Could not be more dissappointed in LEXJET

[Saturn]

Lots of problems, but keep in mind there's lots of us using the same or similar equipment to do the same or similar things, so you can definitely get nearer to where you want to be if you stick with it.

One thing I would do just for troubleshooting, not that you may be able to do anything about it immediately, is get down and look through the machine while it's cutting, kind of eyeball level with the flat plane/surface of the cutstrip. Everything in theory should stay really flat on the cutter surface while the sheet is being cut. If as the blade comes across things sort of bulge or buckle, there's just no chance of things cutting straight. Some of that could be fixed by using smaller sheets/layouts, or even adding wheels. FlexCut can be a little heavy handed too, so unless it's dialed back to the bare minimum, you might have to learn to live with more slop than you want.

I wouldn't sweat worrying about extra regmarks yet at this point. Figuring out why it's doing the extra cuts are what I would focus on first. Then the stability of the sheet (not shifting/slipping etc.), and the cut quality (not too hard etc.).

I love my Summa, wouldn't trade it for anything, but I did use up a lot of brain cells, time, and material in the early days trying to educate myself. Not for the squeamish, or folks that think it's going to be a one-and-done push button operation.

Symmetrical things like circles and rectangle with a thin border are always going to show the slightest tolerance deviations unfortunately, but you definitely look like you've got room for improvement, so don't throw it all out yet.

 

[jdwilliams1]

Do you have it set on default speeds? Slow it completely down from cutter control and see how it affects that. You can also print multiple rows at a time so it's easier to test. You could have had maybe 4 rows on that piece of vinyl.

I have slowed it some but not seen any improvement

 

[jdwilliams1]

For the double cut. If you didn't change any settings then your file is faulty.

I have rebuilt the file twice but I can try yet again

 

[jdwilliams1]

If it's checking the black line with the marks then you already have it set for OPOS XY which is accurate enough.

What it appears to be doing right now is a light hovers over the first small square in the bottom right and then it moves to the back to a square in the back right and then across and then to the front and the light hovers over each small square.

 

[jdwilliams1]

And check your print with a straight edge just to see that what you are after for. If it's not straight to begin with then the cutter needs to compensate. That makes things more complicated on long runs.

I will do that and have run longer runs but this video was very short obviously

 

[jdwilliams1]

Lots of problems, but keep in mind there's lots of us using the same or similar equipment to do the same or similar things, so you can definitely get nearer to where you want to be if you stick with it.

One thing I would do just for troubleshooting, not that you may be able to do anything about it immediately, is get down and look through the machine while it's cutting, kind of eyeball level with the flat plane/surface of the cutstrip. Everything in theory should stay really flat on the cutter surface while the sheet is being cut. If as the blade comes across things sort of bulge or buckle, there's just no chance of things cutting straight. Some of that could be fixed by using smaller sheets/layouts, or even adding wheels. FlexCut can be a little heavy handed too, so unless it's dialed back to the bare minimum, you might have to learn to live with more slop than you want.

I wouldn't sweat worrying about extra regmarks yet at this point. Figuring out why it's doing the extra cuts are what I would focus on first. Then the stability of the sheet (not shifting/slipping etc.), and the cut quality (not too hard etc.).

I love my Summa, wouldn't trade it for anything, but I did use up a lot of brain cells, time, and material in the early days trying to educate myself. Not for the squeamish, or folks that think it's going to be a one-and-done push button operation.

Symmetrical things like circles and rectangle with a thin border are always going to show the slightest tolerance deviations unfortunately, but you definitely look like you've got room for improvement, so don't throw it all out yet.

Thanks Saturn, yeah have to admit been printing with flatbeds for almost 2 decades and this venture into rolled vinyl has me scratching my head. Thanks for the input

 

[Saturn]

The RIP might be using the cut lines twice for some reason? I know in Onyx it can take a little trial and error to get them dialed in the first time. Perhaps the RIP is seeing the lines as a regular old cut, THEN seeing them as named specific cuts. Might have to add or remove some definitions (spot color naming) to the cutter setup?

I think in some cases if you accidentally outline the cutline, it will do that forward once, then backward once thing. Sounds like you've triple checked though.

 

[BigNate]

I have rebuilt the file twice but I can try yet again

When a line is rasterized and then traced, we have found that Onyx can sometimes detect the line as a zero area box - imagine a hairline with the fil turned off and the outline turned on. This results in the software sending double cuts (to the software they are adjacent cuts, but in the real world there is zero distance between them)

Make sure you have cut lines that are actual lines and not zero area objects.


Also, as stated elsewhere in the thread, you need to turn on the segmented area correction - this will print more reg marks down the side of your image. The plotter can then scan and cut a small area at a time, making corrections every 12-18 inches or so.... this will solve a lot of your problems.

 

[jdwilliams1]

Also, as stated elsewhere in the thread, you need to turn on the segmented area correction - this will print more reg marks down the side of your image. The plotter can then scan and cut a small area at a time, making corrections every 12-18 inches or so.... this will solve a lot of your problems.

Big Nate, thanks for the response on this. Forgive my inexperience but is this done at the cutter or in the Onyx software?

 

[airborneassault]

I think I can help with the double cut. Can you share your ai file? Somewhere along the way an update to ai or onyx causes our circular decals to cut twice as you mentioned and it was because when the cut was selected in ai it showed as an ellipse instead of paths. Changed the fill to the cut line spot color (no stroke) and expand swap cut line back to stroke and you should be good. Typically 1pt instead of .1 pt for us as well but maybe that's irrelevant.
With the cutter as it scans marks it doesn't make any attempt to scan the bow line and compensate? I know our s1 actually had bigger issues when doing that vs the standard reg marks (opos xy if I recall correctly)

 

[BigNate]

Big Nate, thanks for the response on this. Forgive my inexperience but is this done at the cutter or in the Onyx software?

this is usually a software setting, in onyx from the cut server, there is a dropdown that has the options..... If you are not currently printing marks down the length of the image, there is also a setting in the print server to tell it to make the marks.... (try YouTube - there are a few tutorials that will walk you through the process....)

 

[jdwilliams1]

Where in Indiana are you located? If/when I'm in the area, I'll swing by and teach you how to run the laminator and maybe provide a 2nd set of eyes on your print/cut problems.

Thanks Mark, I appreciate that offer and might take you up on it. Plane to do a bit more trouble shooting this week and will be in touch.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Which Onyx version are you running?

Can you build a print and cut file separately and just have onyx print and use GoSign for cutting? I have a sneaking suspicion due to history that onyx is your offset issue.

 

[MarkSnelling]

Thanks Mark, I appreciate that offer and might take you up on it. Plane to do a bit more trouble shooting this week and will be in touch.

don't hesitate...I know I can help on the laminator for sure....maybe we can make a few bucks together.

 

[netsol]

you should certainly take mark up on his offer.
you can burn through A LOT of materials before you get familiar with the laminator

 

[jdwilliams1]

Would any of you be interested in looking at this file to see what I am messing up. Bear in mind the double kiss cut and double flex cut is new. I am still wantiong to solve the alignment issue but my current issue is it double cutting and just built my file completely form scratch like i have some of the files in the past and never had double cuts.

If interested...

Here is a file I created that is NOT cutting twice https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wx8h...ey=gk0dbrnpv9a02md7t9xsktt6j&st=1melbj9x&dl=0

Here is a file that I created that is cutting twice https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e97v...ey=nbnv83kpi6eihigrn3uc02wud&st=7ik53fgr&dl=0

 

[jdwilliams1]

Which Onyx version are you running?

Can you build a print and cut file separately and just have onyx print and use GoSign for cutting? I have a sneaking suspicion due to history that onyx is your offset issue.

Thanks for the response and this might be above my training level. I guess I can download a free version of GoSign? I can try to see if I can setup a cut in GoSign thanks for the tip

 

[Saturn]

Nothing huge jumps out when I open it in Illustrator. The only slight difference I can see is in Attributes, where one has "Show Center" activated, and the other has "Don't Show Center" ticked. I believe the "Show Center" one is the one you say cuts twice. My own files appear to typically be "Don't Show Center," but that may just be by default. Without more testing all that might really tell us is that they was definitely a difference in how they were created. It looks like it should work just fine as a single cut.

Some will disagree, but I find it much easier to build my cuts in Illustrator. Are you doing it all in one of the printer/RIP programs?

 

[Saturn]

I just cut them, and they both were single cuts. Dunno!

 

[Johnny Best]

So I just bought a Porsche 718 Cayman but do not know stick shift. Am unhappy that they did not teach me how to drive it. It has an extra pedal next to the brake and gas. They have tried to teach me but I just donʼt get it.
Very disapointed with my Porsche dealer. Thank you.