Mechanical dies for traditional die cutters range in price from approximately $40 – $105. Cutout Maker electronic dies are $0.80 per shape when you invest in the Premium Content Access CD (No Expiration).

REMEMBER: Unlike other school die-cutting machines, the Cutout Maker features electronic dies that are scalable! Most electronic dies can range in size from 1” to 18”.

You can order additional content from your authorized VariQuest sales specialist or call 1-800-328-0585. The content options include: No Expiration or 1-Year Access to the Premium Content Access CD or Learning Modules.

You can invest in a Premium Content Access CD (offered in No Expiration or 1-Year Access) that will give you access to over 3,800 shapes, 14 fonts and 172 collections.

Also, you are able to invest in Learning Modules that will give you access to 30-118 shapes, fonts and/or collections geared towards a specific content area and grade level range. You will own all Learning Module content.

After you receive the CD (Premium Content Access CD or Learning Module), call the VariQuest Registration Center at 1-800-328-0585 to activate your new content.

Fonts that your school owns will appear when you choose the Letters, Numbers & Symbols button in the Design Center Software. The collections will appear when you choose the Collections button. This is a welcome alternative to digging through racks of mechanical dies – a required step when using other school die-cut machines.

All shapes appear when you choose the Shapes button in the Design Center Software. The shapes that your school has purchased and activated will have an orange ‘Activated’ label with a white background. Shapes that your school does not yet own will be grayed out with a “Not Activated” label.

Fonts, which are purchased and activated for the Cutout Maker, may be printed on the Poster Maker and Awards Maker. However, the shapes and collections are developed differently than the print-only graphics and cannot be printed on posters and awards.

No. The cut speed depends on the content (shape, font or collection) being cut. Blade depth and blade pressure vary, therefore cutting speeds range from approximately 1” to 6” per second. The average cut speed is 4” per second.

As a general guideline and preventative maintenance tip, we suggest that you change your blade once a month. You may need to change it more often depending on material type and volume of cutting.

As a general guideline and preventative maintenance tip, we suggest that you change your cutting mat once a year depending on usage. You can extend the life of your mat by rotating it 180° periodically.

Each shape, font and collection has a “Minimum Cut Size,” which can be different depending on the detail of the content (shape, font or collection) being cut.

The purpose of the “Minimum Cut Size” message is to inform you that the cut quality may not be acceptable at the selected size. You may choose to still cut the shape or choose to make the shape larger for optimal cut quality.

The Cutout Maker is designed to be safe enough for students to operate! The machine is UL and CE certified and meets the federal guidelines for safety. However, we do recommend that an adult change the blade, as it is very sharp.

Simply…

1. Turn power OFF.
2. Rotate blade holder 90° toward front of unit.
3. Press blade release button.
4. Remove blade with blade removal tool.
5. Insert new blade.
6. Secure blade by turning power ON.
7. Rotate blade holder 90° back to operating position.

Yes! The LCD on the Cutout Maker will instruct you to load each color of material when needed. For example, “Load yellow construction paper.”

Yes! You can create cutouts from scrap paper as small as 4” x 6”.

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If you are experiencing poor cut quality, follow these steps in order to help determine root cause and see if quality has improved:

• Ensure the correct material was selected prior to cutting
• Adjust the material depth setting in the Design Center Software using the +/- adjustments. This is done by pressing the ‘Adjust Material Settings’ button on the Material Size and Type screen. Recut to see if quality improves.
• If material adjustments do not resolve the issue, replace the blade and recut.
• If material adjustments and blade changes do not resolve the issue, replace the cutter housing tip and recut.
• If the quality is still not improved, further technical support is needed. Customer should call their authorized VariQuest technician.

You can remove the tip by simply unscrewing it by hand or use the wrench provided. Care should be taken when removing the tip so that the attached spring is not lost. The new tip can then be screwed into the housing. We recommend tightening by hand or use the wrench provided. Be careful not to overtighten. Check out this video for detailed instructions