Problem cutting Laminated Vinyl (Image stretch)

[David Hammond]

Are you using heat when laminating?

Try running it colder and see if it improves? We didn’t bother with the hot laminator, and never had a problem cutting laminated print on our Graphtec.

[George Neagu]

quote Alex Waite:

Hi,

Im new to the forum and fairly new to Wide Format as well. I hope someone can help!!

I am printing some graphics to go in a school and am having a major problem with cutting after printing and Laminating the media.

Our printer is a Mimaki CJV300 – 160
The media is Avery Supertac Vinyl and Avery 3100 Matt Laminate

My Laminator is a Easymount S1600H

The problem is the Image is stretching when laminated, consiquently whn i come to put back thorugh the Mimaki to cut it cuts way out (4mm) Ive checked its not a problem with the Mimaki by print and cutting without laminating and the fit is perfect.

Its somehow stretching when laminating.. I’ve never had this problem before on different materials.

Has anyone got any suggestions please? I was thiking tension when laminating or try laminating without heat, but wanted some advice before wasting even more media and lamiate.

Many Thanks in Advance

Alex

Reduce heat and tension.
I don’t have experience with the above media but I use max 40C heat and zero tension.

[Alex Waite]

Many thanks for the replies, I have spent a few more hours experimenting (we dont have temprature control, either on or off) It appears it might be the tension on the laminate. I’ve run the same job a few times with different tension and it seems to have made a difference although not sure if it has stopped stretching completely as i’ve run out of vinyl. So more testing on Tuesday but feel im getting somewhere now.

I’ll update when done the latest tests.

Again thank you, feeling a bit more optomistic now. :thumbsup:

[Jean Oakley]

Hi how long are you leaving the print before laminating? It could be that the print is shrinking and nothing to do with the laminator?

[Alex Waite]

Hi Jean,

thank you for the reply, on the tests i’ve been laminating straight away, but when i tried doing the jobs for real i left them 24hrs.. The problem is stretching not shrinking. the tension seems to be the key thing, so more testing before i try doing the live job again.

[Gary Husband]

Are you using to much pressure on the laminator pinch rollers? If your heating as well it might be an idea to leave it for a few hours after laminating to shrink back to size. How long is the print.

[Gary Barker]

I think it might be heat, we don’t use any heat on laminating.

[Alex Waite]

Thanks again for your replies, I will try laminating without heat, also going to back the tension off even more on the laminate as this seemed to have a good effect on Friday. I’m running a few more tests this morning so will let you know the outcome.

[Alex Waite]

Sorry for the delay in getting back to this. I think I have it sussed.
I’m pretty sure it was a mixture of things.

1. Image stretched when laminating.. This was solved by releasing tension on laminate (as suggested)

Although still had the problem of cutting properly, which brings me to solution two.

2. The size of the tick mark I used was as recommended by Rasterlink, but crucially there is also a seting in the Mimaki
itself and these didn’t correspond. When I changed them on the Mimaki to the same it cut perfectly. ( I did also add intermadiate tick marks, which i had tried before but the Mimaki wasnt recognising them because of the different settings.

Anyway I hope this might help other people out. I have to say none of this was coveed in the training I was given, which was quite poor on reflection.