Circle sticker issues

[Bryce I]

I found this thread because I'm experiencing a similar issue. I'm going down the list of everything mentioned in this thread (thank everyone for sharing your insights) but I wanted to see if anyone recognizes this symptom . (Roland VG-540) when performing adjustments to the PRINT/CUT function, the test print is two small squares, on the far left and far right of the media. it prints and cuts around the edge of each square, and the user makes adjustments if any overlap is visible. My test squares are cut drastically different. The right side has overlap on the "upper" part of the square (F-) and the right test has overlap on the "lower" part (F+). So do I adjust up or down? The job I'm trying to print is cutting poorly on both sides and the center. Pictures below. Any thoughts or insights are greatly appreciated.

 

[PatriotWorks]

We are trying to do circle decals and the border is always off like shown in the picture. Our designer says it’s near impossible to center art work on a circle with small border. Is this true or is there more he can be doing?

Your design guy is doing his part of the job. Aligning artwork in a circle is as basic as cut, copy and paste.
I'm assuming these stickers are laminated?
If so, turn off your laminator heat. You don't need it.
Your laminator pressure should be about "1 hour" more than where the rolls made first contact. For instance my handle always stops at 3 o'clock. I laminate at 4 o'clock.
You mentioned "Rookie" question. Retract your cutter. Too much cutter showing cause lots of issues. It did to me.
I have a calibration issue. I print a lot of 4x8 signs on dibond.
I know from experience if I need 96" I get 95.5". So...I add .5 inches to my file in feed and .25 to to slew.
I'm suggesting you might need to trick your cut calibration??? I don't know how to do that except by trial and error.
Yet...I have run files 13.5 feet with my Roland and was stunned to find it split a hairline with 10% opacity I added just to check accuracy out in white space.
Until we know more, I suspect you are laminating with heat and using way too much roller pressure which squeezes the artwork.

 

[PatriotWorks]

So do I adjust up or down?

You want to hit -f or feed so that you see equal black all the way around the cut.

 

[weyandsign]

Try cleaning the pinch rollers

 

[MelloImagingTechnologies]

But an EPSON printer and a Summa cutter

 

[Bryce I]

You want to hit -f or feed so that you see equal black all the way around the

My fourth pic indicates that, but the third picture seems to show I should adjust towards F +. They're from the same test. It prints one square on the left and one on the right. I guess the idea is to try to split the difference, but what does one do when the two sides suggest opposite adjustments?

 

[Bryce I]

Well it either is or not. Print squares and rounds next to each other.
Then you know for sure if it's file issue or calibration.

It can't be off just because it's round.

Yes & no. I'm troubleshooting a similar issue on my VG-540. Mine is cutting everything wrong right now, but even when it was working, my calibrated printer could get away with cutting rectangles at a faster cutting speed than circles. When I try to do the circles at like 30, they come out looking like sticker bro's pictures, and sometimes slowing it down to 10 would help.

 

[PatriotWorks]

My fourth pic indicates that, but the third picture seems to show I should adjust towards F +. They're from the same test. It prints one square on the left and one on the right. I guess the idea is to try to split the difference, but what does one do when the two sides suggest opposite adjustments?

Take out the expensive vinyl and put in the cheap stuff.... write your current settings down and experiment with big changes. Also....pay attention to the decimal places. IIRC, I was chasing a setting back and forth while losing my mind. The program was calling for changes in .01" but I was making changes in .1"
Don't be afraid to push buttons and waste ink and vinyl getting to the bottom of the calibration.
At least that's what I do.
Good luck.

 

[Bryce I]

Some what of a rookie question here since I am not a designer. I own our print shop but I do not do our graphic design. We are trying to do circle decals and the border is always off like shown in the picture. Our designer says it’s near impossible to center art work on a circle with small border. Is this true or is there more he can be doing?

We are using Roland VG2 and Roland Camm 1 GR2

My StickerBrothers. I've been dealing with a similar issue on our VG-540. Many sticker/label cuts coming out misaligned, especially circles. I tried much of the stuff suggested in this thread before calling Roland himself, and using all pinch rollers helped a lot. Also the stuff people said below about extra bleed and margins was a step in the right direction for me. And then Roland just called me back and said worn out or damaged pinch rollers is the cause of much print/cut alignment issues. I'm ordering a new set now, and Roland said he will walk me through replacing them when they arrive. It adds up too, the pinch rollers are as old as the printer, and our newer VG-2 doesn't do it as bad. Feeling optimistic. Good luck with yours!

 

[Craig Keller]

You should do cut calibration if it's always off like that.

What type printer?

 

[Tomi G]

I have been designing for over 40 years and I have to say, I never heard that you can not center design work using a circle, I would be more then happy to look over the file or even recreate it for you to try, anything can be centered if you know what you are doing and if you can not then you have to look at all the elements of the design and find what is causing you not to center. Just my 2¢
Tomi G

 

[heyskull]

I have Pmd you Sticker Bros

 

[bigkahuna_305]

You should do cut calibration if it's always off like that.

Get a new designer, that's a weak answer if you are paying them

 

[jfiscus]

The issue 99% of the time with circle decals not being correctly centered is equipment issues. Cheaper cutters, especially printers that are also cutters usually struggle with these.

 

[Goatshaver]

How small are you going? You're bound to get some slight variation, just the smaller the border the easier it is to see the variation in it. On small stuff I do 1.5" I don't do less than a 1/16" border, on larger stuff I try and get customers to go with 1/8" if possible but still no less than 1/16". You might also want to check the calibration of your cutter to make sure you're getting some accurate cuts.