ICC advice for Latex print onto MD-TX2 Wall Tex

[A.Kordowski]

Ask for a colour profile from the manufacture. What rip are you running?…..

[Myles Brewer]

They don’t have one unfortunately for flexi subscription

[A.Kordowski]

As a starting point look in your list of colour profiles and see if theres anything similar. What colour profiles have you got?

[Myles Brewer]

This is the full list that is available through Flexi 12 download link. Not sure if there are more available elsewhere?

[A.Kordowski]

If it was me try the HP PVC-free Wall paper 8pass, get the machine running as it prints do a rub test make sure the inks drying ok if all looks ok you should be ok. Ive never had any heat issues as the job gets running normally if all starts ok it should all be ok….hope this helps….let me know how you get on…… :thumbsup:

[Myles Brewer]

I can see where you’re coming from but the two materials although both for walls are actually completely different. The HP wall paper is more or less exactly that, a regular type wallpaper which you dip in water to activate the adhesive on the back. Whereas the Metamark Wall Tex is a woven fabric with a very very light texture, with self adhesive back on silicone liner. I’d say it may be more like a very light canvas but self adhesive with liner. That is the problem really, there is nothing similar in the list of HP profiles.

This is the material spec:

Fabric 100% surface coated polyester (PES)
Finish Soft Sheen
Weight 110gsm
Denier 150Dx150D
Thickness 280 mic
Opacity 95%

[A.Kordowski]

Tricky….perhaps try a canvas or Textile profile worth a try…….

[Myles Brewer]

That’s what I thought, maybe a light canvas. Was hoping somebody out there may have "been there done that" before & could advise accordingly.

[Myles Brewer]

OK having problems now loading this media into the printer. Firstly I’m unsure what substrate type to put into the printer UI. It is self adhesive, but then the face is textile?? Also it’s fairly rigid & each time I feed it in either the printer doesn’t see it or it gets crumpled up on the leading edge as it feeds through onto the print platen. Help please 🙁

[Kevin Busby]

The 26500 should come with a loading mat for loading textiles to stop that happening, not sure if you got one with yours or not and I never used mine but was there.

Im sure the 26500 had a loading setting for Low heat delicate media was like the last on the list of choices, I always used this when I had problems and then adjusted the heat up or down from there till I got a good finish.

I’m pretty sure Paper Graphics do a very similar product to what your trying to print and Im also certain they have a profile as their profiler used my machine to make one whilst making some profiles up for me.

I love metamark products but they very rarely have a working profile for anything other than MD3 / MD5.

Hope this helps a little.

[Myles Brewer]

Thanks for the reply Kevin
Yes I have the loading matt & I did end up using it. I think it more intended for use with floppy thin fabrics whereas this stuff is actually pretty rigid & thick but it worked with a bit of perseverance. But unfortunately to no avail in the end, as the material started tunnelling. After a long day trying desperately to get some technical advice from metamark, eventually they called me back & then after sending a few pics, it turned out to be a dodgy batch!! [LOUDLY CRYING FACE] so now have to wait for a new roll to be sent out & try again.
Interestingly the guy I spoke with recommended using any generic gloss vinyl profile.

The printer does indeed have a low heat setting too for loading.

[Myles Brewer]

Just to update on this job. I ended up trying 2 different rolls of the Metamark & seemingly both were from a dodgy batch so Metamark tech guy thinks.
So I ended up getting Emblem solvent sticky textile banner (removable) which was pretty much exactly the same in look & feel. I actually had similar initial issues loading it, so reverted to using the loading tool which sorted that.

No tunneling this time & printed a treat. Here’s the job finished & everybody happy :smiles:

[A.Kordowski]

Looks good, did you leave an overlap on the joins? or did you butt fit the joins?………ive done both on the graphics that I’ve fitted but i wondered what most others do?…… :thumbsup:

[Myles Brewer]

quote Andy Kordowski:

Looks good, did you leave an overlap on the joins? or did you butt fit the joins?………ive done both on the graphics that I’ve fitted but i wondered what most others do?…… :thumbsup:

Interesting question Andy, & I wasn’t sure which I would do until I actually fitted it but I ended up overlapping by about 15mm. I asked the customer if they would prefer it butt jointed & explained that there was a small possibility that it may shrink back a fraction & they were happy enough with the overlaps.

Interestingly though, I did run into another issue. When I printed it I had been supplied with a brand new unopened 15m roll of the textile. I printed a test initially, using approx 1m & then continued to print the full graphic which was almost exactly 11m, so should have had 3m to spare. Unfortunately to my extreme surprise & annoyance the roll ran out with approx 250mm of print still left to go!!! The graphic HAD to be fitted the following morning, So I contacted the supplier who apologised profusely & immediately organised another roll to be sent out, but it would not be with me till the following day.
So I had to print a patch on the closest thing I had to match which was a bit of matt laminated removable vinyl. I added it to the bottom of the last panel when I fitted & although it didn’t match colour exactly, it was far better than a blank white space. I explained to the customer & said I would be back next day to replace it with the correct material.

So next day did just that & cut in the new section with a butt join which runs up with the edge of the runway you can see in the bottom right of the picture. The butt join worked ok & is indeed very neat, but I was glad that I hadn’t done it on the vertical joints for the reason that when you cut through both layers of material, inevitably you will cut into the paint/plasterboard below. Then when you have to lift the top layer to peel out the layer below it is almost impossible to do it without a small amount of the paint lifting too which could obviously be an issue as it won’t stick down properly again! So I think if I do any more I will be overlapping every time.