There are two categories of cutting issues for unsuccessful cutting results (the job was sent to the machine, but there was a problem):
- Nothing Cut
- Something Cut -- but not well OR not as expected
Nothing Cut
If nothing is cut after sending a job to the machine, this can mean either:
- The machine did not attempt the job or make any motions to cut, even though you did send a job and the software shows that it was successfully sent to the machine
- The machine went through the motions to cut, but the result looks like nothing cut at all (even after double-checking to confirm nothing actually cut).
If ‘A’ occurred, this may have happened for the following reasons:
- No cut data was actually sent to the machine
NOTE: This usually happens when an image has been imported but has not yet been traced, so there are no actual cut lines present. This causes the software to think it's immediately finished directly after pressing the option to send the job.
If ‘B’ occurred, this may have happened for the following reasons:
- There is no blade in the machine or the blade is improperly seated
- The Blade and/or Force settings are too low
- The blade is broken
- The material type is not compatible with the cutting machine's capabilities
Something Cut
If some cuts were performed, but it’s not a clean cut or as expected, this can be presented as follows:
- The entire image is cut out, but the cut did not go all the way through the material (either for the entire design or just some parts)
- The entire image is cut out, and the cut went through and through the material, but the edges of the cut are not clean (either for the entire design or just some parts)
- Only a portion of the image is cut, and one side is not cut at all or not cut through fully
If ‘A’ occurred, this may have happened for the following reason(s):
- The Blade and/or Force settings are just slightly too low
- The material type in use is not capable of being cut well
NOTE: Some materials are not able to be cut with a blade-driven machine. If a Test Cut has been performed and proper settings cannot be found because none of the results are good, and the material in question is unique or dense and hasn’t been successfully cut previously, then this is likely the answer. - The blade is dull or chipped and needs to be replaced
- There is a machine issue (very rare)
If ‘B’ occurred, this may have happened for the following reason(s):
- The cutting 'Speed' setting is too high
- The blade is dull or chipped and needs to be replaced
- The material may be too thick or dense to be cut cleanly
If ‘C’ occurred, this may have happened for the following reason(s):