10. Applications
10.01 Cardstock and Paper
Remember to set your blade exposure to only cut through the material. For thin paper, just the tiniest tip of
the blade will be needed. For thicker cardstock, a little more blade, but still not as much as you may think.
Revisit Section 2.01 for reminders on both the setting of the blade length and the blade height.
There are recommended forces shown in the Suggested Settings for Various Materials table near the end of
Chapter 2. Use these as guidelines for your test cuts and then adjust, as needed. Remember to record your
own successes!
A speed of 10 should work well for most cutting of paper and cardstock. However, it is recommended that
you slow the Cut Speed down to 9 if you feel 10 is too fast.
For most paper and cardstock, use the red capped blade. For very thick or heavily textured cardstock, you
may wish to use the blue capped blade.
The cutting force will vary depending on the density of the paper or cardstock, any exposure to humidity,
dullness of the blade, and even the dye used to color the material! Two passes can often be needed with
some cardstock, regardless of the cutting force available.
White core cardstock does not yield the same cutting quality as solid color core cardstocks.
Some cardstock brands or types simply do not cut well. Use those for something else besides cutting
intricate shapes. Other cardstock, such as Bazzill Smoothies, Worldwin Cutmates, and Michael’s
Recollections, cut beautifully.
If your paper or cardstock is tearing, then you probably have too much blade exposed. Retract the blade into
the blade holder so that only the tip of the blade (equal to the thickness of the material) is showing.
If your cardstock has spots that didn’t completely cut, flip the entire sheet over, and use sandpaper to sand
the spots where the cuts didn’t complete. You should be able to sand down to where the blade did cut in
those spots and your design will then be released from the waste. This is the best way to maintain smooth
outer edges.
With each brand of cardstock, record the settings that worked well so that next time, you’ll have a good
starting point for your test cut.
10.02 Chipboard
There are many types of materials considered to be chipboard. Some can be cut by the KNK Zing and
others cannot. The best guidelines are:
If the chipboard is thicker than the maximum blade length, then it cannot be cut.
If the chipboard is very stiff and cannot easily be bent, then it probably cannot be cut.
Thin flexible chipboard is the best choice. It’s worthwhile finding a particular brand of chipboard to use in
your projects so that you will know which blades and settings work best each time.
For a thicker look, consider cutting two copies of the same shape from thinner chipboard and adhering
together, especially if the design is somewhat intricate.
As with all materials, set the blade length to be just a fraction longer than the thickness of your chipboard
and use the thick materials, blue capped blade.
Chipboard can easily come loose from the mat. Try using masking tape or blue painter’s tape around the
outside edges of the chipboard to prevent the chipboard from slipping during cutting.
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