How to Use Cutting Vinyl Rolls in Your Silhouette Or Cricut
Vector cutting vinyl roll is a material used for making signs and decals. It is cut using a vinyl cutter, which reads a computer-designed vector design and cuts along its path with a blade.
The first step is to set your machine’s cutting settings in Silhouette Studio(r). Follow the prompt on the Make screen and select Set Base Material as Vinyl.
How to Cut Vinyl Rolls
Vinyl rolls are versatile, easy to cut and apply, and save you money versus buying sheets. Learn how to use vinyl rolls in your Silhouette or Cricut cutter for home decor, apparel and more.
Modern vinyl roll flooring consists of several layers. A fiberglass core provides stability, a foam or polyester backing offers acoustic and thermal insulation, and a protective layer helps resist spills and stains. Tarkett vinyl rolls are available in a huge range of trendy designs, from playful abstracts and black and white to perfect reproductions of natural materials like wood or stone.
When you’re ready to cut your vinyl, open the file in Design Space and make sure it’s the correct size for your project. Once you’re happy with it, return to the Canvas screen frosted window film and select Prepare. This will bring up a new window that lets you choose your material settings.
Getting Started
Getting started with vinyl cutting can be daunting at first. The first thing to do is open up Cricut Design Space and create a new project. This can either be a blank project or something you already have ready to cut out.
Once you’ve added the project to your machine and you’re happy with it, click the Make It button. Before you do this, it’s a good idea to do a test cut on some scrap vinyl to see how well your settings work with your specific material. You want the blade to cut through the vinyl without cutting through the paper backing. This is called a kiss cut and makes it much easier to transfer your vinyl to the final product.
Once your test cut is done, carefully remove the vinyl from its paper backing. This is sometimes called weeding and requires some kind of tool like a weeding hook, tweezers, or even a craft knife. You’ll also need some transfer tape. Place the transfer tape over your vinyl and gently peel it away at a 45-degree angle.
Designing Your Cut File
When you have your project planned, load the vinyl (liner side down) into the machine. Then, press the Make button. This will cut your design or text into a single color thin self-adhesive plastic known as vinyl.
After the vinyl is cut, you’ll need to remove any of the remaining parts of the image or text that don’t appear on your final product. This process is called “weeding.” You can use a Silhouette hook, a Cricut hook, tweezers, or even a pin. It’s important to use a tool that is sharp and will allow you to easily separate the vinyl from the paper liner.
Once you’re done cutting, weeding and loading the vinyl, it’s time to apply it! First, place your vinyl images onto the project surface. Then, carefully apply a layer of transfer tape over the top of the vinyl. Next, use a scraper tool to burnish the tape and vinyl onto your project, smoothing out any bubbles as you go. Then, peel away the vinyl liner at a 45-degree angle. It should come off cleanly, leaving your finished project behind!
Loading the Vinyl
When you’re working with Smart Materials that are longer than 23.5″ (like the wide HTV or glitter vinyl), a special roll holder makes the job a lot easier. The holder has pads to rest on your table and slots to lock into the tray of your Maker or Explore. It also has a built-in trimmer to quickly and easily slice down your material when you’re finished.
Place your material into the holder and click the flashing Load button. Make sure the edge of your material is positioned under the guides on either side and then let the machine cut away!
When the cutting is done, you can remove your weeded vinyl and transfer it to your project. You may need to use a scraper or a hook to remove any remaining vinyl paper from the back of your project before applying it. This is called “weeding” and it’s an important step to ensure a smooth, crisp design when the project is finished. You can buy a weeding tool from our store, but you can also use a knife or tweezers if desired.
Cutting
A vinyl cutter can cut computer designed vector art into a roll of vinyl. Using proprietary software the cutting machine moves a blade on an x and y axis across the material, cutting the design according to the file. This type of system is used to create signs and banners among other uses.
The vinyl is stored in long rolls that allow projects of significant length to be cut. It’s important to note that Cutting Vinyl Rolls the vinyl will stretch and shrink slightly over time, so it’s advisable to let it sit for an overnight period before measuring and cutting to ensure that you have the most accurate measurements possible.
It’s a good idea to have a few hand tools handy when working with vinyl – a weeder and scraper are both recommended. These tools help you to remove the parts of the design that will not be transferred to your project. A good weeder will have a sharp point and a strong grip to pull up the vinyl without tearing it. A scraper will have a flat edge that helps to burnish the design onto the final surface, removing any bumps or bubbles.