Jump to content
UltiMaker Community of 3D Printing Experts

Cutting vinyl with an Ultimaker 2


Recommended Posts

Posted (edited) · Cutting vinyl with an Ultimaker 2

header.thumb.jpg.aa32338530dfcf29d8a0b0414b391476.jpg

Recently I started experimenting with cutting out vinyl stickers with my Ultimaker 2 and figured I'd share my method to save time for others if they want to do the same thing. Using a 3D printer to do this is nothing new, it has been done plenty of times before. But this is how I did it. Get comfortable, this is going to take a while. I've tried to make it as easy as possible to do but be prepared to do some tweaking and experimenting along the way.

What you need (if you want the software to be free):

- A holder and knives. The one I got was this: "15pcs 30°/45°/60° Degree For Roland Cutting Plotter Vinyl Cutter BladeHolder" http://r.ebay.com/STTdJx

- A printed holder (see zip)

- Some vinyl: Available from arts and craft stores, ebay, sign makers etc. I got a random piece from Ebay to try.

- Vinyl transfer tape (or in my case, some random blue painters tape from tesa I had in the junk drawer that worked well)

- Inkscape to create your design: https://inkscape.org/en/

- dxf2gcode: https://sourceforge.net/projects/dxf2gcode/

- Better Better DXF Output for Inkscape: http://tim.cexx.org/?p=590

- Pronterface/Printrun: https://github.com/kliment/Printrun

A slightly modified version of the DXF exporter and dxf2gcode with my current settings are included in this zip: http://www.theintarweb.net/ultimaker/vinyl/um2_vinyl_cutter.zip

 

Setting up your hardware

mount_and_holder.thumb.jpg.05a82de81e1d8589b61e36d0bc8bda9f.jpg

Print out the little mount that is included in the zip. It was made quick and dirty, but it works well enough. Attach it to the head using the screws that hold the fan shroud in place.

knife_stickout.thumb.jpg.d58ed978d5d464cb60f683d5896a86f8.jpg

Install a knife into the holder and adjust the amount it sticks out so that it just barely cuts through your vinyl, but not through the paper backing. It's important to get this distance right or you will either not cut enough, which means you can't remove the excess vinyl, or you'll cut too deep and ruin your knife (good thing the knock-offs are cheap ;)). As you can see in the image, we're talking a tiny amount that the knife is sticking out.

Try the setting on a piece of vinyl by pushing the holder up against the vinyl and dragging the knife in a circle. Try peeling the circle out. It will be obvious if you're cutting too deep or not deep enough. Adjust accordingly.

I also recommend using some fine sandpaper to polish off any sharp edges on the front of the knife holder as it will be dragged across the vinyl.

Push the holder into the mount in your printer and use a short M3 screw to secure it in place.

pronterface_port_rate.thumb.png.74fbb590d4f38a0b24a32290768dfd07.png

Install Pronterface and connect your printer to your computer via USB. Set your baud rate to 250000. Choose the correct port (you can find that in the Device Manger in Windows under the "Ports" section) or just pick one from the list in Pronterface and try connecting until you find the right one. The printer will go *clunk* and the lights will go out temporarily, this is normal.

You now have full control over your printer. We will use this program to figure out the correct z-distance for your installed knife. Start by clicking on the homing button (the small house) to home all axes on the printer.

pronterface_xy.thumb.png.4f4823157b0b3b8ac168181b499a0251.png

Next, move the head into a position where you can get a good view of it in relation to the glass. I like to put it in the middle of the bed, slightly towards the front. You do this with the large circle area of Pronterface. Click the different quarter circles to move the head in increments of 0.1, 1 or 10mm in X and Y.

pronterface_z.thumb.png.5a2a56204a2c2236b1dc72c3fd98f9a7.png

Now it's time to raise the bed. In the lower right corner of Pronterface there's a small field where you can put in GCode to be sent to the printer. Type in "G0 Z20" and hit enter. The bed will now move up and stop 20mm from the tip of your nozzle. Now use the buttons next to the quarter circles to raise the bed further until the tip of the blade is just barely in contact with the glass. Type in "M114" into the little box and hit enter. The printer will now give you the current Z-height (in my case it's 1.7mm). Write this number down.

Optionally you can also print out "um2_bed.pdf" from the zip and put it underneath the glass. It makes it easier to position the vinyl pieces.

 

Setting up and using the software

Start by downloading and installing Inkscape. After the installation is done, unzip the contents of "b2_dxf_output.zip" directly into your "[installation directory of inkscape]/share/extensions" folder. You will be asked to overwrite "simpletransform.py", this is normal.

Unzip "exe.win32-3.4.zip" to a place of your choosing.

I've included a file called "decal_helper.svg" in the zip. You can use this file as a base to make things easier to position. Make sure that any shapes you draw are not on the "IGNORE:HELPER" layer. That layer will be ignored by dxf2gcode. Also make sure the design is within the red outline.

When you're done with your design go to File->Save a copy. Under "Save as type" select "Better Better DXF Output (*.DXF)", this is the extension you installed earlier. If things go according to plan this will save your file as a DXF that dxf2gcode likes (it chokes on the default exporter that is built in by default in Inkscape).

Now open up dxf2gcode and go to Options->Configuration. You probably want to start by changing the two paths shown on the top right as you will not have those folders on your system. It's not strictly necessary to change it, but it makes things less of a hassle when importing and saving files.

Next, go to the "Machine config" section and put in the value you wrote down earlier in the "Final mill depth" box. Yes, this means that the gcode produced will cause the printer to raise the glass so that it's almost touching the blade when cutting. BUT, we set the blade in the holder so that it only peaks out enough to cut the vinyl, so as long as you have vinyl under the holder, the "springiness" of the gantry will let holder move up ever so slightly and the knife will cut to the perfect depth.

Hit "Apply" and close the settings.

Now it's time to load the dxf-file you created via File->Open. It may take a little while for the program to process your file. When it's done you'll get a warning about some elements being too short, just hit OK.

You should hopefully be looking at something like this now.

dxf2gcode.thumb.png.25ee41e1b5e0d1800b5f48abb6a72868.png

In this screenshot I've zoomed in on a corner of a path to show the drag knife compensation that dxf2gcode does. This is one of the reasons I picked this program, the other being that it's free.

As a last check, make sure that "Z final mill depth" matches your value when clicking on one of the shapes.

Now it's time to export the file via Export -> Optimize and Export Shapes.

vinyl_on_bed.thumb.jpg.178ca06a95d5fb804f3cd5c1306c1a56.jpg

We're almost done. Cut out a piece of vinyl and attach it to your bed. This is where the guide lines in my Inkscape helper-file and the printout comes in handy. I like to put a piece of tape on all sides of the vinyl to make sure it stays firmly planted to the bed. You can probably get away with less, but tape is cheap.

Switch back to Pronterface and open the file you just created. Finally, it's time to try your first cut. If your printer has been turned off since you last used Pronterface, remember to home the machine first with the little house button. Hit the Print button and keep a finger on the power button of your printer in case something goes horribly wrong.

cleaned.thumb.jpg.47524cce09dfe4a37fa3b8e2a41f94d6.jpg

tape_card.thumb.jpg.b88ef8cfc6442fda9503673ac7c25e04.jpg

If all goes well you should now have a freshly cut piece of vinyl ready to clean up and get ready for application. Remove all the excess and then apply some vinyl transfer tape. Use something like a credit card to really push the tape onto the vinyl to make sure it sticks properly.

If your design is a bunch of small shapes (text for example), I recommend putting the transfer tape on right away, scrub it down really well and then carefully peel it off, this will lift the letters from the backing (with some patience and a helping hand from tweezers/scalpel). I found this to be a lot easier than trying to pull the excess away from around the text.

Did you make it all the way down here? Sweet!

header.thumb.jpg.aa32338530dfcf29d8a0b0414b391476.jpg

mount_and_holder.thumb.jpg.05a82de81e1d8589b61e36d0bc8bda9f.jpg

knife_stickout.thumb.jpg.d58ed978d5d464cb60f683d5896a86f8.jpg

pronterface_port_rate.thumb.png.74fbb590d4f38a0b24a32290768dfd07.png

pronterface_xy.thumb.png.4f4823157b0b3b8ac168181b499a0251.png

pronterface_z.thumb.png.5a2a56204a2c2236b1dc72c3fd98f9a7.png

dxf2gcode.thumb.png.25ee41e1b5e0d1800b5f48abb6a72868.png

vinyl_on_bed.thumb.jpg.178ca06a95d5fb804f3cd5c1306c1a56.jpg

cleaned.thumb.jpg.47524cce09dfe4a37fa3b8e2a41f94d6.jpg

tape_card.thumb.jpg.b88ef8cfc6442fda9503673ac7c25e04.jpg

Edited by Guest
  • Like 13
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Posted · Cutting vinyl with an Ultimaker 2

I used this write-up as inspiration to be able to use my Ultimaker as a plotter. But modified the output from dxf2gcode slightly so I could use it with the SD card. I did not use Inkscape or pronterface, but used online to convert svg to dxf.

It works great, however I have to look at how to make dxf2gcode optimize the plotting, as you can see from the video it does not follow the logical fastest path. Could be because it is meant for milling and cutting hardware.

It seem also to use the F-rate for Z-axis for retracted head movement as well, but I may just hardcode that in the g-code settings in the future.

I wish also there was a possibility for a grid or overlay in dxf2gcode, or at least a way to easily determine the output size directly.

 

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    • 3 weeks later...
    Posted (edited) · Cutting vinyl with an Ultimaker 2

    Modelled and printed a holder for my beloved UMO (will publish it later...)

    Test pending...

    Nevertheless, THANK YOU Robert!! Great writeup..

    Edited by Guest
  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    • 4 years later...

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • UltiMaker Cura 5.3 stable released
        In this stable release, Cura 5.3 achieves yet another huge leap forward in 3D printing thanks to material interlocking! As well as introducing an expanded recommended print settings menu and lots of print quality improvements. Not to mention, a whole bunch of new printer profiles for non-UltiMaker printers!
          • Thanks
          • Like
        • 24 replies
      • Here it is. The new UltiMaker S7
        The UltiMaker S7 is built on the success of the UltiMaker S5 and its design decisions were heavily based on feedback from customers.
         
         
        So what’s new?
        The obvious change is the S7’s height. It now includes an integrated Air Manager. This filters the exhaust air of every print and also improves build temperature stability. To further enclose the build chamber the S7 only has one magnetically latched door.
         
        The build stack has also been completely redesigned. A PEI-coated flexible steel build plate makes a big difference to productivity. Not only do you not need tools to pop a printed part off. But we also don’t recommend using or adhesion structures for UltiMaker materials (except PC, because...it’s PC). Along with that, 4 pins and 25 magnets make it easy to replace the flex plate perfectly – even with one hand.
         
        The re-engineered print head has an inductive sensor which reduces noise when probing the build plate. This effectively makes it much harder to not achieve a perfect first layer, improving overall print success. We also reversed the front fan direction (fewer plastic hairs, less maintenance), made the print core door magnets stronger, and add a sensor that helps avoid flooding.
         

         
        The UltiMaker S7 also includes quality of life improvements:
        Reliable bed tilt compensation (no more thumbscrews) 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi A 1080p camera (mounted higher for a better view) Compatibility with 280+ Marketplace materials Compatibility with S5 project files (no reslicing needed) And a whole lot more  
        Curious to see the S7 in action?
        We’re hosting a free tech demo on February 7.
        It will be live and you can ask any questions to our CTO, Miguel Calvo.
        Register here for the Webinar
          • Like
        • 18 replies
      • UltiMaker Cura Alpha 🎄 Tree Support Spotlight 🎄
        Are you a fan of tree support, but dislike the removal process and the amount of filament it uses? Then we would like to invite you to try this special release of UltiMaker Cura. Brought to you by our special community contributor @thomasrahm
         
        We generated a special version of Cura 5.2 called 5.3.0 Alpha + Xmas. The only changes we introduced compared to UltiMaker Cura 5.2.1 are those which are needed for the new supports. So keep in mind, this is not a sneak peek for Cura 5.3 (there are some really cool new features coming up) but a spotlight release highlighting this new version of tree supports.  
          • Like
        • 22 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...