Information about gerber edge

[signdesign]

I was wandering what all you print with a gerber edge. Is just mainly stickers or are you able to do vehicle graphics. And do they have to be laminated or how long will they last laminated and not laminated. Please reply anyone
Thanks
Karen

[iSign]

I do vehicles every week... 4 this week, it is the best outdoor durability without lamination ever invented. My own sign is 7 years old in direct tropical sun & looks excellent with gradient color fades & solid opaque blacks etc.

I do as many decal & label orders as I can get & the repeat business from them is the best money of anything I do. Many small decal orders don't even require weeding or taping... put $50 worth of material in the machine, pull up old files.. push a few buttons & go grab a cup of coffee to enjoy with a good jazz CD while you put your feet up & type up a $500 invoice.

[Fred Weiss]

Karen, the Gerber Edge is a thermal resin printer. The Omega software from Gerber allows you to easily setup jobs for printing and cutting.

Thermal resin is inherently more durable than inkjet inks. It is also a considerably higher cost per foot to print. The Edge, a suitable plotter and a starting supply of foils will run you more than a brand new Mutoh Falcon Outdoor, starting supplies and a laminator though.

On the plus side, it is ideal for labels and decals as well as vehicle graphics. My shop is based around a Gerber Edge which we've run since 1998. The Edge can print on just about any film out there and can image with both process colors and spot colors making it by far the most versatile print and cut solution you might choose.

Take a look at my gallery (http://www.signs101.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=394) for lots of examples of Edge printed work. This is one of my favorites. Everything is Edge printed and cut to shape.

http://www.signs101.com/photopost/data/509/394Marys_Orchids_11-med.jpg

[signdesign]

Fred when you print them and you have to like splice the bigger ones together is it hard and do you laminate that or not. If I were to do stickers for the back of cars (auto sales) would I need to laminate. Will this software be ok with this Graphix Advantage Premier Software. I have Flexi will that work.

And what do you usually charge per square foot or inch.

[Fred Weiss]

Fred when you print them and you have to like splice the bigger ones together is it hard and do you laminate that or not. If I were to do stickers for the back of cars (auto sales) would I need to laminate. Will this software be ok with this Graphix Advantage Premier Software. I have Flexi will that work.

And what do you usually charge per square foot or inch.

Overlapping panels is an intermediate level skill. Not simple and not hard either.

Most work is unlaminated. Vehicle and long term work, most get overprinted with Duracoat UV/Abrasion Guard foil.

GA Premier will work just fine ... upgrading to Omega even better. FlexiSign is also, in it's latest versions a competent product for printing to the Edge.

Depending on the number of colors involved, I typically retail Edge output in the $12 to $25 per square foot range.

[signdesign]

Is there a place where I can read on how this machine works. And everything I would need to know about it. Does the dura coat go over the whole vinyl or just where you printed.
Thanks Fred
Karen

[signdesign]

forgot can you print on oracal vinyl that I use in my cutter or is there a special kind

[Jen Goodwin]

Does the dura coat go over the whole vinyl or just where you printed.
Either.
Aside from here...there is 4edgetalk.com and yes, Oracal prints beautifully! Luv my Edge!

[signdesign]

Do you have to use vinyl that is preforrated holes on the sides or can you use any vinyl (scrap) or whatever

[Jen Goodwin]

Only punched vinyl. But you can print on so many products with the Edge, there's static cling, t-shirt heat transfer, LexEdge, Edge positive, Floor Minders, perforated window vinyl, all the different colored vinyls including metallics & Signgold. Plus you can print spots and process color along with spectratone, which gives you the ability to print different color foils on top of each other and produce even more colors! There's shadow cast foil and tinting white foil now...no laminating.

[signdesign]

Do you have to clean it after each foil or how does that work

[Graphic Language]

What's a ball park figure to get into an Edge setup? More and More, this looks like the way to go to me, we just aren't ready for the leap yet.

Bryce

[Fred Weiss]

This is probably a great time to get a used Edge or Edge II because of the new Gerber Edge FX being introduced. There are probably 1 to 2 units a month that get advertised at 4EdgeTalk.com (http://www.4edgetalk.com/homepage/).

The main caveat I would tell anyone buying a used Edge is that is has to have the metal clamps and other shipping materials and the original box or no deal. The printheads in these machines cost in the several thousands of dollars to replace, including a trip back to the factory for the machine. If they don't have the clamps in place the printhead can be damaged very easily.

Here's the last ad that ran on April 7th:

I am closing my business and have an Edge 2 and enVision 15" plotter. Entire sysem is less than one year old, and will include all software, manuals, and even the new computer system to run it. I will throw in all of my stock with it, which isn't much but you can have it. I was told by the company that sold it to me that $20,000 is a fair price. You can call me at 541-663-1894 or email me at telfax@eoni.com.

Speaking for myself, I would say the system as described would be fairly priced at $15,000. The seller is located in Oregon.

[seaviewsigns]

are edges compatible with Mac platforms?

[Fred Weiss]

Yes and no. Gerber has a plugin for Illustrator on the Mac platform only named MacImprint which those that use it seem to like okay. The guy to talk to about it is Bill Modzel who is a member here. He uses it and loves it as far as I can tell.

Getting the Edge connected to a Mac takes a bit of figuring out as well but he can probably tell you ten different ways to do it.

Drop him an email or a PM.

[seaviewsigns]

awesome... was hoping someone used it!! thanks Fred!!

[Bill Modzel]

I may as well jump in here.
Yep, MacImprint is an Edge driver that is an Adobe Illustrator plug in.
I'm not sure what Fred is commenting about as far as set up is concerned. You need a Keyspan usb to serial adapter. Your plotter will plug straight in to your USB Hub. If it takes more that 2 minutes your thinking too hard.

MI works great, RIP's fast and has all the bells and whistles that Omega does except for consecutive numbering, (which would make a great addition to V3). The learning curve on MI compared to Omega, if your already famaliar with Illustrator is ridiculously easy. I'm running OS X Panther at the moment and should have Tiger going in a week or so.


Having said all that. Gerber hasn't upgraded it since Illustrator 10 and at this time isn't going to. It also wont drive a FX. If you at all interested in MacImprint I strongly urge you to email GSP, attn: Mr. Greg Wolf, and ask why not?