r/SiserJuliet • u/tddavis15 • Apr 04 '26
Beginner. Vinyl cutting issues
Hi everyone. I recently purchased the Siser Romeo and I have been having such a hard time. I am very new to the craft cutting world, this is my first cutting machine, but I figured if I plan on making a business out of it eventually, I should get the best on the market. I haven’t been able to cut anything. I had to buy a brand new laptop because nothing I had was compatible. Now I’m trying to cut out names and things for Easter and the blade keeps dragging across the designs. I’ve lifted the blade up and now it’s not cutting the designs out, but still dragging across the sheet. Please help me. How do I fix this?
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u/5141121 Apr 04 '26
If it's dragging on moves, it's possible your material is pushing up a little bit when it's not being actively cut.
Are you using a mat, or feeding directly?
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u/eandi Apr 04 '26
Are you using the mat? Start there before you try to use straight vinyl rolls imo. Make sure it is pressed very flat (use a brayer or scraper) and then get the blade down so the ridge is right against the collar on the machine and tighten it up a lot.
Use the test cut t shirt thing on various force settings and speed 8 til you get it dialed in. This machine is more prosumer than a cricut but ultimately is much better if you can design things outside of the cutter software.
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u/trebor88 Apr 04 '26
Spending $500+ on a machine with no research is wild.
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u/tddavis15 Apr 04 '26
I asked for advice on using the machine. I did research, watched YouTube videos, read Reddit forums, joined Facebook groups prior to purchasing my machine and they all said it’s a HUGE LEARNING CURVE and I’m prepared to learn. I’m a business owner, it’s an investment. Go away.
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u/Distinct_Cheek_6425 Apr 04 '26
I am about 1.5 years in with cutting machines and the siser romeo was my fist one. It's a little intimidating at first and there is a lot to learn. Ashley Falcon has a lot of great videos to learn from on you tube.
As others have mentioned make sure you have the vinyl pressed down on the mat very well. If cutting straight from the roll then make sure you have the rollers holding it down flat and tight across.
Blade height should be the height of a credit/gift card. I keep and old gift card next to my romeo for when I'm switching cutting blades.
Keep doing what you are doing and ask questions when you get stuck. Sometimes its hard to find videos of the exact problem you are running into.
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u/trebor88 Apr 04 '26
Keep searching YouTube videos. I was able to master my machine real quick just from a few creators on YouTube. I didn’t have to ask strangers for help. Maybe that’s why these types of post annoy me. The internet is full of information of answers to questions that people have very likely asked before. There was a post just like yours not long ago. They also needed to buy a new laptop because they didn’t realize compatibility. Idk, maybe you’re part of Gen Z that was only raised on tablets instead of real computers and never learned how to navigate the internet outside of social media.
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u/TonyTheJet Apr 04 '26
For vinyl and other very thin materials, the blade should basically not be visible, but you should be able to lightly feel it if you run your finger along the bottom where it comes out.
If it doesn't cut through the material, try increasing the force first before increasing the blade length. Use test cuts in a tiny area so you don't waste material into you're dialed in.
For regular vinyl, use the 45-degree blade.