I bought a PC-12 colorcamm to do some clings. After 2 days of messing with the printer driver, the bridge program (finally deleted it & set everything up through corel), tweaking the cutting line, I got the thing to work. I went to start printing the clings, only it isn't feeding right. I am convinced it's because the cling is thicker than vinyl, but I can't find a setting to tell it how thick the material is.
Does anyone have any ideas? I already checked the user forum at Roland, but they have a nasty habit of calling/e-mailing the question poster directly instead of answering the question on the forum for the rest of us to learn from. I tried registering there, but it wanted an email with my supplier/model/serial/mother's maiden name/eye color/cup size.. which I'm sure won't be answered til tomorrow & I'm ready to throw this thing out the window NOW.
Posted by J & N Signs (Member # 901) on :
I had a PC-60 for 4 years. If it's anything like it thickness should not be a factor. What exactly is happening?
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
When it cuts on vinyl, it's fine. When I load the thicker cling material, it hangs up. It'll print one color ok, but then it isn't moving the vinyl enough when it prints the next color, which is why I think it's because of the thicker material & the rollers being set to feed thinner material.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
i would think that the thickness does not have a factor. it feeds from the bottom main roller and pinches from the top. it should be constant no matter what. I would guess the stepper motor is not returning to exactly zero
Or the material is "popping" from moving too fast.
[ July 21, 2003, 02:37 AM: Message edited by: Curtis hammond ]
Posted by SteveDefibaugh (Member # 2245) on :
I just cross posted to roland for you.Hope it helps.I have a pc60 and run heavy reflective with no problem.So I am at a loss as to the problem.Good Luck
Posted by Dave Johnson (Member # 2535) on :
I have a PC-60 and material thickness has never been an issue. Did you buy it new? If not, are the pinch rollers clean? I'm guessing they are because your not having trouble with regular vinyl.
After discussing this with my co-worker, here is the theory we came up with. The print head uses heat to transfer the ribbon to the substrate. When it is printing the first color, the heat is expanding the cling material so that when it comes back to make the second pass, the cling is larger than it was on the first color pass. If this is actually the case, opening the front cover between colors and letting is set and cool for a while should cause a change in print registration.
Just a thought. I haven’t tried printing on cling. The only cling on my list of approved materials is Catalina Plastics Hi-Stat, 8-10 mil.
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
some basic truobleshooting ideas you have probably done, but from your comment
"When it cuts on vinyl, it's fine. When I load the thicker cling material, it hangs up."
I thought I'd ask if you tried printing on regular vinyl? You say it cuts vinyl fine but to check if the hang-up is related to the printing rather then the material I would try this if you haven't. Also have you tried cutting the cling? Even if your cling print job does not require computer cutting the cling, it would be an additional way of narrowing down where & when the problem can be re-created.
Posted by Bob Burns (Member # 268) on :
I believe maximum thickness of the substrate is 8 mm........................(???????????????)
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Kissy here's the specs for the PC-12.. the maximum material thickness is 8mil (.008") so if you have an 8mil film on a 1mil paper liner it could be as simple as that. Roland also mentions registration between printing and cutting, accounting for the thermal expansion of the material..
Here is where I'm at: I spoke with 2 different people at Roland. One told me 6 mil is limit, & that is spelled out in the manual. I ask him where it is in manual (I still haven't found it) then ask why that info isn't available til after you buy it. He then transfers me to a woman who tells me 8 mil. I asked her where the limit was & she told me it was on the specs. I asked her why the specs measure in mm, but all material is measured in mils. I then told her it is 8 mil stuff. There is suppost to be a third person calling me back, but that was 2 hours ago, so I'm not holding my breath.
So, I ordered a ton of vinyl so I can print the stuff on the vinyl & put it on the cling. That oughta be fun.
Thanks guys.
[ July 21, 2003, 02:58 PM: Message edited by: Kissymatina ]
Posted by SteveDefibaugh (Member # 2245) on :
Hi Kissy I use avery's static cling and it's 6 mil with a 1.5 mil liner.Now I was thinking since there is no adhesive on the back could you try printing to it without the liner?Of course you couldn't contour cut it but it might be worth a try.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Come on Kissy, don'tchya know how ta convert metric to S.I.? and the specs are right there on their website! Just bustin' your chops, I'm in a pretty good mood today and I gotta get back at you for those shop vac comments. Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
Something tells me if you had just filled in your mothers maiden name, told em your eye color and especially yourcup size Roland would have gotten back to you right away hahaha oh man I'm gonna get hit for this one Posted by Bob Burns (Member # 268) on :
Hey BOB, I'm sure CHRIS will tell you HER cup size, if YOU tell her YOURS!!!!! heh-heh-heh!!!!
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
I dont really have a standard Cup size Bob cuz I have the inflatable ones, helps me stay afloat when I go in the kiddie pool!
[ July 21, 2003, 07:02 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Eeeeewwwwww I'd be staying away from the kiddie pool if I were you, that yellow tint to the water isn't the chlorine!!! Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Hey Rochon, Watch out boy, I think I need to start looking for those picts of you with the panties on your head... I'm sure I have those around here somewhere. hehe
And Sticky, I was being nice and just letting the people in chat know about that intimate relationship you have with your shop vac. YOU brought it out in public. Boy, am I gonna have fun with that now. Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
An intimate relationship with a Shop-Vac? Hmmmm... that really sucks...
Posted by Bruce Evans (Member # 44) on :
"I asked her why the specs measure in mm, but all material is measured in mils"
mils, mm, milimeters. Aren't they one in the same?
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bruce Evans: "I asked her why the specs measure in mm, but all material is measured in mils"
mils, mm, milimeters. Aren't they one in the same?
Nope.. mm and milimeters are the same, but mils is thousandths of an inch!
Posted by John Deaton III (Member # 925) on :
Does Mikes shop vac have a name? Huh, does it? oooooooo..... Posted by Ron Percell (Member # 399) on :
Trim down the static cling along the edges, so that the rollars only make contact with the backing material, hopefully your machine will be able to then cut through the material.
Good Luck K
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
Ron, Good idea, but this machine has stationary rollers the whole way across it, not just the edges like most cutters.
John, he's never told us her name. If it is a her... maybe it's a him. Never thought to ask.
Posted by Jeff Ogden (Member # 3184) on :
Kissy...
Ron is onto something I believe. How's this theory ? The static cling is soft stuff, so when it goes through the rollers once, it gets compressed, just enough so that when it makes another pass, is starts slipping. Sandblast material does that. You have to set the rollers along the edge to run on the backing, not the film. But if you are unable to adjust the rollers to the outer edge, then I don't know what you can do to fix the problem.
Anyhow, that's my speculations on the subject. Posted by SteveDefibaugh (Member # 2245) on :
Check the roland board.They listed a cling material they produce for that machine.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
and the specs are right there on their website! ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)