# Best vinyl cutter for t-shirts?



## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

Hello,

I bought a goldcut jk721 from lovecut (big mistake).

Im now looking for a vinyl cutter, not for sign making purposes, but for printing names, designs etc on garments. 

Whats the best vinyl cutter for the job, how much and where can i buy? 

kind regards


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## SkinnyWizzard (Jul 26, 2011)

Graphtec CE5000 plotters are super reliable and hardwearing - Good solid bits of kit. However they aren't cheap, cheapest new that I've seen is about £800.00 which is for the 40 (400mm width max) and you very rarely see them on offer second hand as they just don't break and can handle anything you throw at them.

Also look at Roland CAMM-1, they also have good a reputation but still not cheap. 

But whatever you look for, find one with a laser eye - This will enable you to cut printed transfers too by reading the crop marks, it's an invaluable tool and super accurate.

As with most things in this industry, cheap machinery only does half the job or not a lot of it very well at all. Good kit will prove to be worth every last penny spent on it.

I've attached a PDF brochure for the graphtec CE range for your perusal. Even if you don't buy one, use the info as a benchmark.
View attachment CE5000.pdf


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## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

Thank You. Sounds great. Im cautious about getting ripped off again. Cant afford to lose another £500.


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## SkinnyWizzard (Jul 26, 2011)

Will they not take it back? I'd make a huge fuss of it. If it doesn't do the job they shouldn't be selling it.

I've only used LoveCut once for some sublimation mugs which you can't really go wrong with, but I did look at their presses and cutters just out of interest. Chinese through and through, but the prices are very tempting - I don't blame you for trying it. 

Anyway, I can promise you wholeheartedly that you can't go wrong with a Graphtec. I've had mine 4 years and it still impresses me even now. It will cut down to a fraction of a mm on transfer vinyls if you need it too (although weeding it afterwards is a time consuming ordeal ) It's quite literally bombproof!


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## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

aww thank you- i'll try get one. 

Not only will they not take it back and not provide a refund but they proceeded on telling me i havnt a clue what im talking about. Even though i know that equipment need a working driver (which they didnt provide) and advertising printers and ink as heat tolerant which they are not. 

For anyone else starting their own business, as tempting as the prices may seem and the literacy of the advertisements- Do not purchase equipment from lovecut. I lost £500 and others will too.


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## SkinnyWizzard (Jul 26, 2011)

It's shocking to think they won't even stretch to helping you get the machine working. If I had a customer come back with problems I'd do whatever I could to help them out, not just say "like it or lump it"!

Let alone telling you you haven't got a clue... 

If you are also having issues with media and ink, I can only suggest what I use - It works for me and have never had any problems.

For digital transfers I was using an old HP5180 All-in-One with bulk inks from CISS (until it finally blew up on me so I'm now using a Brother MFC-J6910C 4 in 1 printer with standard inks) but the best printable transfer I have found to be Target-Transfer's EvoII available in A4 & A3 sheets for about £1.00 per sheet (worth it!!) when buying in singles. Bulk will get you down to about £0.65. This stuff is super absorbent and microporus so when you press you seal the micropore openings holding the ink inside - This makes for vibrant long lasting transfers that stretch without breaking up unlike the cheap stuff. 

If you're using the Ricoh 3300 for Dye-Sub, I wouldn't recommend using any other ink except for SawGrass. Other 3rd party inks just don't do the job. My Ricoh hasn't failed me yet using these inks.


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## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

Thank you so much. i appreciate your help and advice =)


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

The Silhouette Cameo gets good reviews around here. It is only a 12" cutter though.


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## nastassia2003 (Nov 11, 2011)

SkinnyWizzard said:


> Graphtec CE5000 plotters are super reliable and hardwearing - Good solid bits of kit. However they aren't cheap, cheapest new that I've seen is about £800.00 which is for the 40 (400mm width max) and you very rarely see them on offer second hand as they just don't break and can handle anything you throw at them.
> 
> Also look at Roland CAMM-1, they also have good a reputation but still not cheap.
> 
> ...


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## SkinnyWizzard (Jul 26, 2011)

Before you say it, NO I DON'T WORK FOR THEM! LOL!


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## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

Haha.. thanks a million.

Im thinking of taking the back seat with the vinyl cutter for a while and buy a good one later rather than a cheap one for now.

So im looking into sublimation printers & ink for the time being. That and the embroidery should keep the business going until i can afford a good quality vinyl cutter. 

Again, thank your for your help and support. Id be lost without ye x


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

You should read through this thread:

http://www.t-shirtforums.com/vinyl-cutters-plotters-transfers/t182638.html

Even if you upgrade to a bigger one, this one is still good enough to be used as a "backup", as well as being portable so you can take it on the road if you want to do art fairs, community events, etc.


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## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

I got a graphtec ce5000-60 from eBay uk for £700 used in perfect condition. Also purchased a silhouette cameo when it came out (for small runs, rhinestones and stickers). Both machines are outstanding quality. The cameo, even with its 12" limitation is outstanding and can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. It's also a great price.


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## IrishPies (May 28, 2012)

i was thinking of buying the cameo but wasnt sure if it could do everything i needed- names, designs for tshirts etc


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## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

The cameo does a lot for its size. Don't let the size hold you back. We cut thick rhinestone material templates constantly on it and the blade is still going since october. The only thing I will say is that it's


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## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

..sorry. The cameo is pretty slow.


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## JSISIGNSCOM (Apr 19, 2012)

try a GCC EXPERT 24 PRO or a PUMA 3 (1250 us) for the puma, but is a digital servo motor and has an optical eye. Does almost as well as the graphtec, with out the cost. but if you really want something thats going to last forever and be simple to setup and operate, spend the money and get the graphtec. As for the silhouette, it is a great little cutter for 12 inches but a bit slower than most and again only 12 inches.


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## euro (Mar 29, 2009)

The World Famous vinyl cutter among sign makers and T-shirt makers is *Roland GX-24!*
It is the Best! I have it too and i am very satisfied!


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## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

Agreed with above. Given the choice I'd have got a gx24 over the ce5000-60. But it's also a bit more cost and doesn't seem worth it given that the 5000 can perform just as much on par. What difference is 30 seconds more to cut a design really gonna make?

An correct me if I'm wrong but the graphtec actually has more cutting force than the gx24.


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## JSISIGNSCOM (Apr 19, 2012)

Yes and the Graphtec comes with a stand , gx24 is $300 extrta for a stand.


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

As far as the Cameo goes, there are no limitations other than the size and speed, you can cut whatever you design for it. Also, any "wasted vinyl" you have buying 15" rolls or whatever can be easily used up with the carrier mat. It's not a substitute for a big cutter but it'll get you going and still be there in an emergency or if you just feel like doing small decals when you're bored one day.

You may be thinking of the Cricut, which technically only works with their outrageously overpriced cartridges. There was 3rd party software for awhile but all 3 of the vendors were sued into stopping sales. I got a new Cricut for about $130 and the software for $40 about 2 years ago. It's really not half bad. Once it dies or if I get busy enough that it's no longer useful I'll probably get a Silhouette and maybe a GCC 24 LX, but my intention is to travel the convention circuit so portability is far, far more important than speed.


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## solm96 (Mar 9, 2012)

I also use the GX-24 and have been very pleased. The stand is ridiculously expensive and not designed correctly. Your material will continue to fall off the rollers if the machine happens to pull on the material. Hard to believe it costs so much and is so poorly designed.


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## vadan (Mar 9, 2010)

In terms of new price comparison.

Gx24 with stand is around 1600 + vat
Ce500-60 with stand is around 1100 + vat

MDP supplies has a very good price on the ce5000-60.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

A Roland GX24 might be a decent cutter, but it far from the best......It is a low end model in Roland's line up...If you want the best in a Roland you need to move up to the GX Pro Series....But they are almost double the price of the GX24 Series....


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## euro (Mar 29, 2009)

JSISIGNSCOM said:


> Yes and the Graphtec comes with a stand , gx24 is $300 extrta for a stand.


I haven't bought the stand.
You said it is $300 dollars. This is cheaper in comparison to my country's prices that is in Euro currency. In Cyprus it is €300 which means ($365.980)
I have it on a wooden table bought it from IKEA!  
And i have cutomized my table to fit my needs.
You don't have to buy their stand.

=> Also Roland GX24 has an excellent optic eye which i cut printed designs for decals or heat transfer on my A4 paper sheet.


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## curtcormier (Jun 27, 2012)

Us cutters, i have the cheapest 28" and love it


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## Ozymandias (Jul 8, 2009)

Fenrir said:


> You should read through this thread:
> 
> http://www.t-shirtforums.com/vinyl-cutters-plotters-transfers/t182638.html
> 
> Even if you upgrade to a bigger one, this one is still good enough to be used as a "backup", as well as being portable so you can take it on the road if you want to do art fairs, community events, etc.


The Cameo also has good potential for a high re-sale value, as it also appeals to the scrapbooking/card making people out there.

I bought one and have been very happy with it, as none of my designs are wider than 12". I have been using is with Stahls Premium Plus and SportFilm Lite.
The software is simplicity itself, and I was cutting my first test design within about 10mins of opening the box 

I thought long and hard about buying a bigger, cheaper Chinese cutter but in the end, the Cameo did everything I needed.


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## iLLA (Jul 12, 2012)

We've been more than satisfied with our Roland since 2006. Looking to get a dtg printer now though.


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## STARFISHTSHIRTS (Aug 5, 2007)

I have an expert 24, it is a great machine. I have not looked into it but you may want to make sure what you buy is capable of cutting the mat that they use for rinestones, in case you want to do that in the future. I was told my machine will not do that, but have yet to try. Don't count out cutting vinyl for signs and windows, with simple vector art sets it is a easy way to make money and not anymore difficut than shirt vinyl.


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## AnonBri (Jun 20, 2012)

Only one other post mentioned it but the GCC Expert 24 is *awesome* for the price. I got mine for $350 new with a one year warranty. It has a phone number on it I can call anytime (that they're open) and they are extremely helpful, they have done anything from taking over my computer remotely to re-install the software it runs from (GreatCut: comes free and is also great) to sending me replacement rollers when I broke them free (from the warranty) and all I had to do as call them and they were here within a few days. For a budget, this cutter as a rocking deal. You can also get the LX with an optical eye for a couple hundred more I believe. 

It cuts very precisely but some reallllly thin details it can't do, not sure if other cutters can do those or not but that's the only problem I've ever had.


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## biggermo (Oct 28, 2011)

I'm happy with my GCC expert 24LX


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