Getting the image centered?

[Firefox]

I have a VS-640 and I seem to be missing something when it comes to getting the printed image centered on the media. Sometimes I get it real close and sometimes it is off center a quarter inch or so. Can someone tell me the key things to shoot for to get it centered.

Example: 38" media, printed image width is 36", VersaWorks set to print in the center of media @ 100%.


Also with 38" media how much non printable area should I expect on the sides. It seems to vary somewhat every time I change rolls. I tell it to get media width and it varies from around 35.7 - 36.1. Is the printer scanning the position of the end pinch rollers (blue markers) for the media width or the actual media. I was thinking it was looking for the media edge like the HP but it seems the farther the pinch rollers are to the outside of the media the wider the get media read is?

 

[Mainframe]

Your media is measured by the outer most pinch rollers, the machine doesn't "see" your media, it uses the outer pinch rollers, you have to put the outer most rollers as close to the edge as possible, I usually figure at least 1 inch on each side for the rollers to grab, that would be my media width.

 

[Firefox]

That Makes sense, It was starting to dawn on me last night as I was typing the question. I have only printed about 30 or so banners since getting the machine a few weeks ago and most weren't critical or just fell into an accepable place. Yesterday I had one that I guess I got all the wrong positions going at the same time and was way off center. It was a full bleed 36"er on 38 media so It was a bit frustrating!

On the outer pinch rollers do their blue Targets (or whatever they are called) need to be completely inside the blue targets on the frame to work right?

If they don't can you fudge them out a little to gat a slightly larger width reading?

What are those blue labels called?

Thanks so much for your help.

 

[dcurtisroland]

That Makes sense, It was starting to dawn on me last night as I was typing the question. I have only printed about 30 or so banners since getting the machine a few weeks ago and most weren't critical or just fell into an accepable place. Yesterday I had one that I guess I got all the wrong positions going at the same time and was way off center. It was a full bleed 36"er on 38 media so It was a bit frustrating!

On the outer pinch rollers do their blue Targets (or whatever they are called) need to be completely inside the blue targets on the frame to work right?

If they don't can you fudge them out a little to gat a slightly larger width reading?

What are those blue labels called?

Thanks so much for your help.

The blue sections let you know where the grit roll sections are that the rubber wheels can clamp down on. The measurements taken by the machine are for the inside of the outer wheels as stated above. That gives a margin of approximately 1" since the wheels are about a 1/2inch wide. That's assuming the wheels are exactly on the outer edge of the media. If the wheels are off the media at any point, the media will skew and you'll lose the job.