Please look at these items before contacting technical support:

1) Technical Support Issues

2) Technical Bulletins

3) SignBlazer Updates

4) Contact Technical Support

5) Technical Support Policy

6) "How do I...?" Support Service

Technical Support Issues:

A  - SignBlazer/HotShot Troubleshooters

For some issues there are an online troubleshooters available that will help you to resolve the issue. More of these will become available in the future.

B  - SignBlazer/HotShot and Computer Issues

1) If you have reinstalled SignBlazer on a version of Windows that was released after you bought SignBlazer, and it won't install or run properly.

Solution: Click on this list of supported Windows Versions for various SignBlazer releases, to see the versions of Windows that you can install SignBlazer. You may need to upgrade SignBlazer to run on newer versions of Windows.

2) Your cutter may cut very slowly after you have installed a (parallel port) HP printer (Also other parallel port devices such as scanners and zip drives may not work correctly).

Solution: The HP port monitoring software can interfere with correct operation of various computer hardware. Reinstall your HP printer driver and unselect the option to monitor ports automatically. Some newer HP printers have a hidden control panel that you need to access to change the setting, contact the HP support line for a specific information on your model printer. Some information on the problem can be found here. Note that "USB only" printers don't exhibit this problem.

3) If you experience unusual cutting symptoms, such as a diagonal line drawn across your vinyl, or your cutter won't start up when connected to your computer.

Solution: Set your computer BIOS setting for LPT1 to any other setting instead of ECP.

4) When you cut, the size of the object cut on the vinyl is ~2.5 times smaller or larger than it should be.

Solution: You have set SignBlazer to millimetres, and your cutter to inches or centimetres (or vice versa). Change either SignBlazer or your cutter so that both are using the exact same units of measurement.

5) If you have the old 5.1.19 release of SignBlazer and you have since upgraded from Windows98 to Windows2000, you may experience some crashes.

Solution: Contact ColorChrome First for Windows2000 compatible solutions, or reinstall Windows95/98/ME/NT4.

C - SignArt

1) Some SignArt CD users have reported that the serial number on their SignArt Volume 1 registration form consists of only dashes or zeros.

Solution: Download and install the updated HotArt Browser (909kb 16/11/2000). Fill out and e-mail your registration form (Please be assured that this has now been fixed and downloads from this website do not exhibit this problem)

2) Some SignArt CD users have reported that their SignArt Volume 1 registration number from ColorChrome First didn't work.

Solution: When entering your registration code from ColorChrome First into your HotArt Browser, first push the 'Enter Registration' button, press 'Cancel', then press the 'Enter Registration' button again and enter the code, then press 'OK'. (Please be assured that this has now been fixed and downloads from this website do not exhibit this problem)

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Technical Bulletins

• Using a "USB only" Creation PCut vinyl cutter with SignBlazer\06

• Using computer Port Converters with Vinyl Cutters and Printers

• Network Ports setup for combined Printer Cutters.

• Printing Across a Network

• Cutting Across a Network

• Opening and Importing Files in SignBlazer

• Importing Files from Adobe Illustrator CS

• Accessing Sign Lab files in SignBlazer

• Accessing SignWizard files in SignBlazer

• Sharing Large Format Digital Printers

• Network Hardware Guide

• Accessing Mac's QuarkXPress Files

• Accessing Mac's Illustrator Files

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Technical Support Policy (SignBlazer/HotShot)

Due to the rapidly changing nature of computer hardware and software, our free product technical support by phone is for twelve months from the date you purchased (provided of course you are registered user!). If you do not have the latest release and need technical help, then a new paying service is offered. This is AUD$60.00* per fifteen minutes or part thereof (note if you manage to find a bug, it is of course free for you to report that).

Have you Visa or MasterCard ready when you ring and make sure your
SignBlazer is registered!!!!

• Check to see if your SignBlazer is registered.
• SignBlazer 5.5 and SignBlazer\06 users -You can register you copy of SignBlazer by running that program, then selecting Register from the Help menu.

Also see our new "How do I...?" Support Service below:

* plus GST for Australian users only. No GST is charged for users in other countries.

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"How do I...?" Support Service (SignBlazer/HotShot)

Want to know "how to do something" in SignBlazer/HotShot fast and not have time to read the manual? Well we now provide hotline tuition support (AUD$60.00* per fifteen minutes or part thereof) for current users and users with older versions.
If we have to return your phone call - new lower charges:

• Australia (anywhere) - additional AUD$10.00* per fifteen minutes or part thereof,
• NZ - additional AUD$20.00 per fifteen minutes of part thereof.
• Other overseas countries - charged accordingly.
  

* plus GST for Australian users only. No GST is charged for users in other countries.

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Last update: August 27, 2007
Copyright © 2004, ColorChrome First Pty.