Vinyl cutter

Introduction

Titan 3 ARMS Contour Cutting Vinyl Cutter - 28”
General Info
Make	US Cutter
Model	Titan 3 ARMS Contour Cutting Vinyl Cutter - 28”
Serial	Unknown
Specs	n/a
Manual
Asylum Info
Location	Digifab Shop
Rubric	n/a
Training	Tool classes
Testing	Tool testing
Restrictions	green

A vinyl cutter is a computer-controlled machine that uses a small blade to cut shapes, lettering, and designs from materials such as adhesive vinyl and heat-transfer vinyl.

Vinyl cutters work with vector graphics, rather than raster graphics:

• Raster images are made of individual pixels. Photos and most images downloaded from the internet are raster images. Common formats include JPG, PNG, and GIF. When enlarged, raster images can become blurry or pixelated.
• Vector graphics are made of mathematically defined lines, curves, and shapes called paths. They can be resized without losing quality. Common vector formats include SVG, AI, EPS, and some PDF files.

Components / Process

1. Design using preferred CAD environment. / Heat Transfer Mirroring
2. Import design file to VinylMaster Cut (+File Prep if not VinylMaster)
3. Prepare Machine (Load material (backing if needed), test pressure/speed)
4. Weeding unwanted parts
5. Transfer using transfer tape or special Heat transfer tape.

Software

Compatible Design Software / File Format

Because a vinyl cutter follows vector paths to determine where to cut, designs must be prepared as vector-based files before being imported into VinylMaster Cut.

Common software that can create or work with vector graphics includes:

• Adobe Illustrator
• Inkscape
• Rhino
• AutoCAD and other CAD software (available in Digital Design Lab)
• VinylMaster (with limited design functionality)

Common vector file formats include SVG, EPS, AI, DXF, and some PDF files.

Design Constraints

This vinyl cutter has a maximum material width of 28 inches. Due to the machine’s structure, approximately 4 inches on the left side are unusable, leaving a maximum cutting/design width of 24 inches. Please limit materials to 28 inches wide and designs to 24 inches wide. There is no practical limit on design length, as the machine can feed material continuously from a roll.

Designing for Heat Transfer Vinyl

When using Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV), remember to mirror (flip) your design before cutting. Since HTV is cut from the back of the material and then flipped onto the final surface during application, the design must be mirrored so that it appears correctly after transfer.

VinylMaster Cut V5

VinylMaster’s native workspace has a limited selection of fonts. If your design requires a specific font or style, create the design in your preferred design software, export it in the appropriate vector format, and then import it into VinylMaster. This helps preserve the intended appearance and prevents unexpected formatting or font errors.

Post Processing

Weeding

Weeding is