Page 23 - Klic-N-Kut User Manual
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2. Cutting
2.01 What You Need to Understand About Cutting IMPORTANT: Please read all of 2.01!!!
You Have To Make Mistakes
The key to becoming successful at cutting is to do a lot of it! Those who shy away from using their Zing will
never get to the stage of mastering it. It’s very normal for new owners to be intimidated by their cutter, so
remember the following key things:
You won’t break your new ZING by cutting paper, vinyl, cardstock, rhinestone rubber, and other easy-to-
cut materials. The worst thing that might possibly happen is that you’ll break a blade. That’s it! And the
likelihood of even that happening is low.
You need to start cutting so that you’ll make a lot of mistakes! We ALL do that. It’s in making these
mistakes that you start to learn. You realize that those mistakes didn’t result in a broken cutter. Plus
you’ll stop making the same mistakes as you remember more of the things you need to check before
every cut.
As you make fewer mistakes you begin to build confidence and you begin to have more cutting success!
From there, you begin to experiment more and produce more. Thus, your best course of action is to just
start cutting… a lot! But first, read the rest of this section.
The Most Common Mistakes Made by New Owners
We all make them and we all learn from them. So, please note the following most common mistakes and
then finish reading this entire Section 2.01 as the details behind these listed mistakes will be explained:
Too much blade is exposed on the blade holder
The blade tip is too close to the material
Too much force is being used for the material being cut
Forget to set the Blade Offset before cutting
Failure to do a test cut to make sure settings are optimal
Not practicing enough with the test pen and paper to know where shapes will cut
Begin with Easy Materials and Easy Shapes
You didn’t begin your first driving lesson on the freeway. You probably started driving on a farm or in a
parking lot. Then you progressed to the neighborhood and other low-traffic streets. Then you began driving
on major streets and, finally, the freeway. Think of your cutting in the same way and don’t start your first cuts
with thick difficult materials or detailed cutting files! Instead, start cutting basic shapes from inexpensive
materials or just scraps you have on hand. Work your way up to more difficult cuts after you master the easy
ones.
Record Your Successes
As you have successful cuts, take note of the settings you just used, such as cutting force, speed, blade
type, number of passes, brand of material, etc. There is a blank form at the end of this chapter that you can
print and use to record your results. There are also suggested settings for common materials at the end of
this chapter. Use these as starting guides but remember that your results may vary based on the many
factors which can affect cutting.
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