Which printer works best with Graphtec cutter?

[vroongraphics]

i am considering puchasing a Roland printer, but was told that there may be a problem with using Roland prints with my Graphtec FC7000 series cutter.
I assume this is a Roland-only problem, due to their wanting clients to use their print and cut solutions?
Which printer(s) are being used by members using Graphtec? (recommendations?)
I have Onyx Postership 7 and use Cutting Master plugin for Illustrator.

 

[vroongraphics]

Would I be better off going with a Roland print and cut? I just do not want to "waste" my Graphtec, as it is a 64" cutter, and is an expensive piece of equipment.

 

[Chad.]

you will not be wasting the graphtec, i have a versacamm and a graphtec, they serve 2 separate purposes for me, i would never use a roland print cut machine for solid color vinyl, too expensive of a machine to put all that wear and tear .... thats just me.

We use the graptec for solid colors only, and still use it daily.

 

[Brands Imaging]

i am considering puchasing a Roland printer, but was told that there may be a problem with using Roland prints with my Graphtec FC7000 series cutter.
I assume this is a Roland-only problem, due to their wanting clients to use their print and cut solutions?
Which printer(s) are being used by members using Graphtec? (recommendations?)
I have Onyx Postership 7 and use Cutting Master plugin for Illustrator.

Vroon, are you referring to cutting inkjetted prints with your cutter? if so, I'm on the same page as you and am looking for a solution. Please PM me if you figure this out,.

 

[Fuzzbuster]

Why worry about keeping the graphtec???????????

You have to remove the prints to laminate anyway!!

and the graphtec is a good cutter

Just get the right software like flexi for print and cut but Onyx and cutting master will work!

Roland make a good product but do some in depth ink research on all makes before purchasing

Just my 2 cents

 

[bob]

i am considering puchasing a Roland printer, but was told that there may be a problem with using Roland prints with my Graphtec FC7000 series cutter.
I assume this is a Roland-only problem, due to their wanting clients to use their print and cut solutions?
Which printer(s) are being used by members using Graphtec? (recommendations?)
I have Onyx Postership 7 and use Cutting Master plugin for Illustrator.

Printing is printing. Cutting is cutting. It doesn't matter a whit to the cutter what machine did the printing. Anyone that would tell you differently doesn't know their ass from a hot rock.

 

[PressPrintGraphics]

Any printer..and the cutter you have is an excellent one, it's the same I have and would go no other way. I run it with a Mutoh 1604 - runs flawlessly everytime once you get your registration marks setup correctly, it's a "turn-key" operation..knock on wood.

 

[Bill Modzel]

Cutting Master actually places the registration marks in the file before you print it so it's irrelevant what printer you might use.
I'm desinging in Illy Cs3 on my MacPro. Printing via PosterJet in windows on the same Mac and than cutting back in Illy with Cutting Master.

The only issue is that the RIP may rotate the file for the best use of stock so you have to do the same thing in Illy before you cut it.

 

[vroongraphics]

Thank you all for your comments! I looked on Graphtec website and they had a template there for registration marks...seems to be the "total solution" as it would not matter which printer is used, it is the design of the graphic...
My potential Roland rep told me that Roland reg marks would not work on the Graphtec, which is correct....but of course, there are always alternative options besides what they are trying to sell, right?
Again, thanks for comments....keep them coming! I am still undecided on which printer to go with....Roland, Mutoh, Mimaki or Epson? Hmmm. I want to offer 1440 dpi as an option to my clients...

 

[wildside]

if you have onyx postershop, it don't matter what plotter you are using.

onyx puts the registration marks in itself to line up, we use a mimaki and graphtec with no issues whatsoever, there is no need for registration marks in the actual graphic file, just make sure you are using a contourCut when you originally create the file, so that onyx knows how to find it and then use the onyx cut server and done

 

[Fuzzbuster]

Thank you all for your comments! I looked on Graphtec website and they had a template there for registration marks...seems to be the "total solution" as it would not matter which printer is used, it is the design of the graphic...
My potential Roland rep told me that Roland reg marks would not work on the Graphtec, which is correct....but of course, there are always alternative options besides what they are trying to sell, right?
Again, thanks for comments....keep them coming! I am still undecided on which printer to go with....Roland, Mutoh, Mimaki or Epson? Hmmm. I want to offer 1440 dpi as an option to my clients...

Again

I can`t stress this enough
DO SOME RESEARCH ON INK COSTS

especially(for whatever reason) you going to be printing @ 1440 res.

You must have some really great customers that offer you good enough artwork to make 1440 worth while....anyway

If your doing ANY kind of production work your eventually going to switch to somekind of bulk or at least a 3rd party ink system(triangle) as an example.

Whichever printer you purchase... make sure your going to get support from your supplier for using different ink system .

Cause I promise, if your doing any kind of med to large volume for that printer(whatever it is)your gonna change ink systems.eventually


Besta luck

PS...Dont beleive what the salesman tell you about ink costs, do your own reseach with real people who use the machine your going to choose
I think all new machines are decent(depending on what kind of printing your doing)museum/art repro , wraps or 1$ a sqft Banner work...4 color/6 color?...ink/kind-durability...1-3 years eco-solv or 3-5 for solvent ink, costs/..production volume and most important dealer support when you have greif. Down for a day or 2 is one thing but down for a week or 2 is a different story.

and for me total monthly ink costs, was a major deciding factor. $100 a liter or $400+ a liter when you doing ANY decent volume thats a huge difference.

 

[jasonx]

We run Rolands. We run two Graphtecs as well for print and cut. Works well. Alot faster then our versacamm on print and cut.

 

[907customs]

I run a Mutoh 1304 Valuejet, 54" it's fast, good quality, and pretty affordable. Great combo with my FC7000 Graphtec...

 

[vroongraphics]

Thanks alot for the great comments! I will definitely consider ink costs when making my final decision. Appreciate your time, as always.

Regards,

Howard Vroon

 

[bob]

Thanks alot for the great comments! I will definitely consider ink costs when making my final decision. Appreciate your time, as always.

If you have to consider ink costs as an item any more important than paper clips or knife blades your pricing model is suspect.

 

[Fuzzbuster]

Right !


Ink- 14 liters a week
Paper clips-75 a week
Knife blades-27 a week



Just like I said
ANY kind of decent production numbers, ink `s gonna be a huge factor

and I`m a small shop
I can just imagine large shops

 

[bob]

Right !


Ink- 14 liters a week
Paper clips-75 a week
Knife blades-27 a week



Just like I said
ANY kind of decent production numbers, ink `s gonna be a huge factor

and I`m a small shop
I can just imagine large shops

What are you doing, drinking it?

If you're using that much ink and your equipment isn't just firing it all out to the waste bottle, you're doing a volume of such magnitude that ink still isn't a consideration.

In the grand scheme of things, for any particular job the cost of ink is, or should be, lost in the grass.

If your not doing such a volume you might give serious consideration to having your equipment checked.

 

[MachServTech]

Buy a printer on the merits of the printer. SA's Flexi is the best Print then Cut interface currently sold.(if you use onyx you need Illustrator to generate the cut path then save it as a spot color and call it CutContour with flexi you just click a button) It is the easiest to use and makes a reliably good cut path around complex artwork. A good printer connected by good RIP/contour cut software to your Graphtec and you will be ready to go

 

[thewood]

Ink- 14 liters a week

Wow! That's a whole lotta ink. What type of printers are you running?

 

[Fuzzbuster]

Wow! That's a whole lotta ink. What type of printers are you running?

3X ---Full solvents 6 color- all on bulk inks

trust me thats not everyweek)(i wish)
but most weeks over 10
either way thats not alot of ink
I know shops that run 8+ printers runnin steady
My stuffs nothing
larger shops go thru 5 - 6 times that or more

Again...ink$ for me seems to be the most important after service/support
I think all new machines are decent with a good rip/cut software

I was just trying to help the dude make an informed descision
that`s all

Besta luck