Need help with my SC-500

[prettybird 0]

Hi, I have a Roland SC-500 printer/cutter.  I am having trouble getting it to print pictures very good.  It seems to be printing things way too dark and they look really bad!  It doesn't look anything like it should.  I tried printing a family picture for testing purposes and it's really bad and then I tried printing a picture I saved off of the internet and it's really bad too.  If I type a word in a certain color and print that, then the color is pretty good, but for photos and stuff like that it's really bad.  Any suggestions? 

Thanks, Deanna

[Guest]

What material are you printing on? Generally these issues will be caused when using the wrong printing profile. There are several members of this board that have Roland printers that would probably have some good ideas as well.

[Guest fivestar]

Yup need alot more info........what type of materail.........what type of ink.......who's the ink manufacturer.......what profiles you using......what RIP software you using.....what resolution is the picture you're trying to print.

[neron15210 10]

Give us a bit more info  and we will try to help (Five and me have same machine)

[prettybird 0]

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate the help! 

I am using Oracal Orajet 3165 white glossy vinyl,  I have the Roland Eco Sol Max ink (6 colors).  I am using Flexi Sign Pro 8.1.  I tried to print a picture that I took with my camera set to 8 mega pixels.  I'm not sure what resolution that makes it.  I also tried printing out a picture that I downloaded off of Canon.com because they said they were high quality pictures to use for printing.  Usually the pictures are printing out grainy looking or the color is way off.

I had my color mode set to CMYKLcLm, the other choices are CMYK or Greyscale.  My Dither is FMXPress

For rendering intent they are all set to relative colorimetric except on the first line under Bitmap it says perceptual and I don't see how I can change that and under others it is also perceptual but I can change that (but I didn't change it yet).

For my color settings: RGB is set to Abobe RGB 1998, CMYK is set to US Web Coated (SWOP)v2 and it won't let me change it and Grayscale is set to US Web coated (SWOP)v2 and it won't let me change that. and 'use embedded profile' is checked.

For media I had it set to SPVC-G (SOL Hi Gloss White Vinyl because I am using a gloss vinyl. I don't see any thing where I can choose a specific type of vinyl or printer. 

And my preset was set to SOL Hi Gloss White Vinyl SPVC-G CMYKLcLm Normal 360.

I set print mode to photo and also tried super and normal. I think setting it to normal the colors on the picture looked a lot better but it was very grainy looking and still looked bad.

So is there some other settings I should have for media and preset? And what should output profile be set to? And should I check the color correction box?

Let  me know if I need to give any other info.  Thanks again!!

[neron15210 10]

Ok

first, go to roland web site and download profiles for  sc 500.

this link will take you direct to proffiles you need to download:

http://www.rolanddga.com/owners/support/profiles/wizardresults.asp?a=2&ink=29&media=&profile_type=2&machine=4&software=1

Install profiles, and try this setting:

input profile (in Flexi sRiP and Print):scecosollclm_PGVP_FINE2.ICM

PRESET: NONE

MEDIA:OTHERS

PRINT MODE: FINE2

PGVP profile works for me fine (as for friend of mine who has same machine as we do)

Also try profile ECVPfine2, super etc.

This one works well WTBM fine2 or super.

No need to use photo setting , it lays to much ink with this machine.

do not forget to adjust heaters.

Hope this helps.

D.

[prettybird 0]

Ok, I will try this out and post back.

As for the heater, what do you recommend setting it to?  When we set it too high (like at 50), the vinyl starts to get humps and bumps which messes up the printing so I have been trying it in the 30's and that seems to work better but still get some high spots showing up in the vinyl.

Thanks again, I appreciate it!

[prettybird 0]

Another question.  Which profiles off of that list do I need to download?  Thanks

[Guest fivestar]

All of them

[neron15210 10]

Different material asks for different  setting.

It will make humps and bumps if material sets on one spot to long (you have to play with it a bit)

I turn heat on, when I'm about ready to click send on my Flexi (giving it a bit time to heat up).

As I said before , just download  profiles , install them and give it a try.

If you have any questions , I will be glad to try to help.

Here is another member here with same machine and I'm sure he will chime in soon.

Good luck.

[neron15210 10]

I told you he will make apperance 

[neron15210 10]

Yes all of them . 

[Guest fivestar]

I just lurk in the shadows Neron.  ;D

[prettybird 0]

Question on downloading and installing the profiles.  Where do I download them to and how do I get them into Flexi?  Do I just download them to My Documents or something and then add them in at the Output profile tab or the input profile tab?  

Thanks!

[neron15210 10]

Download profiles somewhere on you computer so  you can use them again if you need to.

On output profile tab click add  and......

[prettybird 0]

OK, I got the profiles installed to the output profile area.  And I tried printing a photograph using the settings that you said you used (neron) and for output profile I used both the PGVP super and PGVP fine setting and they both still look bad.  It looks like the colors are printing right, but it still looks really grainy (like there is not enough ink or like it's a low quality photo that I tried to enlarge way too big.  I took the photo using 8 mega pixels and I'm only printing it at about 5"x3".  Is there some other settings I should adjust still?  Should I have color correction checked or unchecked?  If checked, how should I set the color settings? 

Thanks a lot for your help!