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Signlab VPM: Print and Cut Workflow
Hi all.
I’m sure there will be a way to acheive the following but I’ve been unable to work it out.
Equipment :-
Mimaki JV33 – prints
Mimaki CG 130 FXII – cutting
Signlab 9.1 and VPM 5.26I have 50 vans to do all with the same design.
1) I would like to run 10 copies of the same print off each with it’s own set of registration marks. 10 copies is a manageable roll when it comes to lamination etc.
2) Ideally I would like to then send the cut file once and for the cutter to look for the registration marks for each of the 10 copies as it goes along.
The second part is not essential. I could re-register the prints for cutting each time. The main issue is for each copy to have its own set of registration marks so that it can be treated as an individual print if required.
The only way I have been able to do it so far is to send the job several times from Signlab and then send them all to print.
Thanks
Danny
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18 Replies
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I dont design in signlab but print from VPM.
We can import the file, select copies, and enter the number.
Rip the file, then you can tell the VPM to print x copies of the rip file, with x number.
It’s all done down the bottom where you select the media size.
As for it reading the next reg mark, I still havent managed that.
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Good call.
I always just hit print but if you RIP only it gives you the extra options.
So, as you said, I got it to print with registration marks round each copy but it wouldn’t find the second set of registration marks for cutting.
I’m sure it can be done. I’ll keep playing and let you know if I suss it out.
Thanks
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OK I have worked it out.
I needed to turn off the Pre-Feed on the printer. This was putting a 10mm gap between the jobs that the cutter didn’t know about.
So now when I send the job to cut, the cutter scans the first set of registration marks, cuts the first copy, then it scans the next set and cuts that set.
Just what i needed.
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If you use Mimaki FineCut do do the cutting, you can tell it how many copies you want to cut X & Y, including the size of the gap between copies.
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Thanks Jamie.
We do everything in Signlab. A lot of our print files have evolved from old files over a long time going back to our Versacamm days when we chose signlab as our software for printing.
I like that the print and cut data is in one place.
I’m sure i could now add the prefeed setting in the RIP so that both the printer and the cutter get the info.
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I dont have prefeed setting on my machine.
It bugs me a little it wont read the next mark to cut.
Do you print the directional markers so you know which way to load the media?
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I turned them off earlierto try and fix the issue. im hopeful that when i turn them back on it will still work. ill let you know.
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The only cutter properly geared up for doing this is the top-end Summa with the auto-take-up system which should do roll-to-roll contour cutting and re-alignment. even then, the jobs must be setup in 2 metre batches.
the machine pre-feeds 2 metres, returns and seeks registration marks and proceeds cutting the batch, pre-feeds next and so on… -
i reckon ill be able to do 10 meter runs this way which is plenty for what i need to do.
ive no problem printing a full roll. Laminating is usually pretty easily lined up but you do run the risk of screwing a lot of printing up if it goes wrong on a long run. My issue has always been cutting after lamination. This method will save me some time and means i can run cut jobs for an hour or two after i leave the office knowing that the worse that will happen is the cutter will lose the registration marks outside the pinch rollers and stop cutting.
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Fair play if your comfortable with you machine plotting accurately over 10 metres.
Yes the machine running off / skewing is as bad as it gets. but you have also lost the vinyl, ink, laminate of the job in hand.
I am not familiar with Mimaki cutters, but i would slow the machine down also, should help with media jams and crashes into the catch bags if its zipping back and forth. Its being left overnight anyway, so speed should not be an issue. -
Thats the advantage of this method im not really doing a 10 metre run. id be doing 10 x 1meter runs. it will print 10 copies of a 1 metre print each one with its own registration marks. then when i go to cut it will cut the first 1 metre print and then look for the registration marks on the next copy of the 1meter print and adjust the cuts accordingly.
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I think im doing what you‘re saying about the summa cutter but i dont have a take up on the mimaki
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So I’ve tested it this morning. It works.
The video here shows the end of the first copy cutting and then the cutter reading the second set of registration marks and then cutting the second section.
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Just rub it in why dont you 😆
I’m going to reinstall our Graphtec plotter in VPM using the HPGL rather than GPGL language see if that helps any. It’s got me stumped.
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quote David Hammond:Just rub it in why dont you 😆
I’m going to reinstall our Graphtec plotter in VPM using the HPGL rather than GPGL language see if that helps any. It’s got me stumped.
I’ve just seen your post, it seems you’re trying to do the same as me??
Is there a gap between the registration marks of each copy? There was on mine at first which is what was causing the problem. The gap now is about 5mm and it works.
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Yes, but mine tries to the scan the next mark in the correct position, but it’s as if the origin is reset so that the mark is out of bounds. :bangshead:
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That’s what mine was doing. Is there a gap between the registration marks of each copy?
This worked
This didn’t
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quote David Hammond:I dont have prefeed setting on my machine.
It bugs me a little it wont read the next mark to cut.
Do you print the directional markers so you know which way to load the media?
Turning the directional markers on stopped it working again.
For me this isn’t the end of the world because my media is always the right way round when it comes off the laminator.
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