Colin Crabb
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Don’t go a for a big name brand machine – try something like this: https://www.novatech.co.uk/pc/?f=5,16,17,36,
i5 processor will be enough
SSD for operating system (keep it for operating system and Flexi ONLY! will work out sooooo much quicker than standard Sata drives)
If you store files local, a second SSD drive or Sata drive if price is an issue
8gb ram minimum, 16gb will make a difference
Graphics card – unsure if it will make much of a difference with Flexi (not sure if it takes advantage of a GPU, Adobe suite does, so we use powerful GPU’s)This is our minimum PC standard here, depending on it job some have more RAM / better processor / hi spec workstation graphic cards / Geforce ‘gaming’ graphic card to take advantage of the GPU with Adobe suite
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We’ve printed onto Kernow Metalik chrome on our Latex 360 without issue.
Cutting is…. fun, we ended up cutting around the Summa req marks and removing a patch media to revel the backing.Here a test print from the sample roll
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quote :After trying several different 3rd party inks, my advice would be DON’T DO IT. Try Adapt for the Mimaki ink.
+1 to that comment…. sorry 3rd party inks just isn’t worth it in the long run.
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Print & dry wipe lam’
We use the Metamark drywipe lamination (MD 205, 25micron)- and yes its thin & fun! If your laminator has hot top roller… don’t use it, makes it even worse 👿
There is a second Metamark Dry wipe laminate, MD206, which is 100micron… much easier to fit.. BUT twice the price.
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Have you as your Metamark rep for the profiles?
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Never had a problem with Atlantic tech – but have had issue with 3rd party inks. Cost us ££££+ to fix an issue caused by 3rd party inks, and despite a so called ‘warranty’, it wasn’t the ink fault….. no Sir not our ink…
We learnt from this and only use Original inks, sorry 3rd party may save in the short term, but not in the long term.
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It will come under ‘Warehouses & Industrial Buildings’ if you looking for planning permission to build a new sign shop.
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We’re going to attend on the Thursday, haven’t been in a very very long time.
Really want to see the Metamark special edition magazine at the show, as we’ve been featured 😆
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quote :All the building sites around our area have printed acm panels screwed to the ply.
That’s how we do it, cheap hoarding grade ACM panels.
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Hey Dave – how do you find the green laser? have you used it outdoor much in daylight?
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If you already use Microsoft Office 365 for emails etc… the you (should) already have a version of Trello called ‘Planner’, look in your office apps.
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hehe no worries – I loooove our 360’s / Onyx combo, but yes at times there is a few oddities!
Feel free to ask me anytime if you have any issues, we know our way around this kit well :smiles:
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Pane – you beat me to it, my friend!!!! that’s the two tools we use everyday.
This is by far my fav’ knife ever. For year we used scalpels, then after trying a few different retractable blades, we found these – bloody perfect. Strong metal body (also allowing use of our workshop magnet racks), VERY sharp and great quality blades.
Has anyone purchased / used a green lasers??? I know there a lot more expensive, but have been told they work sooooo much better outdoors (we have a Stanley cube in tool box, but find it useless outdoors – indoors its great!)
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When I was let down recently, the lovely people at AD Young in Bristol helped – could try them.
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On printer:
setting – substance – substance handling – right hand edge (check what’s been put into this box).
In Onyx:
Placement – general (check on offset has been entered & justification is centre).
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Post removed after speaking to supplier.
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When sending out a proof – NEVER send the newly designed work as a PDF (PDF, is a vector and 99% of the time can be edited). Always export artboard as a 72dpi Jpeg 👿 then place onto your branded (with T&C’s) proof sheet, and then save & send as a PDF.
Okay, while it doesn’t fully eliminate A.N Other copying the design, It does make it a lot harder, as if they attempt to pull apart the supplied proof copy, it will be a low res, flat image 😎 and it will have to be reset.
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+1 for latex, we’d never go back to solvent based machines now.
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I’m down in deepest darkest Dorset 😎
Buy direct from Metamark, the last batch I had to wait a few days for the blue to come back in stock as needed 30m for 4 Transit Custom vans in one hit (oh and do I HATE transit customs…. nothing looks straight!!!)Iain, I have some left over, do you want me to post you some to test?????
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Just used 30m of fresh M7-155, Summa D140, pressure 75g – cuts and weeds perfectly.
Also MDP-H 100mic, pressure 90g, 10metres of labels, no problems weeding:MDP-H weeding
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Chris, talk to AD Young in Bristol (speak so Sam or Callum) for the lovely Cornish Kernow stuff
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Best we’ve ever used is made by Kernow Coatings, really lovely stuff.
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They look like ones from Ralawise to me
https://shop.ralawise.com/products/aa05 … -1403.aspx
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Here’s another one – just add required logo to top left and bingo.
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What media are your trying to feed?
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Are you using it as a sign panel? Talk to building merchants and ask for Reynobond, Etalbond.
A2 fire rated panels, are more for use in building cladding, being very similar to A1 ratings, and have a mineral core instead of Polyethylene (to meets smoke and droplet classifications) – not sure if any signmakers ACM panels will have A2 rating, as ‘advertising panels’ are not part of required building regs. and are mainly B rated.
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Rumour is HP are going to launch something this spring in the Latex range…
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Try AD Young in Bristol and speak to Callum
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Just check under the head assembly for any fine hairs etc that could be dragging while putting down ink, you never know!
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Antalis have stock for next day, just had 20 sheets delivered
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quote :Can somebody please tell me what printing media is used for this?
While 300micron is okay, we use 500micron for all pop-up displays, greater rigidity.
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Change view in Illustrator to outlines, press CTRL-A, zoom out and have a look to see if there are any rogue points preventing the enlargement. Sometimes you’ll get a semi-deleted point from a ruler of path sitting on the edge of artboard preventing the scaling.
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quote :We still use a Bic biro with enough masking tape around the base for a snug fit within the holder.
Has worked a treat for many years.Snap – then we found for £10 a holder on Ebay that uses the ink part of the biro – much safer/nicer :bigsmile:
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We use a cheap Magicard printer – job done :thumbsup:
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HP Latex – no solvent chemicals, and certain ‘heavy metals’ therefore in sensitive areas eg: Hospitals, childcare.
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Its a dying trade.
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Was going to say Museo San Rounded – but the U is wrong, otherwise good match
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We carry MD3, MD5 and supply a few trade peeps if you need help
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Harrison Products for the snap rails (they have a few types).
Give a superior professional look, and we use them to up-sale replacement posters if the go for the SkyClamps :smiles: -
We use polyprop media with clip-on type hanging rails – great results at sensible prices.
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Your find that the tel number is a UBER rate, charging £100 per minute, that’s how they makes the £££ 👿
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You can get OS maps from the business section in vector formats at different levels of details, we ended up buy the whole of the UK :smiles:
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Sorry, I’d get the engineer back to correct the issue – you’ve paid 800 euros, and having print issues & unhappy with the capping station.
Before trying to fix the issue yourself, which could invalidate any warranty, I’d call them & explain the issue. -
Check the platen bed – you should see some pieces of ‘black tape’ (you should have spares in the maintenance kit, along with oil etc) – make sure these are all present, have seen this issue on the 360 version caused by them missing.
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Blimey you lot, may sure your wearing the uksignboards approved PPE equipment for signmakers! :shocked:
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3M dual lock Velcro has VHB adhesive – worked for us running around the edge of an 8×4 banner for indoor use.
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quote :Customers who have ideas of grandeur way beyond their financial means are the Bain of my life.
yup hate these time wasters!
New café opening, have worked for owner before on smaller projects without issue.
‘we want a moulded 3D sign like no one else has & digital wallpaper inside – money is no object’
3 visits & along with quotes1 year later they still have the unlaminated foamex ‘temporary’ sign on the front & no digital wallpaper :rollseyes:
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quote :110.00 plus vat.
for which machine?
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+1 for the Warrior – works with ACM panels too.
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Create a ‘master’ yourself, an add it as a (locked) layer – this is how we work (using illustrator).
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3165 has grey adhesive, rated for 5year / medium term flat panel application, 100micron (did it feel thicker than normal?)
Used in the past, no real comment other than we had a few issues printing when we moved to HP Latex in 2014
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Quoted for 800mmx 800mm foamex exhibition panels.
Artwork turns up at 1800mm x 800mm – customer cant see the issue…… -
Don’t forget we just ‘press a button’ and the jobs finished…. 👿
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Wrap the whole vehicle 😉
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I thought it was a drop-shadow effect…. :smiles:
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As David mentions – just make sure any cutting programme / RIP is not overriding the pressure
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Scan the template, or if no scanner pop into a local copy centre. Photo will work(ish) with some adjustments in photoshop (in photoshop / RAW converter you will see lens correction option), as you will get lens & angle distortion – possible but it adds a layer of work to the process that sounds like you’ve discovered already.
We’ve made templates before via the template route, scanning and tidying up in illustrator.
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Scaffold pole is defo’ a no-no!!!
Not sure what height & size of banner you looking at but, even with a disclaimer you’ll still need to explain your work methods & precautions taken in manufacture to HSE should there be an accident.
If the banner failed, what will prevent a weight from failing and causing injury? (what safety system is in place – secondary safety fixing etc).
If the banner failed, how have you limited the amount debris failing?We’d be looking at a mesh banner with sewn pocket for rope.
Mesh banner to reduce sail effect / wind shear, sewn pocket with rope to add stiffness and act as fixings, reducing the amount ‘loose’ items, fixing rope to travel to ground level to secure with warning sign indicating overhead dangers.
We’d avoid using a secondary attached weights at the bottom of the banner, if we did add a weight, a secondary safety cable would be added to the weight. -
Not sure where we’d fit – 200+ metres per week currently
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He did what he was told… supplied artwork at 30dpi ….. 😆
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quote :We have printed metamark series 7 in the past.
snap – works perfectly on the Latex360
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We used clear car lacquer (Acrylic based) from local car shop with the water based canvas prints, before move canvases onto the L360.
Can’t comment on L265 series (sorry!) but printing on the L360, we’ve never varnished or sealed any canvas prints – don’t think its needed personally.
The inks are waterproof, very stable against colour fade for indoor applications (away from direct sunlight) and good scratch resistant & do not crack when folding.
Never had a customer issue, (must of produced 100+ canvases in the last year) and for the last 2 years there been a canvas print in our shower room at home! – still fresh as the day it was printed :bigsmile: -
Mainly raster image background with vector overlay. Image flattened as much as possible at the design stage, therefore reducing calculations required when in RIP.
How big are the files? & what kind of network structure are you using? If it taking time to send files across the network, have a look for bottlenecks (firewall / Switches).
Never really had a time issue with the RIP, no other work is done on the PC (standalone RIP) freeing up hard drive space & background process load on the CPU etc for processing postscript files.
Pretty sure Onyx have a whitepaper on maximising RIP speeds.
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100% @ 300dpi, PDF 2001, fogra 39 colour space – very rarely resize unless workspace issue for illustrator.
Dedicated RIP – onyx v12, i5 3.6mhz PC, SSD drive, 16GB ram (32GB virtual memory).Eats files :smiles: just sent a 1GB wall graphic, RIP’d in under 5minutes
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I know the stuff – but it will not work on wide format machines.
It’s a washable thermal transfer foil & medal media – search Ribbon Printing to see the little printers, media etc. -
Mylar is the material – we have them laser cut out of 350micron, works well.
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Agree with Hugh, No.
We have a reputation for high quality work and have rejected jobs before on quality issues, carefully explaining reasons & how to correct, or quote for correcting in-house.quote :Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well; and nothing can be done well without attention -
Cut them up with handsaw – bingo! small enough :smiles:
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Don’t think the MX vinyl will hold for very long, any digital print media will struggle to last very long on the rubber based mud flaps.
We’ve screen printed on the pad press before also using a specialist 2 part flexible ink designed for SB Rubber or TPPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) – I’d go down this route to avoid any customer related headaches!
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Cheaper than a Latex 365 – £15063 at the moment
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Looks great! Impressed of what I’ve seen, and I’m a huge HP user.
Would really welcome your comments a few months down the line after you’ve had time to see the pro’s an con’s, as that does look like a cracking machine.
The first video for speed also should be taken warily – Epson 8pass vs Latex on 10pass ?!
Surely they should be at the same pass rate. It would be like setting the HP at 23 m²/hr – Indoor Quality (6-pass) vs the Epson at 12.5sqm/hr in 8-pass film mode – don’t you love they way advertising an facts work :smiles: -
Metamark MD-T or MD-BL2 works beautiful on our Latex 360.
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Ink, we buy from AD Young – BUT we buy £1000+ at a time.
Print N Cut – we have a few Summa’s, with Onyx barcodes its a seamless workflow.
We don’t use all-in-one print N cut machines, find them pointless as if your cutting you can’t print (and vice versa), wasting valuable machine time, creating a bottleneck in production.
I think HP realised this and have a L315 Print & cut package – latex 315 + Hp 54 cutter (never seen one, but to me looks like a Summa from the website photos / videos). -
Ink, we pay between £78 – £83 per 775ml cart.
Oh to add – We went for the 64", but mainly use 1370mm media I would say about 90% of the time.
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Not sure about ‘complicated loading’ – it’s easy as our old Mimaki with benefits of front loading (space saving), the loading assistant helps with those 1600mm x 50m of heavy weight banner.
Power: 16amp feeds aren’t an issue – very simple for a sparky to install – 16amp feed is not 3 phase, just uprated wiring and sockets from the Consumer unit.
We use Onyx RIP and find the print quality incredible – solids are perfect, photos are stunning, boost up the pass and DPI and you can print 6pt text on mini labels (okay this does slow the machine down, but the quality is there).
Drying time… what drying time.. well advertised so ’nuff said.
Only tip I would say, is buy the version that has the inbuilt spectrometer an create your own profiles – you will notice the benefits over using standard profiles.
Downsides
Dark solids (black) unless profile & setting are perfect (build your own profiles….) you may get a oily surface, due to some of the water not evaporating on some medias – not on vinyl, mainly pop up banners.Mist – again mainly on dark colours, at certain environmental temperature the evaporating water dissipates into the atmosphere, looking like smoke! first time causes mass panic 😆 Oh and optical fire alarms will see this as smoke…. just to add the fun.
100% love the HP Latex 360’s, cracking machines, don’t think we’ll be going back to solvents.
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Normally made from GRP with encapsulated graphic. ACM will have shorter lifespan, water will ingress between the aluminium & plastic core.
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We worked around the issue by going to the PC’s power saving options, and changing the standby options.
Pretty sure there’s a better solution! but it worked for us. -
Are you sending jobs via a RIP (onyx etc)?
We had similar situation, and turned out that the RIP was going into ‘standby’ and causing the job to stop! 😉 From memory the L360 screen says ‘the current job unexpectedly stopped’
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Hi Iain – it’s 760mm wide, my mistake – like it said, I’m in Dorset, that’s a 2 1/2hour trip from Surrey 🙁
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Hi Iain – I’m down in Dorset, but have some 610mm wide M7 Forest, about 8/9metres
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Hope all of you with CCTV has the correct signage for GDPR 😆 & have registered with ICO.
It’s not just about email newsletters, CCTV is counted as personal data under GDPR. -
52,209 emails sent via mailchimp – that’s £500ish quid for GDRP………. 👿
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The ‘wood effect’ image (I’m guessing its a Jpeg, Tiff etc – raster file) will be displayed as a ‘box’ if viewing in outlines mode, but will not be printed etc so shouldn’t be an issue.
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As Jamie said – convert text to outline (vector), overlay on top of wood effect – create clipping mask.
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Found out last week, front side panels on a merc’ vito van are plastic!
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Take a look at the new Peugeot Traveller, Long version – Loads of room, fantastic styling, drives soooo well and LOADS cheaper than VW’s 😆
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PaperGraphics – Teslaflex
Or AD Young 0.75mm Magnetc Ferrous (speak to Sam).
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Oh I miss my mini 🙁
1275, 10" alloys with cooper disks, bright red with white roof – fun fun fun times! -
It’s water vapour, not smoke – happens on a few products with heavy ink coverage (and yes, water vapour will be seen as ‘smoke’ if you have optical fire sensor alarms!).
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On the L3** series we’ve been using PaperGraphics 440gsm frontlit – prints really nice (good solids) with the latex inks.
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Ouch, resave as shouldn’t take that long – pdf/x, fogra 39 colourspace (or whatever you use), should take a couple of minutes tops.
Just sent a 4m x 1.5m photographic banner across to Onyx, ripped within 2 minutes, set at 300dpi, full size. -
We’re going through 300m+ per week on a range of Metamark products, all printed on HP Latex machines.
Never had any issues at all – highly rate Metamark media, for use over the last couple of years it has been a perfect performer. -
quote :We try and price ourselves out of unsociable hours, as it does bugger the week up. We had one customer who told us it costs what it costs… until they got the bill for ovee £900
hahaha like it!
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+1 For Metamark, both M7 & window etch films (air-free is very quick to fit).
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Correx 4mm & 10mm – estate agent, cheap’o site boards, 10mm for scaffold sign inserts
Foamex 3mm & 5mm – better quality siteboards, internal displays, odd external short term signage
ACM 3mm – 95% of external signage, tend to keep the gloss/matt as find it cuts and machines better than gloss/milled oddly :awkward: -
TP corporate colour from style guide:
Green 89 / 19 / 72 / 66
Yellow 0 / 36 / 98 / 0 -
Bridge Colour series books will allow you to see CMYK colour on the guide along side the actual Pantone spot colour, this will give you a more accurate colour match for digital work.
Coated & Uncoated books are Formula guides for mixing printers inks.
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Allprint
Direct from Pantone -
Onyx work very pretty much the same – Barcode is generated by Onyx, unique to the job. Printed jobs loaded into cutter, Onyx Cut-Server will then read barcodes & cut automatically (just have to position the first job) and off it goes, even can tell which way the leading edge is loaded :smiles:
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We operate similar to Steff using barcodes, these are generated via Onyx RIP – the whole process creates a highly automated workflow.
Work very well 😎