NukleoN

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Everything posted by NukleoN

  1. Hi there, I'm having problems cutting a customer's vector file. I don't know if this is; 1. Normal margin of error for an LP24 2. Problems with the cutter 3. Problems with the file 4. Unrealistic expectations Here's a pic of the issue. Top image is the cut file, bottom is vector. The original vector file is attached. Would anyone mind cutting this and showing me a pic of the results? Also, I'd like to know what machine you have and how you cut the file. I may also sub this out to someone if I can get a reasonable quote. The original vector is here as a CS6 AI vector file. http://nukleon.com/images/Pics/vinyl/BM_Logotype_Single.ai Thanks! Spacep0d
  2. Well I figured it out. Just had to bring the top left registration mark down a bit. Now it works fine with Illustrator and the Roland Cut Studio plugin.
  3. Hi there, Well, I love the Roland GS-24 that I got from US Cutter. Fantastic, pro-quality cutter after so many years of working with a budget cutter. The trouble is, I am not much of a fan of Roland Cut Studio and have gone back to Illustrator with the Cut Studio plugin extension. I'm having a problem dialing in the crop marks as placed using the plugin from Illustrator. Couple questions: 1. Does anyone have settings for a Roland GS-24 for the crop mark (measurements) that work for a letter-sized piece of vinyl? That's 8.5x11". If you have a known-good setting, I could theoretically plug these numbers in and it should work. I want to maximize the space I can use to get as many decals per page as possible. 2. My cutter is reading the crop marks on the bottom left and right, but when it goes to read the top left it gives me a registration mark error and stops. Does this mean that the registration mark is either too high on the paper or too close to the rollers, perhaps? I'm trying to maximize usable area so I'm still trying to work out where the registration marks should go exactly. Any help is appreciated so I can use Illustrator. The biggest problem with Cut Studio is that it cannot properly read a transparent PNG, meaning that there's gobs of wasted space in the layout between stickers because the borders of the rectangular image will tend to interfere with neighboring images. With a transparent PNG in Illustrator, I can really maximize the area, even with layouts that have a staggered arrangement (not rectilinear). Thanks!
  4. NukleoN

    Problems cutting a file!

    I ended up having to farm this out to a friend with a much better cutter. I lost this client but it prompted me to buy a Roland GS-24.
  5. Howdy, I spent a lot of time on this board with my former handle of 'NukleoN' but I changed it to SpacepodGraphics since that's the name of my sticker business. I started with a U.S. Cutter LP24 cutter. Quite a decent stepper-motor machine for getting started, and not too expensive. I'd say I got into decal cutting around mid 2009 or so, so I've been using the LP24 since then and I've done everything on it, from single-color vinyl to multi-color, contour-cutting and even domed decals. I had always pined for a Roland cutter, namely the GS-24 with optical eye once I first took notice of it. At $1795 (with stand) from U.S. Cutter, it was mostly out of my reach....even when sticker sales were decent. Putting out that much at once for what seems like a cutter which will do the same thing as the LP24 is tough...in theory. In practice? Well that's why I am writing this; Here are some things you may not realize about the differences between a budget cutter and the pro stuff, from my own experience and perspective. 1. Your cutter may be loud, all the time. One of the things that struck me about the Roland compared to the LP24 was how QUIET it is...not just cutting but when I unload the vinyl, it goes into a quieter conservation mode. It knows when I have vinyl on the machine, and it quiets down when it's not there. The thing is smart! I love that. I'm not in a rush to turn the thing off because I barely hear it when it's on (granted, I'm hard of hearing). But, I always knew the LP24 was on, and it was especially loud when cutting. 2. Your cutter may be fighting you. With my LP24, it just wouldn't cut some decals correctly, even correcting for the file being valid. My own 'spacep0d' logos, for some reason, gave my old cutter fits and I only got a 20% yield or so, and I took every step to ensure correct cutting; Clean Cut blades, grounding the cutter to an outlet, good quality Oracal 651 vinyl, ensuring that the file was clean and error-free (tested by others) etc. Nothing I did fixed that problem. However, the Roland cuts this decal with 100% yield. Why? Hell if I know. Servo motor? Better precision? I also lost a major client because my LP24 could not handle small decals with the clarity and detail they wanted, and they were very discerning clients. The Roland could cut these all day long, no doubt. Hopefully, no more lost clients and many more new ones! 3. Your cutter may not know how wide your roll is or the area of a piece. This is what I expected from the Roland actually, but wow I was surprised to learn that it knows how large a piece of vinyl is, and automatically calculates an ideal cutting area. This let me quickly turn scraps into stickers. I could cut scraps with the LP24, but I'd have to carefully measure each to be sure I stayed within the area without the rollers losing grip of the piece. SO much easier on the Roland. One great thing is that the Roland Cut Studio software can grab the document size from the cutter and import it, so you can use the ideal cutting area of a scrap, no matter how small, in an ideal fashion. This is a boon compared to the old method. 4. You don't know good weeding until you've worked with a precision cutter. The LP24 was fine once I had dialed-in the proper pressure for each type of vinyl, apart from stickers it simply could not cut well. But, everything weeds more easily with the Roland. I went from weeding a single sticker at a time to ripping off whole sheets of sticker excess just to see if I could. I could, though I don't like to lose stickers so I don't mind creating weed lines. Precise cuts just weed better. 80 grams seems to be a good pressure for regular Oracal 651 vinyl, though this can vary a lot depending on how thin or thick the vinyl is. Very thin silver (almost like tinsel) needs 40g or it breaks up badly. A stiff gold vinyl needs about 100g plus. 5. Registration Marks. I figured out how to do contour cutting on the LP24 and did gobs of it, but it was a bit of voodoo to actually get it working....and I would have mysterious offsets that I would have to account-for manually....which was fine until the offsets were different on each row of stickers! It's just doesn't have the precision a Roland does. On the Roland, contour cuts, dare I say...are PERFECT. Plus, I can cut razor-thin borders I'd never attempt on the LP-24. That actually affected some designs I would create for the LP knowing that it might be a struggle to get even borders, and this was especially apparent with any kind of round shape next to an inner line in the art itself. The Roland cut a teeny tiny border, perfectly and consistently across a whole 8.5x11" page. It's such a simple thing, but it made me deliriously happy to see this and I wouldn't appreciate it so much had I not had such deep experience doing contour-cutting on the LP. 6. Roland's Cut Studio software, on the other hand, is a bit primitive. No user-changeable hotkeys (Just ALT+Letter keys), no known hotkeys to zoom in and out (but for the mouse wheel, but I use a Wacom tablet). But, it has important tools you do need such as basic shapes, alignment/spacing tools, etc. The way you copy and paste things is primitive (compared to Illustrator) but it's serviceable. It gets the job done, and the good thing is that there is an available plugin for both Illustrator and Corel Draw. If I can figure out how to get the cutter document size into Illustrator I'll be golden (other than just remembering the numbers and entering them manually). However, the UPside to all this is that I can cancel my ongoing subscription with Sign Cut Prod Pro and save money there. SignCut is fantastic software though...and highly recommended with the LP24. Basically, the LP24 is a good starting cutter, but there's some wisdom in going straight for the servo-motor pro stuff (even if it's not a Roland). I have some competition here with what I do (in my circle of clients and such), and all of my competition had better cutters than me even though I've been doing this the longest. So, I finally have a pro cutter and I gotta say, it's well worth it. Dealing with U.S. Cutter was good too, despite them omitting the letter of my townhome unit and just about giving me a heart attack before shipping. It was quickly resolved though. Putting together this Roland was a breeze, and every part feels top-quality...and that includes the stand itself. I know there are super costly cutters out there, but I can't say enough good things about the Roland GS-24 so far. My business has matured and I have a good client base....and this upgrade has been a long-time coming—seven years in fact. If you're considering an upgrade...really consider it. The whole experience is like going from a Kia to a Ferrari. Every minute you spend on a pro cutter is worth the expense, in my view. It's hard to appreciate unless you know what you're getting...and what you're missing. Despite anything I might say negatively about the LP, it allowed me to learn pretty much everything I know relating to vinyl-cutting and was the cutter I used to build my vinyl, contour-cutting and domed-decal business.
  6. Yeah I was wondering about something like this...good lead though. I'll look into it...or maybe someone can elaborate in this thread. This chrome vinyl I use is mirror-like reflective, so I can see why it might be giving the laser fits. I thought it might work because the ink itself is matte compared to the surrounding vinyl. I could try some matte app-tape maybe and see what happens.
  7. Hi there, Well, the Roland works great with regular vinyl and contour-cutting printed vinyl. No worries. The issue I am having (and I predicted as much) is that when I am contour-cutting a highly-reflective chrome vinyl, the cuts are offset consistently down and to the left about 3mm. It's reading my registration marks (using 3) but it cuts in the wrong spot—though consistently. Any ideas how to fix this? I really need to be able to contour-cut chrome vinyl since it's a regular thing for one of my clients. Another alternative I thought of is to get a working sheet of oblong shapes that cut in a known location, and then change the text for each (I'm cutting badges for cars, where the text is always custom). Any ideas are welcome. Thanks! --UPDATE-- In the meantime, I've just given the cut shapes an offset and I got a page of perfect cuts....but it's a kludge. I would love a real fix if anyone has any good ideas.
  8. Howdy Wildgoose: Yep, regular white vinyl contour-cuts just fine, even with laminate.
  9. I hear ya. Took me seven years making money with a very cheap cutter before I could upgrade. But, if and when you can swing it, it's worth it. It was really tough to lose that one client. I hope you can upgrade before too long. As your business grows it should be much easier to get the upgrade, though I understand there's some irony where losing clients undermines growing a business, but you need an expensive cutter to facilitate that. Bit of a catch-22. You may also consider using credit since you'll eventually make your money back with the better cutter.
  10. Getting it here too. Thanks for addressing this.
  11. Sounds mysterious! Glad ya like the post. I'm just a new Roland owner whose happy cutting decals again.
  12. Haha. Yeah, I mean I was blown away! The upgrade is even better than I realized. It's funny having that direct knowledge of both and experiencing the process of cutting a batch of decals with both stepper and servo....and all the little perks of a pro-quality cutter. I am not trying to slam the LP too much either. That thing got my sticker business jamming and I learned a lot, but I also experienced its limitations. Spelling and grammar, always....but I do that in part for the reader.
  13. NukleoN

    Roland Makes A Pretty Mean Cutter

    Indeed. I had to work hard sometimes to get what I wanted out of the LP24, and contour cutting was like a mixture of voodoo and a mystical incantation that was so inconsistent that I had to find various kludges to work around it. I'm still learning the nuances of the Roland...like being able to cut with a roll without having to pre-measure the vinyl...and contour cutting is a mountain waiting to be climbed. Also, Roland's cutting software is a bit primitive but at least I have a way to use Illustrator to send files over...not that I am good at it yet. But, the actual cutting...phenomenal. Easier weeding makes big jobs easier for sure, and no cutting errors at all.
  14. NukleoN

    Hold on to your shorts guys and gals

    Oof. Good luck with it.
  15. NukleoN

    Roland Makes A Pretty Mean Cutter

    I've had my GS-24 exactly one day and I am in love. The thing is so smart compared to the LP-24. The LP is great for a budget cutter with a stepper motor, and I've done tons with it, but I needed a pro machine now that my sticker business has legs. The GS-24 is phenomenal. Weeding is much easier now too....and I didn't even realize that it could size a piece of vinyl on its own. I laughed when I realized this. The thing is like HAL9000, only much nicer (it opens the pod bay doors whenever asked).
  16. NukleoN

    GX-24 wont contour cut

    Cool! Thank you for posting the fix. I just got a GS-24 myself and plan to contour-cut soon.
  17. NukleoN

    Problems cutting a file!

    This was their vector file. Nothing to convert.
  18. NukleoN

    Problems cutting a file!

    Thanks everyone! Well, I am looking to get 50 in black and 50 in orange, but I can weed them myself to save labor cost. Will show these to the customer. Thanks! I'm trying to get out of a bind here because I don't think my cutter can do this cleanly.
  19. Had an issue with multi-color vinyl, but figured it out. Delete this thread if you like.
  20. Hi there, Hoping someone here can help me though it seems a lot of people don't do what I do with contour-cutting on an LP24, but I feel like this forum is my only recourse. I am using an LP24 to contour cut with SignCut 1.07. I would use 1.95 but it's crashtastic when it comes to this and I don't recommend this version. Works ok for regular cutting. I've calibrated my laser offset per-usual. I'm using a Roland 45-degree from Clean Cut Blade. Offset is a proper .25 as recommended by Clean Cut and this forum (and from experience). PROBLEM: The contour cuts are about a 1/16" to 1/8" too low on the graphics, consistently. The contour layer is perfectly aligned in Illustrator, and other files have cut perfectly. This new file cuts with a bizarre offset I can't seem to fix. So, I've set the offset. I'm aligning each cut as I normally would with registration marks. Reg marks set to size 0, 3 reg marks. All correct. Offset is .25. Any ideas why I am getting consistently low cuts? I may try another file just to see if it's different, but why would one file be different from another if the other settings are the same? Thanks! Spacepod Graphics
  21. You're 100% right! Can't wait till I can afford one. The LP24 has earned its cost back many times over, but I am overdue to move up to a really high-quality cutter. The Roland will be perfect. Now what I am wondering if someone will test cut a contour for me (and film it) to show how awesome this cutter is (and whether the borders are even like my layout). I'll ping the other forums.
  22. Ok, the Roland GX24 it is (once I have the funds). Thanks for the recommendation. I watched a few videos about this cutter and yes, it's exactly what I need. The LP24 works, but it's just not as accurate as I need now that I am doing much more volume and intricate jobs (sometimes with my own art). I'm tired of uneven borders!
  23. I just don't see a way to eyeball a blade. It makes a mark but there's tons of room for error in simply seeing a tiny mark blocked by the carriage and everything else. So, the laser serves a purpose. It's just that a calibrated laser still doesn't mean I get even borders with a contour-cut. I have to trick the offset by doing trial and error runs (wasting materials) and dialing in the offset to something which works for the real world. So yeah, I'll get a Graphtec as soon as I can (dunno if I can afford a Roland). Do they make Rolands that are 24" and affordable? If so, I'd be all for that too. Until then, the best bet so far is to tweak the offset values in SignCut to get the cutter to cut properly. Slowly but surely my cuts are getting more accurate, but I've cut way too many sheets for this client just testing (after using the ink pen initially on a test sheet).
  24. NukleoN

    Black Ink Looks Gray

    Hey everyone, I'm using Cobra Ink pigment ink in a Cobra Ink printer. I'm having a problem where my blacks look dark gray and aren't truly black. Anyone had this issue? I'll be calling Cobra Ink on Fri. or Sat. but was hoping for some insights before that. Thanks, Spacepod
  25. Yeah if I align with the blade point, the laser itself is off somewhere else and this undermines the point of using the laser to do contour-cutting. Really, I should be able to calibrate normally and have the cutter cut as-intended. But, it could be that the error-margin on the LP24 is too high for the precision I want. It's also inconsistent even on the same page...growing worse at the bottom of the sheet compared to the top or middle. I'm guessing people don't have these problems with the better cutters like Graphtec or Roland.