KNK Zing Air User manual

1
KNK Zing with Make-The-Cut1
April 20, 2012
Features of this Online User Manual
Turning Pages and Zooming
Click along the outside margins of the manual to turn a page. To activate the zoom, double click anywhere on
the page. Then move your mouse to pan up or down the page.
Videos
This user manual contains numerous links to videos, such as the one just above which presents an overview of
the Zing cutter. Click on these green Video icons to open either a You Tube or Vimeo hosted video and learn
the topic in that particular section of the manual. Past experience has shown that watching videos can be
extremely beneficial when learning software and cutting applications.
Bookmarks
Click on the Bookmarks icon to list the major chapters of the manual and then click on a chapter to immediately
go to the first page of that chapter. You can also enter a page number at the top in order to go to that specific
page.
Searching
You can search by any word at all. Click on the Search icon, enter any word, and all pages with that word will
be listed. Select any page and the word will be highlighted in yellow.
Downloading
You may download this manual, if you wish, in either PDF format or as an application that will continue to work
in the same way that it does online. But again, this is a manual that will be updated, as needed.
Printing
Do NOT print this entire manual!!! It will be changing as enhancements are made to Make-The-Cut or new
applications are added for using your Zing. Thus it’s better to print only those pages you might need for a certain
topic, at a specific moment. And you may never need to print any of it at all.
Where to Start
Thank you for choosing a KNK Zing. Before using a blade in your new cutter, we suggest you read the
Quick Start Guide that came in your Zing box plus Chapters 1 and 2.
If you run into difficulties with the operation of the Zing, turn off the power and look for a solution in this
manual. If you continue to have technical questions or issues, please contact your KNK Zing supplier as
soon as possible.
For additional support, please visit our Yahoo group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KNK_Zing/
1© 2011, 2012 Accugraphic Sales, Inc., All Rights Reserved

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Table of Contents
KNK ZING WITH MAKE-THE-CUT .............................................................................................................................................................. 1
FEATURES OF THIS ONLINE USER MANUAL .................................................................................................................................................. 1
WHERE TO START ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
1. UNPACKING, INSTALLING, AND ASSEMBLING .................................................................................................................................. 7
1.01 UNPACKING........................................................................................................................................................................................ 7
1.02 CONTENTS......................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.03 ITEMS TO NOTE (PLEASE READ!)......................................................................................................................................................... 7
1.04 PARTS OF THE ZING............................................................................................................................................................................ 8
Front ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Back............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 8
1.05 ACCESSORIES.................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Test Pen Holder......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Blades Included With KNK Zing Purchase ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Blade Installation....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
Mat (Carrier Sheet) .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
1.06 INSTALLATION OF MAKE THE CUT (MTC) SOFTWARE,ZING DRIVER,AND THE ZING PLUG-IN ................................................................ 11
1.07 PINCH WHEEL LEVERS...................................................................................................................................................................... 11
1.08 MAT/MATERIAL GUIDES .................................................................................................................................................................... 12
1.09 TEST DRAWING SHAPES ................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Landscape Versus Portrait: Which do you prefer? ............................................................................................................................................. 12
Drawing Your First Shape ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
2. CUTTING ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
2.01 WHAT YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT CUTTING.......................................................................................................................... 18
You Have To Make Mistakes .................................................................................................................................................................................. 18
The Most Common Mistakes Made by New Owners ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Begin with Easy Materials and Easy Shapes ....................................................................................................................................................... 18
Record Your Successes ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Use the Correct Blade for the Material You Are Cutting ..................................................................................................................................... 19
Set the Blade Length To Match the Material Thickness...................................................................................................................................... 19
Set the Blade Height Above the Material .............................................................................................................................................................. 19
Adjust the Speed, Force, and Number of Passes Based on the Material and Shapes .................................................................................... 20
Perform Test Cuts!.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 20
Know Where Your Images Will Cut ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20
Adjust Blade Offset If Needed................................................................................................................................................................................ 20
Keep the Cutting Mat Clean and Sticky ................................................................................................................................................................ 21
Don’t Get Frustrated, Get Help! ............................................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.02 CUT WITH KLIC-N-KUT ZING............................................................................................................................................................. 21
2.03 SPEED............................................................................................................................................................................................. 22
2.04 FORCE............................................................................................................................................................................................. 23
2.05 MULTICUT ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 24
2.06 BLADE OFFSET................................................................................................................................................................................. 24
2.07 CUT TYPE........................................................................................................................................................................................ 25
Knife Point ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 25
WYSIWYG................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 26
WYSIWYG –Virtual Mat Matches Ruled Grid on Actual Mat .............................................................................................................................. 27
WYSIWYG –Virtual Mat Matches Material Dimensions ...................................................................................................................................... 28
Print and Cut............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 29
2.08 SET BLADE ORIGIN........................................................................................................................................................................... 29
2.09 CONNECTION STATUS AND TEST CUT MENU ...................................................................................................................................... 30
2.10 UPDATES,PRESETS,AND HELP......................................................................................................................................................... 30
2.11 IMPORTANT CHECKLIST BEFORE YOU CUT!........................................................................................................................................ 31
2.12 RESOLUTION CALIBRATION ............................................................................................................................................................... 32
SUGGESTED SETTINGS FOR VARIOUS MATERIALS1..................................................................................................................................... 34
SETTINGS FORM FOR CUTTING MATERIALS................................................................................................................................................ 36
3. MTC BASICS.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
3.01 MAIN MTC SCREEN.......................................................................................................................................................................... 37
3.02 TOOLBARS ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
File Toolbar.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 38

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Import Toolbar......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Magic Toolbar.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Node Mode Toolbar................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
3.03 BARS............................................................................................................................................................................................... 39
Menu Bar .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Sel. Properties Bar .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Main Bar ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Layer Bar.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 40
Tab Bar ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Page Bar................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Status Bar ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 41
3.04 VIRTUAL MAT ................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
3.05 ZOOMING AND PANNING.................................................................................................................................................................... 42
3.06 OPENING MTC FILES........................................................................................................................................................................ 43
Opening a New File/Project.................................................................................................................................................................................... 43
Opening an Existing MTC File ............................................................................................................................................................................... 43
3.07 SAVING MTC FILES.......................................................................................................................................................................... 44
3.08 OPENING BASIC SHAPES................................................................................................................................................................... 44
3.09 SELECTING,MOVING,AND DELETING SHAPES.................................................................................................................................... 45
Selecting .................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Moving...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
Deleting .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 46
3.10 CUTTING,COPYING,PASTING,DUPLICATING...................................................................................................................................... 47
Cutting to the Clipboard ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Copying to the Clipboard ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Pasting from the Clipboard .................................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Duplicating............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
3.11 UNDO/REDO .................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Undo ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 48
Redo ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
3.12 LAYER BAR ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
3.13 RESIZING,ROTATING,SLANTING,AND WARPING ................................................................................................................................ 51
Resizing.................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Rotating and Slanting ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 52
Warping .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52
3.14 CHANGING COLOR,TEXTURE,AND LINE STYLE .................................................................................................................................. 53
Changing Color ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Changing Texture.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 53
Changing Line Style................................................................................................................................................................................................ 55
3.15 OTHER SHAPE MANIPULATIONS......................................................................................................................................................... 56
Aligning .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Spacing .................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Mirroring and Flipping ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 56
4. IMPORTING AND EXPORTING............................................................................................................................................................. 58
4.01 ACCESSING THE IMPORT OPTIONS..................................................................................................................................................... 58
4.02 IMPORTING FROM THE ONLINE MTC GALLERY.................................................................................................................................... 58
4.03 IMPORTING SVG, SVGZ FROM YOUR COMPUTER .............................................................................................................................. 59
4.04 IMPORTING AI, EPS, PS, PDF.......................................................................................................................................................... 60
4.05 IMPORTING SCUT, SCUT2............................................................................................................................................................... 61
4.06 IMPORTING TTF, OTF FONT FILES .................................................................................................................................................... 61
4.07 IMPORTING FROM LETTERING DELIGHTS ............................................................................................................................................ 61
4.08 IMPORTING RASTER FILES (JPG, BMP, PNG, ETC)............................................................................................................................ 62
4.09 ACCESSING THE EXPORT OPTIONS.................................................................................................................................................... 62
4.10 EXPORTING TO BASIC SHAPES .......................................................................................................................................................... 63
4.11 EXPORTING TO MTC GALLERY.......................................................................................................................................................... 63
4.12 EXPORTING AS EPS/AI, SVG, OR PDF ............................................................................................................................................. 64
4.13 EXPORTING AS A RASTER FILE .......................................................................................................................................................... 64
4.14 USING WINDOWS COPY/PASTE ......................................................................................................................................................... 65
Adobe Illustrator...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65
Inkscape ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 65
KNK Studio/ ACS Studio......................................................................................................................................................................................... 65
5. WORKING WITH TEXT .......................................................................................................................................................................... 67

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5.01 THE TEXT AND FONTS TAB................................................................................................................................................................ 67
5.02 OPENING FONT FILES ....................................................................................................................................................................... 67
5.03 ADD TEXT GROUP ............................................................................................................................................................................ 68
Rotating Text ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 69
Splitting Text............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 69
5.04 CREATING A CONNECTED LETTER TITLE ............................................................................................................................................ 70
5.05 INCORPORATING DINGBAT SHAPES INTO A TITLE ................................................................................................................................ 71
5.06 WELDING TITLES IN IMAGINATIVE WAYS............................................................................................................................................. 72
5.07 FITTING TEXT TO THE OUTSIDE OF A SHAPE....................................................................................................................................... 73
Wrapping Text Around A Circle............................................................................................................................................................................. 73
Wrapping Text Half-way Around the Top and the Bottom of a Circle................................................................................................................ 74
5.08 FITTING TEXT TO PATHS ................................................................................................................................................................... 76
Closed Path in Bézier Warp ................................................................................................................................................................................... 76
Open Path in Bézier Warp ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 77
5.09 CREATING AN OVERLAY TITLE AND WELDING TEXT TO FRAMES........................................................................................................... 77
5.10 STENCILING LETTERS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 79
5.11 OPEN PATH FONTS (OPF)................................................................................................................................................................ 80
6. TRACING................................................................................................................................................................................................ 81
6.01 RASTER VERSUS VECTOR................................................................................................................................................................. 81
6.02 FINDING EASY IMAGES TO TRACE...................................................................................................................................................... 82
6.03 PIXEL TRACE.................................................................................................................................................................................... 82
Pixel Trace Method.................................................................................................................................................................................................. 83
Alpha Trace Method................................................................................................................................................................................................ 86
Palette Trace ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ 88
Color Trace .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 93
6.04 MANUAL TRACING ............................................................................................................................................................................ 99
Importing an Image for Manual Tracing................................................................................................................................................................ 99
Manual Tracing Using the Bézier Curves and Straight Line (Pen Tool) .......................................................................................................... 101
Flip/Mirror and Weld to Complete Symmetrical Shapes ...................................................................................................................................103
7. EDITING................................................................................................................................................................................................ 104
7.01 SEPARATING AND COMBINING SHAPES ............................................................................................................................................ 104
Split.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................104
Break ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................105
Join .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................105
Layer.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................106
Blackout .................................................................................................................................................................................................................107
7.02 SHAPE MAGIC ADVANCE PART 1: THE SIMPLIFY FUNCTIONS............................................................................................................. 108
Auto Simplify Welds.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 108
Auto Simplify Path ................................................................................................................................................................................................108
Smooth & Simplify ................................................................................................................................................................................................108
7.03 SHAPE MAGIC ADVANCE PART 2: DETAILS....................................................................................................................................... 109
View Path Detail..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 109
Nodes on Mat.........................................................................................................................................................................................................110
7.04 SHAPE MAGIC ADVANCE PART 3: THE PATH FUNCTIONS .................................................................................................................. 110
Flatten Paths.......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 110
Thin Paths..............................................................................................................................................................................................................111
Fuse n’ Weld ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................112
Reverse Paths........................................................................................................................................................................................................112
7.05 SHAPE MAGIC ADVANCE PART 4: TILER........................................................................................................................................... 113
7.06 NODE MODE TOOLBAR ................................................................................................................................................................... 115
7.07 ADD BASIC SHAPES (BASIC SHAPES TOOL) ..................................................................................................................................... 115
7.08 MEASURE SHAPE LENGTHS AND ANGLES (MEASURE TOOL).............................................................................................................. 116
7.09 SLICE SHAPES AND LINES (KNIFE TOOL).......................................................................................................................................... 117
7.10 DRAW FREEHAND LINES ................................................................................................................................................................. 118
Drawing Thin Lines ...............................................................................................................................................................................................118
Drawing Thick Lines .............................................................................................................................................................................................119
Drawing with Other Line Styles ...........................................................................................................................................................................119
7.11 ERASE SECTIONS OF PATHS (ERASER TOOL)................................................................................................................................... 120
Erasing ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................120
Inverse Erasing (Adding To An Image) ............................................................................................................................................................... 121
Eraser or Knife? .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 123
7.12 DRAW BÉZIER CURVES AND STRAIGHT LINES (PEN TOOL)................................................................................................................ 123
Drawing Straight Lines .........................................................................................................................................................................................123

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Drawing Curves..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 124
Combining Straight Lines and Curves................................................................................................................................................................125
7.13 EDIT PATHS AT NODE LEVEL (NODE EDIT TOOL).............................................................................................................................. 125
Segment Editing....................................................................................................................................................................................................125
Node Editing ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................128
Applications for Node Edit ...................................................................................................................................................................................129
8. DESIGNING ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 130
8.01 WHERE DO ISTART WITH LEARNING TO DESIGN? ............................................................................................................................ 130
8.02 SHADOW LAYER ............................................................................................................................................................................. 130
Outset Shadow ......................................................................................................................................................................................................130
Blackout Option.....................................................................................................................................................................................................131
Corner Join Option................................................................................................................................................................................................ 131
Inset Shadow .........................................................................................................................................................................................................131
8.03 WELD TOOL ................................................................................................................................................................................... 132
Designing a Balloon.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 132
Designing a Border ...............................................................................................................................................................................................132
8.04 BOOLEAN JOIN ............................................................................................................................................................................... 133
Cutting One Shape From Another .......................................................................................................................................................................133
8.05 WRAP OBJECT TO PATH ................................................................................................................................................................. 134
Creating a Wreath..................................................................................................................................................................................................134
8.06 CONICAL WARP.............................................................................................................................................................................. 135
Tumbler Wrap ........................................................................................................................................................................................................136
8.07 LATTICE......................................................................................................................................................................................... 137
Latticed Circle........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 137
8.08 RHINESTONE DESIGN ..................................................................................................................................................................... 138
Rhinestone Outline ...............................................................................................................................................................................................138
Rhinestone Fill.......................................................................................................................................................................................................139
Additional Tips on Rhinestone Designing.......................................................................................................................................................... 140
8.09 JIGSAW PUZZLE ............................................................................................................................................................................. 141
8.10 NOTES WINDOW............................................................................................................................................................................. 142
8.11 DESIGN CONTEST TUTORIALS ......................................................................................................................................................... 143
Designing a Whale by Brigit Mann ......................................................................................................................................................................143
Designing a Flower by Laury Vaden ...................................................................................................................................................................145
9. PRINT AND CUT ................................................................................................................................................................................. 151
9.01 WHAT IS A PRINT AND CUT (PNC)? ................................................................................................................................................ 151
9.02 WHAT IS A PNC CALIBRATION?....................................................................................................................................................... 151
9.03 PNC PROCEDURE PART 1: SETTING UP AND PRINTING .................................................................................................................... 152
Landscape Mode Option....................................................................................................................................................................................... 152
Portrait Mode Option............................................................................................................................................................................................. 155
9.04 PNC PROCEDURE PART 2: ALIGNING AND CALIBRATING................................................................................................................... 158
Aligning the Laser with the Registration Marks................................................................................................................................................. 158
Adjusting the Laser Offset ...................................................................................................................................................................................159
9.05 PRINT AND CUT TIPS ...................................................................................................................................................................... 160
9.06 PRINT AND CUT SCENARIOS............................................................................................................................................................ 160
Cutting Multiple PNC Images on the Same Page ............................................................................................................................................... 160
PNC With a Contour Shape Larger Than the Printed Image............................................................................................................................. 161
PNC With a Contour Shape Smaller Than the Printed Image...........................................................................................................................162
PNC With a Contour Shape Overlapping the Printed Image.............................................................................................................................164
PNC with an Inset Cut Line .................................................................................................................................................................................. 165
10. APPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................................................................................. 168
10.01 CARDSTOCK AND PAPER............................................................................................................................................................... 168
10.02 CHIPBOARD.................................................................................................................................................................................. 168
10.03 VINYL .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 169
10.04 FABRIC AND FELT ......................................................................................................................................................................... 169
10.05 IRON-ON TRANSFER..................................................................................................................................................................... 170
Cutting Iron-On......................................................................................................................................................................................................170
Adhering Iron-On................................................................................................................................................................................................... 170
10.06 RHINESTONE TEMPLATES ............................................................................................................................................................. 171
Designing Rhinestone Patterns...........................................................................................................................................................................171
Cutting Rhinestone Template Material................................................................................................................................................................171
Weeding and Brushing in Rhinestones .............................................................................................................................................................. 171
Heat Pressing Rhinestones..................................................................................................................................................................................172

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Extra tips on Rhinestone Applications ............................................................................................................................................................... 172
10.07 DRAWING WITH A PEN OR GLUE PEN ............................................................................................................................................. 172
Adjusting for the Difference in Diameters of Tools and Blade Holders ..........................................................................................................173
10.08 EMBOSSING AND SCORING............................................................................................................................................................ 175
10.09 ENGRAVING METAL ...................................................................................................................................................................... 176
Project: Engraving a Dog Tag.............................................................................................................................................................................. 177
10.10 USING THE PUNCH TOOL .............................................................................................................................................................. 178
10.11ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................................................... 179
SUGGESTED SETTINGS FOR VARIOUS ACCESSORIES1.............................................................................................................................. 180
SETTINGS FORM FOR ACCESSORY TOOLS ............................................................................................................................................... 181
APPENDIX A KEY BOARD SHORTCUTS ............................................................................................................................................. 182
APPENDIX B TROUBLESHOOTING FAQ’S......................................................................................................................................... 188
COMMUNICATION ISSUES........................................................................................................................................................................ 188
OPERATING ISSUES................................................................................................................................................................................ 188
CUTTING ISSUES .................................................................................................................................................................................... 189
MY CARDSTOCK IS NOT CUTTING ALL THE WAY THROUGH.IHAVE THE BLADE ALL THE WAY OUT AND USING THE MAXIMUM FORCE.................. 191
SOFTWARE ISSUES................................................................................................................................................................................. 191
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................................................................... 193

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1. Unpacking, Installing, and Assembling
1.01 Unpacking
Verify that you have received all contents. There is a checklist below. Please notify your KNK Zing supplier
immediately if anything is missing.
Remove all foam pieces and other packaging before turning on the KNK Zing. Currently there are two end
cap foam protectors and 3 internal smaller foam pieces.
Use the enclosed test pen as you experiment and become familiar with operating the KNK Zing. Place scrap
paper on the mat and simply draw shapes rather than cut them. This will prevent possible damage to the
blade, mat, and cutting strip as you learn where shapes will cut and the basic operating procedures.
Do not unplug the USB cable from your computer or from the KNK unless you first turn off the power.
Always turn off the Zing when not in use. Leaving the cutter turned on for extended periods of time can
possibly damage the machine.
1.02 Contents
Your KNK Zing package comes with the following:
KNK Zing digital die cutter Blade holder
Quick Start Guide 45˚blade (red cap)
Make-The-Cut! CD with activation pin 60˚blade (blue cap)
Cutting Mat 2 small springs for blades
Test Pen USB cable
2 test pen inserts and a spring Power cable
1.03 Items to Note (Please Read!)
Blades: The blades used by cutters are extremely fragile. Do not drop or even bump the blade onto any
hard surface as they can chip easily. When not in use, retract the blade into the blade holder or remove and
cover the sharp end with the soft plastic cap. Be careful to keep these small blades and their springs in a
safe place.
Warranty: The one year warranty covers Manufacturer’s Defect only and does not include normal wear and
tear. If warranty work is required, the owner is responsible for shipping costs to and from Accugraphic Sales.
If a KNK Zing is damaged during shipment, then your dealer should be notified as soon as possible. If
damages are reported later than three weeks after delivery, then it will be the responsibility of the owner to
ship the damaged KNK back to Accugraphic for repair.
Zing owners outside the USA should contact their distributor for procedures regarding warranty work or
shipping damage.
Transporting: When transporting the cutter, move the pinch wheel levers into the upward position. Remove
the accessories from the Zing and place in a separate bag. We also recommend retaining the original boxes
with the foam inserts in case you ever need to ship your KNK Zing.
Additionally:
DO NOT touch or jam the plotter’s track while it is operating. If the cutter is damaged, it is the owner’s
responsibility.

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DO NOT shake the cutter while it is operating.
DO NOT cut any materials that have staples or other embellishments attached.
DO NOT touch the cutter with a magnet.
DO NOT allow small items to fall into the cutter.
TURN OFF the cutter when not in use.
1.04 Parts of the Zing
Front
Blade Carriage: Moves the Blade Holder Seat left and right
Blade Holder Seat (Jaw): Holds the blade holder, test pen, and other tools
Cutting Strip: Protects blade from cutting metal beneath
Front Screw: Locks blade holder, test pen, and other tools into blade holder seat
Limit Switches: Provide a buffer between blade carriage and end cap
Mat/Material Guides: Keeps cutting mat aligned during cutting
Pinch Wheels: Grip mat or material so that grit shaft (beneath) will feed mat or material in and out
Pinch Wheel Levers: Lift pinch wheels up and down for loading of mat or material
Power Button: Turns cutter on or off
Press Rings: Help keep material from lifting during cutting
Back
Left
End
Cap
Power Button
Blade Carriage
Blade Holder Seat
(Jaw) and Front Screw
Pinch Wheel:
One on each side
Cutting Strip
Power Port
USB Port
Limit Switch:
One on each side
Mat/Material Guide:
One on each side
Press Ring:
Total of 3
Right
End
Cap
Pinch Wheel Lever:
One on each side

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1.05 Accessories
Test Pen Holder
The test pen should be used until you are comfortable with the operation of the KNK Zing and know, with
certainty, where shapes will cut. To assemble the test pen, remove the top cap, slip the spring over the top
half of the pen insert and then drop the pen insert into the bottom half of the pen holder. Slide the cap over
the pen insert, allowing the pen insert to fit through the hole at the top of the cap. Screw into place.
Blades Included With KNK Zing Purchase
There are two kinds of blades included with the KNK Zing. The 45˚red capped blade is suited for cutting
thinner materials such as paper and vinyl. The 60˚blue capped blade is a much longer blade and is well-
suited for cutting thicker materials, such as craft foam, chipboard, and rhinestone template material.
Additionally, there are other tools sold separately, including a fabric blade, engraving tool,
embossing/scoring tool, and pen holder. Details on these are covered in Chapter 10 and in the following
video:
Blade Installation
The blade must be carefully inserted into the blade holder. Do this over a soft surface (e.g. over a hand
towel). It’s important to protect the fragile blade!
The little springs that come with the blades are easy to lose, which is another reason to do this over a towel
so that a dropped spring doesn’t roll off the table. Remove the colored cap from the blade and slide the
spring over the sharp end of the blade:
There are different ways to install the blade. This is the method I prefer, but experiment with other methods
if you like. Again, the important thing is to just take it easy!
Tighten the main part of the blade holder by turning it clockwise until it is about half-way closed:
Step 1. Push
inwards so that
blade can be
inserted.
Spring is placed over the blade

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Place the blade into the tiny hole in the main part of the blade holder:
Gently guide the cap over the top of the blade and then begin screwing the cap on. You may need to
wiggle the cap slightly for the cap to catch the threads and screw onto the main part of the blade holder:
Screw the cap tight. Then, as you screw the main part of the blade holder (the top), the blade will begin
to show through the hole in the cap. You only need as much blade exposed as is necessary to
penetrate the material you are cutting. More blade does NOT result in better cutting. In fact the opposite
is true.
Please read Chapter 2 before cutting. There are some tips on setting the blade exposure as well as other
important information you need to know to be successful with your cutting.
Mat (Carrier Sheet)
Always use the mat to hold the material to be cut unless the material has its own protective backing. For
example, paper, fabric, and gum paste require a carrier sheet, whereas wall vinyl and iron-on transfer do
not. Also, any materials that are less than 11” wide will need to be placed on a mat so that the pinch wheels
can properly feed the material.
When placing the material you plan to cut onto the mat, you can locate the material anywhere it is sticky.
When mats begin to lose their stickiness, they can be washed. Use a mild dishwashing detergent, warm
water, and a brush to thoroughly clean the surface. Then allow to thoroughly dry. Normally, the mat will
regain its original stickiness. But if not, apply a repositionable adhesive as necessary. IMPORTANT: Do not
spray adhesives around your KNK! Not only can the adhesive get stuck to important parts of your Zing, but
these adhesives should only be used in well-ventilated areas. Breathing in the adhesive can be damaging
to your health!
If the newly-sprayed mat is too sticky, causing difficulty in removing cut items without tearing, place an old
but clean dish towel, fuzzy side down, over the surface of the mat and press with a brayer or rolling pin.
Step 1. Push
inwards so that
blade can be
inserted.
Turn top of holder until there is
about 1/8” gap
Turn clockwise to expose more
blade. Turn counterclockwise to
retract the blade. The blade depth
you want should be ~ the
thickness of the material you are
cutting.