Graphtec FCS 5100 150 Contour Cutting using 4 point method

[Romney]

Romney: Hello!

I'm still having some issues getting my FCS 5100 150 to contour cut the media I have printed on. I'm freaking done with ever finding a way to make the Auto Reg. Mark scanner function work. Screw it. I printed the registration marks using the 4 point method in flexi 12.

My question is... The computer has me input the X Y cord. of each of the four axis points that are printed.
What the hell do I do on the plotter?

Do I jot down my axis alignment points and only type them into the computer or do I put them in the plotter as well? If so, there are only 3 points of reference for this plotter and I have 4 coordinates.

Is my only concern finding the points, inputting the data and then setting the Origin Point?

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[eahicks]

I use 4 point and manual alignment all day long....what do you mean by inputting coordinates?

 

[Romney]

Romney: Sorry, I've never really had the proper training on either the software side or printing/plotting side of the equation. This makes explaining my issue a bit difficult.

I sent my printed image that I want to contour cut to the printer and had it set up to use the 4 point registration marks. Not the god awful Graphtec Style 1 or Style 2 auto reg mark lines.

I put my printed material on the plotter and set the origin point to the first reg. mark point. It is labeled 1. I send the job on the computer and it asks me if a want to use a loupe/ bomb sight or the laser.

I pick laser. I'm told to move the laser to the 1st point. I do. After I put this information in the plotter starts moving to the next point automatically... past the point I need and the print falls out the front of the plotter.

I guess I don't know the proper steps or I am not setting the job up right. I tried sending stripes that I don't want to hand cut out that are 26 wide by 6.85 tall... Maybe I should test this out on something smaller?

I feel like this is so much closer to contour cutting than in the past using the auto reg. mark style method (which is crap)

 

[Solventinkjet]

What is going wrong with the auto registration process? It is far superior to the manual method and I am thinking you just need to adjust a few settings and you will be up and running. Setting up the registration manually is so 1995.

 

[eahicks]

Romney: Sorry, I've never really had the proper training on either the software side or printing/plotting side of the equation. This makes explaining my issue a bit difficult.

I sent my printed image that I want to contour cut to the printer and had it set up to use the 4 point registration marks. Not the god awful Graphtec Style 1 or Style 2 auto reg mark lines.

I put my printed material on the plotter and set the origin point to the first reg. mark point. It is labeled 1. I send the job on the computer and it asks me if a want to use a loupe/ bomb sight or the laser.your cut file

DON"T SET THE ORIGIN POINT!

I pick laser. I'm told to move the laser to the 1st point. I do. After I put this information in the plotter starts moving to the next point automatically... past the point I need and the print falls out the front of the plotter.

I guess I don't know the proper steps or I am not setting the job up right. I tried sending stripes that I don't want to hand cut out that are 26 wide by 6.85 tall... Maybe I should test this out on something smaller?

I feel like this is so much closer to contour cutting than in the past using the auto reg. mark style method (which is crap)

DON'T SET THE ORIGIN POINT! Simply put your vinyl on the plotter, then send send the cut file. Select BOMB SIGHT when it asks for which aligment method. Then when it asks for you to move to point 1, you do so ON THE PLOTTER with your 4 way D-Pad. Then click Next on the computer, do the same for points 2-4, then it will ask for you replace knife (old throwback message . . . ignore.). The hit send and it will cut.

 

[Romney]

Romney: That is when our graphtec plotter was built

I have tried the auto reg. mark but there is something wrong with the way I'm setting it up. It is out of scale for some reason. I think our Step/in resolution is off and I have no idea how to make the correct adjustment. I was fooling with it and I found that it resized everything I was sending to the plotter, After that I've set it back at 1256.000 steps/in and never touched it again out of fear I'd re-calibrated the companies main piece of equipment forever.

After reading, re reading the Graphtec 5100 -150 manual regarding the process and searching out dozens of forums on the internet, I've tried moving back to the stone age method of manual entry.


But still, I have nothing to show for it.

 

[Romney]

DON'T SET THE ORIGIN POINT! Simply put your vinyl on the plotter, then send send the cut file. Select BOMB SIGHT when it asks for which aligment method. Then when it asks for you to move to point 1, you do so ON THE PLOTTER with your 4 way D-Pad. Then click Next on the computer, do the same for points 2-4, then it will ask for you replace knife (old throwback message . . . ignore.). The hit send and it will cut.

Okay, I'll be trying this soon. I'm not sure why the plotter was moving to the next point on its own. It was roll-2'd ....Wait ****! Bomb sight! Thats why! Re-sending soon.

 

[Romney]

Romney: Just tried it. I set it up on the first point. OK'ed it. It moves to the next point, 4 inches past where it should be.. and falls on the ground because it ran out of length. I'm going to try to resize my print or send something different. I have no idea why the plotter is moving itself to the next point on it's own. Pissing me off.

 

[eahicks]

It is supposed to move to the next point on it's own...but if it's going past that point, I have no idea. Something is not set right in your cut file or your plotter setup.

 

[Romney]

Romney:

It worked. I have no idea why it would skew so far past the 4 points I had printed but after bringing them back and following the above mentioned steps it worked.

I need to seriously thank you all for the comments. We have been hand cutting EVERYTHING we printed for the past 5 years.