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twhite

Grapthec & Photo Tex - Reading Registration Marks

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Hello everyone - I am having two issues and hoping to get some help.

 

I have a Graphtec (CE5000-40) that I have been using for contour cutting vinyl decals.  I have a PC with Illustrator 6, setup the contour marks, print on an 8.5 x 11 sheet, put in the cutter, send to Cutting Master 3 from Illustrator and it reads the marks and contour cuts correctly.

 

Now for the two issues I am experiencing.

 

1. I have recently purchased and tried to use 8.5 x 11 Photo Tex sheets.  I repeat all the above steps that worked successfully on normal vinyl but when it goes to read the marks it does nothing.  I have changed the sensitivity setting and still nothing.  The only way I have been able to get it to read all the marks on Photo Tex paper is by setting "Mark Auto Scan" to Off on the plotter controller and have it read the marks.

 

Is there a way to have cutting master 3 read the marks & cut with the Auto Scan set off because when I send the job it seems like it reverts back to Auto Scanning and no marks are read?

 

2. My second question (non Photo Tex Related) or issue is I have a 12x12 Cricut Carrier Sheet and whenever I try to use it to cut the Graphtec does not sense the marks.  If I load the same piece of paper or vinyl directly the cutter reads the marks with no issues.

 

I thank everyone in advance for your advice or help.

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Thanks Mz SKEETER - I reached out to the "Guru" but never got a response... but alas I figured it out (both) on my own (& with the help of a combination of other helpful owners throughout different forums) and for anyone else having trouble here were my steps.

 

First I uninstalled CM3 and install CM2 as I could not find the option to go directly from CM3 to the Plotter Controller but there was a check box for this.

 

1. Loaded my image with cut paths into Illustrator

2. Setup my registration marks

3. Sent to CM2

4. Made sure the step size was the same in CM2 as in the plotter (which for me was 0.100mm) - if these are not matching I found you would get varying cut sizes

5. Clicked Send which sent it to the Plotter Controller

6. Had the Plotter controller set to use the Plotter Controller settings 

7. Unchecked Search for Marks (as this was my problem and it could not find on it's own on thick material or rough material like Photo Tex)

8. I aligned the pen with the registration marks - as I read on one forum "learn your cutter" I read all too often people give up at this point... like in football where they say it's a game of inches... in finding marks it's a game of "mm" - so the coaching point I read was to set your origin and do a search and if it misses adjust accordingly one click here or there and eventually it will find the mark.

9. I clicked "read registration marks" and once you get it to read all four marks you're on your way

10. Then I clicked Cut and it did a perfect contour cut.

 

Following the steps above and switching to CM2 solved both my Photo Tex issue as well as Carrier Sheet and Registration Marks on Thick Materials Issue.

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dang just last week the self proclaimed "guru" was saying he knew all about the machine and willing to help anyone that needed it :(

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Last I heard he was taking screen shots to get all of us hollered at. Guess he's still busy with that

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