Contour Cutting

[IanZane]

Hello To All!
I took over a position at a company about 2 months ago, with no training on this equipment. They have a Mutoh VJ-1604A printer and Mutoh Ultima SC1400D plotter. Now I am familiar with several different digital printers (Roland, Epson, Summa) and I know they are about the same from machine to machine. I am trying to get my first laminated, contour cut job finished. I sent the logo and the subtext as 2 different files. The subtext (2 words) about 2"x8" each and I ran about 40 of them. They seemed to cut fine with good registration. No problem. When I print, laminate and try to contour cut the 24 logos, 8"x14" (3 across each row and 8 deep), the cuts are off. This is what I don't quite understand. The 8 logos in the right column, closest to point of origin, cut great. The middle column of logos, the cut is off to the right side about 1/4". The left column, cut is off 1/2" to the right. No settings were changed.
Is this because the cutter cannot cut as wide as the printer prints? I don't think that would be the problem if the print is wider than the plot. Seems it would just not cut far left side past cutter dimensions. I could finish by hand cutting, I am working on Microsoft XP operating system & Flexi PhotoPrint 5. I know it an old system all the way around and I have spoke with the owner, and he is good with an overhaul of computers and software. But until that time I have been pulling my hair out trying to figure this out. The manual doesn't go into to much depth on troubleshooting and calling Mutoh America is a joke.
Just want to figure it out. Probably a quite simple fix. I'm just overlooking something. Any help and all responses will be greatly appreciated.

 

[OPENSignsInc.]

I get kinda the same issue. I notice creep from time to time on my mimaki. It will be accurate up front, but will be off in the back left corner for some reason. I print with 4 corner registration marks, the cutter does a pre-cut calibration with all 4, then when you send the cut file over it only uses 3 of them (front 2 and right rear) even though it's set in the program to run 4. So, I always try to run a bunch of smaller batches than all at once to keep the cut lines more accurate. I even fake it out on my files by adding in registration marks (I use mimaki type 2 L-shaped brackets) in Signlab 10 (there is a button for it under shapes - Arrange>Unlock Object to be able to weld them) and overlap the marks to save material. I also add at least an 1/8in bleed to my prints when possible, so that if it's off a hair, it isnt as noticeable.

 

[IanZane]

Just a thought, if they are symmetrical logos, is it possible you loaded them up backwards, and your columns aren't spaced equally?

JBurton, No, they are asymmetrical. And loaded it the correct way. They were spaced evenly in production manager where the copies were added. Only thing I can think is printer printed wider than cutter could cut and maybe is just pulled the height down to match cutter widest possible cut. Does'nt make a bit of sense why it cut the way it did. Printed it again next day. Making sure total print dimensions were smaller than cutters widest plot and it cut just fine. I don't know why it did that initially. But until next contour cut job comes along I'm gonna try to figure it out. Thanks though for your response.