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Post by stumpedagainof3 on Oct 12, 2018 14:11:34 GMT
I'm hoping someone can give me a quick answer and suggestions.
I need to make a tshirt for my daughterss soccer game TODAY! I haven't used my cricut for anything in a few years. I went to get on the design site and it no longer works with my Cricut.
What is the easiest way to cut the vinyl to apply to the shirt. I need a word and numbers. I have no way to mirror image the words. I think I am overthinking this...lol
Thank you all in advance!!
Mom of a kid who lets me know everything last minute...........
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Post by riversong1963 on Oct 12, 2018 15:11:57 GMT
You don't need to use mirror image with the vinyl. If I remember correctly, I dialed all the settings on my original and Expression machines to 2: speed, pressure, and blade. That usually made the machine cut through only the vinyl, leaving the backing intact. Do a test cut on a small piece to see if you need to make adjustments. Hope that helps.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,090
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 12, 2018 15:47:40 GMT
With letters, you do need to mirror the image. Otherwise the letters will be backwards.
You would normally place it HTV side up, on the mat, clear backing side down, mirrored image. You need the clear backing to stay in one piece and not cut through. If the HTV side is down against the mat because you can't mirror the image, the clear backing will cut through, and that needs to be kept in one piece for holding the letters to the shirt while you iron them on.
I have not tried this, but this is what I would do if I were in your situation:
Prior to cutting, remove the clear layer (that you use to stick it to the fabric after weeding, that you do not cut through when mirrored). SAVE IT AND SET IT ON A TEFLON SHEET or something else where it can be easily removed and still be usable. You will need that clear backing sheet intact.
I would stick the vinyl to the mat, with the HTV side down. Use Riversong's cut settings. Weed it, then manually remove each letter and number one at a time (without the clear sheet), and place on the shirt (HTV side down) as you want them positioned. Once they are all placed right, take the clear adhesive sheet you had set aside, and carefully lay it overtop. You may want to do this in cut strips or something, because the vinyl may not stay put while you do this.
Or you could place them carefully on the adhesive of the clear sheet, with letters mirrored. Whichever way you do it, once the clear sheet is holding the letters to the shirt exactly the way you want, iron or heat press it.
I have never tried to do it that way. You just asked for suggestions, and that is the only way I can think might work. It will probably take a lot longer.
You could ask if anyone here lives in your area who has an Explore or a Cameo and may be able to help you last minute. If not, you can probably buy iron on letters at the craft store and position them each by hand.
Or you could use regular vinyl, cut it normally, and stick it to the shirt. Do NOT iron. The downside is that it will be temporary, and letters might come off accidentally.
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Post by riversong1963 on Oct 12, 2018 17:42:45 GMT
My mistake. I thought you were using regular vinyl. You do need to mirror it. Sorry about that. Here is a link to the instructions from Cricut/PC: Instructions
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,090
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 13, 2018 12:18:03 GMT
stumpedagainof3, did you get it to work for you?
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Post by stumpedagainof3 on Oct 14, 2018 21:41:45 GMT
Sorry for the late reply.
I did get it to work. I cut through the plastic top and taped the letters together at the very top. Ironed the bottom, then pulled off the tape and ironed the rest. Then I removed the platic top layer. Hope that makes sense. Lots of extra work because I couldn't mirror it.
Thank you all!!
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,090
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on Oct 15, 2018 3:03:11 GMT
I'm glad you got it to work.
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Post by OntarioScrapper on Oct 17, 2018 5:42:06 GMT
I'm glad you figured out what you needed to do. Cricut Craft Room was shut down. So all machines before the Explore machines came out (which use Design Space) are now stand alone machines. Though if you can find a Gypsy, you can design on there. It's much like Craft Room just a hand held gadget. If you feel like using your machine more. Otherwise you have to get used to just using cartridges on their own.
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Post by AngieandSnoopy on Oct 17, 2018 15:47:32 GMT
I'm hoping someone can give me a quick answer and suggestions. I need to make a tshirt for my daughterss soccer game TODAY! I haven't used my cricut for anything in a few years. I went to get on the design site and it no longer works with my Cricut. What is the easiest way to cut the vinyl to apply to the shirt. I need a word and numbers. I have no way to mirror image the words. I think I am overthinking this...lol Thank you all in advance!! Mom of a kid who lets me know everything last minute........... I know I'm too late for your project but I thought I'd tell you what I've done for next time!
I have a Cricut Expression and there is no "mirror" or "vinyl" setting. But there is a "FLIP". I set my pressure wheel from "med" to "LOW" and the blade to "3" or "4" depending on how old or dull the blade is getting.
To do words, you turn it on "flip" and type your word in slowly and BACKWARDS! I say slowly because when you are in "flip", it takes much longer for the letters or shapes to show up in the screen. If you type too fast , you'll miss a letter. Trust me, I've learned to wait until one letter shows up on the screen before typing the next.
I just write out my word or phrase backwards on a piece of paper to make it easier to write the word/phrase in correctly! I got my heat press in early June. At first, I was using my dies and cutting all the way through the carrier. It is easy for steel rule dies but NOT so much for wafer thin. I had a project I wanted to do with some words for shirts for a couple of friends and I and decided I had to figure out the Expression.
It took me a while to figure out how to do a mirror image AND the pressure and settings to do the "kiss" cut so I could leave the carrier intact to make it easier to place on the shirts. I had already bought a roll of "blue" tape, a heat transfer tape to make things stay in place until I pressed while using dies to cut.
I decorated about 70 shirts the month of September and first week of October for a craft booth so I have the "writing backwards" down! On many shapes or a word that is "one piece" on the cartridge, I sometimes prefer to cut completely through the carrier and just tape down using the "blue" tape or a CLEAN piece of carrier sheet pulled off after pressing.
I was given the Expression over two years ago, missing the mat and one cartridge. I bought the mat and hit some sales on cartridges but didn't really like using it to cut paper. Now that I've figured out the HTV thing, I FINALLY like my Expression! It is really fun for HTV but I still don't really like it for paper!
Just cutting the vinyl (not through the carrier), the blade seems to stay sharp MUCH longer than it does with paper. But then I know that paper dulls blades SO much faster than it does for fabric. You NEVER use your best fabric cutting scissors with paper. I did punch the blade through a ball of aluminum foil several times periodically while cutting that big batch of shirts and it is still cutting fine. I did increase the blade setting from 3 to 4 when it seemed it wasn't doing as well and it is still going strong.
I hope this helps you for future projects!
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