Need Help Trying to Print Double sided Banners

[paperstrategies]

I'm trying to run a double sided banner and I'm having a hard time getting the two sides to be in register. Although I've done some research, I haven't been able to find clear instructions for getting the two sides to register. I'm using an inch of bleed on each side, dbl sided banner material, and marked left and right where the material should go. The top and bottom are the sides that don't line up (I even started printing from the same spot, a tick mark I made on the press) If we get this job it will a really high quantity, so running two banners and merging them together is out of the question. Thanks in advance.

EDIT: I should probably mention I'm using a cjv-150

 

[Gino]

Maybe I'm missing the importance of this question, but unless something is running right to the very edge all over the place, what is the need to have it match both sides so minutely precisely ?? Redundant, yes, but I just don't see why a visual spotting won't do the trick. There's no way anyone can read both sides at the same time to determine if something is off by a 1/32".

 

[paperstrategies]

Well as I said above, I have an inch of bleed all the way around. My last 2 prints have been more than 1.5" off... so clearly starting from the same point doesn't work. Also worth mentioning, the right and left sides will be folded over and hemmed. So the image has to be close enough to line up. Even remotely close would be ok. But with almost 2 inches off, the image wont be centered. And there should'nt be any question as to why that isn't good enough.

 

[a77]

I've given up on double-sided printing on banner material.. not because I couldn't line them up, but because anything longer than 6' I'll end getting head strikes on the second side - never seems to run quite straight after printing.

But... you really shouldn't have a problem with lining it up as long as your RIP allows you to move the image left to right. Just play with that setting until it's right (on whatever scrap banner, not your already-printed banner), write it down and use that???

 

[paperstrategies]

I've given up on double-sided printing on banner material.. not because I couldn't line them up, but because anything longer than 6' I'll end getting head strikes on the second side - never seems to run quite straight after printing.

But... you really shouldn't have a problem with lining it up as long as your RIP allows you to move the image left to right. Just play with that setting until it's right (on whatever scrap banner, not your already-printed banner), write it down and use that???

Thanks for your reply. The issue isn't with lining it up side to side, but top to bottom. I did manage to get one out after rotating the piece to print portrait instead of landscape. It was still off in the same direction, however it was good enough to send as a sample. Lesson learned! Don't print while banner has not had time to dry lol and even though i'll use more material printing 2-up portrait, the difference can be made up for with bleed and dowels.

 

[printhog]

first - note if your banner is reverse or straight feed. does the toilet paper come of the top of the roll or the bottom. it must feed the same way both times.

the last print out is the first print rolled up. this way the roll is just "flipped" with top to top. Take up reels will do the opposite.

mark the feed direction on both sides of the the roll at start to help with this.. if you dont see the feed arrow the roll is backwards.

make a tick mark on the press as starting point both left and right.. make one on each banner print to match. either use a pin to poke a tiny hole where the banner mark is, or mark both surfaces in sharpie. start with media at that point.

check that your rip doesnt have any margins active or that your printer doesnt have any margins on in its settings.

print a test to see if you have any white space skip. some setups do. if so: add a small black outline in black at the edge of the overall image.

print banner.

for each one make the tick mark of the platen start point to the edge of the banner.

let fabric dry overnight.

rewind so the fabric is properly wound.

advance to the start mark.

print.

if there are no margins set you should have a reasonable alignment.

Ive done this on a 5 meter wide printer with 16 ft fabric. it was able to handle it and they came out fine, 250 of them.

 

[a77]

Thanks for your reply. The issue isn't with lining it up side to side, but top to bottom. I did manage to get one out after rotating the piece to print portrait instead of landscape. It was still off in the same direction, however it was good enough to send as a sample. Lesson learned! Don't print while banner has not had time to dry lol and even though i'll use more material printing 2-up portrait, the difference can be made up for with bleed and dowels.

That's even easier???
Load some banner. Put a mark in front of your pinch wheel...print the job. Transfer the mark to the second side. THen when you're loading, just make that mark in front of your pinch wheel.

 

[myront]

In my experience I have known the media feed to be different on the second side after printing the first. As if the ink interferes with the pinch rollers in some way. Usually not out more than a half inch though. We usually make two separate print files (side A & side B) one with a 1" bleed or so then trim using the actual desired size.

 

[GAC05]

In my experience I have known the media feed to be different on the second side after printing the first. As if the ink interferes with the pinch rollers in some way. Usually not out more than a half inch though. We usually make two separate print files (side A & side B) one with a 1" bleed or so then trim using the actual desired size.

Same here - oversize the back.
I load my material (mutoh 1624) put a tab of tape on each side to mark where the material sits. Take my blade and make a small cut on each side of the material that matches with the cutting strip.
Print first side. Roll the banner back up on the roll - flip the roll & line it up the 2 tape tabs and the cuts for side to side and start point. Back lands within a quarter inch or so of the front on a 10' to 12' full bleed (most times).
Longest I have done this way is 4x25 on 18oz blockout.
Not a great way for high volume but for less than a dozen is works well enough to make some money.

wayne k
guam usa

 

[paperstrategies]

first - note if your banner is reverse or straight feed. does the toilet paper come of the top of the roll or the bottom. it must feed the same way both times.

the last print out is the first print rolled up. this way the roll is just "flipped" with top to top. Take up reels will do the opposite.

mark the feed direction on both sides of the the roll at start to help with this.. if you dont see the feed arrow the roll is backwards.

-----^This is interesting. I was flipping the roll & the artwork and it seemed to work so long as the first print was dry.


make a tick mark on the press as starting point both left and right.. make one on each banner print to match. either use a pin to poke a tiny hole where the banner mark is, or mark both surfaces in sharpie. start with media at that point.

check that your rip doesnt have any margins active or that your printer doesnt have any margins on in its settings.

print a test to see if you have any white space skip. some setups do. if so: add a small black outline in black at the edge of the overall image.

------^ I did notice my cjv was pushing the material forward before print, but I couldn't find where that setting was. If anyone has info on this please share! I'll keep looking around for it myself. I have a feeling that may be the key.

Thanks for all the helpful replys! Definitely not an easy run. With a really high quantity, I'm still not 100% on this but I'm hoping by the end of the job I'll be a pro!

 

[paperstrategies]

first - note if your banner is reverse or straight feed. does the toilet paper come of the top of the roll or the bottom. it must feed the same way both times.

the last print out is the first print rolled up. this way the roll is just "flipped" with top to top. Take up reels will do the opposite.

mark the feed direction on both sides of the the roll at start to help with this.. if you dont see the feed arrow the roll is backwards.

-----^This is interesting. I was flipping the roll & the artwork and it seemed to work so long as the first print was dry.


make a tick mark on the press as starting point both left and right.. make one on each banner print to match. either use a pin to poke a tiny hole where the banner mark is, or mark both surfaces in sharpie. start with media at that point.

check that your rip doesnt have any margins active or that your printer doesnt have any margins on in its settings.

print a test to see if you have any white space skip. some setups do. if so: add a small black outline in black at the edge of the overall image.

------^ I did notice my cjv was pushing the material forward before print, but I couldn't find where that setting was. If anyone has info on this please share! I'll keep looking around for it myself. I have a feeling that may be the key.

Thanks for all the helpful replys! Definitely not an easy run. With a really high quantity, I'm still not 100% on this but I'm hoping by the end of the job I'll be a pro!