Question 1

My file imports at the wrong size

Accepted Answer

Some files carry no physical size, and software that guesses the units or the page margins gets the scale wrong. After importing, check one measurement you know in millimetres, and choose the export that carries real dimensions.

Question 2

My laser cut does not match the print

Accepted Answer

The printed artwork and the cut path only line up when both files share the same origin, the same scale and registration marks your machine can read. Keep both files at 100%, add the registration targets and check the outline on scrap before cutting.

Question 3

My layers do not line up or cut twice

Accepted Answer

Every sheet in a stack needs the same frame and scale, and a duplicate line makes the laser cut the same path twice. Keep the shared frame on every layer, remove duplicate paths and set one operation per colour.

Question 4

My inkjet print is scaled or clipped

Accepted Answer

Printer drivers scale to fit the page or add margins unless you tell them not to. Print the PDF at actual size (100%) and measure the test square before printing the real piece.

Question 5

How do I find laser settings for this material?

Accepted Answer

Power and speed depend on your laser, its lens and the exact sheet you bought. Run a material test grid on a scrap of the same sheet and note the settings that worked.

Question 6

My 3D print comes out in one colour

Accepted Answer

An STL holds the shape only, with no colours. A 3MF keeps each colour as its own part, but the slicer still needs a filament for each part. Download the 3MF, keep its parts together as one object and choose a filament for each part. With one nozzle and no AMS, add a filament change at the layer where the new colour starts.

Question 7

My Cricut cuts every letter separately

Accepted Answer

Design Space cuts every separate shape on its own unless you join them, and Attach only keeps pieces in place on the mat. Pick a script font that joins its letters, or select the letters and the backing and click Flatten for Print Then Cut. For vinyl, select everything and click Attach so the layout stays as you arranged it.

Question 8

My UV print looks pale or see-through

Accepted Answer

UV ink is semi-transparent. Without a white layer under it, the colour of the surface shows through and dark or clear sheets swallow the colours. Print a white backer first, under the whole design or only under the parts that need solid colour. Hide the Background at export so the printer can build the white from the transparent PNG.

Common problems and fixes