Designer Wraps
New Member
I know - new toys ... love 'em!
Will def keep you posted.
Thanks
Will def keep you posted.
Thanks
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Summa DC4 owners?
- Thread starter Designer Wraps
- Start date
...interesting comments...but remain puzzled over the comparison between two diverse print technologies...would a choice between the Edge or Summa not be a better discussion.........????
Colin
New Member
Not if one had to choose one or the other.
watchdaride
New Member
bought a dc3+ 6 months ago. With a new head i have $4K in the machine . I am a window tint shop doing decals and graphics as a side business and does a good job . Any thing over 100sqft i sub out and you can get avery+ lam for $4 sq ft here in florida. But for someone doing signs full time i wouldnt get this technology that hasnt been upgraded in 6 yrs or so . I wouldnt be surprised if summa shut down there printing division they are way outdated price and technology wise and dont seem to give a crap .
Designer Wraps
New Member
Update. I'm really not that happy with the machine. I guess u can say I sort of got used to the small dots on gradients and such but what I cannot get used to and the main reason behind my disappointment is the banding (overlap). Forget trying to print anything wider than 4". And support now tells me it's normal and to turn my prints and/or design with the banding in mind. What?!!!
Support also tells me that you can't see it from 5 feet away. Are you kidding me?! That is unacceptable.
Ok so now I'm upset and unhappy especially after hours on tel with them. I want to send machine back because it will not do what the primary purpose I bought the machine for. But I cannot. Why? Because I'm locked into the lease which states even if the equip is damaged and not my fault I must pay ... So on ... or they will withdrawal funds directly from my bank accts and sue ... among a lot of other nice stuff (I should add my story to this post http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?p=782149#post782149).
Anyway. I'm unhappy and stuck with a machine and payment (which also is higher than it was supposed to be) I do not want.
Any suggestions or ideas?
Support also tells me that you can't see it from 5 feet away. Are you kidding me?! That is unacceptable.
Ok so now I'm upset and unhappy especially after hours on tel with them. I want to send machine back because it will not do what the primary purpose I bought the machine for. But I cannot. Why? Because I'm locked into the lease which states even if the equip is damaged and not my fault I must pay ... So on ... or they will withdrawal funds directly from my bank accts and sue ... among a lot of other nice stuff (I should add my story to this post http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?p=782149#post782149).
Anyway. I'm unhappy and stuck with a machine and payment (which also is higher than it was supposed to be) I do not want.
Any suggestions or ideas?
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JR's
New Member
Signmedia, there has to be a way to print the stuff without lines in it. the U-Haul trucks that I looked at doesn't have lines in the print. and the samples that was sent to me is clear to.
there is a guy on this site http://www.digital-graphica.com/phpBB3/index.php
that can get rid of lines . his name is Muts
good luck. sorry about your leas.
JR
there is a guy on this site http://www.digital-graphica.com/phpBB3/index.php
that can get rid of lines . his name is Muts
good luck. sorry about your leas.
JR
Let's reevaluate the situation
Tight time my friend, Summa is low staffed and the employee's are not giving a 110% like they should. I'm sure it a light infraction in the media feed controls. Probably set off in shipping the unit to your location.
JR right,that printer prints better then that, take some pictures and show them here online or send them to Summa. There other owners of the same machine on this forum. They can tell you instantly if the printer is printing with in spec's.
Hightec Digital
Printer Techician on Large Format Printers
Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland, HP
916-990-9803
Tight time my friend, Summa is low staffed and the employee's are not giving a 110% like they should. I'm sure it a light infraction in the media feed controls. Probably set off in shipping the unit to your location.
JR right,that printer prints better then that, take some pictures and show them here online or send them to Summa. There other owners of the same machine on this forum. They can tell you instantly if the printer is printing with in spec's.
Hightec Digital
Printer Techician on Large Format Printers
Mimaki, Mutoh, Roland, HP
916-990-9803
watchdaride
New Member
do you get banding with the sample print they have on the machine . If you do then something is wrong with the machine ? they have one of a sign company logo and mine prints with no banding .
Couple of Questions to get some info to try and help you out. I had the same types of problems when I got mine and just had to learn how to calibrate the machine.
When you put media in the machine do you do a line feed cal?
Have you put the machine in maintenance mode and printed the extra alignment lines at the edges of the print to see if the offset in printer tools needs to be changed? This makes fine adjustments to the feed rate on each side of the machine. Ensures it is running straight and compensates for the material thickness.
In printer tools under the configuration for the user you have for the material selected is dot overlap on or off?
Have you calibrated the print and cut?
In the beginning you need to do this for all the materials that you print on and make fine adjustments to the user configuration for each material. The machine will do much better after this is done. You also need to get used to what the settings need to be in the rip for the types of things you are printing. I have found that 35 lines per inch and double dot is a good all round setting. You do need to try various settings to see what the affect is. If you look at the print where the pass overlap is with a real good magnifying glass you can see the dots and the amount of overlap. You will also be able to see the shape of the dots and how they affect the band that you are seeing. There are settings to get this where it needs to be.
Jimmy
When you put media in the machine do you do a line feed cal?
Have you put the machine in maintenance mode and printed the extra alignment lines at the edges of the print to see if the offset in printer tools needs to be changed? This makes fine adjustments to the feed rate on each side of the machine. Ensures it is running straight and compensates for the material thickness.
In printer tools under the configuration for the user you have for the material selected is dot overlap on or off?
Have you calibrated the print and cut?
In the beginning you need to do this for all the materials that you print on and make fine adjustments to the user configuration for each material. The machine will do much better after this is done. You also need to get used to what the settings need to be in the rip for the types of things you are printing. I have found that 35 lines per inch and double dot is a good all round setting. You do need to try various settings to see what the affect is. If you look at the print where the pass overlap is with a real good magnifying glass you can see the dots and the amount of overlap. You will also be able to see the shape of the dots and how they affect the band that you are seeing. There are settings to get this where it needs to be.
Jimmy
Designer Wraps
New Member
Ok, so took some more time and went through that other forum that JR's recommended http://www.digital-graphica.com/phpBB3/index.php... Actually helped a lot. We got the banding down a bit. I'm still not 100% happy with it, but it is def much better than it was.
Anyway, to answer a few questions from above, yes we even got banding in their sample graphic/print from the machine itself. This is from which we told the Support Tech about the banding and he told us to "stand back five feet and you wont see it". No comment.
Also, yes we did/do all the calibrations (print and cut) and we were still having the same issues.
I plan on calling Summa again this week and see if there might be a "problem" with the machine.
Thanks so much for your help guys - really appreciate it.
Anyway, to answer a few questions from above, yes we even got banding in their sample graphic/print from the machine itself. This is from which we told the Support Tech about the banding and he told us to "stand back five feet and you wont see it". No comment.
Also, yes we did/do all the calibrations (print and cut) and we were still having the same issues.
I plan on calling Summa again this week and see if there might be a "problem" with the machine.
Thanks so much for your help guys - really appreciate it.
Jim Doggett
New Member
Try CMY, 35lpi, Double-dot. That was always a forgiving setting when I printed with a Summa TT machine.
p3
New Member
Sorry to hear your not happy. That was bad too, every time I tried to call, support was helpful, but even when they came down they would just tell us that it was normal and there was nothing we could really do to fix it. Frustrating. Did you ever get it figured out or printing better?
Designer Wraps
New Member
p3 - I sent Summa sample prints that I had and they said "the lines" were from a Line Feed Issue. So I finally got on the phone with support and they remoted into the pic and adjusted some settings. After which the same samples looked better than they originally did, but the "overlap / banding" is still there. The tech said it's normal and will always be there ... why does it seem that I am the only one that thinks that is a big deal? If I was a customer that ordered a decal with a line through it (no matter how faint) I would not accept it!
I am still very unhappy with this machine and wish I knew about this "issue-that-I-have-to-live-with" prior to purchasing (I should've listened to your first post here p3).
Ok so anyone want to buy a brand new Summa DC4sx? lol Will sell it cheap!
I am still very unhappy with this machine and wish I knew about this "issue-that-I-have-to-live-with" prior to purchasing (I should've listened to your first post here p3).
Ok so anyone want to buy a brand new Summa DC4sx? lol Will sell it cheap!
AUTO-FX
New Member
That's a shame, sorry to hear. Did you try clearing your prints? When I used to run pc-600s I found that using frog juice on the prints right after they came off the machine helped to meld it down to just about non observable.
Another thing I just remembered - I ran a small space heater under the rear media rollers in the winter. Upping the temp of the vinyl as it went in helped a little.
Another thing I just remembered - I ran a small space heater under the rear media rollers in the winter. Upping the temp of the vinyl as it went in helped a little.
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briankb
Premium Subscriber
Curious. Did you get a sample kit before you made the purchase? We did and I was fine with the quality issues but my business partner (designer) was not. We opted for a ink jet instead.
WITH that said I still like the print and method for the DC4 stuff.
How much do you want for it?
WITH that said I still like the print and method for the DC4 stuff.
How much do you want for it?
Designer Wraps
New Member
autofx - never tried either, but i will.
briankb - yeah, we have in inkjet already, and "I guess" I'm spoiled with that as far as trying (not) to compare it to the Summa. At least that's what my sales rep told me "not" to do. But I don't want to hear that. A line in the print is a line in the print no matter what technology one uses. To me, it is unacceptable. And to NOT inform me (a potential customer) about it prior to purchasing is just WRONG!
Yes, I DID indeed get sample from them prior and they look absolutely beautiful. Funny, because after the fact we questioned the (first) tech about it and he said that "they were designed to miss the 4in pass". He told us that we had to "design with the 4"pass / overlap in mind". What? I bought a 30" machine. And now you're telling me to "mind" the 4" pass?
Def NOT an inkjet. I bought this machine to offset the vinyl work we have from our web and decal business. I have yet to use it for the MAIN purpose I bought it for. Yes, it DOES do small (smaller than 4") decals perfectly (well after you get used to the "dots" - yet another thing I was not aware of prior); the die-cutting is dead on!
Still, I just wish I had a chance to see this machine working in-person prior to buying ... I would not have gotten it.
briankb - make me an offer / take over my lease (I'll buy it down some first/ whatever) ...
Just very disappointed.
briankb - yeah, we have in inkjet already, and "I guess" I'm spoiled with that as far as trying (not) to compare it to the Summa. At least that's what my sales rep told me "not" to do. But I don't want to hear that. A line in the print is a line in the print no matter what technology one uses. To me, it is unacceptable. And to NOT inform me (a potential customer) about it prior to purchasing is just WRONG!
Yes, I DID indeed get sample from them prior and they look absolutely beautiful. Funny, because after the fact we questioned the (first) tech about it and he said that "they were designed to miss the 4in pass". He told us that we had to "design with the 4"pass / overlap in mind". What? I bought a 30" machine. And now you're telling me to "mind" the 4" pass?
Def NOT an inkjet. I bought this machine to offset the vinyl work we have from our web and decal business. I have yet to use it for the MAIN purpose I bought it for. Yes, it DOES do small (smaller than 4") decals perfectly (well after you get used to the "dots" - yet another thing I was not aware of prior); the die-cutting is dead on!
Still, I just wish I had a chance to see this machine working in-person prior to buying ... I would not have gotten it.
briankb - make me an offer / take over my lease (I'll buy it down some first/ whatever) ...
Just very disappointed.
Hi All. I am currently searching for a shop within 150 miles or so of Topeka, KS that has either a Summa or Gerber Edge that I could contact to do ongoing and repeat print jobs for my company. If anybody is aware of such a shop I would greatly appreciate their contact info..
Thanks!
Thanks!
DC4, DC4SX Owners - Print n Cut job needed.
HI, we have a DC4SX and are inundated with work. If you have a machine and looking for a little extra work, we have a 1,000 piece sticker job we'd like sub out if you are willing and able.
This job is a 1 Color print (Black) on Yellow media. We usually get a roll of the Oracal 650 or Briteline for this. The 1,000 piece order takes less than 1/2 of a Black Ribbon, and most of a 100' roll of Media. The job is in a file, all ready to send... its a 4"x6" piece that has a couple stickers up inside the 4"x6".
If you can do this at .30ea... we'll send it your way. Customer is wanting by this Friday, April 25th, but we can push it back if someone steps up.
Thanks,
Brian
Pioneer S&M
Brian@Pioneer-SM.com
HI, we have a DC4SX and are inundated with work. If you have a machine and looking for a little extra work, we have a 1,000 piece sticker job we'd like sub out if you are willing and able.
This job is a 1 Color print (Black) on Yellow media. We usually get a roll of the Oracal 650 or Briteline for this. The 1,000 piece order takes less than 1/2 of a Black Ribbon, and most of a 100' roll of Media. The job is in a file, all ready to send... its a 4"x6" piece that has a couple stickers up inside the 4"x6".
If you can do this at .30ea... we'll send it your way. Customer is wanting by this Friday, April 25th, but we can push it back if someone steps up.
Thanks,
Brian
Pioneer S&M
Brian@Pioneer-SM.com