rodbuilder

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Posts posted by rodbuilder


  1. I went to make my wife a "OPEN" sign for a antique store she manages and when I went to set the conditions i screwed up and did something that made it start cutting a LONG string of tiny numbers......and that's all it will cut.

    When I did this is saw the word "Pen" come up, then it went away!

    I tried everything to get it back to normal:

    Cutting a different file

    restarting the computer and cutter

    Reloading the drivers and software

    NOTHING works!

    HELP!! How do I get this gremlin out of my CE-5000? PLEASE EMAIL ME ASAP AT PMMB@COMCAST.NET


  2. I have a CD with 85,000 fonts on it, but don't want to install them in the Windows "Fonts" folder because it takes forever to boot up the computer that way.  So.........when you're using text with Flexi 8,5 Pro can ya' grab a font from a separate folder or a CD,  from within Flexi - or are you limited to those that are already installed in Windows?


  3. OK - here's one I bet everyone has asked at one time..............

    If you're doing a graphic for a car or truck - a wiggly pair of lines, say - cna you print out the graphic using registration marks then set it up in your Graphtec CE-5000 and do the contour cut?

    I have a Roland PC60 and the Graphtec, but the Roland is too old to contour cut, but I haven't tried using that feature yet on the Graphtec.

    I'm wondering of the Graphtec's optics will read registration marks through the laminate?

    Will it work???


  4. Speedoggy..............  So what you're saying is to weld something together you do this in the cut/plot section of flexi and not the "design" section?

    So before you cut or print something, you weld the files after you go to print or cut it? 


  5. I don't know if you can do this in pcsign. I bought that pile of garbage and sent iot right back to them, BUT see of you can "export" the file on the "File" part of the menue, then export it to a folder as an EPS file.

    If that doesn't work I'm no help!

    Save your nickles and dimes and get even a USED copy of Flexi. you'll take that pcsign and run it through your paper shredder!!!!!!!!!!  I paid $1400 for my Flexi 8.5 off ebay and it's the real deal.


  6. The software doesn't control a cutter's speed The CUTTER does!  Kinda like saying that Your printer ran out of ink and blaming your computer for it - if ya' know what I mean!!!


  7. I'm pretty new to the business and trying to learn just a portion of what's to know about all of our software..

    I was making a sign the other day to put a farmer's name on his new combine.  Starting with the letter "S" I then made a horizontal line (Flexi for some reason calls it a "rectangle"!!!)  off the top of the "S" and to the right of the letter.  Even after using the "group" option the 2 pieces of the file were still showing cut lines that I didn't want.

    1.  So if you're joining 2 lines (or a line and a letter) together,  how do you eliminate the cut lines that this produces? If it can be done inside Flexi Pro I can't find it

    2. After I put the line at the top of the "S" there was a small wedge of the "S" showing under the left end of the line I added to it.  Is there an eraser in Flexi that can be used to erase parts of a design that you don't want there AND how to you eliminate any unwanted cut lines that will be created when you do this?

    I was under the im[ression that this $4,000 program the the "real-deal" designer software but  other than it's ability to allow you to write text and send it to a cutter or printer, it's not popping my bubble.!!

    Thanks to all for any help.


  8. Hey guys thanks a BUNCH fopr your input, and to you Brandon and the crew at US Cuter, a TREMENDOUS debt of gratitude for your help and awesome phone support.

    I chickened-out with the testing on this job, because of a shortage of "test" material, I'm going to re-open this case in a few days and do wheat the others have suggested - just laminate the whole uncut sheet first, THEN cut it, using a deper blade setting.

    Anyone that knows me at all will tell you that I don't take kindly being told that "it can't be done"!!!  After I had this job all cut out I had it figured like was said here, but it was too late for me.  In lieu of the laminate I told my buddy to just clearcoat the lettering. It will probably work out a lot better than laminate - don't ya' think?

    But like Brandon said, depending on laminate thickness there MIGHT be a problem getting the cutter to discern the edges?  I'll try it and let you all know.

    THANKS A BUNCH, GUYS.


  9. Here's the deal ............. I have a new Graphtech CE5000 cutter with their "ARMS' optical character recognition, running on the new Flexisign PRO 8.6.

    I bought some pre-printed gradient-shaded vinyl from Sign Warehouse to letter a friend's flatbed tow truck and want to laminate the finished cut with some clear vinyl, to protect the lettering.

    After I cut out the lettering on my Graphtec and laminate the letters with my laminator, how can I get my cutter to contour contour cut the laminated lettering?

    Is it possible to hand apply some registration marks to the job and do the contour with Graphtec's "Cutting Master" software?  Also, when registration marks are used is it necessary that the marks are symmetrical - that is to say exactly aligned, it can ya' just cut some out and stick them on to your job and expect the cutter to read them correctly?

    PLEEEEESE word your reply in simple terms because I'm REALLY new at this!!!  You can write me at: clseller2@comcast.net  Your help is VERY much appreciated.

    Da' Rodbuilder


  10. Grab the fonts you want to install.

    Select all of them and copy them with your RIGHT mouse buton.

    Go to your "C" drive...............then open the "Windows" folder.

    Click on the "Fonts" folder and paste the fonts in this folder!

    BINGO - you're ready to go with any program you run.  All of the fonts will be there!!!

    No charge!!


  11. I guess this is what I get for doing a FREE job for a relative of my girlfriend!.................

    I lettered the doors and tailgate of my Lady's nephew's Dodge truck, as he has his own brick-laying business.  A day later he called me and said he didn't like the COLOR! It is orange on his black Dodge truck.

    So now he's going to pay me to re-do it, but he wants it done in the same font as Dodge uses for their weight series - 1500, 2500, etc.  As you may or may not know, this font is composed of 2 lines that make up the inside and outside of the letters.............basically a block letter with a "transparent" center, if you will.

    If anyone knows where I can grab this font, PLEASE me an email to:  pbbm@comcast.net

    Many thanks for any help.

    Phil in Illinois


  12. i made a garage door opener out of a us cutter plotter.  I am very dissatisfied with it's performance.   

    You have to use the right drivers. duhh

    If the image is converted to a jpeg WHY does it need different drivers?  Big duhhhhhhh?:thumbsup:

    Why are you so negative? maybe that's the reason this has never been done - the industry has programmed you to be that way, so you'll bend over and fork over $25,000 for theirs.


  13. Ok dig this ----------------  I have a 24 inch Graphtec and there's a guy 15 miles from  me that just bought a $45,000 (?) flatbed printer that will print DIRECTLY onto Coroplast. 

    DIRECTLY!!  That means NO transfer paper, NO transferring, and ONE process to do the job  Try competing with his $20 18x24 inch Remax sign pricing and see what you're up against, because it's NOT gonna' happen.

    So what's this jerk making an hour?  $15.00?  He's NUTS and is only doing it to kill the other guys in the area.


  14. do a little research on how inkjet printers work. Don't waste your time trying to turn a lawn mower into a backhoe.

    Why not? I've made a couple of KILLER hotrods out of old Model A's. Plus, I love playing with stuff that nobody thinks can be done.  That's how they invented toilet paper!!! Aren't ya glad they did?

    I just think that the sign world is getting HUGELY ripped-off by the companies who are selling these over-sized printers for THOUSANDS of dollars.  OK - so a 36 inch printer is - what - THREE times the width of a normal printer?  Do ya' REALLY think it's worth 100-120 times as much as it's 12 inch paper counterpart?:thumbsup:?  I'm just not buying it.  Not yet, anyhow!


  15. Remember this one - -I just got into the sign biz after having been a Motor carrier (trucking company) for 5 years, as well as having extensive experience in the machinist trade and as an engine builder.

    So when I bought my new Graphtec cutter the guy made the stupid statetement to me that I "didn't NEED" Flexi Pro to do what I wanted to do - that Flexisign "Flexisign" would do everything for me."

    This was THE biggest 'crock' that has ever been said to me!!!!  The lower level Flexisign programs Will NOT run a printer.....the do NOT have auto-registration marks capability (although they WILL allow you to insert them) and if you seriously think that there isn't a difference between a $2800 program and my $800 Flexi mid-level, I have a bridge for sale in New York!!!

    THINK AHEAD AND CONSIDER THAT YOU MIGHT NEED THE AMENITIES OF THE BETTER SOFTWARE BEFORE YOU BUY ANYTHING.  You will NOT be sorry.  The extra dough you spend will be money in  the bank when you want to upgrade your business.


  16. So what does a vinyl printer do? Heck yeah - it squirts ink onto a piece of vinyl!!

    So say we take a $100 Epson printer and clean out the cartridges squeaky-clean, then fill em' up with Eco-Solvent ink.

    Would it print and has anyone ever tried this and if it won't work, WHY won't it?

    I can't wait to see the responses to this question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    If you've actually tried this and had ANY kind of success please email me at:  pbbm@comcast.net


  17. Did ya' see that dumba$# on TV who runs the Dept. of Homeland security today?  NBC asked her if she thought we should shut down the Mexican border.  She said: No, there are already cases of the flu inside the USA, so (basically) what good would it do to close the border?"

    Duhhhhh!  BECAUSE IT WOULD KEEP OTHER CONTAMINATED PEOPLE FROM COMING INTO THE US!!!!!  And this dope is incharge of whether we get attacked by terrorists?

    Man, we're in BIG trouble!


  18. From what I have read in the other posts we have going on the subject the Epsons seem to be the most popular. What I am looking for is a specific model if at all possible.

    Five, mostly we want to hear is who has had good/bad luck with printing on vinyl and what printers they were using. We really are not sure which direction we are going to go with this so I figured I would ask you guys about your experiences.

    Oh a REGULAR "printer"!!!  Why didn't ya' say so?

    EPSON.  And whatever you pick make sure that it uses just TWO cartridges. The ones with 3 or 4 cartridges are VERY expensive when you put new ones in them.  I buy 5 black AND 5 color cartridges for my Epson 820 for less than $30 off ebay!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    HP's tech support sucks.