Cutting Master does it come with Graphtec cutters?

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

I think you mean Cutting Master. It is supplied with all new Graphtec cutters. I think it only works with a USB connection, so may not work with your FC4100. Also your plotter must be set to GPGL not HPGL.

I will check out compatibility later

Phil

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil,
you are right. I meant Cutting Master. My plotter is the graphtec FC-4210-60. I am finding it difficult to have both tasks ie cutting and creasing at one go. It must be the software that I am using because where it comes to setting to choose the Pen it does not have or is not programmed.

All I got with the plotter was the driver.

Any help or suggestions are very much welcomed, because I have been fiddling with the machine for quite a few months now.

Thanks Phil.

Joseph.

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

I have checked it out, and the Cutting Master software will not drive your FC4210-60. However if you load our driver OPS628 from here http://www.graphteccorp.com/support/sof … otters.htm you can install this like a printer and you can drive your plotter from Corel or illustrator by choosing the Print command from the File Menu.

You should also be able to set up all of your pen assignments from here

Phil

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil Thank you for the info.
I have illustrator. I went through the plotter setup in the printers dialog menu to see what colours are assigned to the pens and checked also the plotters setting to see if the setting on the plotter were correct or not. Pen No1 is attached to condition 1 and pen No:2 is attached to condition 2.
After That I trid to import a dxf file into illustrator but it would not recognise the format. Then I inserted an AI file of the same design as the dxf and after I altered the colours according to pen assignment I tried to print with the OPS628 driver which I downloaded (which I already had except it was V7.70 instead of V7.71) but the plotter gave me an error that it does not recognise the command. What do you think is wrong.

Does the image in illustrator has to be modified or what?

Well am I missing something?

Regards

Joseph.

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

Firstly check that your plotter is set for GPGL. When it boots, it should briefly flash GL or HL on the display. If it is HL you need to go into the menu, find the Command option and change it to GPGL.

Next make sure that your file in illustrator has no fill and the stroke is set to the thinnest setting possible (I think it is 0.25). Make sure the stroke is set to the same colour as the pen setting in the driver.

DXF is a strange format to work with, it has so many varients, it either works first time or else forget it

I hope this helps

Phil

PS. Have you tried speaking to Graphtec in the US, Neil Basseler is your best bet if you can get hold of him

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil, Good morning.

I will go over all the things you mentioned once again.
Actually at the moment I noticed that when the plotter boots it is HL. I will see and find a way to swap that settings.
As for the dxf format I thought this was a plotter languange so I got misled with the Ideal.

Well this plotter business is new to me, Usually I am dealing in the Offset printing business and adding some hastle to pass the time it is adventurous. 😀

Just in case I need to contact Graphtec in the US do you have a direct email to this guy?

I appreciate your time given to my problem. I will keep in touch whatever the result.

Thank you for now.

Joseph

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

You can contact Neal at nbaessler@graphtecamerica.com however please come back if my suggestions dont work

Phil

PS. If your plotter is booting in HPGL I am pretty sure that is your problem. If you go into the menu’s, you should find ‘Interface’ and then ‘Command’, you can switch the language there

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil,
Thank you for your advice.

It worked. You really made my day. 😀 😀 Not only that I can use it using the sofware I use for desktop publishing like Pagemaker as an example. One or two tiny nibbles I have to set but on the whole it is OK.

Much obliged.

Thanks a lot mate.

Regads

Joseph

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil Kneale,
is there any possibility that I can change the sequence of creasing first and then cut, without swapping the Pens.
At the moment when I send the design to be cut and creased it will first cut the design all around with the possibility of material moving because there is a lot more impact on the material when it is being creased.

Any Suggestions,

Thank you in advance

Joseph

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

In Cutting Master if you go to ‘Output Settings’ then under ‘Output Selection’ choose ‘By Layer’ you will then see a list of all of your different layers. Simply double click where it says yes or no to turn the layes on and off.

Turn off all layers except for the creasing layer and send to plotter. Once that is done do the same with the cutting layer

Phil

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Sorry joseph

that should have been ‘Select by Colour’

You could also use layers, but you would first have to make new layes in illustrator

phil

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil,
thank you for the info.
I am not using Cut Master, because I do not have it, and as you have previously confirmed it is not compatible with my plotter the FC-4210.
Although now you gave me other ideas, I still can use layers in the software I am using. I managed to crease and cut from pagemaker. Funny enough it works. I imported a dxf file with the appropriate colours which are assigned to the pen number. What I am trying to do is to find some kind of plugin filter that I will be able to use the driver within illustrator CS2. I have done it for the craft robo.

Thanks once again.

Joseph.

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

sorry, I forgot that you dont have a copy of cutting master. Cutting master is exactly the same as the Craft Robo plug in for Illustrator.

If you pm me with your email address I will send you a copy. Although it is not specifically written for you plotter, all Graphtecs work in the same language so you shoud be able to drive it. Also let me know if you are Mac or PC

Phil

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil,
It is impossible to remember everything one discusses on this board and everyones problem. 🙂
My email is as follows:

(mod-edit)

Thank you very much for your assistance.

Kind regards
Joseph.

[Ray Leone]

phil,

you wouldn’t happen to have the driver for the graphtec ce300 120MK2 for flexi 7.5, would you?

[Phil Kneale – Graphtec]

Hi Joseph

If you could PM me with your email address I will mail it over. The moderators wont allow you to publish your email address here (with good reason, you would have every spammer in the world sending you junk)

I am taking a long weekend, so if I dont receive it in time, it may be Monday before I can send it

Phil

[CUTAJAR JOSEPH]

Hi Phil,
Good morning.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what PM stands for. I am new to this kind of thing, so can you please direct me to how I can pass on my email address to you.

Kind regards

Joseph.