sticker production

[bartman]

Anyone know how to make a decal that has the paper backing also to the shape of the sticker? meaning have a contoured decal with no paper backing showing when done.

 

[player]

One way is if your cutter does "perf cutting". Search it on this site.

What printer / cutter do you have?

 

[player]

Here is a video showing perf cutting:

[video=youtube;GOtEE7IojG8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&v=GOtEE7IojG8&x-yt-ts=1421914688#t=481[/video]

 

[AF]

After watching that video I am even more glad that I have a Summa. It simply reads a barcode then everything happens automatically: reading reg marks, kiss cutting and perfing (flex cut as they call it). There is no tool changing, no front panel interaction and no dialog boxes on the pc.

I am also wondering what cutter the OP has.

 

[frojasferrari]

After watching that video I am even more glad that I have a Summa. It simply reads a barcode then everything happens automatically: reading reg marks, kiss cutting and perfing (flex cut as they call it). There is no tool changing, no front panel interaction and no dialog boxes on the pc.

I am also wondering what cutter the OP has.

Is there a video like that explaining the flexcut on the summa? Something like.... Flexcutting for dummies?

I been trying to flexcut with my summa, but I don get the right cut, I dont know why... Im running the summa with caldera visual cut, printing on orajet 3621 (cheap lam on it) tested all possible combinations of pressures, etc... And the stickers are too hard to get out (dont know the correct word for this) or get loose by themselves on the cutter screwing everything up.....

sorry for the thead hack, but maybe he can use this info too.....no?

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Flex Cutting Using a Summa

Hello Frojasferrari,

If you can PM me your email address I have a document which explains the process of setting up a flex cut using a Summa cutter that I can send you.

Best regards,

Phil Johnson
Summa Inc.

 

[AF]

Is there a video like that explaining the flexcut on the summa? Something like.... Flexcutting for dummies?

I been trying to flexcut with my summa, but I don get the right cut, I dont know why... Im running the summa with caldera visual cut, printing on orajet 3621 (cheap lam on it) tested all possible combinations of pressures, etc... And the stickers are too hard to get out (dont know the correct word for this) or get loose by themselves on the cutter screwing everything up.....

sorry for the thead hack, but maybe he can use this info too.....no?

Phil will hook you up with a good document to get you started. I also recommend studying the different flex cut settings on the front panel. The wording may not make sense at first but you want to experiment on the front panel to get the correct full and flex pressures for the particular material you are cutting. You also should dial in the lengths of the perf / non-perf cuts. Once set up on the front panel, those settings can be transferred to your rip for your particular media so it always cuts correctly. As always, write down the default settings before experimenting so that you can quickly restore the settings if needed. One more thing, for flex cutting the knife needs to be extended enough to cut all the way through the material. If the knife is retracted too much you will never achieve a flex cut.

 

[tulsagraphics]

default Summa flexcut settings are not optimal

Phil will hook you up with a good document to get you started. I also recommend studying the different flex cut settings on the front panel. The wording may not make sense at first but you want to experiment on the front panel to get the correct full and flex pressures for the particular material you are cutting. You also should dial in the lengths of the perf / non-perf cuts. Once set up on the front panel, those settings can be transferred to your rip for your particular media so it always cuts correctly. As always, write down the default settings before experimenting so that you can quickly restore the settings if needed. One more thing, for flex cutting the knife needs to be extended enough to cut all the way through the material. If the knife is retracted too much you will never achieve a flex cut.

I noticed that my Summa S2 T160 (factory settings and using the latest firmware) worked "okay", but not great (even with a bit of tinkering). So I called Summa tech support and asked them what settings they recommended. The most important adjustment (for me) was changing the perf/non-perf lengths.

Yeah, I adjust the depth to cut all the way through the material -- but ever so slightly. Just enough to cut through but not deep enough to damage the cutting strip. Those strips aren't cheap to replace.

 

[tulsagraphics]

Caldera is great so far.

Is there a video like that explaining the flexcut on the summa? Something like.... Flexcutting for dummies?

I been trying to flexcut with my summa, but I don get the right cut, I dont know why... Im running the summa with caldera visual cut, printing on orajet 3621 (cheap lam on it) tested all possible combinations of pressures, etc... And the stickers are too hard to get out (dont know the correct word for this) or get loose by themselves on the cutter screwing everything up.....

sorry for the thead hack, but maybe he can use this info too.....no?

I've used Flexi/Wasatch/WinPlot for a long time, but the only rip I've tried that handles barcodes+cuts+flexcuts (for running back-to-back jobs, fully unattended) is Caldera VisualRip+. Very happy with it so far, and I will probably buy a license soon.

Check your perf length settings (or call Summa to ask their recommendation). That's what I did, and flexcutting has been a breeze ever since (well, as much of a breeze as flexcutting can be).

The only real problems I've had with flexcutting is that it eventually jars the blade loose and dulls the blade pretty quickly. I cram that blade into the blade holder as tight as I can get it (using the white Summa blade installation tool), but it still works itself loose after (for example) 500 bumper stickers. Also, I recommend flexcutting in small batches (for example, 100 bumper stickers at a time). That way you can test your perfs and adjust your blade as necessary, and if something gets screwed up, you don't get stuck having to manually cut a huge batch of stickers (since you usually only get 1 shot at running a flexcut job -- at least in most cases).

 

[AF]

0 degree and 90 degree flex cuts help preserve the life of the blade and the cutting strip. For bumper stickers, I tend to set the flex cut settings so the parts almost fall out on their own. For larger flex cut parts, I go for a true perf cut where you have to tear the part out of the roll. This prevents problems related to a part releasing prematurely but leaves a tabbed edge to the decal or sticker.

 

[tulsagraphics]

cutting rectangles

0 degree and 90 degree flex cuts help preserve the life of the blade and the cutting strip. For bumper stickers, I tend to set the flex cut settings so the parts almost fall out on their own. For larger flex cut parts, I go for a true perf cut where you have to tear the part out of the roll. This prevents problems related to a part releasing prematurely but leaves a tabbed edge to the decal or sticker.

AF, do you ever have issues when cutting rectangles -- for example, the vertical passes (cutting top to bottom) cutting all the way through, the bottom edge (cutting left to right) cuts almost as good, and the top edge (cutting right to left) doesn't cut well? (sometimes having to be cut out by hand?)

 

[AF]

AF, do you ever have issues when cutting rectangles -- for example, the vertical passes (cutting top to bottom) cutting all the way through, the bottom edge (cutting left to right) cuts almost as good, and the top edge (cutting right to left) doesn't cut well? (sometimes having to be cut out by hand?)

Extend the blade more.