setting up the rip to print

[emeraldImages]

Ok let me start off by saying I've been doing this for 2 years. just doing signs and alot of small wraps. nothign that I had to make multi panels for. the only wraps on autos I've installed have been outsourced threw a friend. My question is Where can I find some information on once I've finshed the design I can break it down into panels and set it up to rip and print.I've held off on doing my truck since the little peice of info I was missing. whoops so if you can point me in some direction that would be great.

 

[JeremySI]

no clue here as i dont do that stuff... but im sure it would help if you let people know what programs you are using so they can give you better directions

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

paneling & overlap

 

[emeraldImages]

Yea true I forgot . I'm using photoshop and versaworks for my ripping. Agin any info would be great

 

[Letterbox Mike]

You should be able to panel the design in Versaworks.

 

[4R Graphics]

All you need to do is in photoshop slice up the image to the sizes you need (based on the panel direction and the size of your printer) dont forget when slicing up the image to add an overlap for install. You can use the slice tool in photoshop. What I do is use the slice tool in photoshop to slice the image up with the overlap then I select with the marquee tool each slice and save them as individual pictures ( the slice tool is for websites creating hot spots so it often saves in the wrong format or low quality that is why I use the marquee tool to actually save the files but use the slice tool to cut the image up) then send them to the rip no need for the rip to do anything but rip and print.

Good Luck.

 

[4R Graphics]

The method I stated above will work for anyone using any rip as long as you use photoshop for design.
I have a Mimaki and use flexi so I have no idea about versaworks but like I said fallow my method above and versaworks only has to rip and print.

Another nice thing about doing it this way is that if you mess up a panel or what not you can send just that file into the rip and print it again without having to repanel the whole thing in your rip and get it exactlly the same as the original paneling you did.

 

[emeraldImages]

Thanks I'm redesigning the graphics for the truck today. I'm having to make my own template no big deal, But how do you do with your scale 1/20 or just full size as is? I will have to try out that way of doing it. I was gonna buy the aurora PD 2 dvd but I was unsure that it covered what i needed.

 

[iSign]

The method I stated above will work for anyone using any rip as long as you use photoshop for design.
I have a Mimaki and use flexi so I have no idea about versaworks but like I said fallow my method above and versaworks only has to rip and print.

like bearwen, I use photoshop to set my panels, and flexi to print them, but I'm not familiar with the slice tool. I'll post how I do it & hopefully if I check back, I can be shown a better way if someone has one. (I don't fully understand Bearwen's method)

let's say it is a box truck 100" tall & 200" long & I want vertical seams.

I will probably want my artwork to be 101 x 201 for starters... & let's say I am printing on 48" media, with a print area of only 47" each.

We now know I need 5 panels, with 4 overlaps, plus I like a little extra on each end for mistakes.

I'll go with 1" laps & 1/2" extra on each end, for a total of 5" extra printing above the 200" visible area.

At this point, I like to plan things out in illustrator, and/or on a paper printed to scale. I might use a low res version of my layout, at 1 tenth scale & use guidelines in illustrator to check my seams.

With simple math, I see that I could use 5 equal panels of 41" width & if that looks good, that is what I would do. But, like one job I did, if there is one large face, I might wish to start my paneling layout there & allow a 47" panel to avoid a seam on that face. Whatever reasoning one might choose here, the result of this phase of planning is to have all 5 panel widths determined & written down for reference.

Then I open the massive high res image at 201" width, & if my sheet says each panel is to be 41", I start at one end & open up "canvas size" and set width to 41", and make sure it is cropping the side you want, (right or left... not center)... then I save as "panel 1"

now, 1 down, 4 to go & I then hit "undo" to get my 201" image back...


at this point, my paper work also has dotted lines, identifying BOTH lines at each overlap... my next print is to be 41", but 1 inch of that is duplicate information.. so my next step is to reduce the image by 40", using the "canvas size" function again, but cropping to the correct side, (if last crop was right, this crop is left) to lose the panel 1 information, except the 1" overlap... and then back to "canvas size" to crop panel 2 at 41" again...

That's all I'll type, because any more would just add confusion. I'm sure flexi can do the paneling in some one or two click automated manner.. but I like having complete control & at least with some paneling features I've used in the past, like in Omega... I sometimes feel like the automated process could foul up in midstream & not be easily replicated. For me, the method I describe looks complicated in print, but I do it quickly & without any difficulty.

 

[Letterbox Mike]

So just out of morbid curiosity and because a lot of people responded that they are tiling in their design program, why? Does your particular RIP not give you sufficient control over panel size or overlap to feel comfortable doing it there? I'm just surprised that the response has been to do it in Photoshop, I tried that once and it was a nightmare compared to paneling in the RIP, which is accomplished in less than 30 seconds (at least in Onyx). Just wondering if there's something I'm completely missing or if other RIPs aren't as user friendly to panel in.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

I'd design in full size. Paneling in flexi is extremely easy, but you're not using that. I can't imagine it being too difficult.

 

[GB2]

Insignia, I think you absolutely have the right idea. I'm not familiar with Versaworks but I'll bet if you open the instruction book you could answer your own question a lot better than anyone here will.

 

[tanneji]

Versaworks has an extremely easy method of doing it. Under Job Settings, click the "Clip & Tile" button on the left and everything you need is under that tab. You can even set up the overlap and exact panel width or it will automatically set panel based on your material width. Its really great and that's the only way we do it any more. Also, you right click to select and deselect panels to print.

 

[modernmav]

We also use Versaworks, and as tanneji said, its extremely easy to tile everything in the rip instead of photoshop. The only reason I might clip and tile in photoshop is if i'm doing a pickup or somthing that I want to be seamless

 

[emeraldImages]

wow thanks guys for the input. the main reason I asked is cause I have a 30" versacamm I wish I would have gone bigger. the reson I thought to ask is cause of the way I need the prints to run. would you guys rather have a going up and down or left to right. I'm doing this on a 05 sport trac I know I can do the bed side in one peice but as far as the cab, hood and tail gate go. When I went for my 3m class we had large enough prints so there was no seams . I found it looks better and better to work with. the thign I notice around my area alot of the wraps I seen have the seams in the middle of the doors. I guess someone has the same size printer as me. Thanks agin for taking the time to answer such a easy question.

 

[HSG_IN]

I use Production House for my Solara Ion and it's easy as could be for setting up tiles.

 

[4R Graphics]

I just like photoshop and as I stated in my original post when I create each panel in photoshop each panel is a seperate image I then bring them into Flexi for rip and print. I will bring all the panels in and nest them for one large print. I have had things go wrong on installs and it may take a little longer than letting the rip do the work but if I need to reprint any panel (even damaged ones in the future from customer neglect) then all I have to do is bring that one panel image in and it is exactlly the right size with the correct overlap.

If you are a subscribing member do a search for K6 media he had a post that tells you how to make your own templates in photoshop and how he tiles his jobs (in photoshop thats where I learned the method I use) and he has a lot of experience to back himself up many here respect him Especially when it comes to wraps.

Isign basically I do the same thing you do except I use the slice tool to tile the image ( if you use the slice tool you dont have to use the canvas function and scale it down them back up just slice it into multiple panels with the right overlap and then save the individual panels and your done all from a full size image) then I bring the individual panels into the rip and nest them and print all at one time.

As I stated before the slice tool is for website hotspots so dont save through that tool or you get low res gifs. Use the marquee toll to select the image inside the slices. I usually select with marquee tool then copy, new, paste and save done.

Good luck
Hope I helped someone out.

 

[4R Graphics]

As for which way to panel its really a matter of what do you want to install or what does your customer prefer.

I have a large printer so I dont have to worry about that as much as you but if I was you I would look at the vehicle does it have a body line (like on a truck they almost always have a dip in the side that runs the length of the vehicle if you could get your overlap to fall in that channel then it would almost hide the seam for you. Thats what I try to do on trailers. Just study the vehicle and see if there are any places on the vehicle you can make your seams fall so they are the least noticable.

 

[emeraldImages]

I did some searching from the K6 media name above I did not see anything posted by the person. I went ahead and paid for the subscription. I seen alot of good information on here so far so I count it as a tip for a job well done. If you find the information and it's paid for you can PM me the link for it if you have time. Thanks

 

[iSign]

I did some searching from the K6 media name above I did not see anything posted by the person.

here's his list of threads he started. You can look at a members profile & click on statistics to see links to all posts, or threads they started. (I'm not familiar with the topic, but maybe you can find some good info... I do agree he is a good resource for info on wraps)