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  • can anyone offer me any tips in regards to weeding?

    Posted by Andrew Usher on 4 May 2005 at 21:08

    Hi all,
    So, i bought a heat press, craft robo and some vinyl for putting onto my schools martial arts tops. The logos arent overly complicated, but have some small fonts.

    Now, when i cut them i get varied results, and when i weed them i get a lot of tears. Would this work be better printed out on inkjet and applied or can it be done on vinyl.

    If anyone can offer me any tips in regards to weeding i would LOVE TO HEAR IT….. Below is the current logo, to be printed out on white vinyl at about 50 mm squared.

    Regards,

    Andrew

    Andrew Usher replied 20 years, 5 months ago 7 Members · 12 Replies
  • 12 Replies
  • Peter Normington

    Member
    4 May 2005 at 21:12

    can’t see the pics Andrew, but doubt if a craft robo can cut very small text without problems. What is the overall size of each letter?
    Peter

  • Richard Urquhart

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 07:59

    i would say printed due to size of small letters 😀 i do stuff like this on a pc60

  • Andrew Usher

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 09:40

    Thanks for the replies guys.
    Peter the average height of the letters is about 3mm and between 1mm (for an I) and 3mm wide.

    The robo cutter sometimes cuts them ok, and other times seems to lift them, and ive tried a variety of setting and i am now wondering if its just a case thats the machine isnt up for the job.

    Andrew

  • Richard Urquhart

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 10:41

    i have cut 5mm letters but it takes all day i think i would be safe in saying what ever cutter you buy it wont help cutting 3mm letters there just to small to weed it may cut them but you will have a major prob weeding them
    rich

  • Andrew Usher

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 10:53

    thanks, inkjet it is….

  • Dave Springate

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 15:21

    I would definately not try and cut something that small, go for a garment film you can print onto then just apply the “disc’s ” to the garments. Much easier.

    Dave

  • Martin Peaple

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 16:48

    Andrew, fair play to you to try and weed 3mm letters, i’ll bet the air was blue. The inkjet dark papers are OK but as I’m sure you know they do look a bit agricultural and are best suited to one off promotional uses, they best thing I have seen recently is the subli flock system from Xpres. As it says it is a subli print which is heat pressed onto a flock sheet which is then put through a PC60 with a magic eye and contour cut. The logo can then be peeled off the backing sheet and heat pressed to the garment the results are really good and very professional, the whole sytem is very resonably priced at around £1500, although we haven’t bought it yet I’m sure someone out there can help you out or give Xpres a call they may be able to run them off for you.

    hope this helps

  • Andrew Usher

    Member
    5 May 2005 at 17:30

    Yes, the air has been blue on occassions, although i have had some success by slightly increasing the font size to about 3.5 mm. Im not keen on purchasing anything else at this moment, having forked out for epsons 1290, heatpress,cutter etc.

    Maybe later though…. Having said that, if i had realised how tricky these little logos where going to be, i may have altered my purchases.

    What is it they say about hindsight…. 😮

    Andrew.

  • Liam Caulfield

    Member
    6 May 2005 at 06:25

    what garment film are you using? I ask because I originally started out with a cheaper film and it just wouldnt weed any detail at all. I got some Hotmark from Victory and the difference was amazing.

  • Dave Springate

    Member
    6 May 2005 at 06:57

    Xpres do a film called “extra flex” its got a sticky backing and is supposed to be good for small or detailed logo’s. But i would still print them.
    Dave

  • jeffus – Graphtec

    Member
    6 May 2005 at 19:51

    Hi,

    I would say 5mm is about the limit for the robo, depends on font and material etc, as everyone else suggested I’d print it,
    If it is lifting the corners on letters, you may have too much force or the blade is not rotating correctly, (maybe clogged with vinyl)

    cheers

    Jeff

    Graphtec

  • Andrew Usher

    Member
    7 May 2005 at 16:16

    Thanks for all the info guys.
    Ive played around and have actually managed to cut and weed some text about 4mm. With a little patience it can be done, and it helps with good vinyl.

    Ironically, having completed a few logos, by the weeding method, i am finding printing onto the easimark Dark more troublesome, as the images are speckled and not coming out good…….

    More hair falling out by the day, my newborn isnt going to recognise me soon with the all the grey hair falling out :lol1:

    Andrew

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