ScanNCut Basics 4b: Test Cutting: MATS: All about mats

Evening. It's cold and damp here, very autumnal. I'm snuggled up with the cats and a duvet on the sofa watching my mats drip drying hanging from the curtain rail.  Whilst I wait for them to dry seems an ideal time to talk about mats (we'll come back to the drip drying mats in due course).

Let's start by sorting out what different mats there are, and what sizes they come in, and which machines you can use with them:

• There's TWO kinds of mats for the Brother ScanNCut. One kind you cut on (and draw and emboss and foil, and scan to cut) and one kind you don't (they're only for scanning, nothing else).
• The cutting mats are LOW TACK, MEDIUM TACK and STANDARD TACK. With these goes an Accessory called the HIGH TACK FABRIC SUPPORT SHEET. These mats, and the sheet are Consumables. You will have to buy more, but there's ways of making them last longer. Not all countries sell all mats - the most common ones are Low and Standard mats, I'm not sure we can even get Medium mats in the UK.
• The mat you don't cut is called the SCANNING MAT. So long as you don't mistreat it, this is a once only purchase and will last forever.

ScanNCut Basics 4a: Test Cutting - BLADES - how not to break blades and cut through mats!

Test Cutting. Seems a bit like a faff, but actually it's what ensures that you'll get perfect cuts every time, without having to shell out constantly for new consumables (blades & mats). So here's what I know (so far) about Test Cutting, Blades and Mats.

First, let's have a look at the blade & the mat themselves. Brother really have put a lot of thought into the design and operation of these, I'm rather impressed myself! I'm assuming you've either read or got in front of you Chapter 1 Getting Started in the Manual (either on CD-Rom that came with your machine or online via the Brother Support Website) and also the Appendix about looking after your machine, when we go through this.

Brother Scan n Cut 3 - Callibrating your Machine - how and why

Morning.

I'm assuming you've ALREADY followed the Brother SnC series Post 2 - Machine Upgrades and have upgraded your machine to the most recent available for your model and country. If not, go HERE and do it first. Why? Because machine callibration is something that Brother initially put into the Servicing Area of the Machine, but then realised they needed to enable users to do it for themselves, so some of these activities form part of the Upgrades. There's work arounds in this post where I know about them for those who, if you are unable to upgrade and up against it timewise to get your machine working properly BUT be careful!

Also, if you don't know how to use the CD-Rom Manual that came with your machine, or how to find the Online Manual and Upgrade Release Notes - go to the first post on Box Fresh HERE. Because with this Post, you need the Manual.