front cut versus back cut

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pgunning

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Jul 12, 2007
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Are there advantages or disadvantages to either method?
I spoke recently with a Fletcher representative and was told they were the only company whose software allows for front cutting of mats.
I'm curious, is there enough of a difference between the two methods to make it the difference of buying one brand or the other?
 
Leave it to a salesman to lie to you. My wizard does a fine job cutting from either side.
 
pgunning said:
Are there advantages or disadvantages to either method?
I spoke recently with a Fletcher representative and was told they were the only company whose software allows for front cutting of mats.
I'm curious, is there enough of a difference between the two methods to make it the difference of buying one brand or the other?
Click to expand...

Wizard allows you to cut from front or back!
 
Gunnar is able to cut from either side as well, I doubt very much that there is any that don't? Is it possible he was trying to explain something else?
 
I use Fletcher's Mat Pro 120 and cut most of the mats from the front.
For reverse bevels, I cut from the back. Can't see any difference.
Same goes for cutting using a manual straight line cutter. :kaffeetrinker_2:
 
Of course they all cut front or back! The Wizard software supports it quite nicely!

There seems to be some cuts like small ovals/circles/lettering that sometimes cut smoother from the front. I think when you tell the Wizard software you want to cut from the front it uses a different calibration than cutting from the back. So, on some machines it might be a better calibration.

At one point the Fletcher/Valiani people were "claiming" their head was designed to not "mar" the mat surface so it was "better" at cutting from the front. I have not noticed any marring on the Wizard, so the claim seemed to be a stretch to me, but the heads are definitely different and it could be that was one of the design goals.
 
Yup, someone gave you bad information. The Wizard definitely will cut from the front.

Aside from V-grooves, you'd want to cut from the front when cutting a design with obtuse angles (greater than 90 degrees) such as octagons. It just cuts better that way. I don't recall all the details but it has to do with the blade geometry and the angles involved.
 
FramerDave said:
Yup, someone gave you bad information. The Wizard definitely will cut from the front.

Aside from V-grooves, you'd want to cut from the front when cutting a design with obtuse angles (greater than 90 degrees) such as octagons. It just cuts better that way. I don't recall all the details but it has to do with the blade geometry and the angles involved.
Click to expand...

That probably involves overcuts that you will normally get when cutting from the back. If you cut from the front the bevel would have to be started and stopped directly on the corner, but when cutting from the backside, you have to overcut slightly to get those same results on the face of the mat. This applies to all cuts made from the front vs. the back. I question whether the corner would cut clean from the front on a very obtuse angle of cut though. Since I don't have the benefit of a CMC to play with, all this is speculation on my part.
 
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