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SP300 contour cutting problem
Have just recently got the machine and printing is fine, but have a small problem when contour cutting.
Cutting appears to go fine, but when weeded you can see that the cutline isnt correctly positioned where it should be – the cut always looks like it is offset very slightly down and to the left, so it leave a thin white outline on the lower and left part of the graphic ( if you imagine cutting a square logo )
Did try the suggestion in the manual for adjusting the cutting alignment and printed out the test print and cut thing, but the adjustments made to the scan and feed didnt seem to make much difference.
Anyone else had a problem with this, or know what the solution is.
Am using a 0.001mm cut line and versaworks if this helps.
Thanks for any advice !
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13 Replies
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hi mike
would an environment check help
I do that with mine and it helps
thanks rich -
I also allow a bleed when cutting so your left with no white edges showing
rich 😀 -
there are 2 cut off set adjustments
1 head to knife normal menu
2 knife to registration marks in the service menuas rich said dont adjust anything until you have done a environmental check
chris
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Thanks both, I did do the environmental check but it didnt seem to make much difference.
I know I can get around it by putting the cut line inside the graphic by a bit to stop the white edge, but this is still quite fiddly when it should be easier to setup the cutter in the first place to cut in the rigth place !
I think it was the head to knife alignment in the normal menu I tried – I printed the test pattern and followed the manual to enter the value it said it was out by on the scan and feed, but no joy.
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You need to make sure the machine is correctly setup. There is an adjustment in the menu. Its worth trying the auto and then do the print and see if manual adjustment is necessary. You may find, as I do, that when set correct on the right it may be incorrect on the left side of the vinyl (as it comes out of the machine). In this case you need to get into the service menu and recalibrate and set there.
I recently had to do this for some super accurate cutting I needed. I posted a pic of the sticker on the boards.
By the way, I always, where possible, add some bleed as you may not find out about accuracy problems until you have ruined the print, and bleed covers a multitude of sins!
Peter
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Thanks Peter – I have done the standard setup in the menu, did try to do the auto one, but it beeped and came up with a message ‘service 0111’ or something – apparently means its something an engineer has to come out for ?
Is it possible to get into the service menu yourself ?
On most graphics a bleed wont be a problem, its only on some smaller ones that its more noticable.
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I don’t have the sequence to get into the service menu until I’m back in the office next week but I’m sure it has been posted before.
However, if you’ve got a new machine and received an error code, I would definitely get an engineer out to it. Don’t give them the opportunity to say you messed it up in the service menu. Get them to set it up properly and don’t be fobbed off with print/cut misalignment. It can do it.
Peter
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OK, have had a play around with it again today – found out that printing with crop marks makes the aligment a lot better – it is still a tiny bit out, but not so much that is really noticable, and putting a small bleed on the artwork covers it up.
Have got the warranty on the machine, so should really get the engineer out, but I’ve got work needs doing and cant wait 4 days for them to come out at the moment ( plus the engineer was only here last week to fit new heads, pump and other bits 🙂
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mike
new heads and pumps and its so new???
rich -
Long story Rich ! 😥 – basically it was an ex-demo machine I bought just over a year ago – at the time I told them it wasnt going to be used for a while so would be in storage. Somewhere along the line some wires got crossed, and it wasnt flushed out like it should have been for storing before delivery, so the ink that was left in it sat there for a year and wrecked the heads and pump.
Finally got my new print room set up, got the printer up and running and it would do everything except print anything !
Engineer came and fitted new upgraded pump, new heads, wipers, capping things etc… so basically most of the printing mechanism is brand new. Didnt cost me anything as ( luckily ) I had taken out the Roland Care service warranty after the original one ran out.
Have to say Roland were good as gold though, didnt mess about and got the engineer out to sort it within 4 days.
So… is printing great now – I find the lower resolution printing a bit grainy for small stuff, but on hi-res it looks fine. Only pain was it not lining up for cutting correctly, but adding the crop marks ( which it does automatically in Versaworks, so isnt any effort ) seems to have pretty much sorted that now.
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I understand now I remember talking to you when I printed a small sticker for you on the pc60 and you were saying you were waiting to set the printer up. I love mine and went for the same model as you due to not needing the specs the vp has to offer and saving a fair amount.
rich -
Looking at the specs of the VP it doesnt look any better than the SP for 99% of stuff really – the SP should be fine for all the work I do as most of it is smaller stuff rather than big prints for wraps etc…
Everything got a bit delayed with buying the new house, moving, doing stuff on the new house, converting a room to a print room, getting a new puppy and all the rest of it, and I had enough work coming in doing just cut vinyl things so it went on the back burner for a while.
I did get a decent price on mine as it was ex-demo, epsecially as its now had all the printing parts replaced so is basically a brand new machine 😉
What vinyl are you using in yours ? I’ve been using Metamark MD-5 as I order all my coloured vinyl from them – seems a bit thin and doesnt cut as nicely as their normal white sign vinyl though, so thinking about trying something a bit thicker ( it seems like the heating while printing on the thinner vinyl softens it a bit ? ).
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I have used the following
md5
lg
hexisall from the expensive higher gloss to the cheap ones at silly money
I like the gloss from md5 and I find its nice to apply but theres not much in it for me some big colour changes from vinyl to vinyl, think I will have one for short term and one for high grade work just still getting used to the printer I have used about 30 meters so far. I will see how things go. rich
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