Question Print 2 print/cut jobs at once?

[Rat_Fink]

Hello - I am using Flexi 10.5
This seems like it should be very easy, but I have not found a setting - let me explain.

I am printing on 54" material, but have to contour cut on a 30" cutter (my larger cutter is down at the moment).
so I would like to print 2 different designs on the 54" material - then laminate - then I will cut the material in between the 2 prints so I can fit each into my 30" cutter.

This means that I would need to be able to print both files at once, but with separate registration marks.
Is this possible?

Thanks!

 

[Solventinkjet]

If they are the same job just duplicated then you can just open the job in production manager, set the quantity to 2 and then when you set your crop marks make sure to select the "individual" option rather than "whole" this will put a set of marks around each copy. You will have to send the job again as a single cut only job to cut the individual pieces. I have never tried this with two different jobs but I assume it works the same way when you are nesting jobs.

 

[Rat_Fink]

If they are the same job just duplicated then you can just open the job in production manager, set the quantity to 2 and then when you set your crop marks make sure to select the "individual" option rather than "whole" this will put a set of marks around each copy. You will have to send the job again as a single cut only job to cut the individual pieces. I have never tried this with two different jobs but I assume it works the same way when you are nesting jobs.

Thanks for the reply. I did fail to mention that these would be individual design files. I have used the duplicate function with success when I just need to run multiples of the same file.

 

[unclebun]

I doubt you'll be able to print two different jobs concurrently. You could set up one job to print on the left edge of the vinyl, and then after the ink dries roll it back and run the other job on the right edge.

 

[Rat_Fink]

I doubt you'll be able to print two different jobs concurrently. You could set up one job to print on the left edge of the vinyl, and then after the ink dries roll it back and run the other job on the right edge.

Yeah - I cant seem to find any settings that will allow me to do this. Seems like a simple feature that should be included in Flexi.
I have been doing what you mentioned and at least gets the job done. Thanks!

 

[SightLine]

The dual roll function in the rip and print dialog might make it work. I've never tried it but that might be a solution.

 

[bob]

Simply put both images in the same workspace. Print and cut them as a single job. I do it all the time.

 

[unclebun]

Simply put both images in the same workspace. Print and cut them as a single job. I do it all the time.

He is wanting to print them as one job and cut them as separate jobs because his plotter os only 30" while his printer is 54"

 

[bob]

He is wanting to print them as one job and cut them as separate jobs because his plotter os only 30" while his printer is 54"

Going through all of this to save a wee bit of vinyl? Really?

 

[Jb1983]

Ive done this with rasterlink/finecut.

What I did was I created each set of files in its own artboard with there own set of registration marks.. ( illustrator)

Then I ceated a NEW artboard that was the size of my vinyl and laid each file with its registration marks on that and saved as a .PDF So that file had both files on it with there own separate marks.

Then I opened that file directly from rasterlink and skipped using my plug in. Using the plugin would only allow me to send jobs with 1 set of registration marks.

Ive done this lots to save material when regular nesting just didn't work for those particular jobs.

After I printed and laminated the files, I would then just trim them to sperate pieces with a ruler and knife and load them In to the cutter , open the first origin file you made and send it to cut it thru the plug in via its marks.

Not sure if flexi works the same but try opening the file directly from the Rip, print that file. Use the original files to send info to Cutter.

 

[Rat_Fink]

Going through all of this to save a wee bit of vinyl? Really?

Yeah - I would rather not waste 24" x 50 yards of vinyl.

 

[FrankW]

You can use the rotate option in the cutting window to print the job with the markers crosswise. So you can create a cutting job in Flexi what will be printed 30“ „long“ and up to 54“ „wide“ (better a little bit smaller to make shure that you have the space you need for the pinch rollers at the end), what could be cutted in the cutter as 30“ wide and 54“ long.

 

[Rat_Fink]

You can use the rotate option in the cutting window to print the job with the markers crosswise. So you can create a cutting job in Flexi what will be printed 30“ „long“ and up to 54“ „wide“ (better a little bit smaller to make shure that you have the space you need for the pinch rollers at the end), what could be cutted in the cutter as 30“ wide and 54“ long.

This is what I do for shorter lengths - (as suggested earlier) for jobs longer than 54", I have been letting the print dry, backing the material up and printing the second file above. Then I laminate and cut the material in between the jobs to fit in the cutter. Still think that this is a very simple feature that should be included in Flexi.

These methods will work till I get my larger cutter up and running.
Thanks , everyone! (Most of) You have been very helpful.

 

[Rodan68]

Buy some 30" material to use just for your 30" cutter seems the easiest way.

 

[Rat_Fink]

Buy some 30" material to use just for your 30" cutter seems the easiest way.

The material I use is 3M IJ35C. At the moment, they are having logistic problems and everyone seems to be out of stock. So I am forced to buy it in 54”.

 

[GAC05]

what cutter are you using?
I have a graphtec and nest multiple cut and prints to save material.
But I only use Flexi to do the printing. Graphtec's illustrator/corel plug-ins to set the registration marks and do the plots.
Gives a lot of flexibility to fix plot problems. Cut files can be changed after the prints are done.
I've even run out of material before the reg marks at the end printed and was able reset the cut file to just use the 2 at the base that did print. Have not tried any of this with flexi so it may be possible there too.

wayne

 

[bob]

Yeah - I would rather not waste 24" x 50 yards of vinyl.

Why not as long as it's paid for. You do, of course, charge for media unrolled do you not?

If insist on working too hard then there is a way to do. what you want: Manually place registration marks on the corners of a known rectangle for each image. Change all contour cut lines to regular non-contour objects making sure they aren't actually printed, you won't be using Flexi or whatever's auto mark sense feature. Print the thing. Separate the images. Then send just the registration marks and the contour lines for each image as a separate jobs specifying 'Cut Only'. Load an image corresponding to one of the cut only jobs. Invoke 'Auto Mark Sense' [or something like that] on the plotter. The plotter will read the marks and then display the actual X an Y dimensions it read and alow you to correct them. That's why you put them at the corners of a known rectangle. Then send the job to the plotter. There's no reason why this woin't work. I and others use manual marks just this way when there are large prints or other reasons not to trust auto make sensing.