Gerber Edge printer and plotter Questions

[stopngo]

Just wondering if someone could give me some information on the Gerber edge and the plotters. What is the printer and plotter progression Edge / Edge 1 / Edge 2 / Edge fx ??. Do you need the gerber software to run the plotter or printer? Do you have to have their plotter to do contour cuts from their printers? Any other info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[WhiskeyDreamer]

plotter? i guess you wouldn't need a gerber plotter as long as you have the bomb scope...as far as software, i don't know for sure, but i'd think yes....i don't think you'd be able to get the edge to print otherwise....personally, i've only used gerber plotters and gerber software when printing to the edge

 

[signage]

No you can print from other software such as Flexi and signlab, as for a different plotter yes but using a non-track fed plotter you lose more of the printing area. Signlab works great with the thermal plotters much better than Flexi!

 

[Fred Weiss]

Going from memory, correct me if I'm wrong:

Edge Trunion - First model, opens from side. 300 DPI, 20 inches per minute.
Edge LE - Added features, opens from front. 300 DPI, 20 inches per minute.
Edge 2 - Added speed and resolution. 300 x 600 DPI, 20 to 60 inches per minute.
Edge FX - New design. Same speed and resolution as Edge 2. Refillable cassettes.

Recommended plotters are the Gerber 15" line. Envision 375 is considered the best for the job. Some wider format plotters can be used by changing the targets to OPOS style but you lose some image height in the process which is the main negative of the Edge in the first place ... not having enough height.

The Edge can be driven by Gerber, Flexi (built in), or SignLab (optional extra).

 

[davedavedave]

Edge Trunion - First model, opens from side. 300 DPI, 20 inches per minute.
Edge LE - Added features, opens from front. 300 DPI, 20 inches per minute.
Edge 2 - Added speed and resolution. 300 x 600 DPI, 20 to 60 inches per minute.

stupid question but a im total beginner and im looking for a gerber...
so the gerber edge 1 has 300dpi ? is 300 dpi the same as 300x300dpi??

also the highest dpi i can setup in illustrator is 300dpi? am i missing something?
i only print vector bike decals im wondering if it really makes a noticable difference between a gerber1 and a gerber 2?
all my files are only 300dpi (adobe illustrator)...

i could get the edge 1 for 1500 (with gs15 plotter, omega 2 + dongle (maybe even 3 not 100% sure), 20 cartridges and roller)
and the edge 2 for 2000 ( with gs15 PLUS plotter, omega 2 + dongle and roller )

does the edge 2 has any more advantages? does they all have the same cartdiges?
also whats the difference between gs15 and gs15 PLUS?
also to make sure i need a serial2usb for the gs15 cutter and a parrallel2usb for the edge printer???
sorry to ask all these question but its really hard to find information online

thx for the help!

 

[Fred Weiss]

stupid question but a im total beginner and im looking for a gerber...
so the gerber edge 1 has 300dpi ? is 300 dpi the same as 300x300dpi??

also the highest dpi i can setup in illustrator is 300dpi? am i missing something?
i only print vector bike decals im wondering if it really makes a noticable difference between a gerber1 and a gerber 2?
all my files are only 300dpi (adobe illustrator)...

i could get the edge 1 for 1500 (with gs15 plotter, omega 2 + dongle (maybe even 3 not 100% sure), 20 cartridges and roller)
and the edge 2 for 2000 ( with gs15 PLUS plotter, omega 2 + dongle and roller )

does the edge 2 has any more advantages? does they all have the same cartdiges?
also whats the difference between gs15 and gs15 PLUS?
also to make sure i need a serial2usb for the gs15 cutter and a parrallel2usb for the edge printer???
sorry to ask all these question but its really hard to find information online

thx for the help!

300 DPI and 300 DPI x 300 DPI are the same. Later software and Edge printers can emulate up to 1400 DPI and are noticeably sharper.

Vectors are resolution independent and generally print at whatever you set the printer to produce. If you set an Edge 2 to print at 600 DPI you will see a huge difference in small objects and type when compared to an Edge 1. For example, an Edge 1 starts losing legibility with most letter styles around 8 points or so, where an Edge 2 at 600 will stay legible down to 5 or 6 points. I think your Illustrator statement is incorrect as far as vector files are concerned and probably incorrect for raster images as well. I print from Illustrator all the time at much higher resolutions than 300 DPI.

The Edge 2 uses the same foils and cartridges with twice the resolution and triple the speed. Not much else is different but the difference in quality and how long it takes to print a job is well worth the difference in price.

Not real sure about the plotter differences but most likely the Plus allows you to use either a swivel blade or a tangential one.

Going from memory, you will need a Gerber USB to parallel cable with Omega 4 or later. Otherwise a standard parallel port on your computer works just fine along with the printer cable that comes with an Edge. A serial port on your computer (9 or 25 pin) and a serial cable is all that is needed for a plotter.

I highly recommend beginning a relationship with a Gerber distributor. They can answer any question put to them about the Gerber line and stand behind it. If you're a decent customer, you can also look for them to be of greater help when you need repairs and even loaners. You will get more profits from up time, reliable supplies when you need them and operating efficiency from such a relationship then you will spend for their higher priced Gerber and third party products.

 

[James Burke]

It's been extremely consistent, but I blame a good economy for the more-than-usual amount of Gerber equipment presently on eBay. I always figured that people are making good money so they're upgrading.

That has helped me build a small army of spare GS Plus and GSx plotters as back up machines, and it's a much better investment than any savings account will pay.

Watch the next time we hit a slow spot...you'll see it all disappear from eBay, just a quickly as it appeared. (I've been watching it for 12 years now, and it's very predictable).

As usual, always use caution and common sense when bidding / buying.


JB