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Yes found problem after decicded to change the head was encoder gave it a good clean all back and running again

You would be amazed at how many businesses that I interact with, who do not have their own artwork for one reason or another. I often dread having to recreate someone else's logo because it seems like reinventing the wheel, but it's the same wheel without any improvements

The other option would be to analyze the design and figure out a way to break it into smaller pieces. Add in some registration marks to get it all lined back up and you're good to go.

Jimbo, you got a solution that was offered 15 years ago, which is a fine testament to the effectiveness of these Forums and its Search functionality. By the way, 'mobby' was one of the most-well-versed people regarding SignBlazer, as he was personally familiar with the developer (Jerry Bonham). All of that is water under the bridge, of course, but it's great to see people are still able to obtain "Help" on a program that's long since been abandoned in the marketplace.

DXF files are not really cutter friendly. They look like a constant line, but they are actually several line segments and are typically not joined. VM can't do a contour, because it doesn't see a shape to contour cut around. You will need to join all the segments in order to create a shape. I might be as simple as joining the 3 areas circled below or you might need to join every single little line segment. Some software has the ability to automatically join line segments that are close enough, although this can give some funky results some times. I believe Inkscape has this ability. If you can get the file as an eps, ai, or svg rather than a dxf that would be the easiest way to go.

Update! Since we're in Hawai'i, Graphtec recommended that we check with a local authorized repair shop rather than send the whole thing to continental US. We called up the recommended shop and after hearing of our issue asked, "when did you last replace the plunger?" They noted that those can stop working, preventing the blade from spinning/rotating. We ordered a new plunger from them and we're back in business! We finished out the 15mil synthetic job and are getting through the 10mil job as I write this. The old plunger has been marked and is still good enough for most of our paper jobs. I did let the boss know about the other blades you folks recommended. Thank you

. Has this cutter ever cut correctly? Is it new or used? Your cutter is a value cutter with a cheap Chinese chipset on it,, will take a bit of fine tuning to cut correctly. Best to use with a Tripplite Keyspan Adapter and your null modem cable. Setting your blade depth correctly is the first thing you have to get correct, You do not use the depth of a credit card or post it notes. That is way too much blade exposed out of the blade holder. You set the blade depth to the vinyl you will be cutting.( Instructions below). For blade offset, start at 0.25mm and adjust at 0.05 to be correct. Show your test cuts from the TEST cut feature on the machine. That has to be correct first, before you cut anything. Square should be square. You could also ad a little overcut in your cutting software, but that is not going to fix what you have going on. You have to start with the correct blade depth first. this info has been posted on here hundreds and hundreds of times, it applies to any brand of vinyl cutter, except a Graphtec has a ZERO blade offset. Something that you will have to do if you haven't, if that cutter is on a stand, it needs grounded to the stand, or static from the vinyl, will stop the cutter. The tracking is not good on those cutters for larger designs. The memory is also not good for larger designs. To start with, you should set your blade depth correctly, by taking the blade holder out of the machine, and firmly cut across a piece of scrap vinyl, you will be cutting. You should only be cutting the vinyl and barely a mark on wax paper backing, Adjust blade to get there, Then put the blade holder back in machine, and use the force of the machine to get there, same results, only cutting the vinyl and barely a mark in wax paper backing. You should barely see and feel the blade tip out of the blade holder. Regular sign vinyl is only 2-3 mil thick. You only cut with the very tip of the blade. When you think the blade is so far in the blade holder, that you think it would not even cut, that is probably correct.

My cutter appears to be one of the numerous re-branded versions of the ct630. It's currently running v2.01 firmware and generally seems to work ok but i am a n00b at using vinyl cutters. I have my own eprom burner - so while it's not worth it to me to pay for a programmed chip with unknown improvements, I'm curious enough that if i can get an image of the firmware i think it would be neat to see what the difference may be.

Without knowing much about Roland machines, I can tell you that this error is related to some sensor within the circuitry that's failed. Think of it like a car that displays a CheckEngineLight --- it could be caused by any number of things within the sensor loops. Until you have the vehicle computer scanned to read the code which describes specifically what is wrong, you cannot troubleshoot. Your unit is throwing a 'code' that explains what is wrong. The internal computer has discovered that a pinchroller sensor isn't sending back a clear signal, and if I were in your shoes, that machine would be disassembled and the wiring from the pinchrollers to the motherboard checked for electrical continuity. That would be the first thing to investigate, certainly. By the way, a google search for CJ500 produces a Mahindra jeep, a classic!

Although you did the letters from scratch, it might be useful to investigate the cost of these size letters from Woodland. That way, you'll know what the price of individual plastic letters are to the average Joe who doesn't have the capabilities to cut them out of wood with a CNC machine. When I quote a job for dimensional lettering, I'll triple the price they charge for just the letters, and then factor in the install process (affixing the template & drilling holes for the mounting studs into the wall). Placing these neatly aligned onto a wall is the main challenge, depending on how high up they're going to be. In most cases, a man-lift or bucket-truck is preferable, although I have seen it done with straight ladders, which is a PIA.

Did all of you alignment grid look good when you ran that? I always spent more time on alignment than changing the heads

Nice find. I tried looking for something like that but couldn't find it.

Just wanted to say HI and let all my friends on the forum that I am still around. I spent the past few years taking care of my wife so I had to put all my work on the back burner. I'm doing very little work, mainly for friends at the moment. I'm still in the process of getting all the paperwork done. Once again, Hello everyone.

Ok, did some test cuts, came out great but what just blew me away was cutting some glitter. I hated working with glitter, the Graphtec just laughed at me and cut it amazingly. Wish I got this thing sooner. I spent several hours last week weeding glitter. Had I only known. ha!

I would replace them anything less than a 1/4. Try again. mark-s

OK, I'm getting a feel for why you are unloading this unit. From what you described, it's the software which intimidates/disappoints your spouse. VinylMaster has a fairly steep learning curve for newbies, and although it's full-featured, that unto itself makes it somewhat difficult to grasp the fundamentals. I've stuck with SignBlazer since getting my first cutter a decade ago (back then, USCUTTER still bundled it with their equipment). The cartoon-like interface appealed to me when I started doing this work, and it still does. Perhaps if your wife likes using the SignBlazer program, then she'll want to retain the unit and you don't have to take a loss on it.

Hate to say this, Kainth, but what you did there is not very useful, at all, from the standpoint of providing what was requested. .pdf? How is that even cuttable? He wants an SBD file, which I could make in two minutes, but I won't. In fact, I think this poster is just messing around with us, he was here with the exact same 'threepers' militia logo in 2020. For the record, Three Percenters have a track record of criminal activity ranging from weapons violations to terrorist plots and attacks. (according to the ADL, the Jewish Anti-Defamation League). He was given the exact information he needs to do his own cutting file. If he can't manage it, that's his problem, not ours.

There is already a thread here that people showed their shops, you will have to find it. Also, there is only a couple handfuls of forum members that answer questions anymore. I never went small. I started with large graphics and never looked back. My average is 20" wide by 8 feet. L. Clear up to 27" w x 16 feet .L. I prefer making my money fast. Less work, more pay. Large detailed graphics is my niche' I work out of a 13' x 14' bedroom, 8 ft table, 30" cutter, old XP laptop. I have been at it for 16 years, online only. Good luck.

Signblazer is an unlimited trial now. It has been for quite sometime. It cannot upgrade. There is not any support for it. The owner passed away, years back.

Sign Blazer Elements - totally free, and probably just as ancient, if not more so, than your Roland. It has design and cut abilities.

Where

Wow...first post and reviving a dead thread!

As long as your clean the heads after every print it`s all good. Still running one that i`ve had for 8 years. mark-s

Ya, Youtube and I need to get a room.. lmao I guess frustration means im on the right learning curve path.. lol

ok so you are not talking about a wrap. you are applying large cut vinyl pieces. a WRAP is done by using printed vinyl on vinyl + laminate made just for doing a vinyl wrap. ex printed IJ180cv3 with 8518 overlaminate. not standard cut vinyl. if you wet install wrap vinyl you will never get out all the water from the micro air release channels. it will cause the wrap to fail!!!