5. Applications and Tips on Materials
5.01 Paper and Cardstock Tips
Selecting Paper and Cardstock
• White core cardstock does not yield the same cutting quality as solid color core cardstock.
• Some cardstock brands or types simply do not cut well. Use those for something else besides cutting
intricate shapes. Other cardstock, such as Recollections, Worldwin, Neenah, and American Crafts, cut
beautifully.
• Heavily textured cardstock and some handmade papers will cut better in two passes.
• If a textured cardstock cuts poorly, try flipping it over and placing the textured side face down. Remember to
mirror the shapes before cutting, as needed (e.g., text).
• If your paper or cardstock has been exposed to humidity, it will not cut cleanly. Dry the cardstock for about
15 – 30 minutes in an oven that has been preheated to its lowest setting. Spread several sheets onto a
baking sheet and turn off the oven before placing the cardstock inside. Alternatively, some users will dry
their cardstock using a blow dryer for hair.
Cutting
• Remember to set the blade exposure so that it will only cut through the material. For thin paper, just the
tiniest tip of the blade will be needed. For thicker cardstock, use a little more blade, but still not as much as
you may think.
• Check the mat after a test cut to make sure it hasn’t cut more than a faint line. The Test button on the SOLO
cuts a circle inside of a square which is ideal because you can check to see if the circle cut into the mat
without needing to lift a corner of the cardstock away from the mat to check.
• 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 required 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 applied.
• Keep your cutting mat clean and sticky. Any spots where the material isn’t adhered to the mat will not cut.
• With each brand of cardstock, record the settings that worked well or save as a Preset so that next time
you’ll have a good starting point for your test cut.
Troubleshooting
• The following list presents the various causes of tearing:
Too much blade is exposed. If you see that the blade is cutting into your mat, shorten the blade
exposure. You should only be cutting through the material itself and barely grazing the adhesive layer
on the mat.
The blade is chipped. Try a new blade.
The paper is not adhered well to the mat. Make sure the mat is clean, sticky, and the paper is pressed
smoothly and evenly across the surface.
You may be using too much cutting Force. Try reducing it and doing test cuts.
You may have too many nodes in tight corners on a shape. Refer to Section 6.01 of the StarCraft
CREATE User Manual for directions on using the Simplify function to reduce the total number of nodes.
The material itself may be subject to tearing, especially on intricate cuts. Try a different cardstock.
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