and will begin cutting the sent design as soon as it is done measuring the loaded material. If the design was sent multiple times, it will now cut multiple times.
If this does not fix the issue, turn off the machine and restart the process.
If the Cricut is cutting through the backing layer of a two-layer material, it has likely been set up with the wrong material settings. Double check that the material selected in the Design Space software matches the material being used. If this does not solve the issue, change the pressure setting from &#;Default&#; to &#;Less.&#;
The Graphtec machine is manually calibrated to cut through only one layer of the Oracal 651 vinyl. If you encounter issues with this machine, please consult with a manager.
If you run a business that requires frequent production of signs and materials for organizations and events, you&#;ve probably heard about plotters and cutters. A plotter is a machine that produces graphics and drawings. A cutter is any tool or device that is used to cut, shape, or remove material from a workpiece.
A plotter cutter is a device that has both the capabilities of a plotter and a cutter. It typically cuts graphics, lettering, and other designs from a variety of materials. However, they can only produce vector graphics, not pixels.
Many commercial flatbed cutters have plotting systems built into them already. In fact, you&#;ve likely seen the two terms used interchangeably. Manufacturers understand that your business handles a lot of projects and that you may not have the physical space for multiple flatbed devices. By combining the plotting and cutting capabilities into a flatbed cutter, you save your business time and money.
Choosing the Right Plotter Cutter
With so many different types of plotters and cutters, it&#;s hard to know where to begin. We&#;ve compiled a list of factors to consider when shopping for a plotter cutter. It&#;s a device that can make or break your projects&#; success, so it is important to find a high-quality one that&#;s right for you.
Consider Its Uses
You must be intentional when making any investment purchases for your business. Consider the uses for a plotter and how that fits into the projects you take on. While smaller plotter cutters are available at a low price, they are best for hobbyists who exclusively work with thin materials such as paper and lightweight fabrics.
Commercial plotter cutters are optimal for jobs where you need to create multiple products and a variety of designs. In a commercial setting, you want a plotter cutter that can wield, print, and scan your materials. You want to be able to work with diverse sizes, materials, and designs.
Consider the number of jobs you take on, the materials required, and the typical size of the materials. You want to purchase a plotter cutter that is big enough for your projects and can accommodate quick turnaround times if needed.
Choose a Motor Type
The drive motor, or the engine of your plotter cutter, is the most important part of the machine. There are two main types of motors:
Servo Motors: This device has a digital encoder that follows commands from software&#;it reads in binary zeros and ones to create the final product. These work best if you require precision or work with detailed, smaller images. They are the quieter of the two motors.
Stepper Motors: This motor uses physical gears to create signs or materials. They are ideal for working with large images or if you prefer to work with more traditional technology.
Select Features or Accessories
With plotter cutters coming with so many new features, you want to be sure you&#;re choosing the ones that will work for you. Most plotter cutters have accessories included, but you want to make sure you know what you&#;re getting.
Some accessories benefit the cutting process. Trimmers, hooks, and pickup tools are just a few examples of cutting accessories that can streamline your cutting process. Other accessories can boost your designs. These accessories&#;sketching pens, vinyl sheets, and adhesive papers&#;are often overlooked but can provide dazzling results; they also allow you to work on diverse surfaces.
Final Thoughts
When you&#;re investing in devices for your business, you want the best. A plotter cutter combines the capabilities of both a plotter and a cutter, and comes with other benefits as well. By thoughtfully evaluating the needs of your business, learning the motor types, and customizing your accessories, you will find the best plotter cutter for your projects.
The company is the world’s best flatbed plotter cutter supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.