Working with my new Summa S2 T Series

[Mata]

Hi

I've just sold my Graphtec FC8600 and got a Summa S2 T Series but on first impressions, I hate it! I just can't seem to work out how to use it.

With the Graphtec I used the cutting master plugin with Illustrator and it just worked. Summa seem to have a million downloads, winplot, macsign, Summa Cutter Control, GoSign, GoSign Tools.

I simply want to just see the layout like on cutting master, apply customisations like qty, rotate, position etc and cut, what is so hard about that?

In regards to print and cut, I have onyx 19 but I'm told it cut do a simple cut job only print and cut which I am yet to try yet.

 

[Saturn]

For a simple cut-only job all you need is Illustrator with the Winplot plugin—then export (File>Summa>Send to Winplot) to Winplot and bam. You should be able to skip all the other programs for this type of work. All editing/layout could be done right in your Illustrator file, if I'm understanding your intention to just do cut vinyl (no print or registration.)

RIP>Print>Cut will be another ball of wax, but lots of folks on here making their millions using Onyx and Summa plotters.

If you've got the patience I feel like you'll be rewarded, but I do see a lot of folks complaining about the learning curve and comparing it to Graphtec which must be easier out of the gate(?).

If you hit something really specific though, ask away. Lots of Summa diehards on here.

 

[Mata]

Thanks

I'll start with that

 

[iPrintStuff]

Summa and onyx go very well together. Pretty much everything is automated. From barcode generation to cutting 10 different files in a row with no intervention.

And winplot is what you’re after if you are doing cut only.

what are you having trouble with?

 

[Mata]

At the moment just a simple singe colour cut would do fine. I'll install Winplot tomorrow and see how it runs.

I believe Winplot is Windows, is there nothing for the Mac then? It's not the end of the world if not but it would make it simpler.

 

[PHILJOHNSON]

Good afternoon,

I think you are overthinking this quite a bit. If you are running Windows you will want to use GoSign to output cut only files where there is no contour cutting involved. You can use the material manager to setup the cut parameters for different materials that you will be cutting and when you switch materials you would simply change the profile you are using in GoSign. As the other members mentioned above, Onyx/Summa workflow is pretty streamline and you can print barcodes on your print/cut jobs and have OPOS scan the barcodes and Onyx will automatically import and output the correct cut file based on the scan. Any decent Onyx/Summa dealer will be able to walk you through the setup for that process.

I would probably reach out to your dealer who sold you the cutter and have them help you install the GoSign software and maybe walk you through the process of setting up and outputting print/cut files using Onyx. I think with a bit more practice and the correct software workflow you will find the Summa to be a very capable cutter.

Best regards,

Phil Johnson
Airmark Corporation
(800)527-7778, ext 112
philj@airmark.com

 

[iPrintStuff]

There are probably ways to get the Mac running jobs on the summa but I work primarily on a Mac and have a rip PC that I run onyx and winplot from.

How are you running onyx?

 

[Mata]

I'll try both Winplot and GoSign and see how it goes. Once i have that done I'll move onto print and cut.

Thanks evryone. I've come from Roland Versaworks and an all in one print / Cutter and a Graphtec FC8600 so everything is new to me at the momet.

 

[timstudio]

For Mac you can use Macsign. Simple program. Save your illustrator files as 'illustrator 3', import into macsign, place on virtueel sheet and hit cut. Personally I don't like winplot. I only use it for OPOS cutting.

 

[jerry369]

For Mac you can use Macsign. Simple program. Save your illustrator files as 'illustrator 3', import into macsign, place on virtueel sheet and hit cut. Personally I don't like winplot. I only use it for OPOS cutting.

With the new "MacSign Plugin for AI" you can send jobs to Summa directly from Illustrator by the "File->MacSign->Send (/Send Selection) to Cutter" command

 

[Nielsch]

With the new "MacSign Plugin for AI" you can send jobs to Summa directly from Illustrator by the "File->MacSign->Send (/Send Selection) to Cutter" command

In Illustrator CS6 and MacSign 10.5.3 i only see under File>MacSoft 'Send to MacSign and 'Send to Punto'. I don't have a 'Send to Cutter' command.Then i have press Command-T for cutting. I'm looking for the 'GhostModus on Winplot with Illustrator CS6.

 

[jerry369]

In Illustrator CS6 and MacSign 10.5.3 i only see under File>MacSoft 'Send to MacSign and 'Send to Punto'. I don't have a 'Send to Cutter' command..

The new "MacSign Plugin for AI" are only available from Illustrator CC and later versions

 

[GB2]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know how the operation of the Summa products compare to Mimaki? I have a Mimaki plotter and the operation is simple for straight cutting and print cutting via Finecut. Does it not work that way for Summa? Do you need multiple programs or complicated steps instead?

 

[balstestrat]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know how the operation of the Summa products compare to Mimaki? I have a Mimaki plotter and the operation is simple for straight cutting and print cutting via Finecut. Does it not work that way for Summa? Do you need multiple programs or complicated steps instead?

It's the same. Summa has Winplot and plugins for Illustrator and Corel.
RIPs can use the cutter straight without any software between.

 

[PortlandPrint]

Curious what I would use if I were trying to contour cut from a Mac? I have a s75T sitting in my shop that I have not messed around with yet. Currently use a Graphtec 8000 and we just cut from Illustrator using the plugin. Print from PC using versaworks.

 

[balstestrat]

Curious what I would use if I were trying to contour cut from a Mac? I have a s75T sitting in my shop that I have not messed around with yet. Currently use a Graphtec 8000 and we just cut from Illustrator using the plugin. Print from PC using versaworks.

Just few messages up.... Macsign.

 

[iPrintStuff]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone know how the operation of the Summa products compare to Mimaki? I have a Mimaki plotter and the operation is simple for straight cutting and print cutting via Finecut. Does it not work that way for Summa? Do you need multiple programs or complicated steps instead?

we had a mimaki print and cut before we got the Colorado.

We had to create the artwork, make the cut lines, step up in illy, drop reg marks etc then go through the print/cut process in rasterlink.

Now we make the artwork including a cutcontour line (1 up), step up in onyx (by just noting how many copies). Onyx creates the cut file and sends that to a folder.

do the print, put in cutter. Read barcode and you’re off. You don’t need to select individual cut files etc it’s all just done automatically.

you can have a full roll of different artworks/cut files and it’ll just work it’s way through with no user intervention. A MUCH more streamlined process.

My only worry for you would be that you’d still need the plugins etc if you wanted to continue with rasterlink. So not sure how much time you’d save.

 

[Miftah]

Curious what I would use if I were trying to contour cut from a Mac? I have a s75T sitting in my shop that I have not messed around with yet. Currently use a Graphtec 8000 and we just cut from Illustrator using the plugin. Print from PC using versaworks.

Hi

Im using Roland for printing & rip using versaworks. Multiple of prints out will be done in versaworks also.

Hence i cant cut using my Summa S2 TC160.

Just wondering do you do the multiple of prints out in Ai? And put the cutting mark there?

 

[Mata]

OK, so print and Cut with Onyx is perfect, I keep getting caught out with the Cut-Server settings and having to manually click the use the cutter settings within Cut-Server. I'm not sure how best to deal with this yet but I'm guessing I can just program the setting needed in onyx and then I don't have to worry about the conditions then?

I have to admit, although Summa GoSign is not as good as Cutting Master I am getting used to it. I get confused with the layout thinking if it's going to fit where as on Cutting Master, I can get the width of the media and see what I have to play with.