Can I use 12" Roll?

Cutting Machines
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Is there anyway to make 12" rolls(matless) work? I wanting to cut large(10 ft long)mylar stencils and I can only find the mylar in 12" or 24" rolls

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Hi, @BJHibbard. :wave::smiley: Welcome to the community! We’re happy you’ve joined us. I haven’t tried Matless cutting with my iCraft, yet, nor have I cut mylar. However — if I’m understanding you correctly — I feel like you could either tape the mylar together at the ends, using painter’s tape on the back, and cut as you would with Matless vinyl, or you could cut your design, little by little, making separate cuts.

Let’s say you want to cut the word CONGRATULATIONS, you could type each letter as a separate text, highlight 2 letters at a time, click make, set the parameters for the letters, cut the letters. Then, go back to the canvas, highlight the next 2 letters, click make, set parameters, cut. Then, of course, go back to the canvas grab the rest of your letters the same way until you have them all cut. Then, you could tape all of the stencils together with painter’s tape to creat one giant stencil. I hope that makes sense, and can, maybe, help you out with your dilemma. Let me know if you try it and if it works well. I’d love to know for future reference.

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That won’t work. The problem is the feed rollers are too far apart to feed the 12" roll

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It has to be continuous piece

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Ah, I understand what you’re saying now. Here are some tips for cutting matless mylar:

Key Techniques for Matless Mylar Cutting:

  • Proper Alignment: Load the 12-inch roll so that it is centered, ensuring the rollers on both the left and right side of the machine are firmly holding the material. If only one roller catches the material, it will feed crookedly.
  • “No Mat” Setting: Select the “No Mat” (or Matless) option in IdeaStudio.
  • Adjust Design Width: When setting up the project, set the material width to 12 inches, but design your cut to be slightly narrower (e.g., 11.5 inches) to allow for safe margins.
  • Use Roll Feeder/Holder: A roll feeder is highly recommended to keep the 12-inch roll straight as it feeds into the machine.
  • Secure the Roll: Since 12-inch material is narrower than the 13-inch capacity, ensure the material is perfectly straight when loaded to prevent the edges from getting chewed up.

Crucial Considerations for Mylar:

  • Blade/Pressure: Use a Deep Point Blade for thicker Mylar (7 mil or higher) and increase the cut pressure.
  • Masking Tape: If the Mylar slides, you can tape the edges of the roll to a “carrier” sheet (like a scrap piece of vinyl backing) to give it the necessary width for the rollers to grip.
  • Do Not Unload: If the cut is not complete, do not unload the material. Run the cut again to ensure it passes through the same line.

Note: If the matless setup consistently causes the 12-inch Mylar to slip or warp because it is too narrow for the roller span, you may still need to use a 12x24 inch cutting mat to provide stability.

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I found this smart stencil which is 13 inches wide by 12 feet long:

https://share.google/xmoNm9W81ZiNsrCTW

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