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Any help on print/laminate/cut

Mike F

New Member
Check "Enable Advanced Settings" under Cut Controls, and up the pressure. Add 10 - 20 gf to whatever it's set at now, then try again. Keep doing this until you find the correct setting, and write it down along with the names of the material & laminate you used for future reference, that way you don't have to fiddle with it every time you use that material and laminate.

You may also need to extend your blade, do you know how to do that?
 
ok, real easy this one.... print the job with print only, do not do it with print/cut on. then check the print crop mark box, this is important. when it prints you will see one line and 4 circles around the print. so, now laminate it. make sure you leave about 6-8 inch at the beginning and also behind the print(important). once you have laminated it, put it into the printer and increase your cut down force. increase the down force and do test cuts first to make sure you have enought down force on the knife. once you have done this, put the origon point next to the line and circle.
 

Sign Works

New Member
On day one of recieving my SP 300V I found all necessary information outlined in the User Manuel for the Print/Laminate/Cut procedure. It has been working flawlessly since without ever a problem and I've never cleaned the encoder strip or done an environmental match. Also never have I experienced any issues from using the "Center on Media" feature so stop telling people that it cannot be used.

I extend the blade two notches for laminated media and use approx 140 force for calendered media and 100 force for cast.
Also turn off heaters when cutting.
 

Mike F

New Member
Also never have I experienced any issues from using the "Center on Media" feature so stop telling people that it cannot be used.

Never said you can't, just that you shouldn't. And just because you've personally never had an issue with it, doesn't mean that it can't happen to someone else. I HAVE had an issue with it, if the pinch rollers get nudged the slightest bit and the media width changes, it can cause it to not read the registration marks. Besides, centering is kinda pointless unless you really need to, you get a bigger scrap without centering instead of 2 narrower scraps.
 

MikesSigns

New Member
I've never had a problem in 4 years centering print before lam/cutting. if its a small print I can many times manually use a (scrap) piece of lam and not be so worried about being anyway near the edges of vinyl saving a step of trimming excess. The big question everyone seems to disagree on is how long after printing should you laminate. Have fun with it. Learning to laminate well will cost you some mistakes now and then. Practice will make perfect. Enjoy

Mike
 

Tim Kingston

New Member
I agree with the idea of advancing the media three inches or so after printing in almost every case. However, it is useful to know you can tape some media on in case you forget, or to save material. For example, vehicle grade reflective is expensive.

I think it's a good idea to slow down your cut speed too while setting you pressure. Also, if your printer allows for tests cuts, use it often. Blades dull over time and other conditions can vary. Doing a test cut can avoid trouble, like cutting through the sheet, jamming as a result. Also, cutting too deep (through the sheet) is very hard on the backing strip.

I print with the outside rollers only, leave a bit of excess on the sides, and after laminating- reloading, put all the rollers on/down while cutting.

Always double check that the " dot alignment" is complete ( not just sheet setup) before sending the cut job. My machine displays a "123" code on the printer panel. (I do mine manually, bring the cutter out with the panel controls and hover over the first circle and press auto align on the printer).

Finally, if you are cutting something like vehicle reflective, keep one blade for that and change it in and out. And, you should remove the media and roller bars fom the back of the printer on large (most ) prints to avoid jamming etc. when the media backs up to cut.
 

Zazzess

New Member
If you laminate, you need to go under cut controls & make the down force higher, I would start at 165 & go up from there, if you didn't cut deep enough the first time then just put it through again with the same down force & it should cut it, do you know how to do a test cut to see if you are cutting deep enough for weeding?


hum no not sure ? How can I do that please ? :goodpost:
 

Zazzess

New Member
Check "Enable Advanced Settings" under Cut Controls, and up the pressure. Add 10 - 20 gf to whatever it's set at now, then try again. Keep doing this until you find the correct setting, and write it down along with the names of the material & laminate you used for future reference, that way you don't have to fiddle with it every time you use that material and laminate.

You may also need to extend your blade, do you know how to do that?


:goodpost: know I don't even know how to change the blade...
I was thinking of doing that too :) can you help me with that please :)
 

Zazzess

New Member
ok, real easy this one.... print the job with print only, do not do it with print/cut on. then check the print crop mark box, this is important. when it prints you will see one line and 4 circles around the print. so, now laminate it. make sure you leave about 6-8 inch at the beginning and also behind the print(important). once you have laminated it, put it into the printer and increase your cut down force. increase the down force and do test cuts first to make sure you have enought down force on the knife. once you have done this, put the origon point next to the line and circle.


:goodpost: I'm at the down force step now... tried 50 at 3 to 5 cut pass...
then went to 70 to 5 cut pass... wasn't enough...
this morning I'll try something else and thinking of changing the blade too :) :thankyou:
 

Zazzess

New Member
:goodpost:
On day one of recieving my SP 300V I found all necessary information outlined in the User Manuel for the Print/Laminate/Cut procedure. It has been working flawlessly since without ever a problem and I've never cleaned the encoder strip or done an environmental match. Also never have I experienced any issues from using the "Center on Media" feature so stop telling people that it cannot be used.

I extend the blade two notches for laminated media and use approx 140 force for calendered media and 100 force for cast.
Also turn off heaters when cutting.
:goodpost:
 

Zazzess

New Member
I've never had a problem in 4 years centering print before lam/cutting. if its a small print I can many times manually use a (scrap) piece of lam and not be so worried about being anyway near the edges of vinyl saving a step of trimming excess. The big question everyone seems to disagree on is how long after printing should you laminate. Have fun with it. Learning to laminate well will cost you some mistakes now and then. Practice will make perfect. Enjoy

Mike


:thankyou:
 

petepaz

New Member
obviously we don't mind helping but who did you get your printer from (or maybe i missed that part) i only ask because when we got ours we had them show us how to do all this stuff, it's a lot easier to actually see it done in front of you and things went a lot smoother
 

Zazzess

New Member
I agree with the idea of advancing the media three inches or so after printing in almost every case. However, it is useful to know you can tape some media on in case you forget, or to save material. For example, vehicle grade reflective is expensive.

I think it's a good idea to slow down your cut speed too while setting you pressure. Also, if your printer allows for tests cuts, use it often. Blades dull over time and other conditions can vary. Doing a test cut can avoid trouble, like cutting through the sheet, jamming as a result. Also, cutting too deep (through the sheet) is very hard on the backing strip.

I print with the outside rollers only, leave a bit of excess on the sides, and after laminating- reloading, put all the rollers on/down while cutting.

Always double check that the " dot alignment" is complete ( not just sheet setup) before sending the cut job. My machine displays a "123" code on the printer panel. (I do mine manually, bring the cutter out with the panel controls and hover over the first circle and press auto align on the printer).

Finally, if you are cutting something like vehicle reflective, keep one blade for that and change it in and out. And, you should remove the media and roller bars fom the back of the printer on large (most ) prints to avoid jamming etc. when the media backs up to cut.


:goodpost: thanks for this info I really appreciate :thankyou:

:peace!:
 

Zazzess

New Member
obviously we don't mind helping but who did you get your printer from (or maybe i missed that part) i only ask because when we got ours we had them show us how to do all this stuff, it's a lot easier to actually see it done in front of you and things went a lot smoother


I agree with you... seeing it make things a lot easier...
obviously my boss didn't have that treatment because he asked me to
make test to learn how its made...
he wasn't even sure it could be done :p
:thankyou:
 

Zazzess

New Member
Ok !! Ladies and gentlemen !!

I tried it at 130 with 3 cut pass and it almost was it !

when I took of the logo it rent at some places...

so I'll increase the force at 160 .

hope it will work this time :) thaks for your help guys :)
 
Last edited:

Zazzess

New Member
Yeah !! I did a test at 195 pressure 3 pass !! Was just perfect !!
Except that one pass more and it would have went through it all.
I think a lil' less pressure will do :)

Thanks again y'all !!
 

Bill43mx

New Member
Unless you are doing REALLY thick stuff (like MX graphics) you shouldn't need more than 1 pass.

I don't think you answered the question about what vinyl/lam are you cutting. If you give that info I'm sure someone can get you settings that will work.
 
we only do one pass. just increase the pressure/force so its enough to do 1 pass. make sure you have a good blade also, because if you do alot of cutting, it will dull the blade and it will take alot more pressure/force to cut out your graphics. just do a test cut, see if it works, if not increase the pressure alittle and do another test cut.
 
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