48" vinyl cutter recomendations

[Neil Davey]

We have a Summa D120 which we use with our Mutoh as well as cutting large graphics up to 48".
It has optical eye and blistering speeds, a great machine.

[Jon Miller]

Thanks for your suggestion Neil.

Looking at the prices, a little more than I wanted to spend, I may see if I can find a second user unit.

Keep the suggestions, opinions etc coming.

Also, if there are any decent places to get secondhand equipment from let me know. (I will fire up that search toolbar Martin mentioned and see if that helps but I would have thought it to be more consumables based)

[Robert Lambie]

I would advise Graphtec or Roland… why, well, maybe 17 years or more constant use without fail or even the need for a maintenance contrac before that we used Spandex / Gerber…

Vinyl cutters have moved on greatly over the years, a great many do great cutters, however, many more do crap !

on a side note… mimaki are a very reputable firm, great printers etc…but i haven’t heard anything from them with regards to cutters for some years now.
often wonder why, but there you go…

[Jon Miller]

Thanks Robert.
Tried and tested is quite often a safe bet 🙂 I was planning on sticking to the main ones like Roland and Graphtec, Mutoh etc but just thought I would see what peoples thoughts were.
I guess keeping all equipment the same make is of no benefit then?

Hmm..will have a look about and see what fits my budget although looking like a second user unit is going to be the way forward. Anything particular to look for in secondhand cutters?

[Chris Wool]

i would look at you rip software and see what machines it will drive.

i would really want a matched plotter unless you understand whats required it makes using other makes hard work

the cjv will use one system graphtec another and roland different again. the standard roland print and cut system is imo fantastic never lets me down.
the graphtec system is at best painful if used as advertised,
shame as its a really good plotter let down by the supplied software.

[Bob Scullion]

Same set up as Neil here, mutoh valuejet printer and Summa D120 plotter, had the plotter approx 3 years, never missed a beat and would recommend.

I know a couple of guys who run graphtec plotters and love them, think you would be safe going with one of the main manufactures.

I might be upgrading soon (to a larger plotter that can take 1370mm material)
if so I’ll be posting it on here.

Bob

[Neil Davey]

As has been said you can’t really go wrong with Graphtec or Roland.
We have 2 Graphtec 610 machines which are our daily workhorses so if you look for wider ones they would definitely be worth looking at.
I’ve also got a Roland that’s 18 years old and still works although it is pretty much in permanent retirement.

[Jon Miller]

Cheerz Chris. I currently run Illustrator and Rasterlink on a dedicated laptop for my printer. Probably wouldn’t be too much of a problem running a seperate cutter and software from it. I will have a look at the Rasterlink manual though when I get a minute.

Thanks for that Bob. Is it the 120 D or T series? I shall keep my eye on the for sale section.

Neil, 18 years old, wow. Must be running on hamster power. 🙂

On a side note, can all the cutters read the various registration mark shapes or do certain brands only recognize certain style marks?

Regards,

Jon

[Chris Wool]

quote :

On a side note, can all the cutters read the various registration mark shapes or do certain brands only recognize certain style marks?

no and this is my point they want there own type. in some ways its not a problem but can be a real problem to your work flow

with a matched plotter to printer and software its as easy as you do print and cut now

[Jon Miller]

Hmm…that’s a bit of a pickle then. Various reading on the net leads me to beleive the Mimaki are not known for their accuracy which is why I wanted to see if other more reportedly accurate machines/brands were a feasible option.

Although I would think a dedicated cutter only whether Mimaki of not would be more precise than a print/cut perhaps?

Anyone else have any thoughts on that or knowledge of the various reg marks and compatibility?

If not, then recommendations for Mimaki cutters?

Many Thanks!

Jon

🙂

[Jon Miller]

Have just emailed Summa regarding reg mark compatibility so guess I will see what they have to say about . Will let you know when they respond.
Unless someone knows definitively

[Alan Drury]

Summas are easy for reg marks. You can download Winplot and all the cutter controls. When installed 2 icons will be inside Corel Draw (I’m assuming they will be there for Illustrator too) Select the job and then click the marks icon and the marks will automatically appear round the objects. Export/send to the rip for printing. Laminate the print, put on the plotter and then cut from Corel/Illustrator. Winplot loads click on OPOS icon in Winplot and follow the instructions. Rip for print – Winplot for contour cutting. All the cutters will have registration issue over long lengths

Alan D

[Jon Miller]

Hi Alan

Thanks for the post.

So the winplot would be like my finecut plugin in illustrator. It applies the cut lines and reg marks.
Just instead of using the finecut for the reg marks I would use the winplot to apply the reg marks and export to Rasterlink for printing as normal.
Sounds straight forward enough and would be great if it is as simple as that.

Jon

[Alan Drury]

Basically yes and yes. Winplot is not very sophisticated but does work and sounds as if it is similar to Finecut. I usually get the printers to contour cut but on the occasion when not practical I have laid out my stickers in Corel. Used the marks icon to put reg marks on the drawing, Summa needs 2mm squares and Winplot adds as many as required for the length being cut along with a bar to indicate the front, remember Winplot is portrait so make the length going up the page. This is exported as eps/pdf, printer prints/laminates and returns. I load prints on my plotter and run the file. I click the winplot icon, that loads. when I cut I am prompted to cut everything or just bits selected, I’m prompted to move the eye over the first mark on the print and when I hit enter on the plotter the plotter takes over, finds the marks and then contour cuts my selected contours.
My plotter is over 5 years old with tangential head but I imagine it is pretty much the same for the newer ones.
Alan D

[Jamie Wood]

We use Mimaki cutters daily, with output from our Mimaki printers, and have no
problem at all with accuracy using Finecut with print marks for kiss / die cutting, so
I can highly recommend them. I’ve never come across anything I can’t do with
Illustrator and Finecut.

[Jon Miller]

Thank you Jamie.
What cutter are you using?

[Jamie Wood]

We have a CG130-FX and a CG160-FXII.