KNK Zing Air Frequently Asked Questions
Note: this model has been discontinued and replaced with the KNK Zing Orbit
Specs
Q. What are the overall dimensions and weight of the Zing Air?
A. The Zing Air is 23.5” wide, 4.75” high, and 6.25” deep. It weighs 12.1 lbs.
Q. Is the Zing Air made of plastic or metal?
A. The Zing Air components are almost entirely made of metal. It has very few plastic parts.
Q. How does the Zing Air compare to other KNK models?
A. There are comparison charts available here: KNK Comparisons
Q. What is the maximum cutting width and length of materials in the Zing Air?
A. The maximum possible cutting width is 14”. There is no theoretical maximum cutting length. The mat that ships with the Zing Air is 15” in length and you can purchase a larger Zing Air mat that is 27” in length. But you can also cut longer materials that have a backing sheet, such as vinyl.
Q. What is the maximum width of material that can be loaded?
A. The materials need to be ~18” or narrower.
Q. What is the minimum width of material that can be loaded?
A. If a cutting mat is not being used, the material needs to be 3” – 5” wide to be gripped by the two pinch wheels on the right. Otherwise, 9” – 18” wide materials can be fed and gripped by either the leftmost two wheels or all three wheels (for materials over 13” wide).
Q. Can the Zing Air handle roll feed?
A. Yes. The Zing Air can cut rolled materials.
Q. What is the maximum thickness that can be fed with and without a mat, under the rollers?
A. The thickness is actually based on the blade length which is ~2 mm or 0.08”. Whether or not a material can cut is also based on the density of the material. For example, one can cut 0.08” craft foam but not 0.08” acrylic.
Q. What computer operating systems are supported?
A. Windows XP, Vista, 7, and 8. There is also a Mac version of MTC which runs on Mac OS’s 5.8.0 or newer.
Q. What is the length of the included power cord?
A. 9 feet
Q. Is the power cord a 3 pronged power cord?
A. The cord shipped to US and Canadian customers is a 2 prong cord with a UL certified power supply. The same power supply ships with Zing Airs to customers in Australia, UK, and South Africa but with the plug that is used in those countries.
Q. What is the length of the included USB cable?
A. 6 feet
Q. What does “Air” mean?
A. The Zing Air can connect using Bluetooth. Even if your computer doesn’t have Bluetooth, the included adapter can be plugged into a USB port on your computer and Bluetooth will then be available.
Q. What is the size of the mat that is included?
A. The mat that ships with the Zing Air is 14.25” x 15” with a printed grid of 12” x 12”.
Q. What is the resolution of the cutter, how delicate can it cut on, say, vinyl?
A. The resolution is 1016 x 1016 or 0.025 mm per step.
Q. How noisy is the Zing Air?
A. The Zing Air noise level testing indicated that the Zing Air’s loudness measured at 60 – 70 decibels which is equivalent to a normal conversation at 3 – 5 feet away.
Q. Is the Zing Air wireless-capable?
A. Yes. The new Zing Air models can connect to your computer using either Bluetooth or USB.
Q. What software programs work with the Zing Air?
A. The KNK Zing Air cuts from Make The Cut, which is included in the purchase from KNK USA and other KNK dealers. You can import other file formats into MTC for cutting, such as AI, SVG, PDF, SCUT, and EPS. The Zing Air also cuts from Artistic Suite 6.
Q. How much does shipping cost for the Zing Air?
A. The shipping is free within the 48 contiguous US states, within Canada (http://klicnkut.ca/), and within the UK (klic-n-kut.co.uk). For all other shipping, please contact sales@knkusa.com or call: 800-268-3672.
Q. In what states will sales tax be charged?
A. Sales tax is charged if the Zing Air is shipped to a Florida address. Also, sales tax will be charged if your Zing Air dealer lives in the same state that you do.
Q. What is the warranty?
A. 1 year parts and labor
Q. What comes in the box?
A. KNK Zing Air cutting machine, Make The Cut Activation Pin, 1 cutting mat, 1 Zing Air blade holder, 1 regular materials blade, 1 thick materials blade, 1 test pen, 2 test pen inserts, power cord, USB cable, Bluetooth adapter, and a Quick Start guide.
Q. Is there a manual?
A. The KNK Zing Air with MTC User Manual is available on-line. Because of on-going updates to MTC and the high cost of printing, there is no printed version available. Instead, the on-line manual is interactive, with links to videos and the ability to download, print pages you need, and search on any word.
Accessories
Q. What are the available Zing Air accessories?
A. To view currently available blades and accessories, click on these links: Zing Air Accessories and Zing Air Blades.
Q. Is there a stand available for the Zing Air?
A. Yes. If it is currently in stock, then it will be listed at the link in the prior answer.
Q. Is there a roll feed attachment/mount etc. available?
A. A roll feed attachment is part of the stand mentioned in the prior question.
Q. Are tables/extensions available for the Zing Air?
A. Not at this time.
Q. What other mats are available?
A. A larger 14.75” x 27” mat with a printed grid of 14” x 24” is sold separately.
Q. What are the differences in the three blade holders?
A. The only difference is the color of the holder. Some users prefer to have separate holders for the different blade types and the colors were chosen to match the cap colors of the three blades. But any of the Zing Air blades will work in any of the three differed colored holders.
Q. What type of blades work with the Zing Air?
A. The Zing Air blade holder uses its own blades made from tungsten carbide and other brands will not fit. Zing Air owners can, however, use other brands of blade holders in the Zing Air, if desired.
Q. What kinds/diameters/lengths of pens/tools fit the pen inserts?
A. The blade holder seat will fit pens from ~1/4” to 13/16” in diameter.
Q. How much are replacement mats and blades?
A. The standard replacement mats are sold in a 2-pack for $15.99 USD. The larger mat is $14.99 USD. The replacement blades are $8.99 USD each.
Q. Is it necessary to purchase a fabric blade to cut fabric?
A. If the material has been stabilized first and intricate cuts are not required, then the fabric blade is not necessary. But the quality of the cutting is greatly enhanced by using the fabric blade (e.g. the points on a 5 point star will be sharper with less fraying). Also, with the fabric blade, many fabrics can be pressed to an enhanced sticky mat and cut without having a stabilizer applied.
Operational
Q. Are there any demo videos of the Zing Air?
A. Yes! Here’s a link to a list of current videos which demo the KNK Zing Air: Zing Air Demo Videos
Q. What about vibration (does it need to be on a sturdy table or will card table suffice)?
A. The Zing Air can be used on fold-out tables. Just make sure the table or stand is stable and will not tip over easily.
Q. How accurate is WYSIWYG cutting without registration marks and can it be calibrated?
A. Theoretically, if the printout is aligned perfectly straight on the mat and the mat is straight in the machine, then very accurate cutting could be obtained using WYSIWYG cutting. However, the accuracy of the printer used to print the image to be cut is the limiting factor in the WYSIWYG method. That’s why using the 3 point print and cut registration available in Make The Cut is recommended, as it will take into account the inaccuracy of the owner’s printer and yield precise results.
Q. How do you cut from scraps of vinyl or colored papers loaded on the mat?
A. Yes! There are two methods available. You can reset the origin to the corner of each scrap after the cut or you can arrange the scraps on the mat to match up with the locations of the shapes on the screen in the software.
Q. Is there a minimum size suggested for paper on the mat?
A. Not really. As long as the mat is sticky enough to hold the paper in place, you could cut a 1/8” shape from a ¼”scrap, if needed.
Q. I see from the video that you can just cut off a long piece of vinyl and use that. But how does it work if it’s still on the roll?
A. Here are two methods used by Zing Air owners- (1) The Zing Air stand has a spindle that will allow you to feed the vinyl from a roll or (2) Unroll enough material in advance of the cut so that the material can easily feed into the Zing Air during the cutting process.
Q. Where do I go for help with my Zing Air, if I need it?
A. Your Zing Air dealer is your first line of support. All dealers have signed contracts agreeing to provide basic hardware and software support. If needed, you can also contact KNK USA, using the Contact tab at the web site. We also have a user forum and other support forums, as listed on the first page of the Zing Air User Manual.
