Vinyl Cutting

From Hack Manhattan Wiki

Vinyl Cutting

Laserpoint 3

The Laserpoint 3 by US Cutter

User Manual

Connecting to the Cutter

Directly:

Connect your computer to the cutter using a USB-A to USB-B cable. Take note of which COM port it uses.

OR

Networked:

The cutter is attached with a USB cable to the harbor server at 192.168.42.174. The server shares the USB port over usbip. Download the usbip client package to your laptop see [1], I have had success with this [2] WIndows client. Attach to the shared USB port on harbor with:

usbip attach -remote=192.168.42.174 --busid=11-8

Then use the cutter as if it was locally connected.

The public laptop has already has usbip client installed. A .BAT file on the desktop runs the above command to attach the remote USB port.

Printing With Vinyl Cutter (Free Open Source Instructions!)

Printing with Inkscape

Download Inkscape

Convert your raster image to a vector

  • File -> Import...
  • Click ok to import with default settings
  • Make sure this new object is selected
  • Path -> Trace Bitmap...
  • Adjust the settings to your liking
  • You can hide or delete the original image in the layers tab

Send to Cutter

  • Extensions-> Export -> Plot...
  • Your plot settings should look like this, but with "Serial port" changed to whichever port you're using

  • Click "Apply", and the cutter will start

Printing with Inkcut

Download Inkcut

Instructions for Windows, Linux, and Mac

Open a file in Inkcut

  • .SVG works well for this
  • .SVG files can be formatted with Inkscape
  • Example image below


Necessary Settings in Inkcut

General

Select Driver "US Cutter Laserpoint"

Device

Scroll down in the Device settings column to "Job Commands."

In the section "Before Job," add the following code:

IN;

Connection

For Type, select "QT Serialport"

Select the correct port, the USB option that looks most likely to be a vinyl cutter(not shown in screenshot)

Select Hardware flow control (unsure if this setting is 100% necessary).

Then send to print!

(Instructions still in beta testing)