It is so easy to get caught up in the fact that the Inspiration cuts that we forget about all of the other fabulous capabilities that the Inspiration offers. You can use the distressing, embossing, engraving, and needle pierce tools as well as the pen tool. The pen tool is a great accessory to go along with your cutter since it can add the picture perfect journaling or drawings to any project.
My machine cuts great, but I just started using the pen tool and I can’t get it to work. Is something wrong with my machine?
MaKayla S. Buffalo NY
People often call in worried that there is something wrong with their machine because they are having trouble with the pen tool. A good rule of thumb is if you are getting quality cuts with your Inspiration, then there is nothing wrong with your machine. If you are having trouble with the Pen Tool in your machine it is more likely to do with how your pen is positioned in the Pen Tool, what pressure you are using, or it could be that the thumbscrew on your Pen Tool is not holding the pen securely enough.
Getting started with the pen tool can be a tricky task since it is so different than using the blade holder. With the blade holder the adjustments are as easy as a click of the dial. With the pen tool there is a bit more adjustment for how far down to have your pen in the tool. When your pen and pen tool is in your Inspiration, the pen should rest about 1/8” above your paper. Since every pen manufacturer makes their pens a little different, you will need to learn how visually adjust your pen so it sits properly in the Pen Tool. You will also want to use a lighter pressure, I tend to use a pressure of about 14, but for every individual and even Inspiration this setting can change. You can watch a Pen Tool tutorial in our videos section under Tools & Accessories for some great help on using this tool.
You will also want to make sure that the Pen Tool thumbscrew is tight enough to hold your pen in place. Tighten the thumbscrew just enough that your pen does not slide around inside of the Pen Tool. Occasionally this nylon thumbscrew can become stripped and will no longer hold your pen in place, especially if you accidentally over tighten it. Pazzles offers a replacement metal thumbscrew for you if you’ve found that your nylon thumbscrew is stripped and doesn’t properly holder the pen in place.
hi Tatum i was just wondering where i would be able to get a metal thumbscrew from as my nylon one has been stripped of it threads. thanks (from UK)
Charlotte you can get replacement screws here in the uk, just take your pen tool to a computer shop and they will find you one. If you have any older computers at home you might find a screw somewhere inside the tower, that’s what i did and my pen tool works perfectly now. HTH:-)
How can I get a replacment metal thumbscrew? Who do I contact? I live in New York.
You can give us a call at 1-866-729-9537 to get a replacement
thank you
I’m finding my mats are very sticky and are hard to get the project off even using my tools. Is the paper (cardstock) the problem or the mat?