Hello I just got my new sticker cutter and I have a problem with signcut. I am making very inefficient cuts and i don't know how to change that. I have a video that explains the problem better. Here is the link to the video. Thanks!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE-nT4R7DZU

How are you generating the shapes for SignCut to import?

Often .DXF files are exported as a bunch of separate line segments. I had this problem when imported some for cutting stickers on a different program. From what you show in the video, it seems like this is the data you have.

In the end I wound up just re-tracing over the grab bag of segments with my own continuous shapes and using those for the cutting program.

Dave

well I just opened a pdf in illustrator and used the "send to signcut" tool. Should i save the pdf as a different file type? if so, what one?

Have you tried using the plotter with Illustrator or CorelDraw directly? Usually this is possible also and more reliable than proprietary software.

no I haven't. I don't know how to cut straight from illustrator. the only way I know how is to send it to sign cut. Is there some sort of plug-in i need?

Ok I think i figured it out. I had polylines on top of my exploded lines and the cutter decided to cut the exploded lines in stead of the polylines. All i needed to do was to make sure i only had polylines in the file and make sure that i use an eps file. Thanks for the help anyway!

I just want to add something: Are those stickers supposed to be slightly curvy and distorted like in the video? It kind of looks like you just drew over a picture of the puzzle with the pencil tool or something; you really shouldn't do that. Instead, you should draw over a scan of the puzzle with the pen tool to be able to make straight lines, and then round the corners if that is possible in the software.

Personally I don't recommend using the software that comes with the vinyl cutter for puzzle stickers, it looks like SignCut came with the cutter. You should find out online how to install a plug-in for your cutter into Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw or something similar. What I use is Adobe Illustrator with a plug-in for my cutter, and I also use Solidworks to create the sticker templates right from the 3D model (if the puzzle is 3D printed). This creates a perfect template.

Hope this helps.

They actually aren't distorted but I agree that they do look like they are in the video. I think it was just because I was recording the screen with a camera. I used AutoCAD 2009 to make the stickers so they are quite accurate. Thanks for the advice though.

I thought someone might be interested in a video I took of my sticker cutter drawing a world map. I thought it was really cool!
Here is a a link to that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKPQ9Mx2OIY

Back in the day, before laser printers/copiers, inkjets etc. the only way to do hard copies of large format (bigger that A4) colour line drawings (such as electronic schematic diagrams) was using plotters like this. I must say it is somewhat hypnotic to watch them work, especially when they stop drawing something "mid line" to wiz off to another part of the paper, only to return later to complete the first line.