Lines in different places on actual cut. Help!

[Magda]

Hello,

I created a card with two long cuts long the width of the card. On the screen, these two long cuts are the same length and in the same position. However, when I cut the card, one of the lines begins at 1 3/8" from the front edge of the card and ends 1 1/8" from the other end and the other line begins at 1 1/8" from the front edge and ends 1 3/8" from the back end.

The lines on the file have the same beginning and end points.

Does anyone have any suggestions for fixing this? I have tried recutting the file, resizing it and restarting both SCAT and my Cricut. Nothing fixes the problem.

Thank you,
Magda

[HeatherM]

What version of SCAL are you using and if you used Inkscape what version of that are you using? That sounds like it might be the compatibility issue between some versions of SCAL2 and some Inkscape 0.47 or 0.48.

You could also attach the file so that we can take a look at it.

[Magda]

Here is a copy of the file. I did not use Inkscape at all, just made the card in SCAL since it is such a simple little thing. I have the newest version of SCAL, I bought it a few days ago.

When I resized the file, I grouped all the objects on the card page together and then resized that.

Thanks,
Magda

[HeatherM]

Your lines aren't the same length. I changed the line length to be the same, then both lines started and stopped at the same point in 2.030.

[Magda]

The lines cut the same size, but they are not lined up properly. One cuts a whole 1/4" offset from the other. The two lines are only 2/100" off in size (thought I did think that I had just copied and pasted and that they were the same length -- thanks for checking that for me) so that would not account for the 1/4" difference in the beginning and ending points.

Magda

[HeatherM]

What version of SCAL2 are you using? I cut it last night, and they did cut without an offset in 2.030.

[Magda]

Hi Heather,

The SCAL I am using is version 2.030 and I am using the Cricut Personal Electronic Cutter (I think it is the original Cricut Cutter) with version 1.31 firmware in it.

I tried redoing the lines and made sure they were the same length (exactly), and same distance from the end. When I ran it through the Cricut I am still getting the misalignment. This misalignment is a bit less this time, but is definitely there. I am beginning to thing that Cricut is just not cutting the lines all the way. I am including a scan of the cut out. I have scanned it as a line drawing to make the markings clear. The little hash marks on the scan show the differences between where the lines are supposed to end and where they actually do end. None of the ends of either of the vertical lines are cut all the way through. The rectangle around the card is cut all the way through all the way around. There seems to be no problem there, only on the two lines in the middle of the card. The horizontal lines may or may not be accurate, I cannot really tell because the lines are only 2 dashes separated by a gap of 30 (not sure what the units are there).

Wonky Cutting line.jpg (178.15 KiB) Viewed 3994 times

Regards,
Magda

[HeatherM]

Wow, that's really different from what I cut with 2.030 and an E. I would need to get out the other computer and my baby bug to test it on the original. Anyone else have any ideas?

[Barbara-UK]

I tried cutting this file on my Cricut Create and the line cut was off exactly as you described Magda. I hid all the vertical lines and cut it again....and again the line cut was off.

However I did then notice that as the cut for the top line started the blade went down but didn't cut through the card completely, lifted briefly and then went down again to properly complete cutting the line continuously. The same happened as it started the cutting for the second line - which accounts for the difference in the lengths of the cut lines as the first line cuts left to right and the second line cuts right to left.

No idea why this should happen but maybe Heather will have some thoughts on this.

Barbara

[Magda]

However I did then notice that as the cut for the top line started the blade went down but didn't cut through the card completely, lifted briefly and then went down again to properly complete cutting the line continuously. The same happened as it started the cutting for the second line - which accounts for the difference in the lengths of the cut lines as the first line cuts left to right and the second line cuts right to left.

Barbara

Yes, I saw that in some spots it looked like the Cricut partially cut through the paper, but did not cut fully. In other parts, the was no evidence of a cut at all. In a way, I am relieved. At least it is not just me. If you are having the same problem Barbara, then the software is telling the machine to do this. Do you have a Cricut original or one of the others? Perhaps, it is an interaction between the software and the original Cricut and Heather is trying it on some other Cricut. Also, Barbara, are you working on a PC or a Mac. My software is installed on a Mac, and that may make the difference as well.

I will report this problem to CraftEdge and see what they have to say about it. I was hoping that it was something simple that I was doing wrong, but clearly there is more to it than that. Or, whatever I am doing wrong is not obvious.

Thank you both Barbara and Heather,
Magda