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Printed Graphics do not line up

Dee Reynolds

New Member
When a Sign is too big for the printer I split it into two pieces with a 1/4" overlap. When the fabricator puts the vinyl on the substrate The two pieces never line up. If we line it up on one end the other end is off by usually around 1/4" (sometime more). Can anyone tell me how to create the printed vinyl so it will line up when it is time to apply it to the substrate?
Printer: HP Latex 360
Vinyl: 3M IJ35C-10
Laminator: Kala
Laminate: 3M8508
Cold laminating
Thank you for your help
 

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MNT_Printhead

Working among the Corporate Lizard People
Have your media on the take up before you print. My 360 usually has the first panel fine, then the rest end up about a quarter inch longer - first panel wasn't attached to the take for half of it's print.
 

Dee Reynolds

New Member
Have your media on the take up before you print. My 360 usually has the first panel fine, then the rest end up about a quarter inch longer - first panel wasn't attached to the take for half of it's print.
Thank you. What do you do to attached it before you print? Or do you just waste 4 feet of vinyl?
 
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Dee Reynolds

New Member
I can NOT tell what that photo is
I know. That is what the customer sent us. If you look closely the tan does not line up in the area with the white little bit. I think it is within the allowable offset for viewing at a distance. The sign is pretty high and no one will ever notice it. But the customer. And I have this problem with other signs worse than this one. I will try what MntPrintHead suggested.
 

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Gino

Premium Subscriber
Could be, but up & down and left to right ?? Too many inconsistencies to be an angle problem. Look at the dot above the 'i' alone. All the letters are outta whack and it has nothing to do with camera angle, unless ya have a camera like tex.
 

bob

It's better to have two hands than one glove.
Have your media on the take up before you print. My 360 usually has the first panel fine, then the rest end up about a quarter inch longer - first panel wasn't attached to the take for half of it's print.

Thank you. What do you do to attached it before you print? Or do you just waste 4 feet of vinyl?

Or don't use a take up at all and not waste the necessary leader. Or tape a piece of scrap to the media to use as a leader. Whatever you do do it the same for all the panels.
 

Dee Reynolds

New Member
Or don't use a take up at all and not waste the necessary leader. Or tape a piece of scrap to the media to use as a leader. Whatever you do do it the same for all the panels.
OK. I can tape scrap to it. Thank you. Just thought there might be some industry thing I am not aware of.
 

tbullo

Superunknown
I think what stands out to me from the overall pic. is the dark horizonal line. That makes me look at it to see why is it like that. The 1/4'' off doesn't bother me nearly as much as the dark horizonal line that you see from the ground.
 

Texas_Signmaker

Very Active Signmaker
The channel letters are 3D, that's why they look off in the photo Gino... they are fine...its just the camera angle perspective.

I agree, that dark line looks weird with no white border along the top, like it has on the other sides and bottom.
 
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