Gerber Edge 2 misprints

[Will308decals]

Hi all,
I have a gerber Edge 2 which prints well, I really like it, but when I run prints there is usually misprints within them, where the foil doesn’t print onto the vinyl. I usually double print and it helps it a little bit but that wastes a lot of foil. How can I prevent these misprints from happening and get a good, clean print on the first run and not having to double print?
Thank you

 

[signage]

are you using Gerber vinyl and foils?

 

[Jeff grossman]

Air Temperature , humidity and vinyl type matter - I’ve found many non gerber vinyl products leave spots where it seems the foil doesn’t stick , changed to gerber ($$) and no problems . Pay a little more or poss. waste product is the question . Also I’ve never had a problem getting a replacement / exchange from gerber. ( using gerber vinyl and foils )
You could play with the foil heat settings if not using gerber vinyl also , some brands need more / less heat to bond .

 

[Billct2]

Dies it happen randomly? Or just at the beginning of a print? Does it vary with vinyl type/manufacturer? Does it vary with foil manufacturer?

 

[Gary Wiant]

Wow this is a throw back question for me. As stated above Use good foils & vinyl I had more issues printing on cheap vinyl than I did with non Gerber foils.
Make sure you are keeping your vinyl clean as well as the table the vinyl is rolling back & forth on. It doesnt take much to cause issues.

Also make sure you dont have a heater / air conditioner blowing on the edge or table. They move a lot of dust around

Good luck

 

[Will308decals]

Dies it happen randomly? Or just at the beginning of a print? Does it vary with vinyl type/manufacturer? Does it vary with foil manufacturer?

Usually, at the beginning it happens more frequently than when the printer has been running for a while, but it still happens randomly in random spots. I have only printed on Oracal 651. I have heard people have trouble with Oracal. But I am doing an order for a football team on convex, but do not want to have to double print because it will waste a lot of foil. I try to always use Gerber foils.

 

[Gary Wiant]

You'll have a lot more issues with orical than convex. Try a print on convex.

I see your new do yourself a favor and make sure you are charging enough. You need to think about no only the material cost but also insurance & equipment replacement. If your edge goes you'll need to replace it, so every job a little should be going toward equipment.

I'll give you the best advice I've ever been given from my old high school principal. You've got to charge your friends because your enemies won't buy from you

Good luck

 

[Will308decals]

Air Temperature , humidity and vinyl type matter - I’ve found many non gerber vinyl products leave spots where it seems the foil doesn’t stick , changed to gerber ($$) and no problems . Pay a little more or poss. waste product is the question . Also I’ve never had a problem getting a replacement / exchange from gerber. ( using gerber vinyl and foils )
You could play with the foil heat settings if not using gerber vinyl also , some brands need more / less heat to bond .

Do you have any idea what the ideal air temperature and humidity?

 

[Will308decals]

are you using Gerber vinyl and foils?

I am using gerber foils but on Oracal 651 vinyl. Heard about people having problems with oracal on their Gerber Edge's so that might be the problem

 

[Billct2]

I use mostly Gerber/3M vinyl along with Arlon. Arlon has a nice material made for cheap thermal printing, Cal Plus Thermal White. The there are the exotics, like Sign Gold, when mistakes are costly.

 

[Will308decals]

I use mostly Gerber/3M vinyl along with Arlon. Arlon has a nice material made for cheap thermal printing, Cal Plus Thermal White. The there are the exotics, like Sign Gold, when mistakes are costly.

Where do you purchase your Arlon from? It's hard to find some 15" for a gerber edge.

 

[Billct2]

I'm lucky to live in an area where multiple vendors deliver daily, or a least several times a week on their own trucks. For Arlon I use Garston and Nepco.

 

[JR's]

You've got to charge your friends because your enemies won't buy from you

wow, nice have to remember this.

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

If it's spots or horizontal stripes, clean your print head. Gerber makes head cleaning wipes. Grab a box of 'em. I write on the box when I clean the head to keep a running track record.

If it's large areas where the foil isn't adhering, check your materials. Are they Gerber Edge Ready? If not, use Gerber Edge Ready and see if you have the same problem. I've found that some vinyls have residue on them and that causes the foils to not adhere.

I primarily use Oracal vinyl with a mixture of Gerber and ZeroNine foils without issues.

 

[Billct2]

Head cleaning with wipes made for cleaning thermal printers should be done every time the printer is used.