sdken17

Cutting and layering multiple decals at a time

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I need to cut 100 of these decals and I am trying to figure out if there are any good ways to layer 10-15 at a time.  I can use the registration marks with 2-3 but any more than that and my layers get off.  I do a quite a bit of these types of decals for our booster clubs and I don't charge that much so I am looking to cut down on the time it takes to make them.  Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

I don't know if it matters but I have a Laserpoint II cutter and I use Make-the-Cut software. 

 

Thanks

 

Shawna

post-24330-0-86318700-1445026347_thumb.j

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Sub it out to be printed and contour cut? Then you could have them ship the prints rolled to you to weed out the white centers if you want.

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i would try using some parchment paper..throw that ontop of your first layer, then you can slide your second layer around to get the alignment set..tape a hinge, lift the hinge and remove the parchment paper and your set.. repeat process for each layer

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You are trying to cut a whole lot at once and layer them altogether and then just chop them apart after you tape them? Hard to do with a budget machine. The cutting accuracy just isn't there. Unfortunately this is one of the downfalls of the cheaper cutters. The parchment paper trick works really good for aligning with or without registration marks but they still need to be cut perfect or it's pointless. 

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I've found it hard even on a Graphtec, but it's not the machine's fault. If your registration marks are off by a hair, the last decals might not line up.

 

Here is an example. Take a 24 inch high example of layered decals.

post-29371-0-42516000-1445183809_thumb.j

 

Rotate the yellow design by 0.1 degree and line up the reg marks. It's slightly off but once they're cut and you're lining them up through app tape, you wouldn't notice that. I certainly can't see or do any better except by luck. The first image lines up perfectly.

post-29371-0-74898700-1445183813_thumb.j

 

By the time you get to the end of a 24 inch design, they don't line up anymore.

post-29371-0-70924000-1445183817_thumb.j

 

It usually works on a 24 inch decal where the outline is larger, but for a bunch of small decals, a small difference can throw them off over a long run. Instead of making a long run of 10-15 at once, try two runs of 5-7. I've found that they're still pretty well aligned at the 12 inch halfway point.

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