Exasperating Problem!!!

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

This is happening too frequently for me to put up with anymore. Sometimes when I have sent a job out to the Edge machine and the printing is done, when I come back to the Plot window to click the knife icon to start cutting the icon is grayed out and therefore not functioning. What's up with that? THANKS. Dave

 

[Marekdlux]

Do you have "cuts on" when you output it? Are you opening it up directly in GSPlot? If you are, make sure "Cuts on" is selected in the Open window.
-Marek

 

[Fred Weiss]

If you're outputting to GSPPlot from Composer, whatever you output must contain at least a cut path or a print and cut path for GSPPlot to be able to cut anything other than a weed border. If your weed border is off and there are no cut paths, the knife will be grayed out.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Okay... it happened again today and caused me to hafta scrap about half a van lettering job when I had no Cut selection available. I was in sync with the two previous replies - everything mentioned in them checked out on my machine. Man... this has me a bit gunshy after screwin' up the printing today! (BTW... just in case ennybody thinks I'm a doofus who can't figger this out, been runnin' Gerber stuff constant since '83). THANKS!!!

 

[Marekdlux]

Do you have more than one plotter running in GSPlot? Does it show that it can cut it before you print it? Can't you close the file, re-open it then re-send it to plot and not lose your print? Fred will probably have an answer for you.
-Marek

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

No... only 1 plotter. Yes... it does show Cut available before I send it to print, but not when I come back from printing. I have closed down and rebooted to start over and cut printed jobs. However, this particular one got away from me when I rearranged graphic elements in the file to expedite the job. I did not save it as a change to the file because I didn't need to - at least not until it was too late. I had no way to ever reassemble the job again to make it cut what was printed. Just a 1 time fluke - but an expensive one. NOW, I have to solve the problem.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Dave, I've been running GA and Omega since 1998 with an Edge and have never had a situation such as you're describing. So other than what I've suggested, I really don't have anything additional. I've also never seen a post here or at 4EdgeTalk.com concerning cutpaths disappearing.

Even changing the view to Print Only doesn't disable the cut.

 

[Marekdlux]

could it be something with his security key not registering and going into demo mode? probably not...there is a warning when that happens. I would check with GSP website and get the latest updates, make sure all cables are attatched properly, other than that ??????
-Marek

 

[iSign]

one thing that will disable the cut is if you have spot colors assigned to vector art, but in GSPplot you select "print as process" If you want to do this, you must send the cut first, then select "print as process"

what I do is send the cut before I send the print. Obbviously I run the print first... but I always send the cut first. Partly because I often run several unrelated jobs on the same material before moving the lot of them from the Edge over to the Envision. I need to make sure I always get my cuts programmed in the proper sequence. If I have a misprint (fouled up from a foil running out etc... ) I try to eliminate cut files needing to be deleted from the que... & If there is a bad print I am NOT to cut... I draw an X over the target so if I'm flying through setting up cuts an hour later while on the phone etc. etc... I won't slew the target into position without noticing it was a bad print I've already forgotten.

Last tip I follow... NEVER close a job out of gspplot before it is completely done!!!

 

[Marlene]

When you send out to the Edge do you at the same time send to the ploter? May sound too simple but I send to both before I print and I can see my plotter light blinking so I know it's ready to cut after printing.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Doug and Marlene... so far, in three attempts, following your suggestions, I've had no problem! Thanks immensely - becuz I gotta get some work done!

 

[Marlene]

Glad you could fix problem. It rots to lose material.

 

[Tony Teveris]

Print as Process

Everyone seems to have the right idea.

In the 123... dialog there is "print as process". This will turn "cuts off" and print everything as process foils. In later software (not sure what versions of Plot) there is also a checkbox in the same dialog called "Keep cuts". For your and most peoples purposes this should be turned on.

You also want the "reduce frame" mode turned off. If you do not have the
"keep cuts" option then:

Print as process, create print, turn print as process back on, create cuts

The problem with selecting to create the "cuts" spool file first is that there are times when the "print" job we be "moved" lower in the Y axis, if this happens then that cut data you just generated will not match.

There are just too many options in that 123... dialog but thiese are the things everyone wants so we keep giving them to you.

Sorry I did see this post sooner. Cranking on the next release....

 

[iSign]

Print as process, create print, turn print as process back on, create cuts

... you mean "turn print as process back OFF, create cuts" right?

hmmm, interesting about the print "moving" fortunantly I hadn't discovered that... OK, prints first, then cuts when using the "print as process" feature

 

[Tony Teveris]

Print as Process

I stand corrected (I'm standing right now).

the "move" happens when reduce frame is turned on (I think)