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How to Cut a Very Large Vinyl Design

How to Cut a Very Large Vinyl Design with Your Vinyl Cutter

Sometimes the standard size isn’t enough.

Either due to the demands of the client or to justify the beautiful design, you find yourself in need of something bigger.

However, a typical vinyl cutter only supports a 12×12 square-cut mat.

Now that’s a problem.

But the problem can be easily resolved.

How?

That’s what we are going to talk about here.

Here, I will show you not one but two different ways to cut a very large vinyl design with the vinyl cutter.

Let’s get the show on the road.

Cutting Huge Vinyl Design with the Help of Silhouette

Step 1:

First, you need to fire up the silhouette. Before we start working on the design, it’s important that we make a couple of changes in settings here.

Step 2:

As I have mentioned earlier, the standard size of a vinyl cutting piece is 12×12.

But there’s a loophole there.

You can increase the width and height as much as you want so long as one of them is below 12-inch.

For example, you can set the vinyl cutter to cut a 22″ x 10″ piece.

Or you could go larger.

You could set the device to cut or trim even a 48″ x 12″ piece.

Step: 3

For this project, you aren’t going to utilize a cut mat. That’s why you need to go to the cutting surface settings and select ‘none.’

Step: 4

As you aren’t going to use a cut mat, you need to activate the roller.

Step: 5

Now, it’s time to load the design onto the cutting machine.

Once you are done with making the design, select ‘Send to Silhouette’ from the options.

Step: 6

In the final stage, you need to fill the device with a vinyl roll and select, ‘cut page.’

Wait for a while to let the device work its magic.

Upon finishing cutting, you need to remove the unnecessary vinyl.

Once you are done weeding, sit back and take pride in the beautiful design you have created.

Alternative Way: Cricut

Here, I will show how you can use Cricut to cut a massive vinyl design.

Step: 1

At first, you need to launch the Cricut and go to the design space. Once you have imported the design, get to work.

Step: 2

Suppose you want to do a 23″ x 11″ cut.

Now, we are aware that this software can only do 12 inches wide, so we will need to make adjustments.

To cut a 23″ design with the device, you need to slice the image.

Step: 3

Now, select shape from the left side and then choose rectangular.

Once you have got the shape in, size it the way you want.

As it’s able to do 12 inches wide on the device, change the size to 11½ inches wide and 23 inches tall.

Since you need two of them, just copy and paste from the first one.

Step: 4

The trickiest part comes now. You need to figure out how to line them up correctly.

The best way to move them together is to use the positions on the top.

Step: 5

Now, go to the design and put 00 in the X Y position.

For the first rectangle, use the same positions as well, which will put it right up there in the corner.

Regarding the second one, set the X position at the 11½ and Y position at the 0. That will put it right next to the first rectangular.

Step: 6

Move the rectangular to the back so that the design gets visible.

Step: 7

Now, you have to slice the image.

For that, go to the layer panel and select the image. Then press control and choose one of the rectangles you’d like to use. Next, click slice.

As it’s a moderately large design, this is the only time it will need to be sliced.

However, if the size is greater than that, you will need to slice it more than once.

Step: 8

Now, move a rectangle and a part of the design out. And if you move the other part now, you’ll realize that they are separated. Afterward, delete the unnecessary rectangles.

Step: 9

The design is prepared for the cut now.

When you send the design to the mat, you’ll see that the image is separated into two different mats.

Step: 10

Now, cut out the two sections.

Step: 11

Finally, line the two sections up and put them together with transfer tape.

Read Also: Print Your 15″ x 15″ Size Design On T Shirt Using This Machine

Conclusion

As you now know two different ways to cut large vinyl designs, you are prepared to start your own project.

If you are worried about messing it up, don’t. Just stick to the instructions and you’ll be fine. Good luck!

James M. Rai has been screen printing T-shirts and other textiles professionally and as a hobby for more than 15 years. During that time, he owned and operated a small screen printing shop in northern California for more than 7 years. More recently, James has gotten involved with Cricut and other cutting machines.