Tradeshow Graphic Panels Help

[samcoleman45]

We printed four panels (roughly 28" wide & 84" tall) of Kapco 12 Mil Blockout film on our Epson GS6000 printer, they were laminated the next day with 10 mil textured laminate.

I gave a quarter inch bleed to the four panels and added crop marks where the cut should be to fit the frame. When the production guy cut the panels on the crop marks, the panels are the right size, but the graphics do not line up where they should. The artwork is correct and the cuts were accurate, so my question is have any of you had issues with the prints being stretched/skewed using this printer/material combination?

There is no banding (no gaps or overlap in the print passes)

There is tension on the take up reel and there is tension on the laminator, would that be enough to pull/skew the material so that the prints would not line up, even if there are no visible print problems?

The stretching/skewing does not seem to have a pattern, or be consistent.

Any help would be appreciated!

 

[samcoleman45]

bump

anyone?

 

[PrintItBig]

How far out are they?

 

[samcoleman45]

it varied between the panels...between 1/8" and 1/4".

im assuming it has something to do with the takeup not pulling straight, or the media being loaded slightly skewed and then the takeup pulling straight. what's weid (to me) is that it was not consistent.

its almost like each panel started printing/taking up straight, then got skewed.

any ideas?

 

[genericname]

Just spitballing, but since you have to reprint anyway, have you isolated the take-up as the source by printing the panels without tension/take-up?

 

[samcoleman45]

we actually made the panels work with some creative trimming and very forgiving artwork.

on the next tradeshow panel job we get, thats the plan. i will print with no takeup, measure the panels, laminate, measure the panels, let sit overnight, measure the panels...

i was just hoping someone may have come across this (using these materials and printer).

 

[fozzie]

When this happens, there are 3 areas that can cause it -
1. Mechanical - printer and/or lam causing different lengths in panels
2. Human error in trimming
3. Human error in setting up files

1. Mechanical. Did all the prints finish the same length? If they did, sounds like feed calibration or lam is not the issue. If tension or feed was off, they should be different and you would know I.e., one finished 84". One finished 84.1" one 84.2" etc.
2. Trimming. Not sure your protocols, but if the trimmer was off on one side cutting, they may have measured from the cut the width (or length) of the panel and cut to get the correct panel size. this would introduce the alignment problem. Say they were a little careless and cut 1/8" inside the crop marks, that would set up alignment issues.
3. File error. Recheck your artwork. You may find it isn't right.

Good luck.

 

[fozzie]

Just saw where the prints were different lengths.

Might try same tension settings on some cheap or junk media and see what happens.

 

[Tony McD]

Never used this material...but have noticed something similar when printing on full heavy rolls of banner material.
Unrolling the material behind the printer lets it feed more easily and less skew of the print, instead of the printer
having to pull on a full roll.