A vinyl cutter is a cutting machine with computer-controlled blade movement. The blade is used to cut heat transfer vinyl that can be heat applied to varying fabrics, such as T-shirts or fashion apparel.Regular vinyl cutters use knives to cut and shape the vinyl, whereas plotters use pens to design and print on them. The knife allows the cutters to print a design on the vinyl or any other material it is working on. Instead of just designing on the material, it cuts the vinyl in real-time.Instead of rotating and cutting like an end mill, the bit allows your CNC machine to cut adhesive backed sign vinyl and other thin materials with the spindle TURNED OFF.Many of these vinyl cutters come with design software, plotters, markers, and ink cartridges, so they can craft, cut, and print. Plotters are used primarily in technical drawing and CAD applications, where they have the advantage of working on very large paper sizes while maintaining high resolution. Another use has been found by replacing the pen with a cutter, and in this form plotters can be found in many garment and sign shops.