# Easy/Straight Answer Needed PLEASE



## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

Ok I've been going through forums & threads & posts for 2 days now & my head is spinning...
I just got my heat press and I most likely will be doing mainly black/dark tees...now alot of the designs that will be pressed onto the shirts are not rectangle or square designs so I understand I will need a vinyl cutter/plotter to cut the designs from the tranfers...

now-here's the question I need a straight answer for----
*since I'm printing the designs on an inkjet printer would I need a vinyl cutter that does contour cuts or could I buy a regular vinyl cutter??*

I read in a few posts something about registration marks and optical alignment...and I'm guessing you can't just print a design on a transfer, stick it into the vinyl cutter and BOOM!! a neatly cut design comes rolling out...

the optical alignment is so the cutter can "see" or read the design on the transfer paper, correct?
and if the design is round it would have to be cut along the outline of the design, correct? that way there is no excess transfer paper left on the dark t-shirts...

*sorry if this seems like a rant...*

I just need to know what I need to get heat transfers cut into different shapes...it's been a long night (and day)...


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

Hi Jay,

Yes, if you will be printing transfers and want contour cuts around your designs, you will need a cutter with an optical eye. 

Your other option is to use scissors and try to cut around the design on your transfers.

Don't worry about the rant. We all get frustrated from time to time and researching can leave us cross-eyed!


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

THANX!!
that was easy enough...

so "contour cuts" are cuts around shapes pretty much...if I have a transfer that's round or oval then a contour cut would be needed...cool, thanks.


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## Naptime (May 19, 2011)

i use an exacto 

a cutter is too rich for me 

but i do very little heat press, as we are primarily screen print


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## DivineBling (Sep 14, 2010)

You're very welcome.
It doesn't just mean oval or round. Let's say you have a logo in text that you're printing out. A contour cut would cut around every corner, round, crevice, etc in that text. That way you're not getting a bunch of extra transfer paper to heat press to the shirt. Contour cutting gives it a more professional look.


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

You can contour cut with any cutter, however, you have to set up your cuts manually which is a "chore".....All the eye does is set the starting point...


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

How hard is it to set up a contour cut on a big cutter without an eye? On the small craft cutters you get a sticky carrier mat with an alignment grid on it but how do you do this on a big one?

For the original poster: you can get smaller cutters with optical registration now, the Silhouette and the GCC Expert 24 LX. I would go with the GCC for the wider cutting path so you can do sign vinyl up to 24" wide as well as heat press vinyl. The Expert LX is only $100 more than the one without the eye so I don't see any reason to buy the cheaper one.


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

I was looking at the GCC Expert 24, the US Cutter SC series (25 inch) and the Silhouette Cameo...

the Silhouette Cameo does have the optical alignment and cuts up to 12" wide, which is fine for me because the largest transfers I'll use are 11"x17" plus all I need it for is cutting the transfers...I don't do signs or anything like that...

the GCC Expert 24 is bigger than what I need, as is the US Cutter (way bigger than what I need) but I figured for the price...what the hell...

the only thing for me is space, which I am almost out of...the Silhouette would be my best bet because I can put it on the rack with the other 2 printers...my screen-printing stuff & products/stock for my website pretty much take up all the rest of the space I have...

BUT I don't wanna buy the Silhouette and end up having issues with it...if the Expert is easier to use I'd rather go with that...I can't make up my damn mind...I'm gonna pull my hair out soon


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

If you buy a cutter that is less than 24" you will regret it.....

Once you get cutting, you will want to do signs, wall decals, heat press vinyl, etc.....A few jobs like that and the extra cost of a larger machine will be paid....Plus if you cut heat press vinyl you will waste material by not being able to use 20" wide material.....


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

royster13 said:


> If you buy a cutter that is less than 24" you will regret it.....
> 
> Once you get cutting, you will want to do signs, wall decals, heat press vinyl, etc.....A few jobs like that and the extra cost of a larger machine will be paid....Plus if you cut heat press vinyl you will waste material by not being able to use 20" wide material.....


do you think this cutter would be good enough for what I need (the 34" one)...

```
http://www.uscutter.com/index/page/product/product_id/1809/product_name/USCutter+SC+Series+Vinyl+Cutter
```


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## royster13 (Aug 14, 2007)

I am not a fan of US Cutter......I have 2 (and soon to be 3) GCC Cutters....


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

jayell said:


> do you think this cutter would be good enough for what I need (the 34" one)...
> 
> ```
> http://www.uscutter.com/index/page/product/product_id/1809/product_name/USCutter+SC+Series+Vinyl+Cutter
> ```


I have a US Cutter laser point 24 for 3 years no problems. I will say that the smaller cutters you will loose some of your cutting area. You may also want to do heat transfer vinyl and everything I buy is 15" wide I know they make 12" but with the smaller cutters you will waste more material.


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## jayell (Dec 1, 2011)

yeah I'm realizing that I should get at least a 24" cutter...I can cut sheets of vinyl stickers with it as well as larger vinyl decals...

for some reason the GCC Expert 24 looks good to me...that might be the one...


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

You can't go wrong with the GCC. I may have bought one but I got my cutter for about$300 including shipping off eBay at that time I had no experience with a cutter and didn't want to spend a bunch of money incase I couldn't use it. In the first few days I made my money back plus.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

So the GCC Expert 24" allows you to do Contour cutting? I saw that Heat Press Nation sells it, and it comes with Great Cut software included. 

That's a good deal for $595. I have a USCutter, and it came with Sign Blazer which isn't that hot. It's a trial version from someone who has now past, and no upgrades. You can buy other software versions though.


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## Fenrir (Mar 13, 2012)

Remember it's the GCC Expert 24 *LX* that has the eye. I have seen it for $595 on a few websites in the past month or so. Whenever I finally get annoyed enough with my tiny craft cutter that'll be the one I buy.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

selanac said:


> So the GCC Expert 24" allows you to do Contour cutting? I saw that Heat Press Nation sells it, and it comes with Great Cut software included.
> 
> That's a good deal for $595. I have a USCutter, and it came with Sign Blazer which isn't that hot. It's a trial version from someone who has now past, and no upgrades. You can buy other software versions though.


Paul I have a way to get sign blazer out of trial mode and the contour cutting acually works if it's laser point.


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## selanac (Jan 8, 2007)

I'm listening, and would appreciate Amy help.


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

Just pm me with email and I'll send you what you need.


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## JSISIGNSCOM (Apr 19, 2012)

you can get a cameo that has an optical eye. their pretty cheap anywhere. I use it to do laser jet and inkjet transfers. Also with certain laser jet papers , they will only transfer where the ink is laid down. So thats an option if you dont want to cut.


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