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Cutting Issues With Your Scan N Cut

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Are you having cutting issues with your Scan N Cut? We will look at how to resolve some of these problems when cutting with your Scan N Cut. There are many variables when creating projects. From settings on your machine, types of materials you are using, the variation between different brands of product, and the list goes on.

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Common causes of cutting issues

Unfortunately, there are a lot of variables with crafting which in turn means there are a lot of causes why your project may not be cutting as well as you had hoped. Some of these are simple troubleshooting types issues and then there are those that will not be fixed easily.

Reasons for your cut not to be as it should include:

  • Materials you are using. This may be the cardstock or vinyl that you have purchased.
  • Blade settings
  • Blade issues
  • Pressure settings
  • Speed settings
  • Your design
  • Materials not attached to the mat well enough and slip

Cutting issues with your Scan N Cut and vinyl

Every brand of vinyl is a little different. Some are great and some…. well, can cause issues. Even well-known branded vinyl. In this project, I used Metamarc vinyl and came across some issues I hadn’t noticed with the vinyl when I had used it previously. There is more information on this further along in the tutorial.

The depth of your blade is especially important when cutting vinyl. It needs to do a “Kiss Cut” which is when the blade only cuts through the actual vinyl and not the backing paper or in the case of HTV the transfer sheet. How you set your blade differs between the CM models and the DX models.

I have added a complete section below dedicated to settings for your design.

Cutting issues with vinyl and your Scan N Cut

As you can see above…. things can go very badly.

This is some Cricut vinyl I was silly enough to walk away from for a few minutes while it was cutting out. While I had performed two test cut (you can see the triangles on the right) it hadn’t picked up that there were still some issues. If I had been watching it as it cut I would have stopped the Scan N Cut and made more adjustments.

A guide to working with vinyl can be found here.

Cutting issues with Cardstock

Your Scan N Cut may have more cutting issues with cardstock as there seem to be even more variables with cardstock. The settings that you choose on your Scan N Cut make a big difference however the cardstock you purchase is also a BIG factor. From my experience a bigger factor than when purchasing vinyl.

I recommend that you buy solid core cardstock which has much less cutting issues than cardstock that separates or peels when you cut it.

Recently I purchased a pack of 6 black sheets and 6 white sheets. The white sheets cut out fine however the black sheets were terrible. The black left fluffy bits of the card over the mat which was unusually hard to clean off and the actual card ‘peeled’ See pictures below.

The black cardstock I ended up tossing and I bought some much nicer black card which cut out beautifully. Less stress. The stuck bits of cardstock doesn’t look as bad in the picture as it was in real life.

Cardstock that left card fluff on the Scan N Cut mat causing major cutting issues.
Cardstock 'peeling' after cutting with the Scan N Cut. Major cutting issue.

TIP: Clean your mat after each use with alcohol-free wipes (baby wipes). You will find more information on maintaining your mat here.

Mat too sticky

If your mat is too sticky for your cardstock it will pull the backing off even if you are using a good quality card. Pat the mat down with a tea towel or something similar to reduce the level of stickiness. Lint-free or microfibre would be ideal.

Mat not sticky enough

A more common issue is that the mat is not sticky enough. This is a major as your materials may move during the cutting cycle and cause an unrecoverable disaster.

Press the material that you are about to cut down firmly with your hands, you can use a brayer if you have one or a squeegee. However, this still may not provide enough grip if the glue has lost too much of its sticky.

If your project needs a firmer hold then add masking tape to hold the cardstock or vinyl down. It can be placed around the outside of your design or where ever you feel it needs extra hold. I often tear my masking tape in half so it isn’t quite as wide and doesn’t go outside of the cutting area where the rollers travel or over the registration marks.

You do not need to purchase expensive masking tape. Personally, I like the blue…it is easy to see in the scanner and works well. I used the beige for a long time too with no issues. I just need better eyesight when I scan my materials for perfect placement. LOL

Keep in mind that if you have a lot of internal cuts the masking tape may not provide enough hold in the center area of your project.

Squeegee to press vinyl and cardstock firmly down to prevent cutting issues with your Scan N Cut

There are a lot of other suggestions for holding materials firmly onto the mat, including using basting spray. I personally don’t recommend using spray adhesive however if you choose this method please be careful not to spray near your machine as any sticky that gets onto your rollers or into the mechanisms of the machine will cause you ongoing grief.

Once you are beyond holding anything down with masking tape then it may be time to Zig your mat.

More information on Zig glue and how to regain your mat’s stickiness here

What settings to choose for your Scan N Cut

Setting the blade depth in the CM models

The CM range is a little more manual than the DX range of Scan N Cut machines. This is NOT a bad thing so don’t be concerned. The upside of them being a little more manual is that YOU have more control. I personally love that.

The first setting to adjust is your blade setting. This controls the depth of the cut and will depend on the thickness of the material you are cutting and whether you are cutting cardstock or vinyl. It is a very important setting to get correct.

I recommend that you start lower, potentially on a 2 or a 3 for vinyl or thinner paper. For some machines, it could be even lower again as it will depend on how new your blade is and other factors. Remember always do a test cut. Depending on the results then increase the depth accordingly. If it has hardly cut the material at all then increase the depth by 1 full number. If you are close to what you need then only increase by a half number.

Of course, if you are cutting something really thick then you can start at a little higher number to start or you may be there for a while.

NOTE: your mat will show cut lines after general use of it. This is normal so don’t be concerned.

TIP: Should you accidentally cut right through your mat you can use packing tape on the back-side of the mat to repair it.

The DX blade setting

The auto-sensing blade on the DX models is a huge step forward for Brother. You will have the choice of half-cut for vinyl where it needs to only cut through the top layer of the vinyl and not through the backing sheet. There is not a lot of room for adjustment with the actual blade. The main adjustment is with pressure and speed if necessary.

Speed and Pressure

Speed and pressure are the next areas to look at adjusting if you are having cutting issues with your Scan N Cut. This is particularly true if you have the DX model.

Basically, if your project is looking a bit gouged around the edges adjust the pressure down may get you the results you are after.

A fairly normal cut pressure setting on the Scan N Cut
Adjustment on the Scan N Cut of the pressure setting to reduce cutting issues.

The above pictures are the adjustments I ended up making. The picture on the left is a fairly normal setting and the one on the right-hand side was set to resolve the issues. You can also reduce the speed if you are still experiencing issues.

On my DX, there is the option to set the settings specifically for Half-Cut.

TIP: The default settings usually have a box around them if you need to find them again.

The telltale test cut

You probably already gathered that I am a strong believer in doing a test cut at the start of each project as there are so many variables that can change.

If you have recently cut the same material and use the same settings, then you may be fine to miss doing the test cut. For the CM model crafters with a memory like mine, you may like to jot the blade/pressure settings down in a book or what I have done on my cardstock, note it within the packaging so that when I pick up the card to use it I can see at a glance what setting worked for me the last time I cut it.

Things to keep in mind that may change are:

  • That your blade wears down slowly over time
  • You have cleaned the blade holder and screwing it back together, the numbers don’t end up exactly where they were (CM models).
  • The vinyl is slightly thicker or thinner. This can be true of both adhesive vinyl and HTV.
Test cut showing the difference in depth of cutting the vinyl

This picture shows the variations of depth of the cut in the Metamark vinyl. The test cut on the far right is too deep and while it does not cut entirely through the backing sheet of the vinyl, the depth will cause issues when weeding. Similarly, the middle test cut is still too deep.

The test cut on the far left is correct and you can see the blue waxy type film which is there to allow the vinyl to lift easily off of the backing sheet. As soon as you cut a bit too deep and into the blue film with this vinyl you start having issues with transferring the labels or design.

How to rescue your project

Once you have already cut out your project you are then in rescue mode. It seems such a shame to simply throw it away and there are a number of things you can do to rescue your project so all is not lost. I will fight hard to save a disaster LOL

Before you unload your mat

Check your cut before you remove your mat from the Scan N Cut. You can just spot check it depending on the design. If I am cutting cardstock I will usually remove the outer card off the mat while it is in the machine and then remove the actual project by bending the mat slightly so the design lifts nicely off the mat. This is not really an option for vinyl so I simply check to see if the cut looks clean and depending on the design, I may lift parts of what will be weeded away.

If your setting were not quite right you have the option to send the design through to cut it again (or if you are foiling you can foil again too.) Adjust the setting if necessary although sometimes just a second cut with no changes will do it.

Once you have unloaded the mat it is very risky to try to load the mat in the exact same location and cut the design a second time. Might be a bit like winning the lottery if you manage to line it up again so that it cuts in exactly the same cut line.

Cutting too deep with vinyl will cause issues

The main problems caused by cutting a little too deep include the transfer tape not wanting to pick up the design and the top layer of the backing sheet sticking to the adhesive vinyl. Of course, if you have cut right through the backing paper of the vinyl as well this also causes issues.

NOTE: Your vinyl choice will make a difference too as some brands of vinyl will cope quite well.

Recovering from cutting all the way through the vinyl

Cut all the way through to the mat when cutting vinyl? Whoopsy!

It happens so never fear. Remove the unwanted section of vinyl while your project is still on the mat. Get your transfer sheet and lay it over your design and then gently lift it off the mat. You will still have the backing paper on the sticky side of your design so you will need to have a little patience and remove it.

How well these techniques works does depend on how intricate your design is. It may not be viable if you have just cut out a mandala that is a 5-hour weeding project. I will leave that up to you to decide.

HTV

Fortunately, HTV has a thicker transfer/carrier sheet built-in and it is less likely to cut all the way through the backing sheet, especially if you have remembered to do your test cut.

Unfortunately, you cannot place a transfer sheet over the design and pick it up quite the same way as you can with the adhesive vinyl as the top part of the vinyl is the side that is ironed onto your t-shirt or whatever you are making. Remember, HTV works back to front to how adhesive vinyl works.

Depending on your design you may be able to find a way to leave the design on the mat until you get it to what you are going to iron it on, then gently peel off the HTV so it stays in place. This may be more viable if it is a simpler design like lettering or if you are layering the vinyl.

I haven’t had to recover from the HTV whoopsy as yet…touch wood. If you have this issue I would love to hear about your recovery story.

Transfer sheet won’t pick up vinyl

When you cut a little too deep, not all the way through but deep enough to just cut through that first layer of the backing paper you may also have issues with weeding. One issue is that the transfer sheet won’t pick up the vinyl. If this happens try using your fingernail to gently lift the vinyl off the backing paper as you are coaxing it onto the transfer sheet. Bend the backing paper back against itself while coaxing the vinyl off will also help to separate the two.

Weeded vinyl labels that caused an issue

The above weeding looks fine yes???

No….it wasn’t quite. While the main part of the vinyl weeded really easily, the actual letters did not. I had inadvertently set the depth a fraction too deep and in some places, it had nicked the backing paper and the vinyl did not lift and weed as it should.

For this issue, I needed to use both the above and below solutions to get the project to a happy ending.

Find more information on how to weed and transfer vinyl here

Backing paper stuck on the backside of the design

If you cut through the first layer of the backing paper of your vinyl it will often pull up and stick to the adhesive vinyl. Obviously, this is not good as it inhibits the vinyl from sticking to your project. In most cases, you can still remove the backing paper by scraping it with your nail or a pin or maybe even your weeding tool to separate the excess backing paper off the design.

Trying to separate the two can be a bit fiddly and in some cases frustrating.

Be careful not to touch the sticky underside of the vinyl as this will impact the long-term sticking power of your vinyl. It doesn’t matter if you touch the transfer tape as this is only required short-term.

back to school project that caused vinyl issues

The picture is my recovery.

Blade causing cutting issue with your Scan N Cut

If you are getting jagged or odd cuts even after you have adjusted your settings look at your blade. It is often the culprit.

Clean the blade housing

Unscrew your blade housing to check whether this is the problem. You can give it a shake and if you have a small soft brush use that. I even blow inside the housing to try to dislodge the unwanted bits leftover from a cut.

Scan N Cut blade holder with bits stuck inside it causing cutting issues.
Looking down the blade housing with some pieces stuck inside causing issues with cutting

As you can see in these photos the blade housing can collect lots of bits. That quite large piece in the picture on the right will definitely be causing your blade’s cutting issue.

Scan N Cut blade housing with the extra piece next to it.

That unwanted piece is actually quite large.

Check your blade

The next thing to check is your blade as it can become too worn and possibly blunt or even had the tip broken on it.

Scan N Cut blade starting to wear
Brand new Scan N Cut blade

The blade on the left is starting to show some wear and tear. I am still using this one so it isn’t dead yet. The picture on the left is a brand new one. I recommend that you have one spare in your kit so that if you are having trouble you can swap it out to check if a new blade fixes the issues.

TIP: The blade can be difficult to get a good look at so I use the camera on my phone and zoom right in close and then take a picture. Problem of visibility solved.

Dirty blade

Yep, dirty blade. This can occur especially if you have been cutting vinyl as the adhesive can stick to the blade and cause cutting issues.

There is an easy fix though. Scrunch up some alfoil into a ball and push the blade in and out lots of times… maybe 20 or 30 times. Be careful not to stab yourself and the blade will have a sharp end and I have seen images of band-aided fingers.

Scrunched up alfoil ball to clean the Scan N Cut blade

Font choice causing cutting issues

While most fonts are perfectly fine and will cut nicely, you occasionally come across one that will not. Have a look at the video below and you will see why it is worthwhile having a quick zoom in to check if your font is going to look nice once you have cut it out.

Design issues

An issue with your design also could be at the bottom of your problem. While Canvas Workspace is pretty good at removing any areas of your design that it doesn’t think will cut properly, (this can be annoying) sometimes the size or shape of the cut can be a problem.

Another problem that is associated with your design is too many nodes… fortunately Canvas will let you know and won’t load the design or will remove parts it doesn’t think will be managed by your Scan N Cut.

The design fault is something to keep in mind though, especially if you have downloaded it from somewhere and it hasn’t been created or perhaps downloaded quite as expected.

I do hope that this tutorial has been helpful to resolve at least some of the cutting issues with your Scan N Cut.

Until next time,

Happy creating

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40 thoughts on “Cutting Issues With Your Scan N Cut”

  1. Great tutorial but the first thing I did was look for the video. I love your videos.

  2. HI Sue, I have just cut on my new mat on my new SDX 1000. It cut well but Cardstock is very stuck on the mat. How do I get the cardstock off without damaging the mat?
    Your help with this would be much appreciated. By the way the machine is soooo quiet, can hardly hear it.
    Regards
    Andrea from New Zealand

    1. Hi Andrea, thank you for contacting me. I emailed you suggestions as I was away from my computer. 🙂 The mat is quite sturdy and you can rinse it in water to get off excess cardstock that has stuck on. Between cuts, you can also wipe the mat down with alcohol-free baby wipes.
      Here is a tutorial on re-sticking your mat for when you need it.

  3. Juliet Dixon

    I would like to use lighter weight paper than cardstock – such as the paper you get with “Paper Stacks” but I am having trouble getting my CM900 to do this. It tears the paper. Can you help?

    1. Hi Juliet, your Scan N Cut should cut paper ok. I often cut paper the weight that you would send through a printer for the inside of cards.

      If you are having trouble then try slowing down your Scan N Cut. Another thing to check is that the blade and blade holder don’t have any “bits” stuck. Undo the blade holder and check, you can also clean the blade by pressing it in and out of a scrunched-up piece of alfoil.

      This will remove any leftover glue/gum that may hinder the blade cutting nicely.

  4. My sdx1200 won’t even load my vinyl, what am I doing wrong?

    1. Hi Ali, are you having trouble with loading your mat? There are a number of reasons why a mat will not load. Among them is that the scanner needs cleaning or it is the wrong mat. Email me at [email protected] and I will see if I can assist you.

  5. Jayne Slater

    Hi , Just wondering if you can help with my scan and cut sdx 1200. It has just recently started to double cut my cutting file images. I loaded the image and set it away to cut, everything seemed fine until it finished and then cut the entire image again. I don’t know what has happened , not sure if there is some setting I have on that shouldn’t be on but I am at a loss how to restore the settings that it came with. Your help would be greatly appreciated

    1. Hi Jayne, there are a few reasons why it might do this. The thickness of the material that you are cutting is the first one to look at. The newer DX models are smart enough to know that the material needs a second or even a third cut to create a nice cut for certain materials. The older CM models did not, you would simply leave the mat in the machine, check whether the design has cut cleanly through and then press cut to do a second pass.

      If you have manually adjusted the pressure, this may also cause your machine to think it needs to cut the pattern twice. Change the Cut Pressure back to Auto (it is the selection with a black box around it). It is easy to adjust the pressure to suit your materials.

      The next possibility is the file that you are cutting. Occasionally the file is duplicated so that there are two identical layers on top of each other. The machine will read both layers and of course, cut both layers. If the issue is happening for all your cut files then it probably isn’t that.

      Finally, did you just update the software on your SNC.. sometimes software updates can cause issues.

  6. hi sue, the calibration for the blade of my scan and cut is off after I remove it for cleaning…now, the setting for “1” is at “5”…. how do I re-calibrate it?

    1. Hi Tifa, it sounds like you are referring to the manual CM blade and the numbering. You can try undoing the blade holder again and when putting it back together, try starting in a different part of the screwing. This will often alter the location of the numbering. If you have too much difficulty, many crafters will pull the label off carefully and re-apply so the numbering is correct. I personally haven’t ever had to do that and would recommend having a few tries with my first suggestion.

  7. Hi Sue
    I have just purchased a scan n cut sdx900 but need your advice please as my issue is not covered on your wonderful learners guide.
    When preparing to cut something you have a choice of setting the switch at the end of the machine to either No1 or No2 depending on the material. When I switch to No1 and go back to the viewer it states that No2 has been set???? how do I get it to accept No1 please?
    Thank you
    Gordon

    1. Hi Gordon. Normally you do not have to change the setting on the side of the machine. Your Scan N Cut is very clever and will tell you when to change. If it appears stuck on the wrong setting you could try turning your machine off, changing the setting to 1 and then turn the SNC back on. Hope this helps.

  8. Patricia Rogers

    Hi sue
    I have sdx900 and changed my blade now it will not cut states it could not initiate blade
    I need help please

    1. Double-check which blade you have purchased. Some packaging is very difficult to determine if it is the correct blade for the SDX auto blades.

      1. Patricia Rogers

        Yes the spare blade came with the machine and is compatible

  9. Amanda martin

    Hi, I have a cm 900
    And am having difficulties with it when cutting.
    I have replaced my mat, checked the blade and settings. It loads the mat fine, but when it starts to cut is feeds the mat wonky and never cuts the right shape? Any help gratefully accepted.

    1. The CM900 is a little older model. I have that model too and it has been wonderful. One problem could be that the rollers have worn slightly over time. Try placing some painter’s tape or washi tape along the edge of the mat where the rollers roll on the mat. This may provide a little extra grip. Avoid any areas that there are registration marks. Let me know how you go.

  10. Hi,
    I am having real problems trying to source a standard blade for the CM900. I realise that it is an older model but it has service me well and do not want to part with it as it is still working.
    Can I use a deep cut blade – Mainly cutting vinyl.
    or any ideas of shops that I can purchase a new one.

    1. The CM900 is a GREAT model. No need to update unless you are looking for additional features. The standard blade is still available for this model, some items are in short supply at the moment as with everything else. Here is information on various tools and where to purchase them. I found another place the other day which I need to add. Often dealerships will be able to order items especially for you if you have a dealership near you.
      https://www.createwithsue.com/learn-about-the-scan-n-cut-tools/
      Using the deep-cut blade may cut vinyl a bit rough as the actual blade is quite a bit thicker than the standard blade. On the DX machines, they have provided thinner blades for vinyl for a nice defined cut. Having said that, if you already have the deep-cut blade and holder, there is no reason you cannot try cutting your vinyl. It might be fine for a less intricate design… enough to get you out of trouble until you locate a new standard blade. If you have to purchase a blade and holder then I would wait. I hardly ever need to use my deep-cut blade.

  11. VIOLA FLOYD

    Hi Sue, I have a Scan N Cut DX it works fine on direct cut with the exception that when I try to cut out an image that has details inside such as eyes, or a hand holding flowers etc. It cut the outside of the image perfectly, but then it cuts out the inner details which ruins the purpose that I plan to use the image for. What I am I doing wrong

    1. Hi Viola, there are a couple of choices when scanning an image. One is cut ONLY around the outside of the scanned image. The icon has one single line that completes a shape with no lines going through the shape. I always think it looks like the Weld icon in Canvas Workspace. The other options will cut out the insides of the scanned image as well as the outside. Have a play with the different choices and also the settings available to see how you can tweak them. Even the difference between scanning black and white as opposed to color can make a difference to the final result.

      1. Teresa Mikalouski

        Hi I have a cm350 and I have a stamped cat and dog. I only want the outline it is cutting out the nose and mouth and some fur on the bottom where the legs are. How can I avoid this?

        1. Hi Teresa, the scanner needs to have a complete line around the image. Any gaps in the outline will cause your issues. Try drawing around the outside line of the stamped image to ensure that the line is complete and dark enough. If you have issues with the line being seen, you can draw wider than the stamped image and then inset the cut line so that your Scan N Cut cuts just inside your drawn line.

          Make sure you have selected the icon to scan the outside sections only. It is the one that looks a little like the Weld icon.

          Hope this helps. 🙂

  12. Hi Sue, I am new to the SDX1200. I have scanned an image on the machine and imported it into Canvas workshop where I have duplicated it to fill a sheet and sent it back to the machine to cut. It is saying it will take 73 mins to cut and keeps cutting round the same image, has cut through my mat at one point? Help!

    1. Hi Susy, the most common reason for this to occur is that the scanned image has multiple layers. 73minutes is huge… I created a really complex elephant mandala ages ago and it did not take that long. In the downloaded version of Canvas Workspace, you can see the layers on the right-hand menu under the Layers panel. You can also check out the file and see if you can see too many nodes in each location where you find a node.

      The next possible cause is that the material that you have used to cut it out is very thick. On a DX the machine will automatically cut with a number of passes to get through the material. This can add a number of passes and a fair bit of additional time.

      If something like this happens again you can stop the cutting at a point where your project is complete. Take into consideration whether it is a thick material and needs additional time.

      Hopefully, your mat only has a minor cut. You can fix a cut by using tape on the back. Here are some mat tips for fixing problems like this. https://www.createwithsue.com/dont-throw-your-scan-n-cut-mat-away/

      Hopefully this helps 🙂 Sue

      1. Hi Sue. Well you were absolutely right. I had something like 15 images on the page and it turned out that each image had something like 11 layers. I have no idea how it happened. I have now covered the small cut with tape as you suggested and it is fine. Thank you for your help. Susy

  13. Alexa Bone

    Hi Sue, I have a SDX 1200 & think it’s a brilliant machine, BUT I was cutting a round Doyle pattern out & after two perfect cuts the third cut went straight through my new 12×24 mat I pressed the back button & replaced the card in the same place, hit cut & start didn’t change anything so as you can imagine I was shocked, upset & frustrated…… it’s an automatic blade. Can you tell me why this happened please I can’t afford to buy another mat I have had to give up work due to ill health. Thank you.

    1. Hi Alexa, I have found that cutting in exactly the same path on a mat weakens it. I believe that this may have been what occurred to you. Each time you cut the pattern out, it cut into the mat slightly more until the third time around it went through. Try taping the back side of the mat to repair it enough to use. I would still purchase a new mat to keep spare and use the damaged mat if you can.

      To avoid this happening again, use different areas of the mat each time you cut the shape. I have both a CM manual blade model and a DX auto blade. The auto blade models are a little harsher on mats than the CM models. The CM models are able to be finely adjusted so they do not cut into the mat quite so much. It is the trade off of the auto blade. You are still able to manually adjust/decrease the depth of the cut with the DX however placing the shapes in differnt spots will certainly reduce the wear and tear on your mat.

      Hope this helps, Sue

  14. Margaret

    Hi Sue,
    I have just read through your tips that were very helpful. I wonder if you can help me?

    I have a problem with my CM 900, I have been cutting and filling a design, the same design many times and I have had no problems.

    I tried to do the same design, and got my card jammed on unloading it. I retrieved the card.

    I switched on my machine and started again. This time the design will draw and fill, but when I put it on to cut and press the cut button my design disappears.
    I have reset my machine, and checked all the settings but still the design vanishes from the screen when I try to cut.
    It will still scan the mat, and bring the design onto the screen.
    I have also done a test cut which I no problem with it does it fine. Help

    1. Hi Margaret, Thank you for your kind words. As far as your cutting issue, are you able to import the design into the downloaded version of Canvas Workspace to check the draw and cut line selections to ensure that they match how you want your project to appear? It sounds like during your mishap, some information in your design has been corrupted or gotten lost. Bringing it into Canvas Workspace will provide you the opportunity to fix the lines as needed.

      Let me know how you go. 🙂 Sue xx

  15. l have a sdx225 and when I start cutting vinyl it goes over 3 times and I wonder why

    1. Hi Clara, a couple of reasons why the DX range cut the design multiple times. One of the most obvious ones is that the material is deemed to be thicker and the machine determines that multiple cuts will deliver the best cut for that particular material. Usually vinyl does not fit into this category as it is often a thinner material and uses the half-cut feature. Next, check that the actual design only has one layer. A second cut line will cause the machine to cut through multiple times. You could double-check the design in the downloaded version of Canvas Workspace in the layers section. Also, check the pressure settings on your machine. Particularly look at the settings for the half-cut. Set them back to default (the black box around them) and run a couple of test cuts on your vinyl to check the depth. Adjust accordingly.

  16. Brenda in TX

    Can you please help me… I have Scan n Cut CM100. It worked great last time I used it. But now it will not load. I’ve searched book and internet and can not find any help with this. Any ideas?? Thank you!

    1. Brenda in TX

      Brenda again. Thanks for your help. Problem solved. Been too long since I’ve used the machine and me too forgetful!

    2. Hi Brenda, first up, have you tried cleaning the scanner? This is always the first thing that causes the mats not to load. Here is one of my videos for the CM model Scan N Cut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt_k_cUUlzI&t=6s. Next question, have you purchased a new mat? If so, the mats are different for the CM models and the DX models. This one will help you distinguish the difference between the mats. https://www.createwithsue.com/which-scan-n-cut-mat-you-need/

      If it is neither of these then look at your mat. Clean the area front and back thoroughly where the rollers travel. If it is reading the mat but slipping then you can add some painter’s tape to the top areas of the mat to resolve that. More info on mat issues can be found here. https://www.createwithsue.com/dont-throw-your-scan-n-cut-mat-away/.

      Hopefully one of these resolves your issues. Let me know either way 🙂 Sue.

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