SG2-300 Nightmare for Diecut Stickers! Help

[Tcobshea]

Looking for an option for die cutting "print lam stickers". That is all we use ours for. This was our first entry into sticker production and the cutting is terrible with the cutting strip on this machine, we have tried everything from 45 degree blades to 60 degree blades and we get it dialed in then it looks like trash after a day again. Have heard the cutting on Roland isnt very good for this. What other options should I take? Graphtec and run them seperate?

I see flexi doesnt support the SG2 so im out of luck trying to run them together unless I can use something like illustrator.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

[CanuckSigns]

Can you clarify what the issue is, is it not cutting accurately, or is the cut quality poor?

 

[Tcobshea]

Can you clarify what the issue is, is it not cutting accurately, or is the cut quality poor?

It is cutting poorly. Edges are always jagged. Basically unless its a new blade and a new cutting strip every time I run it, the cuts will look terrible. Im about to just purchase the Epson s40600 that comes with the graphtec and run that because roland support is the worst.

 

[CanuckSigns]

We had a ton of issues with our Roland print cut machine, but I never has an issue with the cut quality, the accuracy was horrible but the quality was good.

Can you post a pic?
Are the cuts very complex,.or are we talking basic squares, circles etc?

What's your experience level with vinyl cutting?

 

[ikarasu]

From the sound of it he's cutting all the way through and it's chewing up his strip and blade. Not too familiar with Roland's, so I don't know if you can get a better perf cut.


You can buy a graphtec and do it seperately through illustrator... No need to purchase a whole new printer and cutter combo if you don't want to. You can get good results... But it's largely dependant on the media. Cheaper media has thin backing paper which will look very rough in the edges.

 

[myront]

Print and "Punch cut"? Meaning you can pluck all the decals out after cutting? We don't have the printer/plotter you have but we've gotten into the habit of die cutting decals in a different way. We first do a normal cut, not punch, then use a seperate contour for the punch (.08-.125"). The punch portion usually will have some various backing paper hangers but the decal itself is fine. Yeah, you have to go back and pull off that bit around each decal but....

 

[HaleYeah]

Experiment with different media.

 

[JasonToledo]

First.. What are you trying to cut? Second...Slow the cut speed down for best results.

 

[Scott at Roland]

Looking for an option for die cutting "print lam stickers". That is all we use ours for. This was our first entry into sticker production and the cutting is terrible with the cutting strip on this machine, we have tried everything from 45 degree blades to 60 degree blades and we get it dialed in then it looks like trash after a day again. Have heard the cutting on Roland isnt very good for this. What other options should I take? Graphtec and run them seperate?

I see flexi doesnt support the SG2 so im out of luck trying to run them together unless I can use something like illustrator.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

Hi Tcobshea - Can you please send me more information on the issue you are having? Are you trying to perfcut or simple contour cuts? Also, can you please tell me what media/laminate you are using? Based on this post, it sounds like you may have your cut pressure up too high. But that's just an early guess. If you like, please PM me here and I can try to assist or get you to the right person to help you with this. Also, please let me know what version of Flexi you are running. I have the latest version loaded here and the SG2-300 is a supported model. Thanks - look forward to hearing from you.

 

[TomK]

Get a summa, one pass kiss cut and perf cut, no slot changes, and spot on accurate.

 

[rawjahprintshop]

Looking for an option for die cutting "print lam stickers". That is all we use ours for. This was our first entry into sticker production and the cutting is terrible with the cutting strip on this machine, we have tried everything from 45 degree blades to 60 degree blades and we get it dialed in then it looks like trash after a day again. Have heard the cutting on Roland isnt very good for this. What other options should I take? Graphtec and run them seperate?

I see flexi doesnt support the SG2 so im out of luck trying to run them together unless I can use something like illustrator.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

This is all normal IF your settings arent correct.
I run a sg2-300 and perf cut everything. I laminate to 21 mil with motocross graphics, also. (not all jobs, but 80 % of all work has at least 2.75 mil lam and 3 mil media. I use substant incorporated vinyl...

Upgrading to a flatbed Graphtec just to keep printers moving and not have a printing stopping point daily to then start cutting everything. other than that everything is finicky if you are adding a laminate. They aren't built to perform with foreign products is essentially when I've learned. so you have to find the ways...

don't expect to just jump to another printer and set up without a learning curve. but they surely have better products out there.... Roland has kept me in business, a single employee looking at retirement at mid 30's so i wouldn't talk to down on your setup just yet...

 

[Mr. Signboy]

When I made decals like this on my Roland I would send the file with 2 cut lines in the exact same spot. One would just Kiss cut, the second would perf cut all the way through the paper. If I tried to cut them all the way through without the kiss cut first they always came out rough.

Now I use a Zund G3 for cutting everything, total game changer. If you plan on doing high volume maybe you should look into a flatbed cutter.

 

[rawjahprintshop]

Yes, I have a Graphtec fcx2000 now. It's been a game-changer for me., only took about 8 years of solid hard work.... I'm still a hobby company as I'm only 33 and still ride motocross and travel the country and race for fun, so with whatever money I've made racing dirtbikes throughout the years I was able to invest in my own equipment. the plan was to never have a boss in my life. I learned from a peer doing motocross graphics only, to start, quickly learned how much I have limited myself and have been a full print shop/sign shop since 2014.. believe it or not lol, the Composer / Gerber Omega, and their printer/cutter was my first setup! I do kinda miss it.. not the price to run it, though!

 

[rawjahprintshop]

Roland only gets used for cutting if im busy that day and need to cut extra stuff, ill throw the thin material stuff and jersey lettering and tshirts on the print/cut machine.. thick stuff on the flatbed.
i need the flat bed because we cut 21 mil motocross vinyl so it has a very clean finish.

 

[bob]

I admit to some curiosity, having never been around plotters that are actually intended to cut through backing, whether you call that 'die cut' or 'perf cut' or whatever. Do these machines use a different blade that the one used for vinyl cutting? Paper is extremely abrasive and will grind the tip off of a typical plotter blade in no time at all. I shudder to think of the blade I use for cutting a couple mil of vinyl being dragged through 70 or 80 lb vinyl backing paper. Then, do these machines have a separate cutting strip as well? I should think that dropping a blade completely through the material and into the cutting strip is expecting that cutting strip to withstand a lot of violence and would need to be replaced far too often. If I do have to part a sheet of decals I have no problem doing it with a straight edge and knife. It only requires the number of rows + the number of columns plus 2 cuts to part the sheet into rectangles. It doesn't take long at all. Am I missing out on something here?

 

[balstestrat]

I admit to some curiosity, having never been around plotters that are actually intended to cut through backing, whether you call that 'die cut' or 'perf cut' or whatever. Do these machines use a different blade that the one used for vinyl cutting? Paper is extremely abrasive and will grind the tip off of a typical plotter blade in no time at all. I shudder to think of the blade I use for cutting a couple mil of vinyl being dragged through 70 or 80 lb vinyl backing paper. Then, do these machines have a separate cutting strip as well? I should think that dropping a blade completely through the material and into the cutting strip is expecting that cutting strip to withstand a lot of violence and would need to be replaced far too often. If I do have to part a sheet of decals I have no problem doing it with a straight edge and knife. It only requires the number of rows + the number of columns plus 2 cuts to part the sheet into rectangles. It doesn't take long at all. Am I missing out on something here?

Same blade unless it's thicker material. Then you have basically the same blade but higher angle of knife.
Flatbeds use different knifes, just larger generally.
You are not really supposed to touch the strip too much, you adjust the depth of the blade so it just penetrates the paper and not more than that. Sure, it will use the blade more and also eventually score the strip.

Apparently Graphtec has a different section for perf cut that has no strip so there is no wear on that.

 

[GB2]

I admit to some curiosity, having never been around plotters that are actually intended to cut through backing, whether you call that 'die cut' or 'perf cut' or whatever. Do these machines use a different blade that the one used for vinyl cutting? Paper is extremely abrasive and will grind the tip off of a typical plotter blade in no time at all. I shudder to think of the blade I use for cutting a couple mil of vinyl being dragged through 70 or 80 lb vinyl backing paper. Then, do these machines have a separate cutting strip as well? I should think that dropping a blade completely through the material and into the cutting strip is expecting that cutting strip to withstand a lot of violence and would need to be replaced far too often. If I do have to part a sheet of decals I have no problem doing it with a straight edge and knife. It only requires the number of rows + the number of columns plus 2 cuts to part the sheet into rectangles. It doesn't take long at all. Am I missing out on something here?

Hi Bob...Any plotter that is specifically designed to "die cut, perf cut or half cut" will usually have a separate cutting strip that is soft, like foam and there is usually a separate spot to insert the cutting blade, which is offset from the regular blade holder and cutting strip. Personally, I keep a second blade holder with another blade just for doing the "die cut, perf cut or half cut". Some plotters, like Summa so I've come to understand, do not have the separate cutting strip and use the regular strip for doing their "die cut, perf cut or half cut" and that is why some people have difficulty with that task. Yes, it will be much harder on the cutting strip and the blades if it does not have the second cutting strip.

 

[Saturn]

Here's a post with a couple videos from users. Graphtec and Summa.

 

[ikarasu]

I admit to some curiosity, having never been around plotters that are actually intended to cut through backing, whether you call that 'die cut' or 'perf cut' or whatever. Do these machines use a different blade that the one used for vinyl cutting? Paper is extremely abrasive and will grind the tip off of a typical plotter blade in no time at all. I shudder to think of the blade I use for cutting a couple mil of vinyl being dragged through 70 or 80 lb vinyl backing paper. Then, do these machines have a separate cutting strip as well? I should think that dropping a blade completely through the material and into the cutting strip is expecting that cutting strip to withstand a lot of violence and would need to be replaced far too often. If I do have to part a sheet of decals I have no problem doing it with a straight edge and knife. It only requires the number of rows + the number of columns plus 2 cuts to part the sheet into rectangles. It doesn't take long at all. Am I missing out on something here?

I'd never use the same blade for kiss and perf, simply because as you said... Cutting through paper dulls it fast.

For kiss cut I use OEM blades and an OEM holder.

For perf cut I bought 100 blades for less than a buck each, and a holder for $5. I swap out the blade every roll of material... They still probably have a ton of life in them, but at the cost of a buck a blade... By the time it gets some noticeable wear, you've probably ruined more.than a buck worth of vinyl, so why risk it?

Graphtec cuts in its own channel so you don't worry about the strip. Summa cuts over the strip,.but it's a much harder strip so it doesn't wear down as easy.

Our multicam uses a felt pad we throw on-top of the spoilboard... very hard to dial in for kiss hitting, but it does perf cutting great.

Flatbed cutters like Suma cut right on their belt... Never seen it in person, some people call it a game changer, but it makes me wonder why companies who only do stickers (like sticker mule) use 10 graphtecs for perf cutting vs a flatbed cutter. I think flatbed cutters are.great for doing rolls of posters / large stickers... And while they can do regular stickers, I don't see the benefit.

 

[rawjahprintshop]

I'd never use the same blade for kiss and perf, simply because as you said... Cutting through paper dulls it fast.

For kiss cut I use OEM blades and an OEM holder.

For perf cut I bought 100 blades for less than a buck each, and a holder for $5. I swap out the blade every roll of material... They still probably have a ton of life in them, but at the cost of a buck a blade... By the time it gets some noticeable wear, you've probably ruined more.than a buck worth of vinyl, so why risk it?

Graphtec cuts in its own channel so you don't worry about the strip. Summa cuts over the strip,.but it's a much harder strip so it doesn't wear down as easy.

Our multicam uses a felt pad we throw on-top of the spoilboard... very hard to dial in for kiss hitting, but it does perf cutting great.

Flatbed cutters like Suma cut right on their belt... Never seen it in person, some people call it a game changer, but it makes me wonder why companies who only do stickers (like sticker mule) use 10 graphtecs for perf cutting vs a flatbed cutter. I think flatbed cutters are.great for doing rolls of posters / large stickers... And while they can do regular stickers, I don't see the beHOLD

Darn, I had to retract my original post and edit this!!!!!!, I thought you were saying you were buying blades for your Roland SG2 for a buck apiece... I was about to flip! Insanely cheap, I'm currently paying $64.72 for a three pack, and that's including shipping, so dividing it by three, I'm basically paying $21.57 per blade...

BUT, this is for the SG2-300, and I was doing the CutContour for a solid year or so, before getting that graphtec fcx2000, and tried to kiss-cut stickers as much as possible.

Tons of customers would send pics of die-cut stickers, so I would have to do as they please..I could usually get a blade for sure out of a 500 sticker order. most sizing id guess would of been 4x4 at biggest, in circles and squares but also their custom shapes, and that would usually last at least 500qty order with minimal mistakes, so safety measures I would go up one single digit of Cut Force (which i wouldnt do that MANY times what so ever to be safe and not waste an entire sheet) on maybe every other sheet to assure I was keeping them clean cuts... as far as sheet lengths, I stay under 45 inches MAX, usually, 40/ With the Graphtec though you can max is out to whatever size flatbed you purchase, it holds them down consistently at all times and killllllls it!!! its exciting once you get it, haha.

The last thing to note I forgot about at the beginning as far as expenses, would be the cut strip. And again, the cut strip usually wants to look at that around the 500ish qty ( if your cutting cutcontour properly that is,) I'm sure this changes and is different for EVERYBODY to see when you need to replace it to continue as that is crucial for clean cuts or cuts at all! OR!,, be ready to Exacto knife many little tedious hiccups for a 30 mins to an hour...

So at the end of the day it's weighing out your options of what you want vs what you need, what you can afford that is wanted vs needed, Or if you are just reckless in the sense of spending so you can have the finished results to compete with your competitors like some people out there, that just have money!! #Mustbenice haha...

Hope any of this info helps anyone in the future.