3 questions re: new SP540i

[Colin]

1) In the owner's manual, it says one should remove the rollers if one is just printing a sheet (smaller piece). Is that correct? If so, why? I've printed on a few smaller pieces without removing them with no issue.


2) In the manual, it also says that the two end media-clamps should never be used when cutting (plotting). a) Why not? I've been doing that for the last few weeks since getting my machine. b) If one is doing a print & cut job, how does one remove the clamps?


3) I think I recall the dealer saying that only the two end pinch rollers are required, yet the manual seems to suggest using all of the pinch rollers possible. I can see how one would want to use all of the rollers for printing on vinyl banner material, as you really want to keep the material down, and there's no cutting involved, but I wonder about this for print & cut decals, as the mid-section rollers may leave a lasting impression in the printed decals. (?)

 

[CentralSigns]

I remove the rollers as the piece gets smaller. Your right roller is fixed to a 6 in area and as your piece gets smaller you move over the left roller bumping the removable ones out as you go. As for for printing the rollers on my machine are firm but do not crush the material under them, I can see no roller position lines on the final product. Sounds like they, yours, may be applying too much pressure.

To remove the media clamps you push down on the top part of white plastic and pull out and it should fall off. The tec that set my machine up says that the short clamps can remain in always and the long banner clamps can only be used for banner and when sheet cut is not used. Cutting doesn't come close to hitting the short clamps.

I know a local shop that actually cuts off banner with the long clamps in, they say they can't figure out why the sheet cut blade dulls so quick. They also cut decals right through all the time and you can see the wear on the cutting strip. They will not be in bus long.

 

[Drip Dry]

1) In the owner's manual, it says one should remove the rollers if one is just printing a sheet (smaller piece). Is that correct? If so, why? I've printed on a few smaller pieces without removing them with no issue.

Are you talking about the little grey pinch rollers. If so, I never use them for anything but maybe banner material... if I think to put them in

2) In the manual, it also says that the two end media-clamps should never be used when cutting (plotting). a) Why not? I've been doing that for the last few weeks since getting my machine. b) If one is doing a print & cut job, how does one remove the clamps?

Again, media clamps = flat silver things on each end next to pinch rollers ?
I didn't know they came out. I used it that way for the last 6 years.

3) I think I recall the dealer saying that only the two end pinch rollers are required, yet the manual seems to suggest using all of the pinch rollers possible. I can see how one would want to use all of the rollers for printing on vinyl banner material, as you really want to keep the material down, and there's no cutting involved, but I wonder about this for print & cut decals, as the mid-section rollers may leave a lasting impression in the printed decals. (?)

I think when the manual was first written, some engineer thought it was important. In real life, I think most use just the end rollers with the clamps in place.

 

[Colin]

I remove the rollers as the piece gets smaller. Your right roller is fixed to a 6 in area and as your piece gets smaller you move over the left roller bumping the removable ones out as you go. As for for printing the rollers on my machine are firm but do not crush the material under them, I can see no roller position lines on the final product. Sounds like they, yours, may be applying too much pressure.

I guess I didn't make myself clear. The manual is speaking of the rollers (shafts) which hold the media log in the back. It actually instructs to remove them when using sheet media, and I can't figure out why for the life of me.

The tec that set my machine up says that the short clamps can remain in always and the long banner clamps can only be used for banner and when sheet cut is not used. Cutting doesn't come close to hitting the short clamps.

Again, that's not what I mean. I don't mean sheet-cutting, I mean regular vinyl cutting of any kind (with the plotter knife). It says not to do any with the small clamps in place. But I can't see why.

 

[Colin]

Here:

 

[Colin]

....and here's where it speaks about not using the media clamps when plotting:

 

[CentralSigns]

I get what you mean now. I generally don't remove the back rollers as outline page 82 of the users manual. It might be due a precaution due to the possibility of the media catching in the rear roller area where it feeds into the rollers and jamming at the back? Sometimes it catches a little and lifts the material up off the bed, but usually falls down before it can catch going into the rollers at the back.

Page 45 refers to the Cutting operation. I have a Summa cutter for cut only operation and never cut material only on the Roland. The Roland wastes to much material to be cost effective as opposed to the Summa Cutter I use for cut only operation(zero waste as opposed to several inches front and back). I also use SignLab 8 as a cutting program on another computer terminal stand alone with the Summa plotter. As a result of this, my tec told me that the during print and cut operation it is acceptable to leave the media clamps in place as the material is already prefeed out during the print operation. Misinformation from my tec? Don't know. Feed jams doing this, never. Cutter crossing the media clamps, never.

Do you use the media flanges to put your tubes on, always? I never use them, another tec suggestion. He said a waste of effort to put them on. Don't know if this is good or bad for the machine. What did your tec say on this? Until now had to believe what I was told as a fact.

 

[Colin]

I get what you mean now. I generally don't remove the back rollers as outline page 82 of the users manual. It might be due a precaution due to the possibility of the media catching in the rear roller area where it feeds into the rollers and jamming at the back? Sometimes it catches a little and lifts the material up off the bed, but usually falls down before it can catch going into the rollers at the back.

Hmmm, yes, I can see how that might be the only issue, but enough to go through the hassle of removing the rollers/shafts? I don't think so.

Page 45 refers to the Cutting operation. I have a Summa cutter for cut only operation and never cut material only on the Roland. The Roland wastes to much material to be cost effective as opposed to the Summa Cutter I use for cut only operation(zero waste as opposed to several inches front and back). I also use SignLab 8 as a cutting program on another computer terminal stand alone with the Summa plotter. As a result of this, my tec told me that the during print and cut operation it is acceptable to leave the media clamps in place as the material is already prefeed out during the print operation. Misinformation from my tec? Don't know. Feed jams doing this, never. Cutter crossing the media clamps, never.

Yes, I too have another dedicated cutter (a Summa too!) which gets all the vinyl cutting, but the Roland manual seems to suggest that the clamps need to be unemployed for even print & cut jobs. I just don't get that, especially when it starts cutting right after printing!

Do you use the media flanges to put your tubes on, always? I never use them, another tec suggestion. He said a waste of effort to put them on. Don't know if this is good or bad for the machine. What did your tec say on this?

Not sure what you mean here. You mean you place the log of media/vinyl directly on the rollers (or what they call shafts)?

 

[CentralSigns]

I just put media on the rollers directly.

 

[Colin]

Hmmm, it seems to me that the rollers would be of huge benefit. They allow the [full] roll to roll much easier, and with the locking rings in place, they help keep the media feed perfectly aligned for a consistant, unwaivering position/feed.