Tips and Pointers to Help You Be a ScanNCut Expert!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a paid consultant for Brother ScanNCut USA. My Mom's friend Laurie recently bought a ScanNCut2 from HSN.  So Mom volunteered me to go over to Laurie's house and give her some tips and pointers to help make her into a ScanNCut expert! I was happy to oblige and I figured I'd pass the tips I shared on to you too!

Tip One: Learn the difference between "Scan to Cut Data" and "Direct Cut."



In the photo above you can see that we're scanning a snowflake die cut into the machine.  This is "Scan to Cut Data" -- we're creating a cut file from that snowflake which we want to manipulate (i.e. resize, etc.).



In the photo above I'm holding up a stamped image that we "Direct Cut."  Direct Cut cuts out exactly what you see.  It creates a cut file that you can't manipulate or save.  It is whatever the scanner sees.

Tip Two: Get online with ScanNCutCanvas.  It's free and it opens up the possibilities for what you can do with your ScanNCut.  Plus it's free unlimited cloud storage for your cutting files!



It's a little difficult to tell in the photo above, but Laurie is on her PC and I'm helping her register for a free ScanNCutCanvas account and set up the wireless activation for her ScanNCut.  We are using a computer (Mac and PC both work), but you can also use a mobile device with ScanNCutCanvas.  I use my iPad most of the time.

Tip Three: Use the right mat for the job.  Mats are expensive, so I know it's tempting to just use one mat for everything.  But the mats matter.



In the photo above you can see Laurie working to get the snowflakes off of the Standard Mat that came with her machine.  The adhesive was a bit too strong for the thin cardstock we were using and so it was tough to pull things off.  Here's your quick guide to mats:

• Black/Scanning Mat: For scanning only.
• Blue/Low Tack Mat: For scanning or cutting super delicate papers like tissue paper.
• Pink/Medium Tack Mat: For cutting paper.
• Purple/Standard Tack Mat: For cutting heavier materials such as stencil plastic or stamp material.
• High Tack Fabric Support Sheet (applied onto your mat): For cutting fabric.

I also did a video all about mats that you can check out. Tip Four: Brother’s customer service is excellent! If you have questions or issues, contact them at 1-877-BROTHER (877-276-8437), Monday through Friday from 9am – 6pm. I promised Laurie that the good folks at Brother would help her and I know they’ll help you too! It was fun to help Laurie explore her ScanNCut.  She kept saying, "It can do that?!"  It excited me about the machine all over again! It really is a magical make-anything-you-want machine! Talk to you next week!