Blade Offset

A blade offset is the distance from the center-line of the diameter of the shank of a vinyl cutter blade to the point of the blade where the cutting is done (see diagram). The vinyl cutter will move the center of the blade to the positions you tell it to however, the blade actually makes its cut a certain distance from the center. The cutter software can compensate for this difference if it knows the blade offset. The blade offset can change depending on the blade manufacturer and the blade angle. This value is entered into the vinyl cutting software.

Blade Offset Settings

The offset value determines how far past the actual corner it must move in order to drag the tip of the blade to the actual corner. In general, the default value in the software will work fine, but if you notice corners not cutting correctly, you may need to adjust the Blade Offset value.

Below is an example of how a square will cut when the Blade offset is set too high, too low and just right.

The Blade Offset value can be changed in the Cutter Settings window which can be accessed by choosing Cutter Settings from the Cutter menu or clicking the Settings button in the Cut window.

Issues with Sure Cuts A Lot 4

There is a reported issue with Sure Cuts A Lot ver. 4.080 that causes a significant blade off-set issue. Make sure that you update to the latest version of SCAL4 to fix this issue. You can do so by redownloading Sure Cuts a Lot Pro from the Craft Edge portal here.

Keep in mind that you will need to uninstall their version of SCAL, before installing the new one.  Be sure that you have your Product Serial Number (PSN) from the "About Sure Cuts a Lot Pro 4" section under the "Help" Menu before proceeding.