Vinyl Cutters for Heat Transfer Vinyl: What to Buy
Any good roll-fed vinyl cutter will cut heat transfer vinyl (HTV). The choice comes down to cutting width, cutting force, whether you need print and cut, and who will service the machine. For shops cutting mostly HTV and stickers, the 24" Siser Romeo is built for that work. For sign shops that also decorate apparel, the Graphtec CE8000-40 and CE8000-60 cut HTV and sign vinyl on the same machine. This guide covers what to look for and how the three compare.
What to Look For in a Cutter for HTV
- Cutting width. Siser EasyWeed comes in 12", 15" and 20" rolls. Buy a cutter that takes the widest roll you plan to run, so you are not trimming material to fit.
- Cutting force. Standard HTV is thin, but specialty and glitter films and layered material need more force to cut through cleanly.
- Print and cut. If you plan to cut printed transfers or stickers, you need a cutter that reads registration marks.
- Software. Check that the cutter’s software opens the files you already design in.
- Service. A cutter is a long-term tool. Know where it goes when it needs a repair.
Vinyl Cutters for HTV at Central Sign Supplies
Cutter | Width | Force | Speed | Registration | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siser Romeo 24" | Material up to 25" | Up to 800g | Up to 600mm/s | Built-in camera | HTV decorators, stickers, print and cut |
| Graphtec CE8000-40 | 15" cutting, 19" media | Up to 450gf | Up to 600mm/s | ARMS 8.0 optical | Small shops and apparel decorators with limited space |
| Graphtec CE8000-60 | 24" cutting, 27.6" media | Up to 450gf | Up to 600mm/s | ARMS 8.0 optical | Sign shops cutting HTV and sign vinyl on one machine |
See every model in our plotter/cutters category.
Siser Romeo 24": Built for HTV
The Romeo is a 24" high-definition desktop cutter made for HTV decorators, sticker producers and sign shops. It takes material up to 25" wide and cuts from rolls without a mat, up to 5 yards long with the roll holder, so you can run continuous jobs. Its 800g of force handles thicker specialty HTV and layered material.
A built-in camera reads registration marks for print and cut. The Romeo runs on Siser’s Leonardo Design Studio over Wi-Fi or USB, and imports SVG files and other standard vector formats. It also cuts adhesive vinyl, cardstock, paper and felt, and takes a 45° blade, 60° blade, deep cut blade, etch tool and crease tool.
Graphtec CE8000-40: A Professional Desktop Cutter
The CE8000-40 is the entry point to Graphtec’s CE8000 E-Class series. It has a 15" cutting width in a desktop footprint, which suits 15" EasyWeed rolls. It is listed for cutting Siser EasyWeed and stretch HTV for garment decoration, as well as Oracal adhesive vinyl for signs and decals.
It has 450gf of cutting force, ARMS 8.0 registration for contour cutting printed graphics, and USB, serial and wireless LAN connections. It works with Graphtec Studio 2 and Cutting Master 5, which plugs into Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW.
Graphtec CE8000-60: 24" With a Stand
The CE8000-60 steps up to a 24" cutting width and comes with a floor stand. It handles roll and sheet media, including adhesive vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, reflective vinyl and sandblast stencil. At 24" it runs standard sign vinyl rolls such as Oracal 651 24" without trimming, which is why it is the most common choice for sign shops.
Siser Romeo or Graphtec?
Both the Romeo and the CE8000-60 handle 24" media. The Romeo is the desktop choice for HTV, stickers and print and cut, with Wi-Fi and Siser’s Leonardo software. The CE8000-60 is a roll-fed sign cutter on a stand, built for long vinyl runs. Shops cutting mostly apparel and stickers tend to choose the Romeo. Shops cutting mostly sign vinyl tend to choose the Graphtec. For a full comparison of the Graphtec line, see our Graphtec vinyl cutter buying guide.
Cutting HTV: Blade and Setup
- Mirror the design. HTV is cut face down, so cut the design mirrored.
- Use a 45° blade. Siser lists a 45° blade for EasyWeed. On a Graphtec, the CB09U 0.9mm blade is the standard for heat transfer vinyl; see our Graphtec blades and cutting strips guide.
- Test cut first. Always run a test cut before a production job.
- Keep lines thick enough. Siser recommends a minimum line thickness of 1/16" for EasyWeed lettering and logos.
- Replace the cutting strip when it grooves. A worn strip causes uneven cut depth, which shows up when you weed.
Service From an Authorized Graphtec Center
Central Sign Supplies is a Graphtec Authorized Service Center in Omaha. We perform warranty and post-warranty repairs on the CE8000 and FC9000 series, so the team that sells you a Graphtec is the team that services it.
Vinyl Cutters for HTV: FAQ
Can any vinyl cutter cut heat transfer vinyl?
Most roll-fed vinyl cutters can. The Siser Romeo, Graphtec CE8000-40 and Graphtec CE8000-60 all list heat transfer vinyl as a compatible material.
Do I need to mirror HTV before cutting?
Yes. HTV is cut with the carrier side down, so the design must be mirrored or it will read backwards once pressed.
What blade do I use to cut HTV?
Use a 45° blade. On Graphtec cutters, the CB09U 0.9mm blade is the standard for heat transfer vinyl and adhesive vinyl.
What size vinyl cutter do I need for t-shirts?
A 15" cutter handles 15" EasyWeed rolls and most adult front designs. Choose a 24" cutter if you also cut 20" HTV or 24" sign vinyl.
Can the same cutter cut adhesive vinyl and HTV?
Yes. The Romeo and both CE8000 models cut adhesive vinyl as well as heat transfer vinyl, so one machine can handle decals and apparel.
Get Help Choosing a Cutter
Central Sign Supplies is a family-owned distributor in Omaha, Nebraska, supplying sign shops and garment decorators since 1951. We are an authorized Siser distributor and a Graphtec dealer and Authorized Service Center. Call 1-800-999-3160 to talk through which cutter fits your work, pick up at 4222 D St in Omaha, or shop vinyl cutters online.