Graphtec FC2200-90/EX
From MakeICT Wiki
This is a flatbed vinyl cutter and plotter. It works.
Contents
Workflow
Create the file
- Create/import a file in Inkscape
- Select all
- Path > Object To Path
- Check that lines are what you expect by turning of all fills and turning on all strokes. The lines that you see are the ones that will be cut.
- File > Save A Copy> choose .hpgl extension
- Make sure that "Tool offset correction" is set to 0 or your cut will be very bad.
Run the file
New
- Go to http://graphtec.makeict.org:5000
- Click the blue button to open the file menu
- Scroll to the bottom of the list and click the upload button
- Select file in system menu
- To set active file, click filename in list
- Click green button to run file
Old
- On the computer, put the file into the CUT_NOW folder on the desktop.
- Username and password are both 'maker'
- Once there double-click the 'Run Vinyl Cutter' shortcut.
- It will choose the first file in the folder, so make sure yours is the only one
- Cut will not start if the machine is in 'view' or 'test' mode.
- Once done it will be moved to the CUT_DONE folder with the same name.
- It WILL overwrite files with the same name.
- It will choose the first file in the folder, so make sure yours is the only one
Settings
Small Blade (Blue Knob)
Cutter Offset: 17
Starting point for vinyl:
- Stickout: 0.2mm
- Force:18
- Speed:10
- Quality:1
Large Blade (Red Knob)
Cutter Offset: 28
Sharpie
Cutter Offset: 0
- Force:5
- Speed:15
- Quality:1
Tips
- After saving the HPGL file open it up in Inkscape to verify the output looks right. If there are issues, go back to the source file and save it as a PDF. Open the PDF in Inkscape and then save as HPGL. This has fixed all of the conversion issues we have run into so far.
- If you get an error in inkscape when saving the HPGL that says the file cannot be saved, just copy everything into a new file and save it there. For some reason this works.
