Cutting Tiles

[kctrader 10]

I'm new to using Signblazer Elements.    I tried to cut a large banner and kept getting the "waiting" indicator on my cutter.  I read on here that I should cut it as a number of tiles.  However,  I can't find a way to have more than one tile at a time.  The manual shows a tile button at the top, but I can't seem to find it anywhere.  I do have the "auto tile" button.   Any help?  Thanks.  

[Jerry Bonham 1]

Hello,

To cut graphic images larger than the width of your vinyl is simple in SignBlazer.

SignBlazer does most of the work for you.

There is really only two things that you have to do.

1. Make sure that your workspace area is big enough to enclose the graphics at full size.

2. In cutter setup make sure that the width and length of your vinyl is correct.  For example if your vinyl is 2 feet then enter 24 inches.  It is not wise to cut more than about 4 feet or 1200mm.  This is to ensure that one person can handle each tile.

Also depending on the actual size of the job i suggest a tile overlap from half to an inch.

The rest is simple.  When you press cut, the tile menu comes up automatically.

This allows you to cut any tile in any order

Also allows you to recut a tile if you make a mess of it.

Also allows you to reload the vinyl for each tile if you wish.

Our tiling menu was developed back in the days when if only one or two billboards were needed then they were cut out of vinyl.

If more than three were needed then they were screen printed. 

Nowadays they are all inkjet printed.

Users of SignBlazer have praised how easy it is to use for many, many years.

Oh, one interesting thing that is undocumented is that if you press Control plus S while in the cutting menu then this tiling info is saved into the file.

If you have to cut the same file again or just one tile then when you go to your cutter menu it will be exactly the same as the last time you cut the file, of course this assumes that you have not made any changes to the graphics.

Hope this helps

Jerry from SignBlazer.

[kctrader 10]

I don't think I made myself clear.  I was trying to cut graphics and type at a size of 22" x 96" for a banner. (Vinyl is 24" wide.) It would not cut as a single job.  Cutter would start, then stop cutting and display reads waiting.    I had read that I shoudl break it up into more than one tile, so each could cut separately.

I can't figure out how to add a second or third tile.  I can size the intial tile however I want it, but can't add additional tiles to cut.  I get the box asking if I want to cut all tiles, but never get more than one per project.

The manual shows a TILE Icon across the top, but I don't have that.  I only have an icon reading Auto Tile. 

[Jerry Bonham 1]

It appears that I totally misunderstood what you were asking. 

I am still not 100% sure what the problem is.

You say

I was trying to cut graphics and type at a size of 22" x 96" for a banner. (Vinyl is 24" wide.) It would not cut as a single job.

If this is the case and it is not cutting as a single job then there are two things you may have not done correctly.

a. Make sure you use a workspace area of 23 inches.  Even 23.5 inches.  Make sure the length of the workspace area is at least 100 inches long.  Make sure the work is all inside the workspace area.

b. In you cutter setup ensure that you have 23.5 inches for vinyl width and for length ensure you have say 150 inches.

Then it will cut as one job.

Trust this solves the difficulty.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

[kenimes 42]

I am not certain of how to tile it into sections off of the top of my head, but I will try and figure it out tomorrow when I get to the office. As for it stopping while cutting....Jerry covered that extremely well. If the workspace and vinyl size is set correctly for the big file you are cutting, then it should not be stopping while it cuts. Maybe try another connection method or cable.

[kctrader 10]

The size was set up correctly, on both the cutter and the software.  It cut about the first quarter of the banner, then went into "waiting" on the LCD screen and basically froze up.  I'll try changing the cable and the ports.  Thanks.

I have no problem with small jobs.  It just won't cut this large one as a single job.  I had to go in and cut each element (Line of type, etc.) as seperate projects.

[Jerry Bonham 1]

So what you are really saying is that part of the way through a big job the cutter stops?

This is a different kettle of fish entirely.

The first thing to do is turn off your screen saver.

If this does not fix it then get someone to examine your BIOS.

If it has power management turned on for ports then turn it off.

Post if this helps.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

[kctrader 10]

The first thing to do is turn off your screen saver.

None in use

If this does not fix it then get someone to examine your BIOS.

If it has power management turned on for ports then turn it off.

Not turned on.

Haven't been able to get out and try a new cable yet.

[Jerry Bonham 1]

Well in that case we are down to

A memory problem either in your computer or the cutter.

The most common memory problem i see is

a. Non matched memory sticks.

b Non contiguous memory.

Or a faulty cable.

Trust this helps.

Jerry from SignBlazer.

[airstuff 0]

...  I can't find a way to have more than one tile at a time.  The manual shows a tile button at the top, but I can't seem to find it anywhere... 

This part of the original question has not been answered. I ran into this today. Manual shows options for "tile" buttons but none exist in my version. I have the same issue. I'm trying to import, say, 10 different images (similar in size, not identical) and then cut all 10 at once, while having a separate weeding box around each. Like when making a stencil. When 10 images are imported and then sent to cutter... it treats all 10 images as one big tile... rather than 10 separates tiles. Is this possible in SBE?

Also, is it possible to line up the tiles on the "cutter preview side". All I can do there is re-size the red and blue box. But not add boxes for weeding or reposition the images. Thank you.