Printing images edge-to-edge to minimize cuts?

[Dukenukem117]

I feel like this is a newbie question, but is it a good idea to nest images edge to edge so that one cut will basically serve as two? I find it difficult to cut off the sliver of space between images and increasing that will mean more wasted substrate. This is using a roll to roll printer.

 

[Bly]

 

[FrankW]

Can you cut so precise that you find the exact point to cut between the images? So that you don‘t have the last half millimeter of one picture at the edge of the other? I‘m shure that is more stress than making two cuts.

Even expensive automatic XY-Cutter have two knifes for the middle cutters.

 

[Dukenukem117]

I suppose an alternative is to separate everything with a thin black line and try to cut the line instead. The black around the edges will be less noticeable than any white.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

I do it all the time with a decent cutting mat, preferably self-healing and not a chewed up one, and a 48" aluminum straight edge clamped to at least one if not both edges of the table. Line the print right up to the straight edge and run the blade precisely along that edge while putting firm downward pressure on the straight edge to hold the material you're cutting in place. If I'm trimming something with a solid colored background, I use small crosshairs in the corners where the cuts go. I try to make the crosshairs just dark enough to see and align, but not dark enough to be noticeable on the finished product. I don't see the point in making twice the cuts and having no higher level of precision either way unless I'm missing something here. Once I have used the straight edge to make the long cuts, I then use a guillotine cutter to make the cross cuts, which is also very precise and takes very little effort to line up.

 

[FireSprint.com]

This depends on the graphic. Solid colors, repeating patterns, etc will be easy to make one cut. Other graphics don't lend themselves well. You probably need to make this decision based on the graphic. The cuts will never be exactly perfect.

 

[Dukenukem117]

What do you use for your cutter? Since we are starting out, we bought a Foster table edge 100" and it didn't cut our material very well. I ended up building my own out of extruded aluminum and a line laser, and it works a lot better, but I can still end up being .1" off. I've been printing a bounding box and its really problematic when I overcut just a little bit as trimming that sliver never goes well. I'm thinking I might use crop marks and bleed and see how that goes.

We're not a sign or print shop. We print window coverings exclusively, so sometimes lengthwise it can get very long. My cutter's limit at the moment is about 90"+

 

[myront]

...I've been printing a bounding box

Instead of a bounding box I use crop marks set at 70% black. I use a macro to make 'em.

 

[Dukenukem117]

Instead of a bounding box I use crop marks set at 70% black. I use a macro to make 'em.
View attachment 140759

How accurately are you able to cut? I have a problem where pulling the material for close alignment doesn't pull the entire material at once, so the image is a little distorted when its cut. I'm pulling by hand (the material is 63" long). I'm thinking of finding some very long material clamp like for hanging posters and pulling using that.