Printing colors to the Gerber Edge in reverse order

[Lindsay]

Tried this in both Flexisign pro 7.6 and 8.1 with the same result.
Just wondering if it's happening to others.

In Rip and Print on the advanced tap is driver options. Opening this shows the colors (spot in this case) in the order to be printed. As I'm wanting to print the colors in reverse order I select the reverse order button and the order changes. After selecting OK and then reopening this option the order has changed back to the normal order. Selecting OK it doesn't seem save the change made.

However if the color order is changed by dragging the colours the order stays changed.

What's the purpose of the reverse order button if changes aren't saved?

 

[Lindsay]

Further investigations reveal that I've caused this problem by assigning an underbase in the design. Seems like unless dragging to change the color order Flexi wants to print underbase first.

So is using the underbase option the wrong thing to do if reverse printing on clear vinyl? (or Lexedge in this case) Is manually dragging the colors in the reverse order the only option I have?

 

[Mike Paul]

If your are printing reverse on clear and want to print white as the last color use the "finisher"

Select your design and go to > Effects > Finisher.

 

[Steve Rife]

Lindsay, just so I have a better understanding of the issue... at first glance I would think you would want the underbase to print first to lay down that initial color under your job. If you were to place that underbase color on top for a true reverse printing, wouldn't that be now considered a finisher instead?

Does reverse printing work without the underbase?

 

[Lindsay]

Thought using the "finisher" may have solved it but it doesn't.

If as in this case the design has color traps it places the finisher in between colors and changes the color order back from reversed order to normal.

Even without the color trapping it reverts the order from reverse to normal order when the reverse order but has been used when the finisher is added. Much the same as it did when an underbase was applied.

The only solution at this stage seems to be to change the order using either the underbase or finisher by dragging the colors in the order needed. That should work OK but I just thought there may have been an easier way.

Steve. All I'm doing is printing on lexedge clear so when viewed from the opposite side to the side being printed on it views correctly. That's why I'm printing in reverse and mirrored. The last color printed is effectively a flood coat the shape of the design edge to reduce transparency.
This food coat using either method and the color traps seem to stop the reverse order button working correctly.