FAQ
Plotter Cut Films
Which side of the material should face up when I feed it into the plotter?
On most materials, the rule of thumb is to load the material into the cutter so the beginning edge comes over the top of the roll, not from the bottom. The only material that we roll with the plottercut side facing in is the GlitterFlex ULTRA, because rolling it backwards helps keep it from delaminating.
The material is not sticking to the garment, what do I do?
Most of the time this is caused when there is not enough pressure while heat pressing. Please check the instructions for the particular material, as this differs with each product. Make sure to heat press the garment flat before pressing on the material to iron out any moisture or wrinkles. Also, make sure that there are no seams underneath or beside where you are pressing your design. This will cause an uneven pressing surface and affect the quality of the adhesion. If you have done everything correct and are pressing at the correct time, temperature, pressure, and peeling at the right temperature and are still experiencing this issue, here are a few simple steps:
•First, smooth the design back down. Repress for 50% of the original press time.
•Take a cloth and rub the carrier above the design for 57 seconds, especially around the edges.
•Peel off the carrier from a different corner when it has reached the specified peel temperature.I need a Pantone match for a job I'm doing.
The material is not weeding right, what do I do?
Most of the time this has to do with how the material was cut. Before plotting your design,
perform test cuts and adjust blade depth and speed accordingly. Click HERE to download
an infographic concerning what to look for in a test cut for the perfectly plotted design every time.
If the blade is not connecting the lines in the design, the blade offset degree should be
adjusted on the plotter to make the edges of the design join properly. When doing a test
cut, make sure the machine is cutting 90° angles in the outer box, and depending on your
cutter, you will have either a circle or a triangle inside the square.
How do I determine the correct blade depth for the plotter?
A good cut is when the blade comes completely through the material and makes a faint
score on the carrier. If it is cutting into the carrier deep enough to be felt on the other side,
lessen the depth and do another test cut. If it is not cutting deep enough to weed easily,
increase the blade down force and test again.
What degree of blades should I use for different materials?
A 45 degree blade works best for most of our materials. We do recommend using a 60
degree blade for thicker materials.
Examples: Crazy Crystal Colors, ThermoFlex Sport, Reflection Protection Products,
DecoFlock, and any other thick material.
Printable Materials
There are bands of white going horizontally through the printed design. What should I do?
This is referred to as ‘banding’. This problem is generally caused by clogged or dirty print
heads. Check your printer manual for instructions on how to do a head cleaning. If you
have performed the most powerful cleaning possible and are still having banding issues,
contact your printer manufacturer.
There is a great deal of color shift in the printed design. What should I do?
Either one of the print heads is completely clogged or one color is out of ink. If all of your
ink levels are good, you may need to perform a head cleaning on your printer. If doing a
light, medium, and strong cleaning does not help contact your printer manufacturer. You
may need to get a print head replaced.
There are tiny dots and squiggles of white on the printed design. What should I do?
This problem is caused when there is dust on the printing surface. Keep your printable
materials covered while storing to prevent dust buildup on the outside edges.
We recommend wiping off the first few feet before printing to avoid this issue.