Getting your pressure settings just right is a trial and error process until you become better acquainted with your Inspiration. I remember when I started out; it just seemed that I couldn’t master the settings that would work best to cut through my favorite papers. Too much pressure was making my paper lift and throw in to the mix that my blade was extended out too far—the result was disastrous. My cardstock would be ruined and on top of that working on a deadline for a project can be pretty frustrating. I can really relate to Jenny and the problem that she describes because I too have experienced the same issue.
I’ve changed out my blade and mat and the paper still lifts and tears as the Inspiration cuts through my project. What am I doing wrong?
Jenny A. Newport, OR
When your paper is lifting and tearing the most likely culprit is that you are using too long of a blade length or too high of a pressure.
We’ve talked about the blade in previous posts as well as the blade holder. For as simple as those little pieces are, they play a huge role in the quality of your cuts. I recommend starting out with a blade length of about 2-2 ½. I know from experience that these blade length settings work well for a wide range of papers when combined with the proper pressure settings. Remember that pressure and blade length are two different things! When using the blade length of 2-2 ½ I use a pressure setting that will range from 14-18 depending on the paper that I’m cutting. Whenever the paper starts to lift up and tear I will back down on my pressure. I will usually only change the pressure in increments of one or two. If the paper still continues to tear, but the cut is all the way through, I’ll reduce it again. However, if I’ve reduced the pressure to a point that it’s not cutting through but my paper is still tearing, I’ll increase the pressure back up again one or two increments and then reduce the blade length. That means I would reduce the amount of blade showing so that there’s not so much blade sticking out of the holder.
It seems like a lot of work to get those settings just right, but the truth is it’s like riding a bike. It will only take one time for you to get the hang of it and after that you’ll never forget it. Once you find a good setting for your paper, make sure to save them for future reference. You can learn how to save your settings by visiting my previous blog Learning about your Media Settings.
These instructions that I’ve outlined are when you’re working with a new blade. If the blade is dull you can experience similar problems with the paper tearing and lifting. When you’ve worked with the blade and pressure and still can’t get the issues resolved, try changing out the blade. You can read about the blade here. Also, there can be other factors that cause the paper to lift and tear such as the size and detail in your image. The more intricate the design the more often you can run into problems with the paper lifting and tearing, but by using the proper blade length and pressure settings these problems can easily be resolved.
I just want to confirm how important the pressure and blade setting is. I have not got used the the different settings on the different mediums I cut and what a difference they make once you get used to them. In the beginning I battled to get the blade lenght right and never gave a thought to the pressure. One day when I was just really battling I decided to “fiddle” a little with the pressue and “voila” – I now seldom have problems – just to add – one of my favourite mediums is Grunge paper and Grunge board. I have cut the tiniest little fragile swirls etc out of Grunge paper and they just don’t tear. WONDERFUL
SORRY – the seconde sentence should read “I have now got used to the different settings ….”
Over time you will get pretty intuitive about adjusting pressure. I love that the Inspiration allows you to dial the blade length. On the Pro I have to manually adjust the length and it can be hard to tell if you have moved it in or out just “a tad”.