Space for printer setup

[Service Sign Co]

Does anyone with a Versc Camm 540 see a problem with operating it in a 11' x 11' area of a shop, which is the only place I have for a printer of that size. I haven't purchased one yet, but was wondering from some owners of a printer / cutter could run jobs in an area that size without being too crowded? Any advice would be helpful. Thanks, Moody

 

[cartoad]

Moody,
11 x 11 is going to crowd you, just measured our "normal" working area, we have 2 1/2 feet behind it to change rolls ect., and 11 feet clean in front plust a little walking room, but sometimes have to turn it to print long banners, and vinyl. We print banners 8', 10', 12' and up to 40' and move the printer around the area. If at all possible try to have more room, you may not need it all the time, but when you do.........
Hal

 

[Service Sign Co]

Hi Hal thanks for the reply. I've tried & tried to find more room but the area is the best I can do without subjecting the equipment to a harsh environment. Can you roll the printed material on itself, or does it need drying time, would a dehumidifier or something help? My only printing experience is with a gerber edge, and there are no issues with drying time or space, but the larger printer has become a must have item to stay competetive in this area

 

[chopper]

you will need some drying time but it will depend on what you are printing on,
some of those machines have a take up reel on them and they roll the material on it self I would assume that you could do the same//chopper

 

[cdiesel]

Like chopper said, I would strongly recommend getting a take up reel. You can usually roll the vinyl up on itself, as long as it's ink to backing paper and not ink to ink. Without a take up reel, the material will just fall on the floor and will end up ink to ink.
11'x11', while not ideal, will work if it's just the printer in there. We store our rolls of media behind our printer to make loading/unloading easier. Total footprint of the printer plus media is in the 8'x10' range for us. You literally have to turn sideways to walk between the printer and laminator sometimes, but hey, we're all skinny here!

 

[Service Sign Co]

Forgot about needing a laminator to make vehicle wraps durable, Is manually applying lamination something some of the shops do, or is it a exercise in futility/or wasteful not to invest in a laminator? I've applied it occasionally on vehicles & floor graphics. Of course I do not expect to be applying many wraps right away, having not the experience , perhaps partial wraps. Aiithough I have Laminated SignGold w/ high performance vinyl for the shade on firetrucks in the past only because it was requested, I do not think it was necessary. How important is a laminator?

 

[cdiesel]

99.9% of what we print is laminated. The only stuff that goes out the door without lam is VERY short term vinyl, and banners. If it goes on a vehicle, or somewhere where it will be touched, it gets laminated, period. The ecosol max inks we use are pretty durable once they're dried, but they aren't very chemical resistant.
We occasionally laminate by hand when we only have a small piece to do, and it's not what's loaded on the laminator, but I wouldn't recommend doing it that way regularly. The big squeegee helps a ton, but it's still not as easy as using the laminator. Of course, that can be in a seperate room, but you want it to be at about the same temperature & humidity as your vinyl is. It's a good idea to store the vinyl and laminate in the same environment that you'll be printing it in. This will keep the backing paper happy.

 

[Service Sign Co]

Great info Diesel, Chopper , Toad . I will evaulaite it when i'm not so busy, ( or tired) hopefully on the 4th of July when we BB-Q a pig or two we can get a break. Now I'm trying to meet a deadline and need to get to work with the old fashioned plotter & maybee even get some sleep later, Good night & Good luck! Thanks, Moody

 

[The Big Squeegee]

... The big squeegee helps a ton, but it's still not as easy as using the laminator. ...

If you are tight on space the Big Squeegee will work good to laminate your prints.

 

[Service Sign Co]

Been checking out info on the Big Squegee, seems like lots of graphic people give it an A+ especially when laminating isn't something you do on an everyday basis. Hopefully the real estate market will improve soon so I can afford a large printer