Help Please-crashes wasting to much vinyl

[langecustomgraphics]

Hey anyone who can help please let me know. I just started my own deacl and banner business. I usaully do boat numbers and names. I have worked in the sign business before, and am good with most applications. I recently bought a seiki 720-H cutter, computer, and vinyl. What is happening is when I do a larege cut either multples of 8 or more smaller graphics are banner size graphics or text, anywhere from 1/2 way to 3/4 of the way through the cutting, the progress bar stops and the cutter stops in the middle of the job, leaving unfiinished work and a large chunk of scrap vinyl. I am designing in Corel X3 and using Sign- Cut and or Artcut to cut with. I disconnect my wireless internet and Just installed another Gig of Ram today and it still is doing this. Did I get suckered into a P.O.S machine and lame software? I Am I trying to do to much with my equipment or is there something I may be overlooking. I am dedicated to making this my career and its gets so frustrating to use 10yards of Vinyl for a 3 x5 banner and having it take me all day because of having to redo things. Anyhelp would be appreciated.
Thanks
Chris LAnge

[CV Signs]

sounds like a software problem. I've heard that artCut is shit.

[Fred Weiss]

Chris, I'm not making light of your frustration or attempting to be rude but here's your situation in a nutshell:

You bought a startup system for a low price that is not generally available or used in the sign trade. In addition you are attempting to run it from software that would also fit that description and that no one buys ... it is just bundled with plotters to help to move them off the docks. In fact, the only place I can find the Seiki plotter online is from an ebay seller named "shopfromhome1".

You then received this package and hooked it up without any support or training from a legitimate dealer which left you open to hundreds of possible mistakes in your installation and hundreds of possibilities as to why you are experiencing your current problems.

In an effort to be helpful, lets apply a bit of troubleshooting logic to your problems as a starting point:

What will your setup do correctly? For example what size job will it cut and complete successfully? Many plotters and the software that drives them have "page size limits". Have you read your software and plotter instruction books? Have you run across any mentions of page size?

By knowing what can be done correctly, many of the possibile causes of your problems can be eliminated. And until you figure it out, perhaps you can get your work done by reducing the size of your jobs. For example, if you can't run a repeat of eight, what happens if your send a repeat of only four?

[langecustomgraphics]

I think I got hosed from the dude I bought it from. It makes small projects fine. Any recommendations on new softeare to get?

[gvgraphics]

Flexi or LXI from signwarehouse.com. (LXI is Flexi just relabeled)

[Fred Weiss]

Start by buying a reputable sign supply dealer that's close enough to you to assist you when you need it. Interview a couple and see who looks the most promising. Once you've done that, then choose from what they have and recommend.

If you want opinions on what brand and model plotter or software is "best", then spend some time in the categorized forums here with several years of accumulated posts. In the end it will come down to Roland, Graphtec, Summa, Gerber, Mimaki and Ioline for a plotter that will deliver reliable performance. For software FlexiSign, SignLab, Omega, and bridge applications like CoCut are well suited to the tasks.

Mostly, if you're as committed as you state, be prepared for a considerably larger investment than you began with.

[langecustomgraphics]

I can do smaller multilayer boat graphics lets say 8" by 36" no problem. I have messed around with page size and such. I have pretty much went through all of the options and got most of that dialed in. It seem to mess up the larger the file is. As far as doing thing in smaller batches that is what I have been forced to do. So right now I am cutting a large word 2 letters at a time. At least I have a case of redbull to get me though tonite.

On the other side of things I have learned a lot and I kind of feel like when I bought my first P.O.S car( by the way there was no setup manual for the plotter)Anyway not to ramble I will overcome this. Where can I find a resonably priced cutter and good software from a solid source. I can make really cool stuff and to be limited by a bundle of crap is dissapointing.
Thanks

[Fred Weiss]

Check your Reno and Sacramento yellow pages under sign supply distributors.

[langecustomgraphics]

the cool thing is I did get a truckload of vinyl with all of this. Thank you very much. Guess I better start hustlin those boat numbers

[langecustomgraphics]

If you hear of any good used machines please send them my way

[CV Signs]

:Oops: Did it come with Avery vinyl?

[langecustomgraphics]

it came with a whole bunch. avery, oracal, and some 3m. 20 rolls of 8 inch and about 15 rolls of 24 inch, and 8 rolls of thermoflex, 100 tshirts, and a 15"by15" heat transfer iron. Anyone want to trade a good plotter for a motorcycle or a snomobile?

[Techman]

People are so motiavted to do this work. They all to often fall prey to the cheapest way in only to get hosed. I really hate it when I see good, honest hard working people get taken like this.

Unknown no-name machines running the simplest unknown no-name code, that no one knows or understands which leaves the noob stuck without support from any one.

I hate the lowballer machines. And I hate those who sell this junk even more.
And I feel that those lowball sellers are doing nothing but destroy this business just as the lowballer embroidery systems ruined that business.

I know of at least 14 different ppl in this little bitty town who own cat, dog, bird and other unknown named cutters. Some running the cheapest of possible software or hacked software making some of the ugliest of dislpays. All of which was purchased with just a couple hundred and all of them are fighting those systems shortcommings.

[OldPaint]

there is a CX-400 ROLAND FOR SALE HERE ALSO ken said he had a 30" gerber.......
i dont think its a plotter problem, per say. only thing would have that effect your discribing is a lack of RAM in the plotter for youre work you send to it to SPOOL IT.....or keep it so it can work from that info.

[langecustomgraphics]

can you add ram to a plotter? I got into this because making signs is one of the few things that gets me stoked. There is something so cool about seeing someones face after you make them a killer sign. I won't put out anything that looks like crap. I actually had to tell a guy that I couldn't make him what he wanted. Thank you for all of your replies.

[dswanson]

I hate the lowballer machines. And I hate those who sell this junk even more.
And I feel that those lowball sellers are doing nothing but destroy this business just as the lowballer embroidery systems ruined that business.
.


I love the cheap lowball machines as there are so many people who do no research or do research and don't listen to the advice that they asked for. The people selling these machines are not ruining the industry, every tom dick and harry with no background and no training that goes out there selling garbage signs using the wrong materials for the application with no design training and not a clue in the world what to charge are the one's who ruin the industry...heck I look at the people that sell these cheap machines as protecting the industry as all these people that buy them are not competition because they are too busy troubleshooting to be out there producing

[stip]

Try turning off the firewall on your computer. It's worth a shot and it won't cost anything to try.

[gROUND cHUCK]

What happens on the cut?
You say it stops cutting after 3' or so,
Does it completely cut all the graphics up to that point then stop,
or does it have cuts missing within that 3' section?

It could be a page setting in your cut/plot manager, setting you to a specific page size.

[joshGN]

how is the plotter connected to the PC? usb or serial?