Where to buy a "Small" Print/Cutter ?

[Robert Lambie]

exactly what will it be used for?

[Johnny Taylor]

You used to be able to get a Roland PC12(thermal machine 300mm wide?), they appear to still be available in New Zealand. Use the search function there have been some postings here. Don’t know what they are like.
Just a thought.
Johnny

[Lynn Normington]

Hi Decal man gerber do a smallish print and cut spandex sell them try them

Lynn

[TheDecalMan]

Thanks (Lynn & Sign Bloke) – I will check these Machines out as i really just do not have room for a Large Machine in my workshop as i work purely from home.

Robert you asked what i will use it for ?

At Present i sell lots of different car Decals for cars, Motorcycles & Scooters (AUTOMOTIVE ONLY) – Some of the Designs i am unable to do because they may have 4-6 Colors and the size may only be around (40mm by 40mm) , So using 5 different colors of vinyl and Registering them up just is not worth my time for the small profit involved, Where as if i was able to print them & Cut them the time needed would be greatly reduced as would be the cost.

Obviously they need to withstand the pressures of weathering and the dreaded car washes !

At present i use Secabo & Dingtec cutters and to be fair to them i feel for the price they are very good Despite what others say on the net – But i did have to spend some time setting them up making fine adjustments until they could cut to very close tolerance’s.

But i feel that i could increase sales with a very small Print & Cut Machine,
I have no experience of cut & Print – so any avoids or advice is most gratefully received

Thanks Robert, Lynn & Sign Bloke )

Look forward to you comments ! 🙂

[Phill Fenton]

Sounds like a second hand PC60 or PC600 would be ideal for your needs. You should be able to pick one up from about 1500 pounds upwards

[Robert Lambie]

i agree with phill
you maybe able to get the pc60 a bit cheaper than £1500 nowadays though, but a good goal i guess is £1500
you could maYBE call dave standen at printONE he supplies many folk with ribbons for these type of machines. im sure he will know if anyone is considering selling theirs.

[TheDecalMan]

Thanks for your help in this matter – Does anybody here use or has used one of the Roland PC60’s or 600’s – As if i buy second hand i will need to know what faults to look for EG (Print-head wear, Software etc, Known Faults )

I love the cutting program i now use called “ART-CUT” – I did try Sign-lab but found it not to be “User Friendly” + it locked both the cutting computers on a regular basis, and then i tried what came with the cutters called ART-CUT 2002 & 2005 (Cant find any difference between the two 🙂 )
It does every thing i need (BMP to Vector, Node edits, Mirror , etc)

Would a Roland work with ART-CUT or does a Roland have it’s own Driver / Program ?

THANKS IN ADVANCE – 🙂

[beepee]

(mod-edit) :police3:
admin@uksignboards.com

[Rodney Gold]

You can buy an Epson printer and print (a4) on inkjet vinyl then buy a small cutter capable of registration mark reading called the Craft Robo and die cut these. http://222.146.7.157/craftrobo/
Use something like clear vinyl to overlaminated them (you can buy a real cheap a4 sized roller type laminator at most office supply stores) and for a reasonably small investment , you can do what you want to.
DO NOT buy a pc60/600/pc12 for this , it is a flaky machine that eats heads (pc 12 is not quite as bad as the 60/600 in this regard , but is really a grossly overpriced toy) and has horrendous consumable costs , we run one!!!! (albeit it’s output wont require lams etc – except if its gonna get abraded by car wash rollers and the like)
Why don’t you just outsource this work anyway , it doesnt sound like its a major part of what you do? And if it is , then get something like the Versacam which will allow you to do that and a lot more.

[TheDecalMan]

That idea i had not thought of Rodney as i have never come across ink-jet Vinyl before? – I had thought of using color Laser printing but when i tried a small bit in an old laser printer i had in the loft the results were not good enough as the fuser in the printer slightly distorted the vinyl due to fusing heat.

the ink jet would not suffer with this – but would the laminator squeeze and Bleed the CMY Key inks under heating conditions. I used to work for Moraine Plastics and i was an engineer who built and repaired Card & INDUSTRIAL Laminating / Encapsulate Machines. From the time i spent with the company i am aware that PHOTOS can really bleed under the conditions. This was back in 1985-1989 so the designs of rollers & Heater Envelopes may have changed since.

But the principle does sound ideal without huge investments in Equipment as i still have contacts to get a Second user Laminater for a pint or two.

I will have a look at the ROBOcraft Rodney

Many thanks for another avenue to research – It sounds a good idea !

[Rodney Gold]

You wouldnt use a hot lam on this , a cold pressure lam is whats required (you could do it by hand with a clear vinyl and then feed it into the craft robo , which would read the crop marks and cut thru both the inkjet vinyl and the overlam assuming the craft robo can exert enough force to do so)

[Craig Gibson]

where would one aqquire inkjet vinyl?? :lol1:

[Craig Gibson]

no one?? 🙁

[David-Foster-]

I saw some in this vinyl catalogue…

http://www.victory-design.co.uk/Consumables/SM%20vinyl/About%20SM%20vinyl.pdf

On second page…

[Stephen Morriss]

I saw a small print and cut machine on ebay yesterday

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? … eName=WDVW

In fact it is a PNC 5000 as mentioned earlier.

If the link doesn’t work just search in ebay on roland printer.

Steve

[TheDecalMan]

Hi again every body :lol1:

After working out the Price per SQ/MTR production costs of the PC rolands 🙁 & the cost of INK & CUT + LAM 😀 . and the durability of the two methods i think i am leaning towards Rodney’s idea.

Thanks to Bowber – I had spotted it already also there is a pc60 which the seller says “New Head Fitted” however i have been researching what Rodney was talking about and for the size of work i am doing it would be an ideal way for me. The down force is an issue though on the craft robo – I have spoke to couple of users who say they have had trouble with tougher materials, But none had tried a kiss cut on vinyl with lamination.

I also did find a reasonable Semi pro cutter/Plotter a “GRAPHTEC CE3000” with optical Registration mark sensor & stand for £995 NEW! which i could use in place of the craft robo as it surly would have better down force as it is a standard drag knife cutter ! like the machines i already run.

All i need to sort after this is a cold Lam (No problem here / A Pint of Carlsburg should sort it) + Printer with CIS fitted.

Many thanks to every body on this discussion & hope to report the results i am getting when i take the plunge and purchase the gear….

[David Rowland]

hi, rodneys idea is pretty cool, not seen that myself or the Roland printers, but we have the small JV3 by Mimaki and the CG-FX cutter that goes with it all running under Shiraz and FineCut plugins. If you do have a bigger budget then this setup really does create colour accurate, durable midget stickers at resolutions of 720dpi. But you got to have a real need to buy this as it would be a serious outlay but would be todays technology with a warranty. Lamination is not necessary (solvent printer) but if someone cleans the car with a citrus based cleaner then the prints will wipe off.

Only problem is when you get to print something bigger then 750mm wide, your stuffed!