Cutter Calibration - Step By Step

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for calibrating a printer cutter for the first time.

Step 1: Set Tray Position

Adjust the cutter's trays to match your paper size using the black knobs, and mark the position for future reference.

Step 2: Verify Printing Preferences

Select the correct print orientation based on your cutter model:

• A4 cutters: Use Vertical (Portrait) mode
• Letter size cutters: Use Horizontal (Landscape) mode

Step 3: Configure Printer Settings

1. Access your printer settings and choose the appropriate preset from the dropdown menu in the "General" tab that matches both your printer model and cutter specifications.
   
2. Choose your printer from the drop-down menu in the “Flipbook” tab
3. Record a Video-Flip session.
4. Return to the settings menu and select the “Show Borders”  option under the "Flipbook" tab. 
   Note that the paper Width and Height change according to the event selected.
   When using a letter-size paper, the width and height are set to 3300X2550, and when using A4 it is set to 2480 x 3508.
   The columns and the rows also change according to the paper size. Letter-sized paper is cut into 3 columns and 4 rows (3 vertical strips containing 4 cards), and Ad paper is cut into two columns and 5 rows (two vertical strips with 5 cards).
   
5.  Print a test page and run it once through the lower tray of the cutter.
   
6. Look at the left and right strips. Pay attention to the distance of the border's lines on the left and on the right from the actual cut. Don't worry about the middle, once the left and right sides are adjusted, the middle will be set as well.
   
7. Adjust the left and right padding to reach the desired cut. Note that the padding values are in pixels. By increasing padding, you actually push the border closer to the middle of the paper, and by decreasing it you push it closer to the edge. Your goal is to have the cut right on the border.
   
8. Print another test page and insert it to the cutter to see if there is a need for further adjustments and change the padding values accordingly. Repeat this step until you reach the perfect page padding.
9. Take a strip and pass it through the upper tray of the cutter.
   
   Pay attention to the direction in which you inserted the strip through the cutter, this will be the direction you will use from now on.
   
   
10. Look at the top and the bottom cards. Pay attention to the distance of the border's lines on the top and the bottom from the actual cut.
    
11. Adjust the top and bottom padding to reach the desired cut using the top and bottom page padding.
    
12. Print another test page and pass it through both trays in the cutter (in the same order as before). If in need of further adjustments, please repeat steps 9-10 until you reach the perfect page padding.
13. Adjust the card padding to fit the photo on the card to your liking. You can center it, stretch it or add a small white frame around it if you’d like.

Summary

Proper calibration ensures accurate cutting and printing alignment. Following these three steps — positioning trays, selecting the correct print orientation, and configuring printer presets — prepares your equipment for optimal performance.