First time printing on mesh banner

[Colin]

So I got my first job doing a mesh banner, and bought a full roll of the 54" UltraFlex Strip Mesh Plus. Is there anything special I need to know before printing on this stuff? Print/Dryer temp on my Roland SP540i?

This one particular job I'm doing is just black & white (and some screens of black). So just 100 K and percentages of K?


Thanks.

 

[Gabriel]

Just give your print-head position on "High", and the dryer almost on it's higher value.
Do not forget to use the media clamps!
Enjoy and good luck!

 

[Colin]

So something like:

Print: 38

Dryer: 42

?

 

[HulkSmash]

45 40 45

 

[Colin]

45 40 45

Could you please clarify that? I have two settings. Print & Dryer.

 

[HulkSmash]

sorry, im not exactly sure about your specific printer, but you should be safe at printer 40, dryer 45.

good luck

 

[Colin]

I forgot to ask about what Media Type (profile) to select in VersaWorks.

There doesn't appear to be a "Mesh" in the list.

 

[MikePro]

i print 2 clicks above the recommended temp for my OEM Mimaki inks (40) on both pre and print heaters. Prints just fine.

remember to NOT try to use mesh as a dbl.sided banner

 

[Colin]

I forgot to ask about what Media Type (profile) to select in VersaWorks.

There doesn't appear to be a "Mesh" in the list.

Anybody on this?

There's no profile for the Roland on the UltraFlex website. But others are there - what a joke. I called them and the guy was useless.

I'm wondering if the LBV (Light-Weight Banner Vinyl) profile would be the best option.

 

[J Hill Designs]

yep - ya got a full roll

 

[txsurfer]

view thru banner

 

[Colin]

view thru banner

This very minute I saw that profile "VTV2 ViewThru (ESM)" in the list in VW, and wondered if that meant Mesh.

I'll give 'er a go.

 

[Colin]

In case anyone else is ever looking for info on this in the future, I did use the VTV2 profile and it worked just fine.

Thanks all

 

[Colin]

One issue did occur:

I places all of the pinch rollers in the machine, and even though the rollers didn't back over the freshly printed area, there are still visible track lines where they rolled over the material. This is visible on grey areas, not black.

I would imagine that this would also occur wth color, so any ideas on how to avoid this?

 

[rja360]

im pretty sure you would get away without the pinch rollers.....turn up the vacuum a little to compensate...

 

[Colin]

Really? Hmm, I thought that this sort of material (at 54" in width) might be a candidate for causing a head-strike.

 

[HulkSmash]

Just use the outside pinch rollers. I never use the other ones when printing, only when cutting.

that

 

[COOKY]

One issue did occur:

I places all of the pinch rollers in the machine, and even though the rollers didn't back over the freshly printed area, there are still visible track lines where they rolled over the material. This is visible on grey areas, not black.

I would imagine that this would also occur wth color, so any ideas on how to avoid this?

You should find that it won't be there when you remove the backing paper.

 

[Colin]

You should find that it won't be there when you remove the backing paper.

That's what I thought too, but the removal of the backing made no difference. Another lesson learned.

 

[Edserv]

Our experience with mesh banner (the first time) was in "proper seeming." We were doing a huge P.A. Speaker mesh banner project and attempted to do traditional seeming for the P.A. Speakers. Well, they split within an hour, and we had to take them down and sew them with industrial sewing equipment to withstand the wind/weather. But other than that, no problems.

If the mesh is going to be outside for long, or used many times, than you may wish to cold-lam it for long-term protection!

Good luck!
Chris

 

[john1]

I was told by the people at us banner and ultraflex to print banners on the LBV profile. Works good for me on my Roland 300i

 

[Malkin]

If the mesh is going to be outside for long, or used many times, than you may wish to cold-lam it for long-term protection!

Unless there is some other kind of laminating that I am wholly unfamiliar with, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of mesh?