The success of your vinyl sign business rests in the quality of your work. Research shows that quality signage brings people in the door and increases sales and profits, so your clients rely on your work to improve theirs.
Your Graphtec plotter is capable of producing intricate and exciting designs for your clients. Keeping your Graphtec plotter blades sharp means those designs get executed with crisp, sharp edges that make your client look great.
Even the best vinyl cutting tools can let you down as the blades dull and age. Carbide Graphtec blades are designed with the strength to hold their edge and cut through the trickiest materials.
Let’s look at why you want these great carbide blades when it is time to replace them.
Why Carbide Blades
Strength is necessary when cutting through the rubbery texture of vinyl. You want the blade to slide through with minimal resistance and have a long-lasting sharp edge. The more exotic the material you cut through, the harder it is on a blade, which can snap a weaker metal blade.
Carbide is the metal of choice for most vinyl cutting as it reduces friction when cutting through media to give you high-quality cuts. It is super durable and long-lasting. The inherent strength means you can cut faster and change directions without worrying about snapping the blade.
The best plotter blades use tungsten carbide, which includes tungsten and carbon in equal proportions. Cemented versions add up to 25 percent cobalt.
Steel has been the standard for use in cutting tools for centuries. While it is a mix of iron and carbon, it contains far less carbon than carbides. While it is easier and cheaper to produce, steel blades would wear down faster and are not as strong as those made with carbide.
If you only do small projects or product runs, you can get away with cheaper steel blades. The cost starts to add up for shops doing high-volume production. Carbide blades can be counted on to handle cutting through media of all types for large projects.
Why Graphtec Plotter Blades
Just like you might install Toyota-brand brake pads on your Highlander, you can look for Graphtec-branded blades for your plotter. It is an easy way to ensure the blades are compatible with the plotter. You will get a snug fit with the blade holder, which then sits snugly in the tool carriage.
Graphtec blades come in two widths for use in their FC, FCX, and CE series plotters — 0.9mm width and 1.5mm width. The default option that comes with your plotter is a 45-degree angle blade with the blue-tipped blade holder, which holds the 0.9mm size.
Thicker or coarse medialike glitter vinyl call for the more sturdy 1.5mm blade. It is also suitable for exotic materials like twill or flock, as well as stretch vinyl. Due to its thicker diameter, you need the red-tipped blade holder to hold the blade securely.
Both sizes come in 45-degree and 60-degree angles. The shallower 45-degree angle is called for when working with thinner vinyl, while the 60-degree angle allows for cuts in thicker material.
While you can stick with Graphtec-branded blades, third-party options, like those here at Simple Solutions, allow you to get more blades for the money. Our carbide blades fit Graphtec plotters just as well as the OEM versions without the higher cost.
Choosing Vinyl Cutting Blades
Your plotter’s default cutter is usually a 45-degree angle blade, perfect for a wide variety of uses, particularly normal-sized graphics and standard vinyl. If you offer more than that in your shop, you likely want to expand on that option. Different widths and angles allow plotter blades for vinyl to deal with different thicknesses and types of materials.
When shopping for new blades, the key thing to keep in mind is that the new blade is compatible with your cutter brand. Blades are friction-fitted to the cutter, so you need one that will fit snugly in the holder. If the new blade is the same diameter or width as your current blade, the odds are good it will work.
If you need to move to a different size blade, you want to make sure you have the right blade holder for it. For example, Graphtec cutters come with a 0.9mm blade and a blue-tipped blade holder for that size. To switch up to the 1.5mm blade so you can cut thicker media, you’ll need to get the red-tipped blade holder.
Pairing the blade types with the right blade holders improves the blade’s lifespan and ensures that you have the correct fit to get a quality and clean cut. If you are experiencing ragged cuts, it could be that your blade is not installed correctly or does not fit in the holder properly. In that case, try re-seating the blade before replacing it with a new one.
Need Replacement Blades?
If you are noticing your cuts are not quite as clean as they used to be, it is probably time to replace your Graphtec plotter blades. Buying carbide versions get you strong blades that last a long time and can handle different media easily. You can look for third-party options that save you money while still getting quality vinyl cutting plotter blades.
Need more information on picking the right tools for cutting vinyl? Contact us to learn more about our quality replacement Graphtec blades, made in the USA.We offer a full selection of blades that fit a wide range of vinyl cutting plotters.
Simple Solutions International offers a full selection of plotter blades and plotter pens as well as a variety of useful tools for use in plotting and sign making such as plotter adapters, masking film, spray mask, and other sign making tools and accessories.