◊ After entering each number, the scaling percentage is automatically calculated: Calculated Scale values Click on Update ◊ Click on Update and a prompt window will ask if you want to Apply Scale Adjustment. Click on Yes and you’ll be back in the Vinyl Spooler window. To verify the scaling, again click on Cutter Scale and repeat the same steps.
Enter Width and Length to use for test shape Click here to start the drawing ◊ Load a sheet of paper and insert the test pen. Move the test pen to the lower right corner of the paper. Make sure you have proper settings for drawing and click on Cut Test to have the shape drawn.
◊ Convert the measurements to decimals and enter these values into the same Width and Length fields. After entering each number, the scaling percentage is automatically calculated: Enter actual Width and Length ◊ Calculated Scale values Click on Update Click on Update and a prompt window will ask if you want to Apply Scale Adjustment. Click on Yes and you’ll be back in the Vinyl Spooler window. To verify the scaling, again click on Cutter Scale and repeat the same steps.
2.
2.10 Settings Form for Cutting Materials Material Type Material Brand or Source Blade Force Speed Blade Offset # Passes Ht* Other Comments *Number of Post-It notes used to set blade tip distance above material.
2.11 Suggested Cut Settings for Various Materials on Skycut IMPORTANT: These settings should be used for the initial test cut. Adjustments may be necessary based on the condition of the blade, variations in the material, humidity, condition of the cutting mat, blade tip height*, etc. ALSO IMPORTANT: Do not use a Blade Ht.* greater than 15 Post-Its with a blue capped blade. It is very fragile! * Blade Ht. = number of Post-It notes used to set blade tip distance above the material: Refer to Section 2.01.3.
Blade Passes Force Speed Blade Other Comments Ht.* Material Type Material Brand/Source Chipboard 0.022" (0.5 mm) R 2 100 (5) 250 20 Brayer well and tape edges Chipboard Cereal box 0.018" (0.4 mm) R 2 100 (5) 250 20 Brayer well and tape edges Chipboard 0.03" (0.76mm) B 2 120 (5) 250 15 Brayer well and tape edges Chipboard 0.015" (.
Blade Passes Force Speed Blade Other Comments Ht.* Material Type Material Brand/Source Magnet Printable Magnet Sheets (.25mm) R 1 50 (8) 400 20 Magnet Printable Magnet Sheets-15 mil (0.4mm) R 1 70 (8) 400 15 Mylar 5 mil (0.12mm) R 1 50 (8) 400 20 Mylar 10 mil (0.25mm) R 2 100 (5) 250 15 Mylar 7 mil (0.
Blade Passes Force Speed Blade Other Comments Ht.
3. Contour Cut (Print and Cut) 3.00 Quick Reference for Chapter 3 • How to calibrate the camera: Section 3.03.2 • How to set up a contour cut: Section 3.04 • How to add more registration marks: Section 3.08 • How to speed up the scanning process: Section 3.04.3 • Troubleshooting inaccurate PNC results: Section 3.06 • How to set up repeats: Sections 3.07 (within contour cut window) and 3.10.1 (on main screen) • How to use QR codes in a contour cut application: Section 3.
A custom shape is cut around the printed image. 3.02 What is a Camera Calibration? • In order to get precise results, you must calibrate the camera. This is nothing more than letting the Skycut know how far away the camera lens is located relative to the tip of the blade. Because the camera is manually installed inside the blade carriage, the distance from the camera’s center to the tip of the blade can vary slightly from one Skycut to the next. • This calibration only needs to be done one time.
This is where photo will be displayed Two different screens based on Align versus Adjust Align is normal mode Magnify photo by 300% Retake photo Change brightness of LED light Adjust is calibrate mode Update blue dashed + alignment (6) Press Adjust to switch to calibrate mode. Press and hold the OK button for several seconds until it and the arrows around it turn red: 1. Select Adjust 2. Press and hold OK 3. Release after buttons turn red 4. Press Start (7) Press Start.
Tap your finger here Blue dashed + Red + (8) Tap your finger near the middle of the drawn test shape on the screen. This will move the red + close to that location. Red + is now much closer to the middle of the test shape Blue dashed + is also much closer to the middle of the test shape (9) Press OK. A new photo will be taken and one of two things will happen: ◊ The red + is so close to the center that the Skycut will now take over and find the true center on its own.
(10) Once the alignment is in place and the arrows have turned blue, press the Home button and then press Stop on the Main Screen to save the calibration and conclude the process: Press Stop 3.04 Performing a PNC in SignMaster 3.04.
Click here to open menu of page sizes Or change the page dimensions directly here (3) For a sample project, go to this link and download the zip. The project used in this tutorial is called Yellow Ox PNC. Alternatively, Section 5.01 presents a tutorial on importing a graphic and adding a contour cut. Note the contour cut around this image: Blue line will be cut but not printed Yellow and black ox will be printed but not cut (4) Click on the Contour Cutting icon and select Contour Cut Wizard.
Print-only preview Cut-only preview (6) The following options are available for printing: ◊ Print Direct – Select this option if you are printing directly from this window to your own printer. Note that the printer menu and printer properties appear to the right when this option is selected.
Before applying Center After applying Center (8) Depending on the print option selected in Step (6), the print button below the Preview will vary. Assuming you selected Print Direct, you’ll see the option to Print. Click on it or click on the button in the same location and then complete any popup window options as needed. Note that if you’ve already printed your project, you will want to click on Skip instead: Click on Skip if project is already printed Click on Print.
(11) Click on the Spooler and the Cut Options tab. If you want to send the cut settings from SignMaster, adjust the Force and Speeds accordingly or select a Preset. Otherwise, if using the cut settings on the Skycut control panel, turn these off.
(13) Click on Next and the Skycut’s camera will now move over each registration mark and take a photo and make an adjustment. Once it has read all four marks plus the first one a second time, it will proceed to cut out the printed shapes. (14) After testing out this process, be sure to check out remaining sections in this chapter to understand additional options, such as: ◊ Preparing a vector image for a PNC application – Section 3.05.2 ◊ How to set up a grid of repeats – two methods - Section 3.
◊ This results in fewer camera photo repeats if the printout is somewhat askew when loaded into the cutter. ◊ To use this feature, first make sure you have L-shaped registration marks selected in the Contour Cutting Wizard window. Then, on the Mark Options tab, enable the option for Use Extender Marks. The Preview will show the extender marks to be added to the printout: Select Mark Options tab Select Use Extender Marks ◊ Extender Marks printed at the top and the bottom of the printout.
3.05.2 Using Vector Images • You can design your own vector images in SignMaster using various design and vectorizing tools. You can also directly import vector files in a variety of common file formats including: AI, DXF, EPS, PDF, PLT, and SVG. • While vector images are essentially ready-to-cut files, SignMaster will not apply them as contour cuts in print and cut applications without having them assigned as such. Refer to Section 5.
3.07 Adding Repeats in Print and Cut Applications • An array of repeats can be set up in the Contour Cut Wizard and this section will present the steps to do that. If you prefer to create the array in the main window of SignMaster, please refer to Section 3.10.1. (1) Create a design with the desired contour cut in place. In this tutorial, the same file is used as the one in Section 3.04.2, however the design has been resized to ~ 4.5” in height.
Select Print Direct 4 copies selected Red margins and dimensions indicate project will not print with this number of copies (5) In this case, only two shapes will fit, so the Quantity is updated and the red margins and dimensions are now black: Quantity reduced to 2 Black margins and dimensions indicate project will print (6) Note that you have two options that can also be used, at times, to permit more copies to be printed: ◊ Reduce the Mark Position setting, which is how far the registration marks
3.08 Registration Mark Settings 3.08.1 Adding Intermediate Registration Marks • Continuing with the same project from the prior section, to access the registration mark options, click on the Mark Options tab in the Contour Cutting Wizard window and note the following: Select Mark Options tab Space marks based on distance ◊ Add more marks Set target mark spacing: use this option as a default or if you want to reduce the maximum spacing allowed between marks, thus increasing the number of marks.
Change from 1 to 2 A new set of marks are added • With these intermediate marks added, they will be scanned, as well. Thus, in this example shown, the bottom four marks will be scanned and the lower two shapes cut out. Then, the top set of four marks will be read and upper two shapes cut out.
L registration marks • CCD registration marks Note the following description and size for the individual options in the menu: ◊ L-Shape: L marks that are 20 mm x 20 mm in size ◊ L-Shape 20x9: L marks that are 20 mm x 20 mm in size.
Mark Position = 0.557 in • Mark Position = 0.307 in Mark Position = 0.057 in You can see the movement of the marks towards the image as the Mark Position is decreased. Because of the shape of the ox, this shouldn’t be an issue with the location of the registration marks relative to the printed image. However, if a design is more rectangular, such as a wine bottle label, then it is much easier to see that it could cause issues if the Mark Position is too small: Mark Position = 0.
Select Connection tab Select U_Disk Click on Done • Back in the Contour Cutting Wizard window, proceed as before by clicking on Cut and the same Preview window opens and again indicates the design should be facing downwards: Printout should be facing this way Set blade holder over lower right reg mark Click on Next • Click on Next and the following window will open where you can save the job as a PLT file on a USB flash drive inserted into a port on your computer: 103
Select the appropriate drive Name the file Click on Save • On the Skycut’s control panel, set the Force and Speed, if you elected not to have them activated in the Vinyl Spooler window in Step 11 in Section 3.04.2. • Go to Set>Camera. With Align selected, press Set and the following window will open: 2. Then press Set 1. Align should be red Check AutoMark box ◊ • Verify that AutoMark box is checked. Then click on Home.
File name should appear here Press Start Cut • Click on Start Cut and the marks will be scanned by the camera and the shapes cut out. 3.09.2 PNC from Flash Drive – Using Array Mark for Repeats • The Skycut has the ability to set up an array of repeats for PNC applications. The advantage to using the Skycut’s control panel for this process is that the Array Mark function permits the scanning of additional registration marks as repeats are cut.
1. Four marks in green set are scanned first and first three shapes cut. 2. Four marks in orange set scanned, next three shapes cut. 3. Four marks in purple set scanned, next three shapes cut. etc. • 1 Mark: Scan first four marks on first set only. Then scan one mark only on each remaining repeat 1. Four marks in green set are scanned first and first three shapes cut. 2. Single mark by orange arrow scanned, next three shapes cut. 3. Single mark by purple arrow scanned, next three shapes cut etc.
Interval set to 2 1. Marks in green set scanned and first three shapes cut. 2. Single mark by orange arrow scanned, next three shapes cut. 3. Single mark by purple arrow scanned, next three shapes cut. 4. Marks in blue set scanned, next three shapes cut. etc. • When choosing an Array Mark option, keep the following in mind: • The purpose of having intermediate scans is to correct for any slippage that occurs due to friction or excessively fast cutting speed.
• To select a specific range of images, note the following: ◊ The first set to cut is referred to as M0 and then subsequent sets are M1, M3, M3, etc. ◊ In the Mark Set window, select Custom and then enter the start and ending sets.
Adjustments to be made to cut line Click the arrow buttons to move the cut line in the direction needed. ◊ • Once you have entered the Δx and Δy values you wish to use, press the Go on button and the cutting will resume. Important: ◊ If you need to make yet another adjustment, repeat the process. The new Δx and Δy you enter is only an adjustment based on what you are now needing. For example, based on this example, if you need Y to move another 0.2 mm in the same direction, you would enter 0.2, not 0.
3.10.1 Setting Up an Array of Repeats • The QR Cut process involves enabling a Page Marks setting which will be covered in Section 3.10.2. At the time of this writing, SignMaster Pro 3.5 does not allow Tiling in the Contour Cut Wizard window when this setting is used. Therefore, if you need to set up an array of repeats, please use the following method instead: o In the main window, set the Drawing Area to match the printout dimensions you’ll be using. o Import (or design) the image for the contour cut.
Drag to the ~middle of the Drawing Area Use Ctrl+A to select everything 3.10.2 QR Code Cutting Directly from SignMaster • Open the Contour Cut Wizard window. Click on the Page Marks option and mark the box by QR Code.
◊ Printing the QR code at both the top and the bottom of the printout means you can position the printout either way in the cutter: (x2) disabled: QR code is only printed at the top versus (x2) enabled: the QR code is also printed here o Even though the following Preview (when using the (x2) option) indicates the printout needs to be positioned in this orientation, you can have it rotated 180 degrees and it will still cut correctly because the QR code contains a symbol indicating which orientation is
◊ By clicking Yes, this file (with the timestamp as part of the Job Name) is added to the Vinyl Spooler window and at any point later on, after one or after many other cuts from SignMaster, you can activate this cut by doing the following: o Insert the printout into the Skycut and arrange the blade holder over the lower right registration mark (as per usual).
• In the USB window, you may wish to mark the option for Search Root Dir in case the Skycut has already been used to open files in a subfolder on the flash drive: Mark this option Click on QR Cut • Click on QR Cut and the camera will (1) Read the first registration mark. (2) Move to the QR code to read the timestamp. (3) Locate the file on the flash drive with that same timestamp as its name. (4) Proceed with identifying the rest of the marks and perform the contour cut. • As mentioned in Section 3.
4. Accessory Tools 4.00 Quick Reference for Chapter 4 • Settings for test pen, embosser, engraver: Section 4.05 • How to draw with the test pen and cut around the drawing: Section 4.01.1 • How to score and cut a fold-up project: Section 4.02.2 • How to emboss cardstock: Section 4.02.3 • How to engrave a metal tag: Section 4.03.1 4.01 Drawing with the Test Pen • With the Skycut, you can draw shapes and lettering with the test pen. • If you wish to fill (i.e.
Mark this option Colors used in project • The layers will be processed in the order shown. However, because it makes more sense to draw first and cut second, the blue layer will be moved down. This is done by selecting the blue layer and clicking on the down arrow below: Select blue layer Click the down arrow • The cut settings for each layer now need to be assigned.
3. Enter all settings to be applied for this cut 1. Select blue layer 4. Click on Apply 2. Click on Edit ◊ • IMPORTANT: Note that this window does not allow you to save the settings as a new Preset. Thus, if you will be cutting this material often, you might prefer to set up a preset for it using the instructions in Section 2.04.2. After clicking on Apply, you will see that both colors now have settings assigned.
This prompt window opens 2. After loading test pen, click on OK 1. Click on Cut Now • Load the test pen into the Skycut, click on OK, and the design will begin drawing. The second prompt window will immediately open: • As soon as the drawing process has ended, load the blade holder into the Skycut and proceed with the contour cut by clicking on OK in the prior window. Once completed, click on Done to close the Send to be Cut window.
4.02 Embossing and Scoring 4.02.1 General Info on Embossing • The Skycut embossing tool has two different sized embossing heads. The smaller one is recommended when scoring cardstock for fold-up projects, such as pop-up cards, gift bags, and small boxes. Either head can be used for embossing shapes. • When embossing cardstock, it is recommended that a soft material be place beneath the paper or cardstock to allow a deeper impression to be made. One excellent material to use is non-slip shelf liner.
Cut lines are on one layer Score lines are on another layer • Because Absolute (position) will be needed to make sure the score lines and the cut lines end up aligned properly, you may want to move your project to the lower right corner of the Drawing Area, close to the origin you’ll use on the material: • Click on the thumbnail for the score lines since that layer should always be executed first.
• Note that if you will be performing score and cut projects regularly, setting up a Preset for your material will make the selection of the settings much faster. Refer to Section 2.04.1. • Load the material into the Skycut and load the embosser with the small end downwards into the Skycut. Move the embosser to an appropriate origin. Click on Cut Now. • After the scoring is complete, select the thumbnail for the cut lines and repeat the process.
4.03 Scratch Engraving • The Skycut engraving tool can be used to engrave vellum, foils, acrylic, and most metals, including trophy labels, dog tags, and jewelry charms. • On softer metals, you may not want the engraving tip too far above the metal as it can leave pock marks when it drops to start engraving. If possible, test on scraps first. • Refer to the Suggested Settings table at the end of this chapter for Force and Speed settings on various materials.
Imported scan Tracing from Create Contour Cut window • IMPORTANT: Carefully measure the actual tag and compare it to the dimensions of the contour. Adjust the size of the contour if needed. • Create the design. In this case both text and a vector shape of a bone are added: • Because a filled engraving is desired, select the text and the bone shape and use the Engraving Module to fill the design with lines. Details on this function are presented in Section 5.03.
Check Absolute (position) Verify Assign Tools by Color is not checked • Design is in same location as on the Page Click on the Cutter Control tab and enter the settings for engraving: Uncheck Blade Offset Change to settings for engraving • On the Skycut, the metal tag needs to be very firmly attached to the cutting mat.
Align the tag with the grid lines on the mat The origin will be set at this intersection • Load the mat into the Skycut and be very precise in alignment by using the cutting strip to make sure the mat is perfectly straight on both sides: Align the mat on both sides with the cutting strip • Load the engraver into the Skycut using 15 Post-It notes, making sure the notes are on top of the tag.
4.
4.05 Suggested Settings for Various Accessories1 Make sure Blade Offset and Overcut are set to 0; test with a small shape first; mirror shapes for embossing. Tool Height = number of Post-It notes used to set blade tip distance above the material: Refer to Section 2.01.3.
5. SignMaster Functions of Interest 5.00 Quick Reference for Chapter 5 • How to add a contour cut: Section 5.01 • How to node edit a contour: Section 5.01.2 • How to add a contour cut to a vector image: Section 5.02 • How to fill a design with engraving lines: Section 5.03 5.01 Adding a Contour Cut Line to an Imported Raster Image • Graphics such as JPG, PNG, and BMP files are often used for print and cut (contour cut) applications.
Click here to trace at current settings (5) Without making any changes, click on the Trace button to get a preliminary trace which will indicate which settings, if any, need adjustment. The blue line indicates what will cut based on the default settings shown: Carefully check blue cut line: • Are all needed parts traced? • Is trace line a tight enough fit? (6) To see the trace line a little more clearly, adjust the Opacity setting at the top.
(7) After making any changes, click on Retrace at the bottom of the screen. On the other hand, if you are happy with the trace results, click on Apply: Click on Apply if satisfied with existing trace Click on Retrace to adjust to new settings (8) If you selected Retrace, a Composite view of the results will appear where blue indicates the part that will be cut out and red indicates the waste material. You can go back to seeing the prior view by clicking on the Original tab at the bottom.
Contour type options: use these settings Contour shape options Original image options Click on Accept when done ◊ Choose a Corner Style, as desired.
5.01.2 Editing a Trace • Occasionally you may find a need to edit the tracing/contour cut created. This section presents two examples. • Contour cut doesn’t fit the original graphic in certain spots ◊ In the following example, the Cartoon Owl image will be used: ◊ During the process of tracing, it was found that the bottoms of the owl’s feet weren’t rounded like in the original image. Even trying different adjustments to Smoothing didn’t result in the desired fit.
versus Area below eyes is traced but so are the inner parts of the eyes ◊ Keep Holes checked No inner paths at all Keep Holes not checked The first option, Keep Holes, needs to be selected so that the area beneath the eyes is traced. After accepting the trace, click on the Objects tab on the Page Thumbnail Viewer and hide the original graphic. You will now only see the contour in the Drawing Area: Select this layer and click on Hide icon ◊ Select the contour and go to Curves>Break Apart.
5.02 Adding a Contour Cut to a Vector Image • As mentioned in Section 3.05.2, vector images require a contour cut assignment in print and cut applications. For example, the following Batman SVG file is imported into Signmaster and then the Contour Cut Wizard window is opened.
• From the Objects list, click on the shape which represents the contour cut line you wish to use. In this example, it is the black shadow layer: Select this layer • With that layer selected, go to Edit>Duplicate. A new layer will appear at the bottom at the Objects list and, thus, will now be arranged on top of the project: • This new layer will also be selected.
Contour cut layer now appears What will cut 5.02.2 Contour Cut Which Is Offset from the Printed Design • This section presents the method to be used when the contour cut is not one of the existing vector shapes. While this section accesses the Create Cut-Contour window from within the Contour Cut Wizard window, note that the same process can be applied by adding the contour from the main screen as was done in Section 5.01 (i.e. select shape and go to Contour Cutting>Create Cut Contour).
Click on View Mode to add the Outline preview Use these options Select a Corner Style Keep at 0 for cut line to follow print line or… Increase to add a contour cut or… Decrease to add an inset cut Click on Accept when done o Corner Style: Usually select either Round or Sharp depending on the nature of the original vector and your desired contour o Outline (%) or Outline (Units): Enter either a percentage or the actual size for the outline.
Blue line shows size of inline inside of original Outline set to -0.03” ◊ After clicking on Accept, the View Cut only preview now indicates a cut path exists and you’re ready to proceed: Contour cut layer now appears What will cut • Note that text is also a vector shape, thus the contour cut on a text object would be created the same way.
Internal contour cuts are added Check Keep Holes 5.03 Engraving Fill 5.03.1 Engraving File Module and Settings • If you wish to fill in a shape with a line pattern, SignMaster offers an Engraving Module which can be opened by clicking on the Plugins icon • and selecting Engraving Module.
Original shape appears ◊ Toolpath: There are four options in this menu: o None: no fill pattern is created o S-Sweep: a line fill pattern in which the tool stays down while filling the entire shape: 2. Tool stays down, follows path of curve, then crosses to the right o 3. Tool drops and proceeds to the right ◊ 3. Tool stays down, follows path of curve, then crosses to the left, etc.
Vertical ◊ Diagonal - Down Cut Perimeter: turn on this option if you want the original shape to be engraved as well: Cut Perimeter: not checked Perimeter of shape is light, indicating it will NOT be engraved Cut Perimeter: checked Perimeter of shape is dark, indicating it will also be engraved ◊ Cleanup Flange: turn on this option to have an engraving of the original shape, but along the edges of the engraving lines.
5.03.2 Inside Fills Versus Outside Fills • • In certain situations, you might want to reverse the parts of a design that are filled. To do this, add any outside shape to the design, such as a rectangle, an oval, a heart, etc. The engraving fill automatically fills the space between this new outside shape and the original design.
Appendix A Troubleshooting FAQ’s A1 Communication Issues I cannot get the Skycut to power on. • Make sure the power cable is securely plugged into the adaptor. • Make sure the adaptor light is a steady blue light and it is plugged securely into the Skycut. • If you still cannot get the Skycut powered on, contact your dealer. ____________________ I cannot power off the Skycut. • Press and hold the power button until the light shuts off. ____________________ I cannot get Wi-Fi to work with my Skycut.
I had to cancel a cut. Now my Skycut is no longer responding when I click on Cut Now. • Try restarting the Skycut and SignMaster. ____________________ A2 Operating Issues The control panel isn’t responding very well. • Press control panel icons with your finger and not your fingernail. You can also use a black rubber stylus. • Make sure the control panel is clean. ____________________ My mat is rotating when the Skycut starts to cut! • Two pinch wheels need to be gripping the mat.
• Make sure you have calibrated the Skycut’s camera. The procedure is covered in Section 3.03. • On the control panel, go to Set>Camera and press Set. Make sure the Auto PNC option is marked. • If using the cutting mat, make sure the printout is aligned fairly straight on the cutting mat and the mat is fairly straight in the cutter. • Make sure the blade holder is over the lower right registration mark when starting the cut.
• For perfect corners when using a pen, go to the Send to be Cut window and select Pen Mode so that Blade Offset is set to 0. You do not need an offset for pens (or other tools like embossers and engravers). ____________________ My cut started out fine but by the end of the cut, it’s not cutting through the material. • Make sure the blade holder housing doesn’t have any bits of material inside of it.
• A number of things can cause tearing so work through this check list: ◊ Too much blade is exposed. If you see cut lines in your mat or the backing sheet, shorten the blade exposure. You should only be cutting through the material itself. ◊ ◊ The blade is chipped. Try a different blade. ◊ ◊ You may be using too much cutting force. Try reducing it and doing test cuts. ◊ The material itself may be subject to tearing, especially on intricate cuts.
Appendix B Activating Commands • This section shows you how to activate commands in order to add certain functions to the control panel. • Go to Set>Advance settings>System Mode and press the cmd… button: Press cmd… • The following screen opens.
• • Enter the required Input code according to the following: ◊ 021: Activate Mark Set ◊ 020: Deactivate Mark Set ◊ 031: Activate Passes Set ◊ 030: Deactivate Passes Set ◊ 141: Activate QR Cut ◊ 140: Deactivate QR Cut After entering the Input code you need, click on OK and the Input screen will return. The word RUN will now be highlighted and you can press it. The Skycut will beep once.
FCC Caution: Any changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate this equipment. This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
