The third thing that will affect how good your cuts are is the pressure of your machine. Each manufacturer has different ways to change and apply the amount of pressure that the blade gets in order to make a good cut.
There are no perfect settings to get the perfect cut. There are just guides. The reason for that statement is that materials can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. There are differences say in cardstock from one manufacturer to another. Cardstock can vary in weight, so consider settings as suggestions rather than perfect statements.
Some manufacturers will actually have their one suggestions doe settings. always check the manufacturers' website to see if they offer guidelines for the products that you are using.
Another factor in getting the right pressure for your cut is how the blade is installed on your machine. If it is not installed correctly, that will affect how the pressure works.
And, as we have explained, the mat is important too. Using the wrong mat and /or an old blade will also contribute to how well your pressure works.
You will hear the terms pressure, thickness, and downward force used. These are all terms that basically mean the same thing. This is the amount of force the machine uses against the cutting blade to get the cut.
Test Cuts
Remember, test cuts are your best friend. Start with the preset that the manufacturer of your machine suggested or the company that made the product you are cutting. Run a test cut of the materials that you are cutting, then make any adjustments and cut again.
Cricut Machine Pressure
The Cricut Explore series has a Smart dial that you can select the pressure for your cut by selecting the material that you are cutting, The Smart set dial eliminates the need to make manual pressure, depth, and speed adjustments. These are predesigned settings to get the best cuts on the material that you select, The dial has seven preloaded options plus a custom setting. The half-step setting between Fabric and Custom (circled in the image above) performs a 2x multi-cut which means the machine will cut twice in the same spot.
In the newest version of the Explore, Cricut Explore 3, the smart dial is gone. It is replaced with an automatic choice of materials that is very detailed. This makes a more accurate cut setting for all the materials you can possibly choose.
The Cricut Maker
The Cricut Maker eliminated the Smart Dial. Instead, they use a series of tiles where you choose to select the material you want to cut. These are common materials, if you do not see the material that you want to cut, you choose to select all to find the material you want to cut.
In the custom setting, You can also choose the pressure setting. There is a default setting for that material. When you make a test cut, you can check out how well the default setting worked. If the default setting worked continue. Otherwise, you can select more or less pressure depending on your
needs.
In the new Cricut Maker 3, the machine is a lot more powerful and faster. The efficiency of these machines should offer a better cutting experience.
Silhouette Cutting Machine
Preset settings on the Silhouette cutting machines are a starting point to get the perfect cut. There are a few things to consider in how well your pressure works.
Using a mat from another company or a generic mat-Third party mat will have a different thickness that may affect how the pressure works.
Resticking Mats-Re-sticking mat can cause all kinds of cutting issues. It can gum up the machine or blades. It can cause the rollers to not function properly. It is not advised.
Damaged Cutting strip-This is a rubber strip under the blade housing that provides the pressure from the bottom of the mat/material. Any nicks, dings, holes, slices in it can affect the cut.
From The Silhouette Manual-A General Guide To Cutting
Blade Setting 1............Thin materials such as vinyl and smooth heat transfer materials
Blade Setting 2-3..........Medium weight materials such as paper, cardstock and flocked heat
transfer material
Blade Setting 4-6..........Thicker materials like textured paper and thicker cardstock
Blade Setting 7-10.........Thicker material like canvas
Silhouette Cutting Tips
Slower cutting speeds are recommended for thicker materials
Thicker materials will require higher thickness levels. It is better to start at a lower setting and then increase as needed.
Use the "normal" cut settings for heavy cardstock., but set the blade at 4 or less. This will help the blade from getting jammed from paper bits.
Silhouette Cutting Guides
Brother Scan And Cut
As with most other electronic cutting machines, the Brother Scan and Cut offers guidelines for it's cutting settings. But nothing is written in stone. Results may vary. So you should always do a test cut, especially on materials and brands that you have never cut before. 0
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