Question about the Bigger Stuff

[Andy Gorman]

I know the tracking on modern plotters is much better than it used to be but I just don’t trust them over that sort of distance. Many people try rolling out material before cutting to check the feed runs OK but I have found, on occasions that the drag created by the blade on the material, especially on stripes or long lines, can contribute to the material “twisting” slightly. I always play safe and cut in smaller blocks of 3 metres or thereabouts.

[Robert Lambie]

good advice G… 😉
im the same mate.. i tend to sway from applying graphics over 3m/10ft by 53inch deep. no need for it.. like you say. spilt the letters.. so lets say you apply 3 letters then 3 letters and so on.. if you have to do it half font.
run a line of masking tape right along the middle and apply to the line all the way. when done. whip of the tape and apply the top half. thats if you dont have a wide machine. if you do.. you can hang 2 letters at a time like wall paper.

[Gordon Forbes]

I’m just going the biggest I can on a 610 bout 575 or so but it’s a supply job only new trailer the builders are applying the vinyl (make a good job) so it seems I’m going to have to write out instructions for them just in case.
Think I’ll use half letters for registration if thats what you meant Rob.

I personally use the hinge method myself find it a lot easier when on your own.

Thanks a bunch guys!

Goop

[Simon Clayton]

Hi Forbie,
I wouldn’t worry about registration..not if builders are fitting it 😉
I would make sure i had plenty of vinyl, theres bound to be plenty of extras to do… 🙂

Simon

[John Childs]

Ah well, here’s me going against the flow again. 🙂

We’d whack the first colour down in one. Length is no problem – we just put more bodies on it. This helps us get it in the right place without resorting to a calculator, so that’s another potential mistake avoided.

The second colour (either the shadow or the main letters, depending on how you do it) we would put on individually to ensure good registration.

[Dave Bruce]

Same here John, but I have always done it alone, takes a bit longer but there was never anyone else to help 🙁

I put shadows on in groups depending on how big the letters are.

Cheers

Dave

[Andy Gorman]

I think we’ve got 2 mixed up subjects here. The original question was whether a plotter would be up to accurately cutting long lengths. As far as application is concerned, I am in agreement with John and Dave. I always fit the main text in one go and then break up the shadow. For some reason I find that over longer lengths second colours tend to run over ( or under) size. Dunno why. Aliens?

[Gordon Forbes]

I must admit I have had problems with the shadows going off over distance in the past and a very valid point. I thought it was something I did in the initial cutting.
I might phone them and see how they prefer to apply as they do quite a lot of this very busy manufacturing place up here in the sticks.

Well U learn sumtin noo every day.

Cheers

Goop.

[John Childs]

Andy,

We’re not really mixed up. The original question also asked whether to “Fit in a oner or split it up for safety”

Older friction machines, as we all know, wandered off dreadfully and this is the reason why I was always a great believer in sprockets and I’ve got a metre wide sprocket/friction cutter still in daily use. However, with our more modern friction machines wander is not the problem it once was and we find that we are using sprockets less and less. We find with our Roland we can go up to ten metres provided we are careful, but anything over that I wouldn’t consider.

Forbie…

With regard to registration, most peoples first thought is to tape the first colour in paper tape and do the second in clear so that they can see what they are doing. This is a mistake as the different stretchiness (a lovely word) will make registration impossible over longer lengths and the same type of tape should be used for both colours. However, I suspect that we are talking big letters here and, if so, we would probably apply the second colour individually.

[Gordon Forbes]

Thanks John ave been usin clear tape and I find it is a bit “stretchy” but it might not be so bad now that the weather is a bit warmer.
Goop.