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Virtual Vinyl Tour of USCutter.com Redmond, WA Headquarters

Posted on October 28, 2019 by USCutter

Join us for a virtual vinyl tour of the USCutter.com headquarters facility in Redmond, Washington, and see how you could outfit your building with some visual vinyl signage!

At USCutter, we are first and foremost a vinyl company. And walking around our hallways, shared spaces, and warehouses, it shows!

As you’ll see, any facility would benefit from some highly visual and intentional vinyl graphics. So let us show you some examples of how any business can make some helpful internal signage, and describe the equipment, materials, and workflow that goes into installing them!

First, you’ll need a vinyl cutter if you don’t have one already (learn more here).

For frosted window privacy film graphics such as these, the bigger vinyl cutter to feed through, the better!

LaserPoint 3 Vinyl Cutter and Material Bundles on Sale Right Now!

It’s much easier to cut larger graphics, such as privacy film for a window, or a big banner, in one pass with your vinyl cutter, rather than transferring it in pieces to the mounting surface later. The LaserPoint 3 is ideal for large cut jobs because it has excellent tracking, internal memory to save big cut jobs, and a free included media catch basket to preserve your cut job while it’s cutting unattended!

The Right Vinyl for the Job:

Oracal 651 is a great all-purpose vinyl for both outdoor signage and banners, as well as interior windows and other surfaces (just not recommended for painted walls – see Oracal 631 for that).

Oracal 651 does the trick for window signage!

We also carry a wide range of Oracal etched/frosted/dusted glass privacy films that can accomplish many goals in an office environment. They provide a very subtle visual shield for conference rooms that still freely permits light to enter, and they can be cut to include appealing visual borders, accents, and graphics. You could also use them for some winter-time décor on windows and glass drinkware!

We use Oracal 631 indoor wall vinyl throughout our headquarters retail shop lobby.

Whether the goal is functional or aesthetic or both, vinyl is practical and fun!

Transfer Tape:

Selecting the right tape for your job can be a real sticking point for our customers. In a nutshell, the adhesive tack (strength) of your tape must be strong enough to lift the finish of your vinyl, but not too strong that it doesn’t release the vinyl onto the mounting surface.

Windows are a very smooth surface and are not always the most forgiving for alignment. For large window graphics that require precise alignment, wet application is recommended. A porous paper tape like GreenStar Classic is great because it allows you to reposition the graphic on a slippery surface, and then squeegee out the moisture so the adhesive can set.

GreenStar Clear is a good option for laying down multi-color layered graphics because it has clear facestock to aid with aligning your layers.

TransferRite 1320 has an aggressive tack for picking up frosted/etched/dusted and textured vinyl finishes.

From awning to online storefront, USCutter.com is clearly labeled to guide you to the right vinyl product for your needs!

Installation Tools:

The right squeegee, and more importantly the right squeegee technique, makes a big difference on how well your vinyl graphic gets mounted. Squeegee from the center out to put down your graphic, and pull back the tape at a 45 degree angle for the cleanest release and not pull back up your small vinyl details.

The right weeding tool, tape roller, or squeegee, can be a matter of trial and error to find what works for you. Come back to USCutter.com for the latest and greatest Yellotool, or workflow aid, to optimize your speed and efficiency as you gain experience installing vinyl graphics in your facility!

Vinyl may be strong but it’s not invincible. In a harsh environment like the breakroom kitchen sink, you might need to replace a word or two every few years!

The USCutter Story, As Seen through the Eyes of Employee #1

Posted on October 21, 2019October 21, 2019 by USCutter

Introduction: Cutter Power to the People

The year is 2006. The world is in upheaval. Tech giant Google buys a little democratic video sharing platform called Youtube. Pluto is kicked out of the planetary brotherhood. Borat debuts to a shocked and chastened viewing public. And in Redmond, Washington, in a non-descript building nestled among a mushroom colony of Microsoft buildings, a little start-up called Selltopia is selling people’s possessions through an eBay consignment store (think Catherine Keener’s character in The 40 Year Old Virgin).

Selltopia (the precursor to USCutter) sold many items on eBay. Not these fabulous boots, but items such as antique jewelry up to large size boat engines!

Little did they know that a product in their testing queue called the MH vinyl cutter would change the face of the world as we know it…

Chapter 1: Employee #1 Jaster Nyasulu Hops Aboard and Reports for Duty

USCutter: When did you start with the company, Jaster?

Jaster: March 6th, 2006.

USCutter: Wow. You know your start date to the day. That’s a lot of water under the bridge. All right. It’s 2006. Set the scene for us.

Jaster: My background was in web development. Building systems to sell in the supplementary insurance market.

USCutter: Interesting. Tell us about the early days on eBay with Selltopia.

Jaster: We were a 2 man operation, Marcus (the original owner of Selltopia), and myself. We would list products for customers on eBay. We’d photograph and describe them and sell them via a Chinese auction for a commission. We sold all kinds of items from antique jewelry to large size boat engines.

USCutter: Really, so what’s the story behind the MH? The vinyl cutter which made sign-production and apparel-decoration accessible to the masses?

Jaster: We were studying how different categories of products performed in the marketplace. And we knew pretty quickly we had a winner in the MH. Affordable relative to the competition, reliable, and easy to operate.

USCutter: So how did Selltopia become a sign and graphics supply wholesaler?

Jaster: MH was such a huge success on eBay that we had to quickly expand the business. USCutter.com was born. We moved to a larger warehouse in Woodinville, and we started carrying sign vinyl. In 2008, we brought on current president Karl Bowman to oversee the daily administrative operations of the company. He came from a background in the sign-making industry and had his own sign shop making cut vinyl graphics and digitally printed signs and banners.

USCutter: So from the ashes of Selltopia, USCutter.com (me) was born?

Jaster: Yes, the company was rebranded as USCutter to cater to the sign-making community. We brought on Orafol and launched GreenStar adhesive vinyl brands to sell through our new ecommerce portal. In 2008, in our industry, this was a fairly revolutionary way to do business and reach customers not served by local wholesalers.

USCutter: So, in 10+ years of developing a platform for servicing businesses, as well as beginners and hobbyists in this industry, what are the main lessons you’ve learned?

Jaster: USCutter has grown to a position of leadership in servicing this segment of business. From bringing on the MH, to Oracal products, to leading the charge into apparel customization with Siser heat transfer vinyl, and other brands, we always have to be pushing the envelope to remain innovative and relevant to our customers. WE CAN’T BE SLEEPING!

USCutter: Thank you Jaster. One last question, you’re also known in the community for your charitable endeavors. Can you tell us a little about Mzuzu Academy?

Jaster: Yes. As many people know around the office, I am from Malawi. And my heritage has always been very close to me, even living here in the Seattle area all these decades. Mzuzu Academy is a boarding school in my home country of Malawi that draws teachers from all over the world to come and teach grades K-12. It began in 2003 as a joint collaboration between myself and fellow Malawaian expats who perceived a need for the local children in the community to receive a quality education and exposure to the global community at large.

Jaster, proudly posing before the international academy he helped to make into a reality.

USCutter: That’s amazing. And it’s really snowballed since 2003, hasn’t it?

Jaster: Yes. We’ve been very fortunate to have the support of some very generous donors, and even famous people, like Tom Brokaw’s wife! The school has been in operation for 9 years, and now serves a student body of over 300, including students from other countries than Malawi! It is truly an international success story, and a symbol of what can be achieved when people work together. The academy is also home to an elementary school section and orphanage.

Students from Malawi and beyond call these halls home. Education is a cause near and dear to Jaster’s heart as a former mathematics and computer science teacher.

USCutter: Thanks so much for your time, Jaster, and all you do.

Make your own Halloween Special Effects: Glow in the Dark Vinyl Reveals!

Posted on September 30, 2019September 30, 2019 by USCutter

It’s that spooky season again, when the moon seems to bathe everything in an eerie glow… Read on for details on how to add some Hollywood movie magic to Halloween costumes, trick-or-treat bags, and other items, using Siser Glow-in-the-Dark adhesive and heat transfer vinyl.

Now you see it now you don’t!

With a little creativity and a little (night) vision, you can create a scary reveal on any light or dark colored fabric or apparel blank.

Steps to Make Spooky Reveal Trick-or-Treat Bag:

Step 1: First, you’ll need both some Siser Glow-in-the-Dark and solid-white heat transfer vinyl, and a blank canvas or fabric bag (all available at USCutter.com!)

Step 2: Vectorize your spooky Halloween cutfile. Separate the cut jobs into white vinyl for the part of the design that will be visible in daylight, and glow-in-the-dark (appears like white) vinyl for the part of the design you want to illuminate the darkness.

Step 3: Put down the Glow-in-the-Dark layer first, then briefly tack the heat transfer onto the bag’s facing for 5 seconds. Then lay down the layer of white vinyl, and follow the recommended pressure and temperature settings on your heat press for the full duration of the heat press cycle.

Note: you can do similar effects on shirts or other fabrics, including dark colors.

Also, don’t limit your imagination to Halloween (see this cool glow-in-the-dark directional signage made from Siser EasyPSV Glow-in-the-Dark adhesive vinyl)…

or vinyl (check out this cool dye-sublimation printed trick-or-treat bag!)…

Get Glow-in-the-Dark adhesive vinyl, HTV, trick-or-treat bag, and more materials in our special seasonal Halloween Grab Bag bundle! Only $19.95 while supplies last!