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I am brand new to die cutting, and I'm having an issue with every tape I have tried.
First of all, I have the We R Memory Keepers Evolution Advanced, and I have to use the dies cutting side up with the paper on top, so it makes it very difficult to ensure accurate cutting unless I use tape (or a magnetic plate, which I would rather not spend money on).
I have tried washi tape and plain ole scotch tape, even rubbing them on my fingers or clothes to remove some of the stickiness, but the act of rolling them through the machine is causing everything to stick so much that it tends to ruin my paper.
Either I remove enough of the sticky to not mess up the paper, or I remove too much adhesive and they fall off when I have to flip them to put them on my plate to run them through. I have had a little success with flipping my whole sandwich over so that I can put the die on top of the paper, but it's awkward and difficult for me with this machine.
I have also tried just making sure the tape only touches the parts of paper I'm not using, but it's hard on these tiny dies, and not always possible if I'm planning to use both the cutout and the remaining paper.
Any tips on what kind of tape is best? Or how to use the tapes I have more effectively?
I tend to use painter’s tape (mine is blue) when I want something that peels off my cardstock, either for holding down dies or masking areas. I do tend to stick and peel off a couple of times on the leg of my jeans if it’s going through my die cutting machine. You could look for tape that says it’s for “delicate surfaces” to see if that helps.
I’m afraid I have no experience of your particular die cutter though so I can’t offer an tips tailored to that.
I tend to use painter�s tape (mine is blue) when I want something that peels off my cardstock, either for holding down dies or masking areas. I do tend to stick and peel off a couple of times on the leg of my jeans if it�s going through my die cutting machine. You could look for tape that says it�s for �delicate surfaces� to see if that helps.
I�m afraid I have no experience of your particular die cutter though so I can�t offer an tips tailored to that.
Good luck!
Thanks! I do have some of the blue painter's tape, I just hadn't tried it because I assumed it would be stickier than the washi tape. I will definitely try it though if you have had luck with it!
The best thing I've found is the Post-It tape. Same sticky as a post-it, but shaped like a roll of tape, with the sticky covering one side of the roll. Even after running it through my machine, it is easy to remove from my die and the diecut.
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
I use washi and don't have problems, and the die cutting side is up, but not all washi is created equally. : ) I'd go with Linda E's suggestion of Post-It Tape, which can also be used for masking, keeping edges clean when stamping, etc.
Alternatively if you wanted to use painters tape and blue is too sticky - it's stickier than my washi tape, but my washi is very unstick - you might try yellow Frog Tape - not green. Yellow is the least sticky of the painters tapes. It's also good for techniques - I use it when watercoloring to keep a clean margins, or for other heavy-water usage techniques.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Beth
Last edited by bjeans; 05-15-2018 at 02:59 PM..
Reason: Mistakenly put green for yellow and yellow for green
you may already be doing this, but just in case...
When you pull the tape off after, pull It towards you gently and pull “low”. (Your hand hand will be immediately next to the paper). That seems to help me. If I go straight up, paper always comes up with the tape.
The best thing I've found is the Post-It tape. Same sticky as a post-it, but shaped like a roll of tape, with the sticky covering one side of the roll. Even after running it through my machine, it is easy to remove from my die and the diecut.
(link removed because I haven't posted enough lol)
Thank you for that link! I have heard of "post-it tape" but never found what I thought was the correct stuff. When I run that search on Amazon some weird stuff comes up that didn't look right! At least now I know what it looks like! And we have Blick here, so maybe I'll go by there and see if they have it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjeans
Green is the least sticky of all the painters tapes.
Ooooo thanks! I don't think I have ever seen green painter's tape.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fl_beachbum
you may already be doing this, but just in case... When you pull the tape off after, pull It towards you gently and pull �low�. (Your hand hand will be immediately next to the paper). That seems to help me. If I go straight up, paper always comes up with the tape.
Yeah I have had some success, sometimes. And then sometimes it seems no matter how careful I am it messes up. I tend to be pretty heavy-handed so I end up tearing bits of paper off or bending my delicate cut-outs. I'm sure with practice it will all get easier! And I'm so glad I found this site!
I think the on-line craft store, ellenhutston.com, also carries it, plus Home Depot, etc., or paint stores. It comes in various thicknesses too.
Jennifer McGuire sometimes uses micropore tape too - which has worked well for me too, though I think it's more expensive.
Awesome, thanks so much for the info and links. I have a HUGE haul of dies coming in soon from Wish and I'm going to need something reliable to test them all out I will probably get a roll of both types and see what works better for me.
I did not read all your responses but, what I have found over the years is say PTI (papertreyink) cardstock, when I tape or glue that in any way shape or form I better have it perfect because, if I need to move it or remove washi tape... its gonna peel. so, I have to be in that mind set that the tape is on the side that will be the drop,
not the piece I am trying to cut to use on the project. ( does that make sense?)
now Bazzill cardstock ( the old style) had a little plastic in it, so it was more forgiving for moving adhesives from it for a little bit, even if you were using permanent. So, I would say coated papers may not have as much of that peeling thing going on too.
and sometimes this is a climate over time thing as far as paper goes. I have some paper that is hmph 15 years old? and I live in a place with little to no humidity so, my paper is on the dry side.
I did not read all your responses but, what I have found over the years is say PTI (papertreyink) cardstock, when I tape or glue that in any way shape or form I better have it perfect because, if I need to move it or remove washi tape... its gonna peel. so, I have to be in that mind set that the tape is on the side that will be the drop,
not the piece I am trying to cut to use on the project. ( does that make sense?)
now Bazzill cardstock ( the old style) had a little plastic in it, so it was more forgiving for moving adhesives from it for a little bit, even if you were using permanent. So, I would say coated papers may not have as much of that peeling thing going on too.
and sometimes this is a climate over time thing as far as paper goes. I have some paper that is hmph 15 years old? and I live in a place with little to no humidity so, my paper is on the dry side.
Yup that makes perfect sense! And I will admit the paper I'm using (so far) is a pretty cheap card stock. I haven't invested in different white card stocks yet because I haven't decided what coloring medium I like best.
My washi is all over the place in terms of whether it is likely to rip my cardstock. The yellow frog painters' tape is the least sticky and best of the painter's tapes I have used. I have ripped paint off the wall removing the "blue" one so I don't trust it on cardstock. I think the Post It tape is the safest for taping down dies but can be pricey.
I agree that papertrey ink cardstock does seem to overreact to tape especially their linen finish paper. Watercolor paper is prone to lifting also. Neenah not so much.
Pulling tape across and very close to the surface does make a difference. I have ripped stuff a bunch of times pulling up, especially with washi.
I'm ready to try the purple tape Jennifer McGuire demos. She says it has the perfect amount of stick. Seems way overpriced though. Any experience from anyone with that?
you may already be doing this, but just in case...
When you pull the tape off after, pull It towards you gently and pull �low�. (Your hand hand will be immediately next to the paper). That seems to help me. If I go straight up, paper always comes up with the tape.
Huffing can help too! Lift the first corner of tape and then breathe out slowly through your mouth, directing your breath under the tape. Peel back a little way and huff again. The gentle warmth and moisture often helps to loosen adhesive.
I'm not sure what happened with your quote above melbell but it's yellow tape, not green, that Beth (bjeans) recommends as the least sticky.
Huffing can help too! Lift the first corner of tape and then breathe out slowly through your mouth, directing your breath under the tape. Peel back a little way and huff again. The gentle warmth and moisture often helps to loosen adhesive.
I'm not sure what happened with your quote above melbell but it's yellow tape, not green, that Beth (bjeans) recommends as the least sticky.
I messed up and first typed green, then went back and edited it. melbell must have quoted it an instant before I realized my brain and fingers weren't connected. My apologies for the confusion.
Yellow is the least sticky painters tape, called "delicate surface," then green, then blue - not that blue is all that sticky. But I've seen it remove the first layer of drywall too.
You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for all the help! I'm probably going to try the Post-It stuff first, even though it's a bit more expensive, and just see how long it takes me to get through the roll. I'm sure it'll last me a while.
This is a great idea! I've got some of the Post-It tape but never thought of using it for holding dies in place. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by uncbballfan
The best thing I've found is the Post-It tape. Same sticky as a post-it, but shaped like a roll of tape, with the sticky covering one side of the roll. Even after running it through my machine, it is easy to remove from my die and the diecut.
There are different strengths of blue tape...get the weakest. I think you judge that by how many days it is rated to use for. The less days, the less strength?
Micropore tape. Medical supply. You can get it on Amazon by the box but here it is just a couple rolls to try or they may have it at your CVS. This was recommended awhile back by Jennifer McGuire, a well respected blogger.
I use washi or micropore. I will stick washi to my jeans 4x first.
Whatever you use, you really only need a little piece generally on framelits. Maybe one at each end. I see people using big pieces. And there are times I dont even use it because if I am just cutting out a word or something to put on another project, it doesnt matter if it isnt straight to the CS. (Which is likely a scrap anyway.)
You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for all the help! I'm probably going to try the Post-It stuff first, even though it's a bit more expensive, and just see how long it takes me to get through the roll. I'm sure it'll last me a while.
Another vote for post it tape! I use it exclusively after having tried all the others (painters tape -variety of colors, washi, micropore). The postit tape consistently comes off without a hassle to the paper, though on rare occasion it stitch�s to the metal on the die and is easily removed.
Extra tip about post-it tape: it�s good for more than one journey through the Big Shot (or Cuttlebug!). After using it and removing it from paper and die, I put the used post-it on the top left side of the BS to use again. It�s easy to see there and easy to grab and go. I�ve found it�s usually good for at least 2 times through the machine and sometimes more. You don�t need much post-it to hold the die down, so make a point of only ripping off 3/4� to 1� at a time.
My rolls of post-it last a long time and I use it MANY ways in my stamping! It�s great for attaching to the back of partially compleated cards with notes about what you used (color of cs, ink, die, stamp, etc). When you come back to the project you can easily pick up where you left off without the guessing game of what you used. The post-it comes off like a charm without harming the project and you can use this discard to hold down dies before tossing away.
I am so envious that you are able to walk into Blicks and purchase this tape. Their price is excellent and if I visited you I would be emptying their pegs of product! :oops:
Hope you have lots of fun playing with your new dies. Enjoy!
I used to use different kinds of tape and the edge would impress on the die cut....either positive or negative cuts. SO I got the magnetic plate (with a coupon at Michael's) and DO NOT put the blade side up. I never understood that because I want to see what I'm cutting. I don't have to use tape at all. So it's been a worthwhile purchase for me.
I use the Scotch removable tape, purchased with a coupon at Michaels, so it’s economical. I also use small pieces and stick them on the sides of the Big Shot handle and can use them several times before they don’t stick anymore. This has worked for me for many years. I had tried washi tape and blue tape but they ripped the paper sometimes.
I re-use washi like you do Scotch, sticking it onto a little drawer unit my computer screen sits on to raise it. I like Scotch for temporarily holding other things, but found it hard to grasp to pull off sometimes because it would tear into tiny thin pieces - but that's on me. Pinching motions can bother a thumb joint and my nails aren't great.
Yellow painters tape - Frog Tape - is the least sticky painters tape. Blue then Green then Yellow.
Instead of using the expensive Post-it tape, I just cut the sticky part off of the Post-it and use that instead of buying tape on a roll. You could also trim your paper so that one little part of it is super close to the edge of one part of the die. Wrap (loop) the tape (I think clear scotch tape works much better than washi) once around the part of the die where you have trimmed the paper close and bring the scotch tape around to the back of the paper. After cutting it, the scotch tape will be on the back of the paper and you can just leave it there. The other thing you could try is to heat washi with a heat gun for a few seconds before you peel up the tape. Heat loosens any adhesive... like removing overly-sticky price tag stickers from something. At the end of the day though, I highly recommend the magnetic plate. Good luck!
This is what I use (and stick to the edge of my BigShot cupboard to reuse and reuse and reuse...) and it works great and leaves no impression in the paper!
__________________ "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln
I had a salesperson at Blick's recommend drafting tape to me ... better than painter's tape. I guess draftsmen use it on blueprints? I've had the same roll for years now. Never had it stick. I can peel off and reuse a few times. There is no brand name on the drafting tape roll - just says drafting tape. I also use the Post-It Roll tape
Another vote for the Scotch Removable Transparent Tape. It only takes small pieces and you can reuse them until they just don't stick well enough anymore. It works well to hold other embellishments in place temporarily while you work on your cards as well. My old roll has 33m on it...I see the new ones only have 16.5m.
I am brand new to die cutting, and I'm having an issue with every tape I have tried.
First of all, I have the We R Memory Keepers Evolution Advanced, and I have to use the dies cutting side up with the paper on top, so it makes it very difficult to ensure accurate cutting unless I use tape (or a magnetic plate, which I would rather not spend money on).
I have tried washi tape and plain ole scotch tape, even rubbing them on my fingers or clothes to remove some of the stickiness, but the act of rolling them through the machine is causing everything to stick so much that it tends to ruin my paper.
Either I remove enough of the sticky to not mess up the paper, or I remove too much adhesive and they fall off when I have to flip them to put them on my plate to run them through. I have had a little success with flipping my whole sandwich over so that I can put the die on top of the paper, but it's awkward and difficult for me with this machine.
I have also tried just making sure the tape only touches the parts of paper I'm not using, but it's hard on these tiny dies, and not always possible if I'm planning to use both the cutout and the remaining paper.
Any tips on what kind of tape is best? Or how to use the tapes I have more effectively?
I use Washi Tape, in very small pieces to tape the die to the OUTSIDE of the part that will be cut. As far as the tiny dies go, have you thought about putting some magnetic adhesive (like the sheets) on the thicker plate that holds all the stuff down on the cutting mat?
I have done that as well, until I bought the magnetic plate. What I do is put the cutting plate down, the paper, the die, cut side down, a little bit of washi tape around the die on the outside, then the bulky part, and roll it through the E.A. machine. If there's any hint of resistance, I'll roll it back out, adjust the roller up a notch, and cut. Hope this helps.
wow! Thanks for all the great tape suggestions!
Being me, I would definitely explore layering my die on TOP of my paper with the cutting edge down. If your machine will roll the sandwich through both ways, I'd do what makes die-cutting best for me. If there is no clear reason (like the sandwich won,t go through that way) I am apt to go off-road. If you're less inclined to tske things into your own hands, you could write to the company and ask why they say to assemble the sandwich so awkwardly.
This is what I use. I always have a few pieces stuck to the top of my Cuttlebug as it can be used again and again. I get mine at Joann's (no Michael's here, darn) using a coupon, so it is not so expensive. I tend to use it for masking, as well, but a roll still lasts a long time. Never was a washi tape fan, so can't speak to that.
I use this tape for holding dies in place on my BigShot cutting plates, and layouts that I'm considering. I've used pieces of the tap over and over...
I wouldn't buy it from AMAZON, too costly. Check the office supply stores for a better deal.
In addition, I have some of the other tapes mentioned in the thread. I save my post it tape and painter's tape for when I'm stenciling with gel mediums to prevent a shift in paper/stencils.
It's good to have a variety on hand to try with different techniques.
One thing I've heard about micropore/surgical tape is that they are not all created equal. I think it was Kelly Latevola who mentioned that she got a role of (cheap) surgical tape at the grocery store, and it ripped her paper. Apparently, the cheaper kinds are stickier. So, if you want to go that route, either experiment with different brands, or just play it safe & get the one Jennifer McGuire recommended.
Taping Dies onto paper for cutting
