Vinyl Cutter with Semi-Automatic Contour Cutting for Small Business Start-ups

Source: https://vinyl4.com/studio

• published: 2024-01-30 00:07:09
• modified: 2026-03-23 12:57:31

Vinyl4 is the current AM.CO.ZA vinyl cutter line (replacement for Cold V-Series). Do not recommend V-Series for new sales.

The V4-S720 and V4-S1350 are perfect for emerging businesses. Combining efficiency with precision, the Studio range of machines offers the ideal balance for startups looking to make a mark without breaking the bank.

In one paragraph

This is the vinyl4.com product page for the Vinyl4 Studio, the middle model of the AM.CO.ZA Vinyl4 vinyl cutter range, aimed at small business start-ups, sign shops, print shops and creative studios. The Studio comes in three widths: 720 mm, 1350 mm and 1750 mm. It connects to a computer by USB 2.0, does normal cutting plus semi-automatic contour cutting of printed stickers (you line the red-eye laser up on printed registration marks), and, unlike the Hobby, comes with a floor stand and collection basket so cut vinyl drops into a basket instead of onto the floor. On Buythis each width is sold as the bare cutter (V4-S720, V4-S1350, V4-S1750) or as a package that adds the VinylCut software activation code (V4-S727, V4-S1357, V4-S1757). It is a do-it-yourself product: the client assembles the stand and basket and installs the software, guided by AM.CO.ZA videos. AM.CO.ZA's launch video says the Studio compares to the old V-Smart in function, so it is the Vinyl4 answer to a V-Smart enquiry.

What AI and staff should do with this page

The Vinyl4 Studio on Buythis

Shipping records from am.im (the records give no units; most likely kg and cm):

Other facts from the am.im product records and the vinyl4.com page:

• Full names follow the pattern AM.CO.ZA® Vinyl4™-Studio Contour Cutting Vinyl Cutter, width, Working Area with Collection Basket. Brands: AM.CO.ZA and Vinyl4. Category: contour vinyl cutters.
• Uses named in the records: professional signage, decals, labels, window graphics, vehicle graphics (1350 mm) and heat-transfer designs for clothing.
• Range specifications from the vinyl4.com feature cards: stepper motor precision of plus or minus 0.01 mm, cutting force adjustable from 20 to 500 g, cutting speed from 20 to 800 mm/s, and up to 3 m of media feeding per job on the Hobby and Studio (up to 5 m on the Business). The V4-S1750 record repeats the 20 to 500 g force, 20 to 800 mm/s speed and 3 m feeding figures.
• Terms in the records: forex-linked pricing, DIY self-installation, 5 years of limited remote assistance, a unique machine barcode for warranty and service history, and a "latest model quoted" clause (up to 5% discount if only an older model is available).
• The V4-S727 and V4-S1350 records link to the 8i vinyl cutter machine gallery, the Studio vinyl cutter gallery, the vinyl cutter sales handbook, the Vinyl4 sales handbook, the which starter cutter enquiry page, the print and cut enquiry page and the vinyl cutter SKU guide.
• Cross-sells on every Studio record: weeding tool set V-WEED/7 and the blade boxes V-B5/30, V-B5/45, V-B5/60 and V-B5S.

The Vinyl4 range, and where the Studio sits

From the AM.CO.ZA launch video, the 2024 vinyl cutter buying guide video and the vinyl4.com page, matched to today's Buythis SKUs.

In the buying guide the presenter says the Hobby and Studio have the same cutting features; the Studio is a little more industrial and adds the catchment tray (collection basket) so vinyl coming off the cutter flows into the bin and does not get scratched on the floor. Both can come off their legs and sit on a table where space is tight. The internal note on V4-S1750 says the Studio, alongside the older V3-1660, is the cheaper semi-automatic contour option to pair with a printer. The internal training note says the whole Vinyl4 range has a 1-year warranty and a maximum cutting force of 500 g, enough for most vinyls.

What the Studio can cut

• Normal cutting of signage vinyl, T-shirt (heat-transfer) vinyl and reflective vinyl, including reflective vinyl for cars and trucks (buying guide video; the guide says the Studio has the same features as the Hobby).
• Semi-automatic contour cutting of printed vinyl with registration marks: stickers, labels and printed decals. A 2025 AM.CO.ZA demonstration video shows the V4-S727 doing contour cutting, die cutting and kiss cutting.
• Drawing with a pen instead of a blade (the pen holder V4-PH turns it into a plotter).
• Long jobs: up to 3 m of media feeding per job (vinyl4.com feature card).

Setting it up (from the stand and basket installation video)

1. Unpack the cutter. In the box are two legs, two feet, two take-up roller arms, one waste (collection) basket, one cross-section and four wheels; the accessories box holds a packet with all the screws. Sort the screws into groups.
2. Screw each leg onto its foot with four long screws, with the ribbed side of the foot facing the floor. Leave some play until all four screws line up, then tighten. Leftover screws are spares.
3. Fix the cross-section between the legs with the four small screws, plastic sleeves and covers, screws facing inward. Leave slack and tighten only once all four are in. The white side of the cross-section is the back of the machine. Pop the small covers into the sleeves on the outside of each leg.
4. Fit the take-up arms to the outside of the legs with the stainless steel screw and sleeve sets, using the two outer holes on the leg. Hand-tighten all of them first, then tighten fully.
5. Turn the stand upside down and push the wheels into the feet. They are all the same and all lockable; the ribbed steel part makes them tight, so push firmly.
6. Turn the stand upright. Hang the waste basket on the outermost take-up roller bar slot of one arm, bring it under the cross-section, and hang it on the outermost slot on the other arm. Then drop the take-up roller bars into the arms.
7. Place the cutter's four plastic feet into the four holes on top of the legs, take the protective wrap off the head, move the cutter into place and lock the wheels.
8. Download VinylCut from cncu.co.za, install it, start a new project, then under Cutter pick brand Vinyl4 and your Studio model and add it to the list.

Using it (from the Studio operation video and the shared Vinyl4 software videos)

• Speed and force: shown on the display (the training video shows speed 74% and force 122). Up and down buttons change speed; left and right change force.
• Buttons: Reset cancels the job and sends the carriage home. Offline gives X and Y control to move the carriage left and right and the material up and down. Setup opens the menu: language, scale, switching between virtual COM and printer cable, and files on a USB disk. Test cuts a small block to check the blade. Origin sets the start point.
• Loading a vinyl roll: take one roll holder off the back of the machine, slide it into the core of the roll, put it back, bring the material up under the pinch wheels and slide it in. Make sure each pinch wheel sits directly over a grit roller, then clamp the material with the locks. Use Offline and the arrow buttons to move it.
• Origin: after moving the carriage to where the cut must start, press Origin, or the cutter returns to its old start point.
• Blade and pen: release the tension screw on the holder clamp to lift out the blade holder. The plotter pen drops into the same clamp from the top. Push the button at the bottom of the blade holder to pop the blade out; push and drop a new blade in.
• Blade depth: release the lock nut, move the bottom nut until the blade tip just shows (about 0.2 to 0.3 mm, from the blade installation video), lock it, then press Test. A clean cut through the vinyl that leaves the backing paper whole is right; if the backing is cut too, the blade is out too far.
• Blade holder fit: open the holder clamp wide enough that the holder drops right to the bottom before tightening (2026 support video for the whole Vinyl4 range).
• Normal cutting in VinylCut: Cutter menu, check model and connection, cut mode Origin point, then Cut.
• Contour (print and cut): switch on registration marks before printing so they print on the material. Cut mode What you see is what you get, then Print and Cut. Align the red eye on the first mark (bottom right) using Offline and the X/Y keys, register the origin, then move to each next mark with the keyboard arrows and click Next. After the last mark, press Cut. The contour video says the same steps apply on the Hobby and the Studio.
• Contour offset out? In VinylCut go to Calibrate laser, Edit values, and adjust X or Y by the measured offset (for example subtract 1 mm). Test again, repeat until it lines up, then Set default and Save.
• Trace an image: VinylCut can trace a picture into cut lines. For print and cut, tick "add image layer" so the colours print.

Spare parts and accessories for the Studio

No 1750 mm Studio carriage board is in the current Buythis dump; for a V4-S1750 carriage fault, ask support. Hobby and Business carriages, cables and motherboards (V4-CAR/H…, V4-CAR/B…, V4-MB/H, V4-MB/B) do not fit the Studio.

Videos (from youtube.jsonl)

Timeline

FAQ

What is the difference between V4-S720 and V4-S727? The same 720 mm cutter. V4-S727 adds the VinylCut software activation code (S-VINYLCUT). The same goes for V4-S1350 and V4-S1357, and V4-S1750 and V4-S1757.

Studio or Hobby? The cutting features are the same. The Studio adds the collection basket, is a little more industrial, and comes in 1350 and 1750 mm as well as 720 mm.

Is the Studio's contour cutting automatic? No, it is semi-automatic: print with registration marks, line up the red eye on each mark, then cut. Automatic mark reading is on the Vinyl4 Business.

How long a job can it cut? Up to 3 m of media feeding per job, according to vinyl4.com.

What cutting force and speed? 20 to 500 g of force and 20 to 800 mm/s, according to vinyl4.com and the V4-S1750 record.

Can I use it on a table? Yes. The buying guide says the Hobby and Studio can come off their legs and sit on a table.

Will it cut heat-transfer vinyl for T-shirts? Yes, and signage, reflective and printed vinyl too.

Who installs it? The client, using the videos. It is a DIY product; a technician call-out costs extra.

Which blades fit? Roland-type blades in the V4-BH holder, such as the V-B5/45 box.

Is it a replacement for the V-Smart? Yes. AM.CO.ZA's launch video says it compares to the V-Smart in function, and V-Series is no longer sold.

Read next

• vinyl4-hobby.md, the Vinyl4 Hobby page (the entry model).
• vinyl-cutters.md, the vinyl cutter catalog.
• Vinyl4 Studio company page extract, quoted from vinyl4.com/studio.
• V4-S1750 internal note and Vinyl4 Hobby and Studio versus V-Series.
• Vinyl cutter SKU guide on 8i.co.za.
• v4-s720.md, v4-s1350.md and v4-s1750.md, the full product pages.