Starcraft SOLO User manual

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StarCraft SOLO with CREATE 1.008
January 18, 2022 Version
Please use the following steps as a guide to set up and begin successfully using your new SOLO:
Step 1: Unpack your SOLO and verify nothing is missing (Sections 1.01 and 1.04).
Step 2: Note the names of various parts of your SOLO for future reference (Section 1.05).
Step 3: Install the CREATE software and register it (Section 1.06).
Step 4: Power on the SOLO and note the basic settings on the control panel (Section 1.07).
Step 5: Connect the SOLO to your computer after reviewing the connection options (Section 1.08).
Step 6: Check out the other accessories which came with your SOLO (Section 1.09).
Step 7: Adjust the pinch rollers to their proper positions (Section 1.10).
Step 8: Practice drawing a shape using the test pen (Section 1.11).
Step 9: Understand some important factors and settings before cutting with the blade holder (Sections
2.01 –2.04).
Step 10: If you plan to perform Print+Cut applications (aka contour cuts), calibrate the camera and
set up your first project (Sections 3.02 and 3.03).
Step 11: Some of the more commonly used CREATE functions are presented in Chapter 4. A
complete StarCraft CREATE User Manual can be found at the link below. Note that references in blue
here in this manual pertain to the CREATE manual.
Step 12: Appendix A is a troubleshooting section for issues involving communication, operating,
cutting, and the CREATE software. Appendices B –E contain advanced topics that you may or may
not ever need.
Latest Update to StarCraft SOLO Manual: https://tinyurl.com/pbmam6eu
Latest Update to StarCraft CREATE User Manual: https://tinyurl.com/46wnn3ck
_____________________________________________________________
© 2021, 2022 starcraftvinyl.com All Rights Reserved

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Table of Contents
STARCRAFT SOLO WITH CREATE 1.008...........................................................................................................1
1. INTRODUCTION AND SETTING UP.............................................................................................................. 5
1.01 UNPACKING AND SUPPORT ..............................................................................................5
1.02 SAFETY AND WARNINGS.................................................................................................................................5
1.03 WARRANTY....................................................................................................................................................6
1.04 SOLO PACKAGE CONTENTS ....................................................................................................6
1.05 PARTS OF THE SOLO CUTTER ..........................................................................................................7
1.06 INSTALLING STARCRAFT CREATE .................................................................................................................8
1.06.1 Downloading and Registering CREATE ................................................................................8
1.06.2 Installing the SOLO in CREATE ...........................................................................................................9
1.07 CONTROL PANEL ............................................................................................................................10
1.07.1 Set Screen ..........................................................................................................................................10
1.07.2 General Settings .................................................................................................................................11
1.08 CONNECTING THE SOLO TO YOUR COMPUTER .............................................................................................12
1.08.1 USB Connection..................................................................................................................................13
1.08.2 Wi-Fi Connection.................................................................................................................................13
1.09 ACCESSORIES..............................................................................................................................................16
1.09.1 Test Pen..............................................................................................................................................16
1.09.2 SOLO Bladeholder and Blades...........................................................................................................16
1.09.3 Cutting Mat..........................................................................................................................................17
1.10 PINCH ROLLERS...........................................................................................................................................17
1.11 BEGIN WITH THE TEST PEN!..........................................................................................................................18
1.11.1 Loading Test Pen and Paper ..............................................................................................................18
1.11.2 Setting an Origin Before Drawing (or Cutting) ....................................................................................20
1.11.3 Setting Up a Test in CREATE.............................................................................................................20
1.12 MAINTENANCE .............................................................................................................................................24
2. CUTTING...........................................................................................................................................................25
2.01 INSTALLNG THE BLADE AND MOUNTING THE BLADE HOLDER .............................................................25
2.02 SETTING THE ORIGIN BEFORE CUTTING.........................................................................................................27
2.03 PREPARING A CUTTING PROJECT..................................................................................................................27
2.03.1 Controlling Which Shapes Will Cut.....................................................................................................27
2.03.2 Controlling Where Shapes Will Cut.....................................................................................................28
2.03.3 Style Panel Assignments ....................................................................................................................30
2.03.4 Preview the Project.............................................................................................................................32
2.03.5 Determining Cut Settings....................................................................................................................33
2.04 CUT SETTINGS.............................................................................................................................................33
2.04.1 Pressure..............................................................................................................................................34
2.04.2 Speed and Up Speed..........................................................................................................................34
2.04.3 Blade Offset and Overcut....................................................................................................................34
2.04.4 Multi-Cut..............................................................................................................................................35
2.05 PRESETS .....................................................................................................................................................35
2.06 LANDSCAPE CUTTING...................................................................................................................................36
2.07 OTHER CUT OPTIONS OF INTEREST...............................................................................................................38
2.07.1 Mirroring Designs Before Cutting........................................................................................................38
2.07.2 Setting Up an Array of Repeats ..........................................................................................................39
2.07.3 End of Cut Action................................................................................................................................40
2.07.4 Cut by Color ................................................................................................................40
2.07.5 Weeding ......................................................................................................................43
2.07.6 Tiling .....................................................................................................................................43
2.08 TEST CUTTING FLOW CHART FOR THE SOLO................................................................................................44
2.09 SUGGESTED CUT SETTINGS FOR VARIOUS MATERIALS ..................................................................................45
3. PRINT+CUT (CONTOUR CUT)........................................................................................................................ 46

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3.01 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................................46
3.02 CAMERA CALIBRATION PROCEDURE ......................................................................................46
3.03 PERFORMING A PNC IN CREATE ......................................................................................48
3.04 REGISTRATION MARK SETTINGS ...................................................................................................................52
3.05 SETTING AN ORIGIN USING THE CAMERA .........................................................................................52
3.06 ADDITIONAL PRINT+CUT NOTES ...................................................................................................................54
4. STARCRAFT CREATE SOFTWARE............................................................................................................... 55
4.01 MAIN CREATE SCREEN ..............................................................................................................................55
4.02 COMMON USER PREFERENCES AND SCREEN TOOLS .....................................................................................57
4.02.1 Common User Preferences ................................................................................................................57
4.02.2 Screen Tools.......................................................................................................................................58
4.03 LIBRARY ......................................................................................................................................................58
4.04 PROJECTS AND PAGES.................................................................................................................................59
4.05 LAYERS PANEL.............................................................................................................................................60
4.05.1 Parts of the Layers Panel....................................................................................................................60
4.05.2 Moving Layers.....................................................................................................................................62
4.06 HANDLING FILES ..........................................................................................................................................65
4.07 COLORING AND MANIPULATING SHAPES........................................................................................................65
4.07.1 Fill & Stroke Panel...............................................................................................................................65
4.07.2 Resizing, Rotating and Moving Shapes..............................................................................................66
4.07.3 More Shape Manipulations .................................................................................................................67
4.08 TEXT ...........................................................................................................................................................68
4.08.1 Type Tool Options...............................................................................................................................68
4.08.2 Changing the Font ..............................................................................................................................69
4.08.3 Text Panel Settings.............................................................................................................................70
4.08.4 Creating a Connected Letter Title.......................................................................................................70
4.09 TRACING AND DRAWING ...............................................................................................................................71
4.09.1 Tracing Procedure and Input ..............................................................................................................71
4.09.2 Image Settings....................................................................................................................................72
4.09.3 Output and Output Settings ................................................................................................................74
4.09.4 Drawing Tools.....................................................................................................................................74
4.10 EDITING TOOLS............................................................................................................................................75
4.11 DESIGNING ..................................................................................................................................................76
5. APPLICATIONS AND TIPS ON MATERIALS .................................................................................................78
5.01 PAPER AND CARDSTOCK TIPS.......................................................................................................................78
Selecting Paper and Cardstock .....................................................................................................................78
Cutting............................................................................................................................................................78
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................................78
5.02 ADHESIVE VINYL TIPS...................................................................................................................................79
Preparing the Design .....................................................................................................................................79
Cutting............................................................................................................................................................79
Weeding.........................................................................................................................................................80
Applying .........................................................................................................................................................80
5.03 IRON-ON /HEAT TRANSFER VINYL TIPS.........................................................................................................80
Preparing the Design .....................................................................................................................................80
Cutting and Weeding......................................................................................................................................81
Adhering HTV.................................................................................................................................................82
Why should I upgrade to a Heat Press?........................................................................................................82
5.04 FABRIC AND FELT TIPS .................................................................................................................................82
5.05 CAKE DECORATING TIPS ..............................................................................................................................83
5.06 CHIPBOARD TIPS..........................................................................................................................................84
Selecting Chipboard.......................................................................................................................................84
Cutting............................................................................................................................................................84
Troubleshooting .............................................................................................................................................84
6. ACCESSORY TOOLS ...................................................................................................................................... 85
6.01 USING ACCESSORY TOOLS...........................................................................................................................85

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6.02. SETTING UP TWO-STEP PROCESSES ...........................................................................................................86
6.03 DRAWING WITH A PEN ..................................................................................................................................86
6.04 SCORING FOLD LINES AND DEBOSSING/EMBOSSING......................................................................................87
6.05 SCRATCH ENGRAVING..................................................................................................................................88
APPENDIX A TROUBLESHOOTING...................................................................................................................89
A1 COMMUNICATION ISSUES.................................................................................................................................89
A2 OPERATING ISSUES.........................................................................................................................................90
A3 CUTTING/DRAWING ISSUES .............................................................................................................................92
A4 SOFTWARE ISSUES .........................................................................................................................................95
APPENDIX B CONTROL PANEL ADVANCED SETTINGS................................................................................97
B1 ARRAY ...........................................................................................................................................................97
B2 SHOW POINT ..................................................................................................................................................97
B3 UP SPEED......................................................................................................................................................99
B4 TO RIGHT POWER ON.......................................................................................................................................99
B5 YKEY MODE..................................................................................................................................................99
B6 SYSTEM MODE ...............................................................................................................................................99
B7 SCALE..........................................................................................................................................................100
APPENDIX C: ALTERNATIVE CONNECTION METHODS .............................................................................103
C1 WIRELESS STAND-ALONE .............................................................................................................................103
C2 USB FLASH DRIVE .......................................................................................................................................104
APPENDIX D CREATING PRESETS ON THE CONTROL PANEL..................................................................107
APPENDIX E ADDITIONAL PRINT-AND-CUT APPLICATIONS......................................................................110
E1 PNC FROM A FLASH DRIVE ...........................................................................................................................110
E2 PRINTING A PNC PROJECT FROM OUTSIDE OF CREATE................................................................................112
E3 TWEAKING THE CAMERA CALIBRATION...........................................................................................................113

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1. Introduction and Setting Up
1.01 Unpacking and Support
• Thank you for choosing a StarCraft SOLO Digital Cutting Machine.
• Verify that you have received all contents. There is a checklist in Section 1.04. Please notify your SOLO
supplier immediately if anything is missing.
• Remove all foam pieces and other packaging before turning on the SOLO. Currently, the cutter ships with
two end cap foam protectors. There are also two plastic zip ties that will need to be cut. Be very careful to
only cut those ties and NOT the black cable behind them. Note that you can more safely cut them from
behind the cutter.
• Because the cutting mat must be folded over to fit into the box, it may have become slightly rounded
during shipping. Gently and only partially roll the mat in the opposite direction to remove the roundness
and place on a flat table to make sure the mat now lies horizontally to the surface.
• Use the enclosed test pen as you experiment and become familiar with operating the SOLO. 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.
•For SOLO and CREATE support, please use the following resources:
https://www.starcraftvinyl.com/solo
Facebook: StarCraft Vinyl and StarCraft Solo School
You Tube Channels: Rhonda M Shawn Mosch Mr.CraftyPants Corinne Blackstone
1.02 Safety and Warnings
Please be aware of the following guidelines when working with the SOLO:
•Pinch Points: Keep hands, long hair, loose clothing, jewelry, etc. away from the moving parts.
•Risk to Children and Pets: Please supervise children around the cutter when it is in use.
•Movement and Touching: Do not move the SOLO or touch any circuitry while it is plugged in.
DO NOT attempt to move the blade carriage by hand while the SOLO is powered on.
When lifting and lowering the pinch wheel lever, maintain control with your hand. Do not allow the lever
to “pop up” on its own.
USB Cable: If using the USB cable, allow enough room between the SOLO and the computer for a bit of
slack in the cable. If too much stress is put on either the computer’s port or the SOLO’s port, it can
damage the port.
Blades: the blades are fragile and can chip if dropped onto a hard surface or if the blade is
overextended and hits a dense material, the mat, or the cutting strip with too much force.
Power Adaptor: ONLY use the included power adaptor. Attempting to use a different model can result in
seriously damaging the SOLO. If either the power cable or adaptor are damaged, replace with the
appropriate parts.
DO NOT touch or jam the plotter’s track while it is operating. If the cutter is damaged, it is the owner’s
responsibility.
DO NOT shake the cutter while it is operating.
DO NOT cut any materials that have staples or other embellishments attached.

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DO NOT touch the cutter with a magnet. It is safe, however, to cut thin magnetic sheets, such as those
used on refrigerators and car exteriors.
DO NOT allow any liquids to spill into the cutter.
DO NOT allow small items to fall into the cutter.
Place the SOLO on a sturdy and stable table, desk, or trolley.
•Always turn off the SOLO when not in use. Leaving the cutter turned on for extended periods of time can
possibly damage the machine.
•Always turn off the SOLO before unplugging the power adaptor or removing the power cable from the wall
outlet or power strip.
•Unplug the SOLO from a wall outlet or power strip during an electrical storm or when the cutter will not be
used for an extended period of time.
•Transporting: When transporting the cutter, move the pinch wheel lever into the upward position. Remove
the blade from the blade holder and cover the tip with the colored cap.
1.03 Warranty
•IMPORTANT! If your SOLO is damaged during shipment or appears to be defective, your reseller should be
notified as soon as possible.
•StarCraft warrants the StarCraft branded hardware product contained in the original packaging against
defects in materials and workmanship on all registered machines for two years. This warranty does not
include accessories, mats, and blades. Contact your reseller for warranty issues.
•It is recommended that you retain the original box with packing materials in case you ever need to ship your
SOLO.
1.04 SOLO Package Contents
• Besides the SOLO, your box should also contain the following items:

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1.05 Parts of the SOLO Cutter
Front
•Alignment Arrows: indicate to the user the available positions for the pinch wheels
•Blade Carriage: moves the Blade Holder Seat left and right
•Blade Holder Seat (Jaw or Clamp): holds the blade holder, test pen, and other accessories
•Control Panel: used to change settings, set up Wi-Fi, calibrate camera, cut PLT files, and more
•Cutting Strip: protects a blade when cutting backed materials without using a cutting mat
•Grit Shafts (total of 3): allow the pinch wheels to grip the mat or material so they can be moved in and out of
the cutter during cutting
•Pinch Wheel (Roller) Assemblies (total of 3): grip the mat or material so that the grit shafts beneath will feed
the mat or material in and out during cutting
•Power Button: turns cutter on and off
Right Side
Power Port
USB Flash
Drive Port
USB Port
Pinch Wheel Lever
Alignment Arrow
Pinch Wheel or
Pinch Roller
Control Panel
Left
End Cap
Right
End Cap
Power Button
Blade
Carriage
Cutting Strip
(white)
Grit Shaft (dark
gray and rough)
Blade Holder Seat
(aka Jaw)
•Pinch Wheel Lever: move down to lift the pinch wheels
up for loading the mat or material and move up to lower
the pinch wheels for cutting
•USB Flash Drive Port: used to load PLT files via the
control panel for cutting
•USB Port: option to connect computer to the SOLO with
included USB cable
•Power Port: connect the SOLO’s power adaptor

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Back
1.06 Installing StarCraft CREATE
•To obtain your free CREATE Serial Code, go to the following web site and register your new SOLO:
https://starcraftvinyl.com/create
•Write down your SOLO’s serial number which is on the bottom of the cutter. In the registration window, enter
this 9-digit serial number in the upper gray field. Click on Get CREATE Serial and a 30-digit CREATE
Serial Code will appear:
•This new CREATE Serial Code can be used on any two computers you own. If you want to activate
CREATE on a new computer, go to Help>Deactivate (inside CREATE) on the computer no longer needing
CREATE and confirm you wish to deactivate.
•If you choose to not register CREATE right away, it will run in DEMO mode only. This mode will have the
following limitations:
When cutting, horizontal (watermark) lines will be added across the design.
Exporting will produce a DEMO file without your design shapes included.
1.06.1 Downloading and Registering CREATE
•StarCraft CREATE can be downloaded from the following link. Note that there are two choices - Mac or PC:
https://www.starcraftvinyl.com/solo
•Install the downloaded file and open CREATE. Immediately following the StarCraft CREATE splash screen,
a window will open. Click on Activate to open the software registration screen:
Pinch wheel lever
Pinch wheel
assemblies
1. Enter your SOLO’s
serial number from the
bottom of the SOLO
2. Click here
3. Copy this number to
your computer’s
clipboard

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•After successfully registering the software, an initial window will open where you can choose if you are
starting a new project, opening an existing project, or recovering a project after a software crash. Because
this is the first time you are opening CREATE, choose New Project and accept the defaults shown:
1.06.2 Installing the SOLO in CREATE
•Go to Cutter>My Cutter>Manage Cutters and the following window will open:
•Click on Done to save and close the window.
4. Click on Done
1. Select StarCraft
2. Select Solo
List of cutters
you’ve added
3. Click on Add to list
Click on New
Project
Accept whatever settings are
shown. Details about these
settings will be covered in later
sections.
Click here to
register CREATE
OR…
Click OK to
continue in trial mode
1. Enter your name
Do NOT use this function
2. Paste in the long
CREATE Serial Code
you copied from the
registration window
(NOT the number on
the bottom of your
SOLO)

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1.07 Control Panel
• Place your SOLO on a sturdy horizontal surface. Connect the power cable to the power supply. Plug the
other end of the power cable into a wall outlet or power strip. Connect the other end of the power supply into
the power port on the right end cap.
• To turn on the power, press the power button just below the control panel screen.
• The SOLO will take a few seconds to power up. A splash screen will appear. Then the LED light will come
on and the tool carriage will engage. IMPORTANT: Once the cutter is on, do not move the tool carriage
using your hands. This can damage the tool carriage and/or main board. Use only the arrows on the control
panel to move the tool carriage.
• To power off the SOLO, press and hold the power button for several seconds until the cutter powers down.
•When you first power on the Solo, the following Main Screen or Home Screen will be displayed:
•Throughout this manual, the functions above will be referenced along with submenus and additional
screens. You will also see the following icons at the bottom of many screens. Pressing the one on the left
will always return you to the Main Screen above. Pressing the one on the right will return you to a prior
window/screen.
1.07.1 Set Screen
•Pressing the Set icon opens the Set Screen which contains access to many functions and settings.
Note the general description and section number:
4 arrow keys for moving the
head left/right and for moving
the pinch rollers
Repeat last cut. While cutting, this icon and function change to
Pause.
Open and cut PLT files from an
inserted USB flash drive
Execute a test cut using current
speed and force settings
Set the desired speed and force.
Toggle the speed for moving the head and
pinch rollers. In slow mode, the icon
changes to:
Stop and cancel the
current cut
Open Set menu
Refer to
Section 1.07.1
Go back to Main
Screen/Home Screen
Go back to prior screen

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1.07.2 General Settings
•The optional settings in the General Settings screen are:
•LED set allows you to change the color of the light inside the SOLO. The default is white but you
can change it by dragging the scroll bars on the LED set screen. For example, if you wanted a blue light,
you could drag red and green all the way to the left. For a purple light, only drag green all the way to the left.
Set up wireless connection to home
or office network: Section 1.08.2
Version numbers, software selection,
reset
Calibrate and use the camera for
Print+Cut applications: Chapter 3
Array setup, Scale, and options for
display and cutter behavior:
Appendix B
Set end-of-cut options: Section
2.07.3
Settings for: LED, Units,
Language, Screensaver, Alarm:
Section 1.07.2
LED light: white
LED light: green
LED light: purple
Select blackout time for
screens and end-of-cut alarm
Set preferred lighting color
Select preferred language for
control panel
Select inches or millimeters

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•Screen and alarm window has these settings:
•Unit allows you to choose either inches or mm for all relevant settings on the control panel.
•Language allows you to choose from twelve languages for the control panel display screens.
1.08 Connecting the SOLO to Your Computer
•There are 4 ways that you can connect your SOLO to the computer. Review the information in the following
table to understand the differences between these options:
•Note that implementing any of these options does not preclude you from changing to another one, as
needed.
•Only USB and Wi-Fi are covered in this section. For details on the other two connections, refer to Appendix
C.
Increase Screensaver time (or
drag the orange bar)
Decrease Screensaver time
(or drag the orange bar)
Turn on Alarm to beep five times
at the end of a cut
Enable Change the LED to have
light turn blue at end of cut

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1.08.1 USB Connection
•Connect the USB cable to the right side of the cutter and into an available USB port on your computer. Both
PC’s and Mac’s should automatically identify the device. IMPORTANT:Make sure the USB cable will have
some slack once connected to your computer. Putting stress on a USB port on either the computer or the
SOLO can damage that port.
•In CREATE, click the CREATE button in the upper right corner of the screen to open the Cut Settings
window. Then perform the following steps:
•If the SOLO is successfully connected to your computer, the Test Conection will cause the cutting head to
do a quick left-right jog.
1.08.2 Wi-Fi Connection
•Note: Not all routers have the same signal strength. It’s usually best to connect the SOLO while it is in the
same room with the router. Once connectivity is established, you can then experiment to see how far from
the router the SOLO can be located.
•What you’ll need:
Name of your home/office network
The password for your network
•Carefully complete the following steps:
(1) On the SOLO’s control panel, select Set followed by Wifi. The Wifi screen will appear:
(2) Click on the Scan button and a list of all available networks will appear. Select your home/office network
and click on Apply. You will then be returned to the Wifi screen:
Click on Scan
Click on Wifi
1. Click on CREATE
2. Select USB
4. Click on Test
Connection
3. Click Refresh icon

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(3) Click on Set and the following screen will open:
(4) To enter the password, use the following tips if you are unfamiliar with this type of screen:
“Rapid tap” multiple times in succession to select a letter. For example, if your network password is
cts456, then to enter “c”, you would tap three times on “abc” because “c” is the third letter in “abc”.
Next you would proceed to “stu” and tap two times to enter “t”. Then you would only need to tap on
“stu” once to enter the letter “s.”
To enter numbers, click on “123” to open the number entry screen.
For punctuation, click on “#@~“ to open the extra characters screen.
To enter upper case letters, click on the up arrow in the lower left part of the screen.
(5) Once you have the password entered in the display box at the top, click on OK to return to the Wifi
screen:
3. Click on Set
1. Select your
network
2. Click on
Apply
Delete last
character
Password will
display here
Click OK when done
Toggle to switch between
uppercase and
lowercase letters
Switch to punctuation
Switch to
numbers

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(6) Next check the IP Address that will be assigned to the SOLO. The SOLO will automatically pick up the
first three sets of digits from your router but will continue to display them as shown above. You only
need to decide if the last set, which should be defaulting to “200”, can be used. Use the “+” or “-“ buttons
to make any needed changes.
(7) Click on Apply and wait for several minutes while your router assigns this IP Address to the SOLO.
Eventually you will see Connected OK appear and your full IP Address will appear in the orange strip
at the top:
(8) If instead of receiving a Connected OK display, you see Password err, again verify the network you
selected and the password you entered. If you are unable to successfully connect and the SOLO is
within a few feet of your router, please check your router’s user manual and/or search online for issues
with your particular router model.
(9) IMPORTANT: If you see HI-LINK XXXX 192.168.16.254 in the orange strip at the top, this indicates
your SOLO is still in default stand-alone mode and has not been picked up by your router. Repeat the
setup steps again.
(10) If you wish to reset and start again, press and hold the Default button for 3 seconds until the button
turns red. Then click on Scan and repeat from Step 3.
(11) Once you receive the Connected OK display, the orange strip at the top of the screen should display
your home network name and the full IP Address. Write it down, open CREATE, and click the CREATE
button in the upper right corner of the window to open the Cut Settings window. Then perform the
following steps:
Change the last 3
numbers, as desired.
Range: 150 - 250
Click on “+” or “-“ buttons to
change
IP Address, if needed
Success!
Click on Apply
Click on Apply
Wait will be displayed for
several minutes
Write down this
IP Address
Network name

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Note: if you are using the Mac version of CREATE, the IP Address window is called Port:
•If the SOLO is successfully connected to your computer, pressing Test Conection will cause the cutting
head to do a quick left-right jog. Note that it is natural for there to be a slight delay in response when the
connection is first established after powering on.
1.09 Accessories
1.09.1 Test Pen
• The test pen is used in calibrating the SOLO’s camera (Section 3.02) and is 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:
1.09.2 SOLO Bladeholder and Blades
• The red blade holder is used for cutting a full range of materials, from thin paper, vinyl, HTV, cardstock to
craft foam, magnetic sheets and wood veneer. Details on loading the blade and setting the blade
exposure are covered in Section 2.01.
• There are two kinds of blades that came with your SOLO:
The 45° red capped blade is well-suited for cutting thinner materials such as heat transfer vinyl, wall and
decal vinyl, paper, and cardstock. Two of these are included with the SOLO.
1. Click on CREATE
2. Select TCP/IP
5. Click on Test
Connection
3. Enter the IP
Address
4. Click the
Refresh icon
Remove wax from tip
2. Select TCP/IP
5. Click on Test
Connection
3. Enter the IP
Address
4. Click the
Refresh icon

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The 60° blue capped blade has a longer cutting edge and is well-suited for cutting thicker materials like
craft foam, magnetic sheets, light chipboard, rhinestone template materials, etc. One of these is
included with the SOLO.
Sold separately is a 30°yellow capped blade. It is a wide blade and is well suited for cutting fabric, felt,
and tint. It has been reported that it also works well with cardstock that has been exposed to humidity.
1.09.3 Cutting Mat
•Always use the mat to hold the material to be cut unless the material has its own protective backing, such as
with vinyl or HTV in which the blade does not fully penetrate the material. Paper and cardstock do not have
a backing sheet, thus they must be cut on the mat. Also, vinyl or HTV that is narrower than 4 inches or small
scraps of either should also be cut on the mat.
•Do not leave the pinch wheels in a down position when the SOLO isn’t in use. This warps the plastic sooner,
shortening the useful life of the cutting mat.
•When mats begin to lose their stickiness, they can be washed with a mild dishwashing detergent, warm
water, and a soft brush to thoroughly clean the surface. You’re not trying to scrub the adhesive but just wet
the invisible fibers that have been deposited from your materials and get them released from the glue. Allow
the mat to air dry before using in your SOLO.
1.10 Pinch Rollers
•The pinch wheels can be raised and lowered using the pinch lever located at the back-right side of the
machine. IMPORTANT: Always hold the lever while raising and lowering. Never allow the lever to pop up
on its own as this can put a lot of stress on the two couplers gripping the pinch wheel bar in the back.
•Slide the pinch roller assemblies left and right so that the pinch rollers are over the grit shafts (the rough,
dark gray sections). Note that a pinch wheel needs to be completely over a grit roller and not partially-on /
partially-off. Because the pinch rollers are very firmly in place, you may need to use two hands to slide one.
Place one hand behind the SOLO gripping the pinch roller assembly and the other hand in front, also
gripping the assembly. Then firmly push or pull.
•There is also a small black lever on each individual pinch roller. When the lever is raised, there is more
downward pressure exerted. IMPORTANT: Only push these small levers up when an extra tight grip is
needed, such as when cutting glossy or slick materials or extra thick materials.
•Note that for a pinch roller to grip properly, it must be fully positioned over a grift shaft. To facilitate
alignment, note the white arrows positioned along the horizontal bar below the cover. Slide the pinch
wheels along the bar, as needed.
Lever is in the up
position.
This is recommended
for materials which need
a tighter grip.
Lever is in down position.
This is recommended
when cutting most
materials.

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•When using the cutting mat, it is recommended that the material be placed in the middle of the mat. In some
situations, you might prefer to move the leftmost pinch wheel over to the far-left side so that it is beyond the
grit shaft. Then slide the middle pinch wheel to serve as the left-side grip and the right pinch wheel left in the
far-right position as shown in the following photo. This keeps the pinch wheels off the material when cutting
materials like craft foam and icing sheets. It also still provides an equal balance while the mat moves in and
out during cutting:
•Note that if your material is very wide, then it is fine to have the pinch wheels over the material. However,
you may need to be extra careful when removing any cut shapes or waste material in those locations.
• 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).
1.11 Begin with the Test Pen!
•Before cutting with the blade, start with the test pen and have the SOLO draw some shapes onto a sheet of
paper. This is important so that you can become familiar with the following:
Loading the mat or material into the SOLO
Understanding how to control where shapes will cut
1.11.1 Loading Test Pen and Paper
•You have two options when using the test pen:
Insert a sheet of copy paper (Letter or A4 in size) directly into the Solo:
Middle pinch wheel is
under left-most arrow
Right pinch wheel is
under white arrow on
right side.
Left pinch wheels is on
far left side (not in use)
Use the white arrow labels as a guide for pinch roller
placement.
Rollers can be anywhere along a gray grit shaft, as
long as they are completely over it.

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Or…Place the paper onto the cutting mat and then insert the cutting mat into the Solo:
•Before installing the test pen, make sure the pen will write by scribbling on scrap paper. Note that there is a
little piece of wax on the pen nib that will need removing. Then follow these steps:
Loosen the screw on the blade holder seat.
Insert the test pen allowing it to freely rest on top of the paper.
Before tightening the front screw, raise the test pen up a little bit (~ 1/8” or several mm). You don’t want
the pen still touching the paper but you also don’t want the pen too high above the paper either.
Tighten the front screw to lock in the test pen. Be careful not to push down on the blade holder seat
while tightening.
•Use any of the horizontal markings along the front of the SOLO to align the mat (or paper) so that it’s
straight. Lift the pinch lever to drop the pinch wheels onto the cutting mat (or paper).
Feed the mat this
direction into the
SOLO
Align the paper along
one of the grid lines on
the mat.
Observe how pinch
wheels are centered with
white arrows

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1.11.2 Setting an Origin Before Drawing (or Cutting)
•Before you draw (and later on, before you cut), an origin needs to be established which is nothing more than
positioning the location of the test pen (or blade holder) over the material.
•The arrow keys on the SOLO’s control panel are used to set the origin:
•Click on the arrow buttons to move the test pen left or right and the mat (or just the paper) in and out.
The goal is to have the tip of the pen close to the lower right corner of the paper:
•Once the pen tip is near the lower right corner, you have “set the origin” and are ready to proceed with the
test.
•Note: If the movement of the up and down arrow buttons seems backwards to you, it can easily be
reversed. Refer to Appendix B5.
1.11.3 Setting Up a Test in CREATE
•Near the top right corner in CREATE is the Document Panel which is used to set a host of settings related
to Page (aka, the Onscreen Mat or Document) on which you place shapes, edit and design. Please make
the following settings:
Move pen tip
to this corner
of the paper.
Move the pen tip
to this corner of
the paper
Feed the mat this
direction into the
SOLO
IMPORTANT: Most of the mat and/or
paper should now be behind the cutter,
not in the front.
The middle button can be
toggled so that the
movement is much slower
when needed.
Use these 4 arrows to
move the mat in and out
and move the head left
and right