Die cutting with crop marks (how to?)

[Kemble]

I've been doing single color graphics for 4 years now with my Graphtec CE3000-60 MK2. This machine has the ARMS system on it but I have never used it. I found a local shop that only does posters and banners (they do not own a cutter) and is willing to print decals for me. However his machine is an HP 64" printer.

Question #1
Is it possible for me to utilize ALL 64" material or maybe just 48" and then slit the material to fit my 24" Graphtec and using the ARMS have machine know where to cut out each decal? (I think this is called contour cutting?)

Question #2
If #1 is possible, I doubt it would be a simple do this do that. Could someone please spare the time to walk me through step by step on how to do this? Do I have to have the HP print crop marks for each decal I want cut out? What do I have to add to my file that I will provide to the shop with the printer & how do I set up my cutter to cut the decals out?

Since my Graphtec CE3000-60 is over 3 years old, I do not have support through Sign Warehouse anymore (thus why I'm asking for help here). The software that I use is VE LXi Master Plus 8.5v1. I also have the CS3 collection and I'm running 64bit Windows XP Pro.

Thanks

 

[JBarraxSW]

Kembie, the best way to perform contour cutting with a Graphtec plotter is to control the entire workflow from one workstation. Proper alignment of the raster and vector info printing and cutting from different software applications can be done, but it's going to be problematic.

Your LXi Master Plus software is not designed for RIP printing, so it's not going to be able to handle this. The newer version, LXi Master Plus 8.6 however does have a new print and cut workflow designed for use with desktop printers. It could be used with the HP IF that printer is installed in your Windows Printers folder, but it would not have any of the normal RIP tools, so color management would not be possible.
For a step by step tutorial on how to manage print and cut workflow from Master Plus 8.6 please click here.

Hope this helps

 

[Bill Modzel]

You can use Graphtec's Cutting Master plug in to set the crop marks in your Illustrator file. Your printer can print two "rows" of prints using the spacing in his RIP. That way,
you will have enough waste material for your plotter to hang on to once you cut the two rows apart.
Once you get your strips cut apart you have to line up your registation marks very accruatly on the plotter. I usually stick my thumbnail on the marks and line them up with the groove in the front of the skid plate. Load the stock as usual and after it is in the ready state, using the directional buttons, move the knife into the space between the registration corner.

Now launch the cutting master app and click on the advanced tab. Here you will put in the number of repeats and the space between the registration marks.

Graphtec's web site as some videos on line also I think.

 

[Kemble]

Kembie, the best way to perform contour cutting with a Graphtec plotter is to control the entire workflow from one workstation. Proper alignment of the raster and vector info printing and cutting from different software applications can be done, but it's going to be problematic.

Your LXi Master Plus software is not designed for RIP printing, so it's not going to be able to handle this. The newer version, LXi Master Plus 8.6 however does have a new print and cut workflow designed for use with desktop printers. It could be used with the HP IF that printer is installed in your Windows Printers folder, but it would not have any of the normal RIP tools, so color management would not be possible.
For a step by step tutorial on how to manage print and cut workflow from Master Plus 8.6 please click here.

Hope this helps

I was under the impression that when I got my software that I was able to print/cut with it. Least that's what I was told when I originally purchased my cutter 4 years ago and I told then I planned on buying a printer in the future. Although I didn't think it would be 4 years down the road before I got to the point where I was ready to get into that type of market.

 

[Bill Modzel]

Kimble,
Actually, I'm pretty much doing exactly what your asking about. I'm designing In Illustrator and via Cutting Master, which you should have or can download, I'm setting my registration marks in the file.
I'm also running a Windows XP RIP on my MacPro and printing said file using my PosterJet RIP. I than laminate and load the printed vinyl into the Graphtec and cut via the Cutting Master plug in. If the registration marks are printed Cutting master will scan and cut from them no matter where they were printed.

 

[Kemble]

Ideally this is what I have in my head. Let me know how far off I am.

Lets take a 48" material. I design 6 completely separate jobs to be printed utilizing 48" material. After printing is done I will cut on the cut lines (that were also printed to make things easier on myself) giving myself 6 separate jobs that will all fit in my 24" Graphtec. Using the ARMS I now have 6 separate jobs all with a crop mark (or crop marks if I need more). Notice the blue circles were printed with a different orientation to get the best material use.


Since I will be creating the file and sending it to the local print shop do I need to install his printer drivers on my machine? From what I seen his shop consists of all Mac's but I did not ask if he had any IBM's.

So I will then cut using illustrator and not VE LXi Master Plus? I have not tried cutting from illustrator before.

 

[JBarraxSW]

Yes, you will be using Illustrator, not Master Plus. Your version will not support the contour cut process.

In order to use the Graphtec RMS firmware, you'll need to print Graphtec registration marks, not "blue circle" style crop marks.

The videos Bill is referring to are HERE.

 

[Kemble]

Where can I find Cutting Master 2 to download?

 

[Case]

http://www.graphtecamerica.com/imaging_software/CuttingMaster2-V1.60/CM2_V1.6_Win.zip

Case

 

[Matt-Tastic]

Simply put, you will be adding a design element for the cut path (invisible on the print itself) and registration marks which will be printed to give the plotter a way to register where to cut.

this is all done through illustrator and the cutting master plugin, available through www.graphtecamerica.com in their support section for cutting plotters.

There are video tutorials on graphtec's website as well, to help you with both the software and hardware portion of the process. I'd suggest using vinyl that will fit in your plotter, as this will help it track better as opposed to cutting the vinyl after printing.

Depending on how well your plotter is running you could get mixed results, but if you follow the videos, make your path right and have a good print, you should be able to make some pretty awesome decals!

if you'd like, you can also outsource your cutting capabilities to the guy who is printing for you to benefit both of your businesses

 

[Kemble]

OK, I think I'm understanding how to do things. I will be designing some test decals in a few to take to the printer tomorrow for a test run. The videos are a huge help.

if you'd like, you can also outsource your cutting capabilities to the guy who is printing for you to benefit both of your businesses

I will definitely bring that up once I understand the whole process.

I downloaded the Cutting Master 2 and installed it. After about an hour of troubleshooting trying to get my machine to cut from Illustrator I found out that my Graphtec will only cut if running in GP-GL mode. I set up this by finding the menu COMMAND on the digital read on the Graphtec itself. So... If I wanted to switch between using Illustrator and LXi Master Plus I will have to change this COMMAND each time. Is this the same with you guys? Is there a workaround to not having to change this option in the menu on the plotter itself?

 

[Matt-Tastic]

Unfortunately not. Graphtec uses its proprietary driver, while others use the generic HP-GL driver. the GP-GL driver is typically more stable, and if you get used to illustrator, you will find you don't need anything else to to cut graphics other than the plotter and cutting master.

if you work with LXi, you can also save as an eps, open that in illustrator and output from cutting master. after a while, you can go to using just AI and CM2.

good luck!

 

[ddarlak]

an easier way is to lay your decals out in 23" x 48" panels with a black box around the outside. the black box will give you something to line your cutter up to.





this way your not cutting down the middle of the print, but just cutting off every 24" of the print, depending on how many decals you need.

laminate the print, feed it into the cutter. choose the outside of the black outline box. line the cutter up to the bottom right hand corner of the black box, define the origin point, make sure you have any offsets to zero and turn off the advance after plot. cut the box, if it lines up ok then go back and select the die cut vectors along with the black box. send it to cut and your done.

 

[Bill Modzel]

It looks like you've gotten allot of good info since I checked in. One thing you have to do is leave enough area OUTSIDE your registration marks for the pinch wheels of the plotter.
If your ARMS cannot travel over your registration marks it cannot register.

Another important thing is that you put your cut line on a separate layer in Illy and click on the eye in the layers pallet to make that layer invisible for the printer. Otherwise you will have a line printed on your vinyl. When you get the prints back and load them in the plotter, turn the cut layer on and the graphic layer off. I know it's not supposed to do it but mine seems to like cutting any vector information that's visible.

As far as the hpgl/gpgl issue, it literally takes 5 seconds to switch back an forth if you want to do that. You may find that it's a better solution to switch your whole workflow to Illustrator instead.