Muse ARTisan User manual

User Manual
REV 2/8/2022

Introduction and Safety
1.0 Support
1.1 Safety & Warnings
For ARTisan support, please go to
https://techsupport.signwarehouse.com/muse-vinyl-cutter-support-resources/
Please read the following safety guidelines regarding use of your Muse cutter:
Symbols inside triangles represent important notes that warrant your full attention. There are
different symbols denoting specific warnings. The symbol at left, for example, warns of a
possible danger of electric shock.
The cross-bar indicates activities that are prohibited because of risk of injury or possible
damage to your equipment. This particular symbol at left warns against the use of tools to
remove parts of the equipment.
Don't use with an electrical power source which doesn't meet the required voltage rating.
Using with substandard sources of electricity may result in fire or electric shock.
Don't use your ARTisan if it begins to emit an odor or smoke.
Don't un-plug your ARTisan while powered on. Doing so may damage the equipment.
Make sure your ARTisan is grounded. Using your ARTisan without it being grounded may
result in risk of equipment damage or electric shock.
1
Thank you for choosing an ARTisan vinyl cutter.

Don't disassemble your ARTisan or attempt repairs unless directed
by SignWarehouse technical support.
Don't drop any liquids or metal objects into your ARTisan. Liquids or impact
from hard or heavy objects may damage the equipment.
Touching your ARTisan’s blade with your finger may result in injury.
Don't damage or replace the power cable supplied with the vinyl cutter.
Don't excessively bend, pull, or fold the power cable or place weight on it.
Crimping the power cable may result in risk of failure or electric shock.
If you're not going to use your ARTisan for a long time, unplug the power
cable from the outlet.
Placing your hands on the cutting platen during operation may result in injury.
Place your cutter on a stable surface. Operating the vinyl cutter on an
unstable surface may result in a fall that can damage the equipment or
internal components.
To unplug the power cable from a receptacle, always grasp the
plug instead of the cable. Pulling the cable may damage it and
increase the risk of fire or electric shock.
Don't operate during an electrical storm where lightning is present. For protection
against power surges, a surge protector is recommended.
Don't physically move the cutting head while your ARTisan is powered on.
Manually moving the cutting head during operation may damage the main board.

1.2 Warranty
1.3 ARTisan Contents
The ARTisan cutter comes with a one-year parts warranty. If you have any questions about your cutter’s
warranty, please contact SIGNWarehouse via our warranty claim form at techsupport.signwarehouse.com.
It is recommended that you keep your original box with the Styrofoam packing materials in case your
ARTisan must be shipped or returned to SIGNWarehouse.
Besides the ARTisan cutter and cutter stand, your box should also contain the following items:
Accessories Box
Power Cable
USB Cable
Media Bracket
Stand Assembly Parts
Blade Holder
45° Blade
60° Blade
Test Pen
Cutting Mat

1.4 Parts of the ARTisan Cutter
Front of the ARTisan Cutter
Front of the ARTisan Cutter with Cover Open
1.4.1
1.4.2
Blade Holder
Control Panel
Carriage Right Cover
Pinch Rollers
Alignment Marker
Grit Roller
Cutting Strip Ruler
Left Cover
Alignment Marker
LED Light Control Panel Cable
Carriage Belt Head Cable

Back of the ARTisan Cutter
1.4.3
Sides of the ARTisan Cutter
1.4.4
Right Cover Left Cover
Pinch Rollers
Pinch Rollers Lever
Power Port Power Switch USB Flash
Drive Port
Rest ButtonUSB Port

1.5 Accessories
1.6 Pinch Rollers
The test pen is used in calibrating the Scale (Section 2.6) and is also
recommended for test drawing while you are learning where shapes will
cut based on various software settings. Note that a small piece of wax
needs to be removed from the pen’s nib before use. You may also wish
to cut off the very top of the pen refill so that it more easily fits into your
ARTisan:
Your ARTisan is designed for cutting rolls and sheets of adhesive-backed films such as vinyl, stencil mask
and sandblast etching films. It can also use the included cutting mat for non-backed materials such as
paper, cardstock, magnet sheets, and Mylar.
There are individual levers on each pinch wheel which are lifted to raise the rollers or gently dropped to
lower the rollers onto the material or cutting mat.
Insert the media into the space between the pinch rollers and grit rollers and pull out the media far
enough to ensure that it is loaded straight. The edges of the vinyl should be parallel to the left and the
right frame of the cutting platen. (A ‘platen’ is the lower plate that supports the vinyl as it passes through
the cutter.)
Slide the pinch roller assemblies left and right so that the pinch rollers are centered over the grit rollers.
The positions of the exposed grit rollers in the platen are marked by white rectangles above the platen.
The 45° red capped blade is well-suited for cutting thinner
materials such as heat transfer vinyl and wall/auto/decal vinyl
The 60° blue capped blade has a longer cutting edge and is well-suited for cutting thicker
materials like reflective vinyl, some heat transfer film, sandblast stencil, magnet sheets, light
chipboard, etc.
1.
2.
Test Pen
1.5.1
ARTisan Blades
1.5.2
There are two kinds of blades that came with your ARTisan:
Installing the blades into the blade holder is covered in Section 2.1. Blade Offset and Overcut
are covered in Section 2.2.

1.7 Control Panel
When you first power on the ARTisan, the following
SPEED and FORCE Screen or Home Screen will be
displayed after several seconds:
The functions of the buttons on this control panel are:
RECUT: Recuts the last job which is stored in the
ARTisan’s memory.
UDISK: Opens the UDISK window allowing access to files on a USB thumb drive plugged into the
ARTisan’s USB Flash Drive port. Files must be saved in .PLT format to appear in the menu (See Sections
1.9.6 – 1.9.8 for details).
MENU: Opens a menu of additional functions (See Section 1.7.1 for details). It can also be pressed in other
modes to return to the SPEED and FORCE Screen.
FS: Press this button once and the SPEED and FORCE settings will light up indicating you are in FS set
mode. The X- and X+ buttons can now be used to change the SPEED. The Y- and Y+ buttons can be used
to change the FORCE. (See Section 2.2.1).
TEST: Press the TEST button to cut a small square. This is recommended to ensure a clean cut is achieved
with the current settings before proceeding with a cut job.
PAUSE: Pressing this button will pause the cutting process in case any changes need to be made.
Pressing again will resume the cut.
Xand Yand OK buttons are used in the following ways:
Once the pinch rollers are in position, lower them to keep your media in place. When using the
cutting mat, you need at least two wheels near the outside edges of the mat, thus center the mat
inside the cutter (versus having it all the way to one side).
The X- and X+ buttons move the carriage left and right, while the Y+ and Y- buttons move the grit
rollers. This allows you to start cutting anywhere on the media (i.e., establish an origin).
As mentioned above, these same buttons will change the SPEED and FORCE settings when the FS
button has been activated. Pressing OK (or repressing FS) will then deactivate FS mode.
In some of the other control panel screens, the Xand Ybuttons will be used to select other options
and the OK button will accept these options or settings changes.

Menu
1.7.1
Pressing the MENU button provides access to
the following five options:
TO START: return the blade holder to the origin (the location immediately before the cut was started)
TO END: advance the blade holder to the top of the completed cut with the option to move an
additional distance
To LEFT: advance the blade holder to the left of the completed cut with the option to move an
additional distance
LANGUAGE: This screen offers a choice of three languages: Mandarin, English, and Spanish. You can
choose one of these for the language in which all settings and menu communication are displayed.
SYSTEM: This screen displays hardware and firmware versions, Baud rate, and other settings that should
need no adjustment unless directed by a SignWarehouse technical representative.
WIFI: Connect the ARTisan to your home or
office router for wireless connectivity
(refer to Sections 1.9.4 and 1.9.5).
SCALE: This setting is used to input the sizing calibration (refer to Section 2.6).
ADVANCE MODE: Three options for where the blade holder moves at the end of a cut:
Depending on which software you purchased with your ARTisan vinyl
cutter, there are two ways to set it up:
1.
2.
You’ll find complete step-by-step instructions on our Product Support
Blog for LXi 12. Please click here to access the setup tutorial or go to
https://techsupport.signwarehouse.com/
To install Create Space, download the software from the following
link (note there are separate links for Mac and Windows users). You
will also find a video to assist you with installation and activation of
your registration number:
https://techsupport.signwarehouse.com/create-space-software-support-resources/
1.8 Registering and Installing the Design Software

Place your ARTisan on a sturdy horizontal surface or mount to the included cutter stand. Keep the area
around the ARTisan free of clutter and unnecessary items. This will prevent other objects from
obstructing normal feeding of media through the cutter. Impacts with items around the cutter can cause
a material to lift off the platen or feed incorrectly. Either of these can negatively impact cut quality
and/or tracking.
Connect the power cable to a wall outlet or power strip and the other end into the power outlet on the
left cover. To turn on the power flip the switch up on the same left cover. The same switch is used to
power off.
The ARTisan will take a few seconds to power up. The LED light will come on and the tool carriage will
engage. IMPORTANT: Once the cutter is on, do not attempt to move the tool carriage manually. This can
damage the tool carriage and/or main board. Use only the buttons on the control panel to move the
tool carriage.
There are 3 ways that you can connect your ARTisan to the computer:
You may choose any one of these three connectivity options. You can also change from one to the
other at will, but for best results use one at a time. Here are the benefits of each connectivity option:
1.
2.
3.
1.
USB Cable
Wi-Fi
USB Flash Drive
The USB cable is the simplest and most reliable connection. Setup is quick and easy. See Sections
1.9.1 or 1.9.2 for instructions.
1.9 Connecting the ARTisan to Your Computer
USB Connection in LXi
1.9.1
Turn on the ARTisan before connecting to your computer. Using the USB cable that came with the
cutter, plug the wider end into your computer’s USB port and the squarish end into the cutter’s USB port
which is on the right cover.
2.
3.
Wi-Fi takes a little more time and care to set up but offers a wireless environment in which the
cutter can be used without being connected to the computer on which the software is installed.
See Section 1.9.3 and Section 1.9.4 or 1.9.5 for detailed instructions.
The USB flash drive option allows you to use the cutter without being connected to the PC. Files
can be saved from the design station computer in .PLT format and transferred to the cutter using a
USB thumb drive. See Sections 1.9.6 - 1.9.8.

Open LXi Production Manager. If this is your first time opening LXi, a popup screen will request a Brand
and Model selection. Otherwise, select Setup and from the drop-down menu, click Add Setup.
From the pop-up window, choose MUSE as the Brand. Find and select ARTISAN as the Model:
Click Next. The setup window will ask how your ARTisan is connected to the computer. Open the
drop-down menu and select the largest available option for USB_Printer_X where Xwill be 0, 1, 2, etc.
For example, if you see both USB_Printer_0 and USB_Printer_1 then you would select USB_Printer_1
because it is the higher of the two.
Click on Finish at the bottom of the Add Setup window.
Turn on the ARTisan before connecting to your computer. Using the USB cable that came with the
cutter, plug the wider end into your computer’s USB port, and the squarish end into the cutter’s USB port
which is on the right cover.
Open Create Space and select New Project.
Go to Cutter>My Cutter>Manage Cutters and a new window will open. On the right side, under
Company/Brand select MUSE and under Model select ARTisan. Click Add to list. Click Done to apply
and close the window.
USB Connection in Create Space
1.9.2

Once you are ready to cut, click the Cutter icon on the Toolbar at the top of the screen. The Cut
Settings window will open and, in the Connection drop-down menu, select USB. You can leave Port set
to Auto Detect. If you click on Test Connection, it should move the blade carriage back and forth one
time. This does not send a cut, just a signal to the cutter.
For initial setup using the Wi-Fi option, you may need to place the ARTisan in the same room or in
close proximity to the Wi-Fi router. This will create a stronger connection and faster Wi-fi network
configuration. Once the connection is set, you can move the cutter around within the limits of your
router’s coverage area.
You will need the name of the network and the password.
On the Control Panel, press the MENU button, select WIFI, and press OK. The following screen
appears, although initially yours will have more blank fields:
Connecting the ARTisan to a Wi-Fi Network
1.9.3
Work in order downwards, starting with SSID:

1.
2.
Use the Ybuttons to highlight SSID in blue. Then press OK and the ARTisan will begin scanning for
available networks. This may take a minute before a menu of networks appears. Select the network you
wish to use (should match what your computer is using) and press OK.
Use the Y- button to move down to PassWord and press OK. A screen resembling a keyboard will
appear. Use the Xand Ybuttons to move to appropriate keys in order to enter your network’s
password, pressing the OK button to add a character to the display of your password. Note that the AB
key will toggle to upper case keys, if needed. The button in the lower right will delete the last character
showing. When your correct password appears in the display, move to the OK key, and press it.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Use the Y- button to move down to IP Address. The first three sets of values will be obtained from your
network but will continue to be displayed with the letter “x.” Use the X+ or X– buttons to set the last
digits of the IP Address you wish to use. Press OK.
Use the Y- button to move down to Apply and press OK. Wait a minute or two and the IP Address will
then appear in the orange strip at the top of the display. Your ARTisan is now a connected device on
your network.
Note the complete IP address at the top of the
window. You will be entering this same IP
address in the software you use for cutting.
If you need to reset or change networks, move
to the DEFAULT option and press OK. After a
minute, this will reset the settings and enable
you to change the network.
7. Before connecting the ARTisan to your computer using a Wi-Fi connection, you must verify that
your computer is also connected to the same network. To do this, locate and launch the network
icon for your computer:

8.
9.
A menu of available networks will appear. Select the network used for the ARTisan setup and, if needed,
enter the network password. Wait a bit for the connection to be made and the menu should indicate you
are now connected to that network.
Proceed to either the next section (if using LXi Production Manager) or Section 1.9.5 (if using Create Space).
Click Next. You will be asked how your ARTisan is connected to the computer. Select TCP/IP. A small
window will appear in which you can type in the cutter’s IP Address from Step 5 in Section 1.9.3
On a PC: On a Mac:
Click on the Network icon.
(usually in lower right corner)
Click on the Network icon.
(usually in upper right corner)
If you are connected via
Ethernet, your network icon
may look like this.
Wi-Fi Connection in LXi
1.9.4
Open LXi Production Manager. If this is your first time opening LXi, a pop-up screen will request a Brand
and Model selection. Otherwise, select Setup and from the drop-down menu, click Add Setup.
From the pop-up window, choose MUSE as the Brand. Find and select ARTISAN in the Model window:
Below TCP/ IP address, you will need to enter
the correct Port number which is 8080. Enter
this value and click Test. If you have a
successful connection, LXi will indicate
success. Click on OK to close the
Communication window. Click on Finish at the
bottom of the Add Setup window.
If Test fails, check the ARTisan again to verify
the network name and the IP address. If you
change settings, it may be necessary to wait a
minute and start from the beginning of the
process in order to allow the computer time
to reset and recognize the Wi-Fi connection.

Wi-Fi Connection in Create Space
1.9.5
Open Create Space and select New Project.
Go to Cutter>My Cutter>Manage Cutters.
A new window will open. On the right side, under Company/Brand select MUSE and under Model
select ARTisan. Click Add to list. Click Done to apply and close the window:
Once you are ready to cut, click the
Cutter icon on the Toolbar at the top of
the screen. The Cut Settings window will
open and, in the Connection drop-down
menu, select TCP/IP
In the IP field, type in the IP Address from
Step 5 in Section 1.9.3.
Once you type in the IP address, click on
Test Connection, it will move the blade
carriage back and forth. This does not
send a cut, just a signal to the cutter. If
not connected, check the ARTisan again
to verify the network name and the IP
address. If you change settings, it may be
necessary to wait a minute and start from
the beginning of the process in order to
allow the computer time to reset and
USB Flash Drive Setup in LXi
1.9.6
If you are new to LXi, follow the first few steps in Section 1.9.1 to add the Muse to LXi Production
Manager.
Using the UDISK (USB thumb drive) option involves saving a .PLT file containing the cut design and
some or all of the cut settings. This file can then be opened directly onto the ARTisan and cut.
Remember that with this option, once the file is saved to the thumb drive, the design is locked in and
cannot be edited.
Once your file is ready to cut in LXi, insert a
USB flash drive into the design station computer.
Go to File>Cut/Plot or click the Cut/Plot
icon . A window will open and you will
need to select the location of the LXi
Production Manager in relation to your
design station computer:
recognize the Wi-Fi connection.

If you are new to Create Space, follow the first few steps in Section 1.9.2 to add the ARTisan
to Create Space.
Click on OK and LXi Production Manager will open.
The Cut/Plot window will also have opened. On the General tab, select SAVE to FILE from the
Send mode drop-down menu:
When you have made any necessary changes to the file size, copies, rotation, etc., click the Send
button at the bottom right of the Cut/Plot window.
A window will open prompting you to select the desired location to save the .PLT file. Browse to the
installed flash drive and save the file after entering a new name. Go to Section 1.9.8.
Change the Port connection by right clicking on the ARTisan in the Production Manager list,
and selecting Change Port.
In the Change Port window, select FILE and then complete other options, as preferred:
NOTE: if you will continually be using the USB Flash Drive as your method of sending files to the ARTisan:
USB Flash Drive Setup in Create Space
1.9.7
Using the UDISK (USB thumb drive) option involves saving a .PLT file containing the cut design and
some or all of the cut settings. This file can then be opened directly onto the ARTisan and cut.
Remember that with this option, once the file is saved to the thumb drive, the design is locked in
and cannot be edited.

In the Cut Settings window, verify you see the design in the Preview and choose either Origin Point
(move shapes to cut at the origin) or WYSIWYG mode (leave shapes in location on virtual mat in main
window) depending on which you prefer.
Mark the box for Use Software Speed and Pressure, if you want those included in the file. Otherwise,
leave the box unchecked and you can set those values on the ARTisan’s control panel. The other cut
settings including Blade Offset,Overcut, and Multi-cut (Passes) will always be included in the .PLT file:
Once your file is ready to cut, insert a USB flash drive into the computer. Click on Save to File at the
bottom of the Cut Settings window. A new window opens where you can browse to find the USB
flash drive and name the file.
Loading and Cutting a .PLT File from the USB Drive
1.9.8
Press the UDISK button on the control panel. The ARTisan will browse the contents of the installed
USB thumb drive and display all readable .PLT files. Note that if there are folders on the drive,
highlight the folder and press the OK button to display that folder’s contents. Use the X- button to
exit from a folder.
Once you have the desired PLT file highlighted, press OK to begin the cut:
Insert the USB flash drive into your ARTisan cutter’s USB flash drive port on the right cover.
On the control panel, press the FS button and change the FORCE and SPEED settings if you did not
elect to send them within the .PLT file (refer to Section 2.2.1). Perform a test cut, if needed.
IMPORTANT: Once the PLT file has been selected, cutting will begin immediately! Thus, make sure the
media is inserted and aligned in the cutter, the pinch wheels are down, and the blade is positioned at
the desired location for the origin.

1.10 Maintenance
All ARTisan cutters are made with high-quality internal lubrication to protect all mechanical components.
Therefore, there is no need to oil or lubricate any of the components, ever! Daily care consists of cleaning
the platen and blade holder to prevent buildup of dust and material debris. Dusting the platen with a soft
brush will get the job done perfectly. Debris inside the blade holder can be removed using a can of
compressed air and a nozzle. Also, make sure the pinch rollers and grit rollers are kept clean and free of
any stickiness.

Cutting
2.0 Cutting Overview
To be a successful owner of a vinyl cutter, you need to keep in mind a few factors:
2
You’re going to make mistakes. This is normal and part of the process of mastering a cutter.
Read this chapter. It contains valuable information to help you understand how to load the blade,
set the exposure, understand the effects of various cut settings, create presets, and set a new origin.
Perform test cuts before cutting large projects. It prevents wasted material and preserves your
valuable time.
2.1 Proper Blade Installation
Before using the ARTisan advanced control panel to set the cutting speed and force, it is important to
make sure the blade is installed properly in the blade holder. Remove the protective cap on the blade
and follow these instructions:
The blade tip only needs to protrude far enough to cut through the face film and adhesive of
adhesive-backed vinyl. This is a combined thickness of approximately 0.005" or less. The blade should
not extend farther than ~ half the thickness of a credit card.
When properly installed, the tip of the blade is barely visible (as shown in the following diagram). Adjust
the blade inside the holder by turning the knob clockwise to extend more of the blade and
counterclockwise to retract it.
2. Gently insert non-sharp end of
the blade into the holder. An
internal magent will pull the
blade inwards.
Then release button on top of
holder
3. Turn the brass ring
counterclockwise until
loosened.
5. Turn the brass ring clockwise
until locked back in place.
1. Push in this button and
hold so that a blade
can be instered or
removed.
4. Turn the large ring clockwise or counter
clockwise to set blade length to match the
thickness of the material being cut.

Now that you have inserted the blade properly in the blade holder, you can use the ARTisan’s control
panel and Test function to expertly manage the speed and force of the cutter. Cutting vinyl (and other
media) successfully requires managing the amount of force you apply to the material and the speed
at which the tool carriage moves across the platen.
2.2 Cut Settings
Box Test: To make sure the blade is inserted properly, use the images in the prior figure as a guide. Once
the blade is installed in the blade-holder, place a sheet of vinyl on a flat surface, and place the
blade-holder against the vinyl. Try to hold it perfectly perpendicular to the surface as shown in the
following photo. Next, move the blade-holder across the vinyl and draw a square. Set aside the
blade-holder and try to weed the box.
Perfect. The blade cuts
through the vinyl, but not
the release liner.
The blade is too far out.
It’s cutting through the
release liner.
The blade isn’t out far
enough to cut through
the vinyl.
If you cannot remove the box from the rest of the vinyl,
you may not have cut deeply enough. The blade may
need to be adjusted so that the tip extends farther.
If the vinyl lifts easily, but the release liner below is deeply
scored or cut all the way through, the blade is cutting too
deeply. Adjust it so that less of the tip is showing.
If you can easily weed the box, but the release liner
paper below is barely scored (or not scored at all), the
blade is installed correctly in the blade-holder. You are
now ready to install the blade-holder in the tool carriage
and use the speed and force settings to optimize cut
quality and efficiency.