Follow these guidelines to get the most out of your blades.

• Keep the blades inside the package while not in use. This will protect the blade and also allow you to identify it easily.
• Tungsten carbide is an extremely hard alloy, but it's very fragile and brittle so handle it carefully. Be careful to avoid dropping the blade or knocking the tip.
• Avoid touching the blade tip or edge with your fingers, perspiration from your hands can cause corrosion.
• Before cutting any material, make a cutting test and adjust the cutting depth and/or force in your plotter according to the manufacturers instructions. To prolong the life of the blade you should use "just enough" depth/force to penetrate the material. A faint impression of the cutting path should just be visible on the backing sheet.
• Use the correct blade according to the material that you want to cut. Shallow angles are used for thin and soft materials. Steeper angles are used for thicker, tougher materials. The product description for each blade contains it's recommended usage.
• Use a different blade to cut each different kind of material.
• If the blade needs to be cleaned, you can use any low density lubricant to remove corrosion.
• You should check the condition and/or replace the teflon cutting strip of your plotter regularly. The strip should be smooth and free of any grooves. Any blemishes in the strip will affect the cutting performance and life of the blades.