Making car magnets...need help

[FireSprint.com]

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but we have never found a solid solution for printing directly to magnetic material without some kind of sacrifice. Generally, there's a loss of quality, or it's really hard on the equipment.

The really high volume shops that run refrigerator magnets tend to print on non magnetized material, then magnetize after the printing.

We print on vinyl and laminate that to the magnet, then we cut it on one of our Zund cutters.

Magnetic Products, Bumper Stickers, Full Color, Gloss Laminate

Magnets make for easily replaceable and versatile store signage including bumper sticker magnets, die cut magnets, and vehicle magnets.

www.firesprint.com

 

[balstestrat]

Don't you have a hybrid UV? If you do, why is it hard on it?

 

[Joseph44708]

Hey, what is your appplication process? Are you printing directly onto the magnet material? I was going to put just a 3-4 foot piece in the machine and it seems very unreasonable to ask the machine to pull that weight of the material through the machine.. Do you print, install the vinyl onto the magnet material, and then cut it? Figured that would be a little easier on the machine... Im using .030 thickness.

I print directly to the magnet material..
I load a 50' roll of 30" magnet material on my Roland XR640 and start sending jobs.
Each roll yields 650 + - pieces 3.50 x 5.0
I cut it all on a graftec fc2250 within five minutes after printing or I set it up and print roll to roll and cut it all the next morning.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I could never get it to work. Cool zombie thread. A head strike with that material would be pretty rough.

 

[Joseph44708]

I could never get it to work. Cool zombie thread. A head strike with that material would be pretty rough.

Never had a head strike.
Knock on wood.
If you set everything up right it runs perfect.
22 rolls in three months.

 

[binki]

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but we have never found a solid solution for printing directly to magnetic material without some kind of sacrifice. Generally, there's a loss of quality, or it's really hard on the equipment.

The really high volume shops that run refrigerator magnets tend to print on non magnetized material, then magnetize after the printing.

We print on vinyl and laminate that to the magnet, then we cut it on one of our Zund cutters.

Magnetic Products, Bumper Stickers, Full Color, Gloss Laminate

Magnets make for easily replaceable and versatile store signage including bumper sticker magnets, die cut magnets, and vehicle magnets.

www.firesprint.com

We are not that fancy but we print on vinyl and then put it on the magnet and cut it out. We don't do that many of them we I am good with that. If I had any volume for a single order I would source it out.

 

[Geneva Olson]

order them through firesprint. problem solved

 

[rawjahprintshop]

Never had a head strike.
Knock on wood.
If you set everything up right it runs perfect.
22 rolls in three months.

I do not see how the Roland printer easily pulls this magnet roll. That blows my mind. I cut off a cut feet and it literally made me think it was a magnet to something on the machine it was so hard to move back and forth!!! I wish i could see a video of how dang good your setup is working lol

 

[Boudica]

I print directly to the magnet material..
I load a 50' roll of 30" magnet material on my Roland XR640 and start sending jobs.
Each roll yields 650 + - pieces 3.50 x 5.0
I cut it all on a graftec fc2250 within five minutes after printing or I set it up and print roll to roll and cut it all the next morning.

We've printed magnets on our XR 640. What did you do to keep the magnet off the metal platen In the back? We used HIPS, and cut them to fit, put magnet on the back. The roll just glides over it. Generally though, for vehicle magnets, we print on ij180 and apply it to the sheet.

I do not see how the Roland printer easily pulls this magnet roll. That blows my mind. I cut off a cut feet and it literally made me think it was a magnet to something on the machine it was so hard to move back and forth!!! I wish i could see a video of how dang good your setup is working lol

Here are a couple of pics for what we do ..

 

[Stacey K]

Glad I read this. I was thinking of buying some magnet material then trying to print on it. I think I'll stick with my usual print on vinyl-then apply to magnet and trim way. I have not tried to cut magnet material on my cutter yet. Do you use a different blade Joseph44708 ? I have a HP/Summa

 

[balstestrat]

Glad I read this. I was thinking of buying some magnet material then trying to print on it. I think I'll stick with my usual print on vinyl-then apply to magnet and trim way. I have not tried to cut magnet material on my cutter yet. Do you use a different blade Joseph44708 ? I have a HP/Summa

You can print magnet pretty easy and it comes out nice but it can't be PVC.
However I would recommend to keep that out of your roll cutter.

 

[rawjahprintshop]

I prefer the print on vinyl method and install to the magnet after, even if its one more step.. however, the flatbed had been an absolute DREAM now for cutting these magnets out. Im such a small business I cant image what the next thing or two up from my graphtec flatbed are...wow!

 

[DieselPoweredNun]

We tried to print to 3mil magnetic vinyl (on a roll) with our Epson 7000 flatbed. We cut a section, lay it on the bed, and tried to print it. Quality was....not awesome. I think that's down to we didn't profile the material first.
We changed to loading the roll into an Epson SC80600 and it printed like a dream. No real adjustments needed.
Cut them on a Graphtec FCX200-180. That was pretty easy to, just had to set the force to max to get through right.
Since that first 'fail' on the 7000 we only run them on the 80600, which works like a champ.
Sometimes we laminate, sometimes not, depending on the clients wish.

 

[Joseph44708]

We've printed magnets on our XR 640. What did you do to keep the magnet off the metal platen In the back? We used HIPS, and cut them to fit, put magnet on the back. The roll just glides over it. Generally though, for vehicle magnets, we print on ij180 and apply it to the sheet.

Here are a couple of pics for what we do ..

I attach a thin sheet of corrugated cardboard, ridges facing down.
Printed and cut two 50' rolls today.
I only have six rolls left and ordered another 30 rolls which will be here in 12 to 16 weeks.
Glad I look into the future and not waiting till the last hour.

 

[Joseph44708]

Glad I read this. I was thinking of buying some magnet material then trying to print on it. I think I'll stick with my usual print on vinyl-then apply to magnet and trim way. I have not tried to cut magnet material on my cutter yet. Do you use a different blade Joseph44708 ? I have a HP/Summa

I use my used 45 degree blades from my graftec 8600 cutters.
Cutting mag material burns blades up quick.

 

[binki]

I use my used 45 degree blades from my graftec 8600 cutters.
Cutting mag material burns blades up quick.

For something like that we would use a 60 degree extra sharp from Clean Cut but really it only needs to be scored and then break it apart afterwards.

 

[netsol]

That's what we have! we've had to get new dies we've used it so much.

I would think they could be honed, like a knife, or anything else with a cutting edge
& if it was done properly, extend tool life considerably

 

[Joseph44708]

For something like that we would use a 60 degree extra sharp from Clean Cut but really it only needs to be scored and then break it apart afterwards.

Started out with the 60's but they burn up quick, that's why I use my old 45's from vinyl cutting.
Now that I have six graftec 8600's and a 9000
I have plenty of used blades.