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How exactly does a standalone cutter work
Sorry for such a basic (stupid) question, but I’m getting a cutter currently undecided on which one but from research I have done most likely either a Summa D-60 or Graphtec CE5000-60 should fit my needs.
What I dont understand is if I print off small badges and logos for doming on a separate printer how does the cutter recognise these and cut out around them correctly.
Thanks
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18 Replies
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you will need to print registration marks,
and the cutter needs an optical system to detect them.
Peter -
Ok thanks Peter, also I keep hearing contour cutting what is this
thanks
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Contour is the cut line around the decal
it needs to be included at the design stage. You are really starting from scratch if you dont know what a contour is.Peter
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Morning Jason
You might find a couple of searches on Youtube very useful for some of your research. E.g. you can watch a Graphtec CE5000 in action using registration marks etc etc.
John
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quote John Cooper:Morning JasonYou might find a couple of searches on Youtube very useful for some of your research. E.g. you can watch a Graphtec CE5000 in action using registration marks etc etc.
John
Argee with John on this one, Youtube is fantastic for giving someone a flavour of how a sign cutter works.
But not all of the problems are addressed with regards to setting a cutter up, and any other related problems.
If your just starting out it’s not just the cutter, it’s also the software, And other bits and bobs, and applying the finished producet. Decent software can cost anything from £300 to £3000 depending on what it is you want to do, The bits n bobs, Well my kit box which is fairly basic still stand me £300, And that’s just for doing basic vinyl,One heads up and I’m not having a go, just giving you a heads up, Pirate software is pretty much, a no no on this site,
Whatever cutter or software you get try to get the seller to throw in a tutorial dvd for the software and cutter you get, Phill Fenton does a fantastic book on setting up a signage business, Well worth the oulay.
This is a fantastic forum and group of Guys N Gals. they will literally bend over backwards to help,
But do your research before asking any questions as it shows a sign of respect to the poeple on here that are willing to help and give up their time to reply to a thread,I know that when I started out, The help i got from these guys was invaluable,
Your certainly heading in the right direction with the cutters, But do you need a machine as big as that I have 3 machines an old houston 24" whcih still works a Roland 40" and a Crappy chinesse cutter 28" which i’m trying to break before the G/tee runs out. And it wont die. These Crap chinesse Cutters and flea-bay are going to ruin this business.
Anyway good luck with what your doing, And hope to see you at one of the Trade shows….. -
Ray has a good point about your machine choice, it may be worth your while considering the Roland GX24. It’s a 24" cutter with optical eye & if you bought from the likes of Xpres you would also get some free on-site training. From the sounds of it the free training could help you come on leaps & bounds with your plans.
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I started out with a Roland GX24 and although it is the smallest machine on our floor at the moment………..It is the busiest.
I couldn’t fault it one little bit. It takes up no space, it cuts at a very decent speed with good quality results and of course it is built by Roland.
It has been a trouble free piece of kit from day one and the only thing I ever had to do was change the blade from time to time.
Now having said all that, I have a very funny feeling that no sooner than I submit this post to the forum……………My little GX24 is going to burst into flames and I will have to retract everything I have just said!!
Darren.
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quote Darren Lawlor:Now having said all that, I have a very funny feeling that no sooner than I submit this post to the forum……………My little GX24 is going to burst into flames and I will have to retract everything I have just said!!
Darren.
Funny! Thought that it was only me, That things like that happened to. :headbang2:
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Thanks everybody for your replies very helpful, If I’m honest I wasn’t aware of the small Roland cutter so I will take a look at this as it might be ideal for my needs. Although my initial thoughts are that it seams to cost similar to the other cutters I’m looking at, would I not be limiting myself buying a smaller cutter or are there other benefits to this cutter.
Yes I am starting from scratch and do know pretty much next to nothing, but I’m really keen and I know what I want to do, I’m just trying to get my head around a few things and ensure I buy the right gear what I need. I’ve already realised what a great resource and community this is and I have paid for a full forum membership (currently waiting for it to be set up) I have puchased and read Phill Fentons very good book, and got my e-ticket for this years Sign and Digital show. Sorry re-reading this sounds like I’m being arsey, I don’t mean to I just trying to say I’m doing lots of research myself and not just leeching off you guys and putting on your good nature.
I most definitely would benefit from training (& warranty) and that’s why I intend to buy new, I’m not sure where from yet I will wait until my membership is set up then hopefully I can get fixed up with one of the suppliers that I can get a discount from.
Never been a user of pirated software, I use lots of music software, and buy genuine , pizzes me off no end when I see the pirated stuff for pence on G-bay.
Thanks everybody for your replies and I never thought to check youtube so thanks for that, can’t believe i gonna watch a video of a machine cutting paper . lol.
Thanks
Jason
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These Crap chinesse Cutters and flea-bay are going to ruin this business.
quote :Don’t quite understand how fleabay or cheap plotters can ruin the sign business! I’ve been in the trade for over 23yrs and have very good friends who use ‘chinese plotters’ and when they break, replace them cheaply. I advise them to buy a descent well known brand but if there happy, there happy. At no point has it ‘ruined’ my business and nor has fleabay.
Quite a flipant comment to be honest.
Did Skoda ruin the car business….? -
I agree with Matt, its not the machinery that will ruin any business but the person operating the machine. Customers looking for a signage will have no idea if you are using a £300 machine or a 30k machine and it will make no difference to them either as long as they get a decent end product.
Just because someone may start a business with 100k won’t make them any better or anymore succesful than someone who starts out with a thousand pounds but who may actually know what they are the doing. -
Hi Folks, just going back to the original post the Roland cutter is the same size as both the Graphtec and Summa machine I was looking at so in your opinion which would be most suitable for cutting out small badges for doming and or comes with good cutting software.
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quote Richard Martin:Just because someone may start a business with 100k won’t make them any better or anymore succesful than someone who starts out with a thousand pounds but who may actually know what they are the doing.That’s absolutely correct.
It’s absolutely impossible to generalise because some really serious people have started up in this business with cheap equipment, and turn out work far superior to mine.
However, the fact remains that the advent of pocket money machinery has allowed in the other sort as well. Those that see signmaking as an easy quick buck, those that don’t care what damage they cause to the industry by lowering standards and price expectations and so on. They are also the ones that come on here and take everything they can without making a worthwhile contribution themselves.
On the other hand, no guarantee, but you can be fairly sure that someone who has invested £100k is fairly serious.
The conclusion I have reached is that I will help those who, by their actions and words, appear to be making every effort to become serious signmakers, whilst ignoring those who are just interested in picking our brains for their own ends.
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quote Jason Middleton:Hi Folks, just going back to the original post the Roland cutter is the same size as both the Graphtec and Summa machine I was looking at so in your opinion which would be most suitable for cutting out small badges for doming and or comes with good cutting software.not to sure about the summa but with the roland and graphtec using the windows drivers and corel draw you can send info direct to either printer or cutter, without having to go through another program.
chris
johns post +1
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Thanks everyone, it seems all 3 are highly rated but after a conversation with Signmaster today I’ve bought a Graphtec.
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Good choice of company and product Jason. We still run one a roland vinyl cutter, but when we needed a larger machine we went for a graphtec FC7000. Very impressed with it, even 3 years on, you won’t be disappointed.
jason
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Thanks I figured given my lack of experience I needed to buy from somebody with good service and technical support, Signmaster are consistantly recommended on here, and are only about 40 minutes drive for me. Winner
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Good choice. I brought the same cutter from sign master at last years show and am very happy with it up to now.
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