Banner buckling during print

[Foghorn12]

Im trying to print a large banner on my Roland but the banner is buckling so bad the head is rubbing on it ruining the print. Banner is going to be 25 feet long and I'm having this issue within the first foot of the print. I've tried pre feeding the banner and I'm using all 4 pinch rollers but it's not getting any better. Suggestions?

 

[Flame]

First question, what quality of banner material are you using? I've noticed cheap 8oz and thin material tends to always want to buckle. Not worth even buying.

Secondly, what are your heat settings? I turn my heaters down to where they are hardly even heating when doing banners. Excessive heat will cause your material to buckle.

 

[petesign]

^^^^ Turn the heat down..

it's either that, or you don't have it going through straight and it's pulling unevenly through the rollers.

 

[Foghorn12]

it's 15oz arlon material. It was probably my heat. What heat settings do you use. I had mine up (109/102) for some other material I was printing and didn't turn it down for the banner.

 

[Flame]

There's your problem. Play with it a little with some test prints... but Basically, barely any heat at all, and you're golden.

 

[Gino]

Is this a new roll of banner media ??

If so, simply take some of the tension off the roller and create some 3' or 4' of slack down the back. Make sure you have slack there or it will continue to bubble and buckle until the pinchers can pull the weight through evenly.

 

[Foghorn12]

Ok I'll see if this helps. Thanks!

 

[Salmoneye]

Lots of slack is the key and make sure that it stays there, even after the take up roller starts applying a little tension. Heads on high, use the media roller ends and the metal media clamps at the edges of the print. Sometimes we have had roller tracking in the solids also and end up using just the two pinch rollers on the sides. Without rolling out the media our xc-540 will buckle banner media almost always.

 

[Foghorn12]

Thanks everyone. Things seem to be working well now. Banner is about half way done with no issues. Fingers crossed.

 

[Foghorn12]

Banner is done and everything turned out fine. Seems it was a combination of a few things you all mentioned. Tried to put this project off till my new printer came in but just heard it'll be another 2 weeks so I had to use my current one. SUPER SLOW but it got the job done. Thanks again for all your help.