Software: Sure Cuts A Lot 3 Pro Your design must be a vector to be able to cut it. Rasters do not work. You may draw a design using the tools in SCAL, or import a picture to create your own design. Complex pictures will be very difficult to turn into designs. Clean lines, work best.

Primarily, you will want your design to be one color. It is possible to create a design with multiple colors. This involves creating multiple layers with registration marks and very carefully placing layers of vinyl on top of each other. Importing File Types: ai, svg, pdf, eps, png, plt, wpc Exporting File Types: svg, bmp, jpg, png, tiff, plt On the desktop there is a folder called “Vinyl Design Files”. In that folder, create your own folder with your name to save your designs. That way we can share files and save each other time.

Make sure Sure Cuts a Lot is already open. Turn on machine switch, which is on the left side of the machine. Place the roll of vinyl on the two rollers on the back of the machine stand. The vinyl should be on the right side of the machine. Note: Make sure the vinyl is coming off the back side of the roll. Unlock the support roller by putting the lever in the up position. Insert the vinyl between the support roller and the metal roller, from back to front. Square the front edge of the vinyl to the machine and lock the support roller in place by pushing the lever so that it is parallel to the ground. Preferably you want at least two support rollers holding you vinyl. If your piece is very small, you can get away with just using one. If using a 24” or larger roll, 3 rollers should be used.

Note: Make sure the support rollers are on the metal rollers and not on the black space between the metal rollers.

Once your vinyl is locked down, hit “Offline”. Use the up, down, left, and right arrows to position the blade holder inside the lower right corner of your vinyl. There should be vinyl at least ½” to the left and below the blade holder. Tip: To make sure that your vinyl is square, position the blade holder in the lower right corner and use the arrow keys to move the vinyl forward and backward. Watch that the blade holder is consistently the same distance from the edge. If cutting a larger or longer piece, make sure that as much vinyl as you will use has been unwound from the roll. You do not want the machine to have to pull the roll. Once you are happy with the position of the blade holder, hit “Origin”. Confirm that the Speed is set to 300 mm/s and the Pressure to 040g.