Someone please explain gerber edge printers

[NoMovingParts]

I do a lot of repetitive decals in 1 or 2 colors on an Edge 2 & cut out of the same Omega file with an Envision plotter - a real die-hard system.

Sequentially numbered bar code decals run through this shop by the ton, and I really wouldn't know how else to do them except this way.

Laminate? Sometimes I do dash panels for flight sims a local company builds, white text on a black background with 210 matte lam, and I just adjust the cutting pressure accordingly.

My only hang up is the Gerber/Omega software - It gets the job done, but it surely speaks it's own language!

 

[GoodPeopleFlags]

Fred, while I agree with you, I also stand by what I said about the 4-color jobs looking crappy. I used an Edge for 10 years and never could get 4-color jobs to come out as nice as a printer or as nice as you can, and you gave me lots of great tips. You are an Edge master! Most Edge operators will never be as good at is as you, which means crappy, 4-color prints.

It's a machine that definitely has a place in the industry but I personally prefer using our GS6000 whenever possible.

Edge prints last longer outside without lamination but not forever. I made a car tag and had it for about 4 years without fading. Moved to Gulf Shores (from north Alabama) and it was faded in less than a year.

 

[CropMarks]

@ BlueFishDesigns.... I went to a tradeshow once where Gerber showed us samples of things printed on an Edge 2 that didn't look all that horrible. But! I'll be darned if I was ever able to get anything to look good in cmyk. I think there are "magical" settings that might have helped but I could never figure it out.

I did notice that one spot color, I think it was Intense Red??? that faded really fast compared to the other spot red that I had (I think that was Tomato Red).

 

[jfiscus]

We do a LOT of municipal work (fire/police depts) and the Edge is the shizzit for that.

For example, say you have to make a white 6" reflective stripe with a 1/4" pinstripe on both sides of it, or 2"gold/6"white/2"gold striping or blue/white/blue striping. Or, you have a gold reflective emblem with black stroke & shading. You just load up the white reflective, then print/edge on the other color(s) then take that piece & load it into the cutter & you only have one piece of striping to install.

*I keep getting error messages when trying to upload pictures???*

 

[Red Ball]

Our Edge is 20 years old. Replaced the shocks that hold the top up.

The best feature I like is 15 minutes from print to application.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Fred, while I agree with you, I also stand by what I said about the 4-color jobs looking crappy. I used an Edge for 10 years and never could get 4-color jobs to come out as nice as a printer or as nice as you can, and you gave me lots of great tips. You are an Edge master! Most Edge operators will never be as good at is as you, which means crappy, 4-color prints.

It's a machine that definitely has a place in the industry but I personally prefer using our GS6000 whenever possible.

Edge prints last longer outside without lamination but not forever. I made a car tag and had it for about 4 years without fading. Moved to Gulf Shores (from north Alabama) and it was faded in less than a year.

You may simply need to keep in mind that the Edge produces prints for signage ... not magazines. Output is intended to be viewed from more than half an arm's length away. Back in the day when ScotchPrint was king, I was put off in the same way when I got too close to a bus wrap at 100 DPI. But it looked great from three or four feet away. Same is true for outdoor advertising billboards printed as low as 20 or 30 dpi. Get up on the platform and you sometimes can't even make out what is printed.

The trick with the Edge is to use the best halftone when possible and to bump the LPI up to 70.7 (a harmonically natural setting for the printhead). Also use an image that is at least 72 PPI at the production size of the print ... 100 PPI is considered ideal.

In the example attached, you will see some graininess in the single closeup, but from three feet away it looks fine. The visible halftones provide the tonal quality needed for the art to work and have depth. We've had at least a dozen reorders on this job from front license plates for county police cruisers.