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A Summa Newb Here...Regarding Barcode Reader

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GivenToFly

New Member
I have an S2 T160...going by the serial number, it appears to be a 2014 model. I was frustrated when I first got it a while ago, and it sat on the back burner while I just kept running my workflow the way it has always been. I finally decided to sit down and try to get this thing sorted out, and it seems to be ok. I'm not really all that happy with it, but I have a feeling that has more to do with my lack of knowledge than anything else. For example, it can kiss cut amazingly well, but perf cutting (flexcutting) decals, it seems to struggle. Even if I have a square with rounded corners, I'll get issues where it doesn't completely join the vertical and horizontal cut perfectly and you end up with a slightly jagged edge where the two cuts didn't meet up just right.

Anyway, all of that is not really what this post is about, and I'll keep working with it. My main reason for posting was regarding the barcode reader. I have gone through the steps of getting my activation code from Summa and then executing the barcode server in Cutter Control. However, when I go to the area on the summa control panel where the barcode reader should be listed so that it can be activated, there's nothing there. The only thing listed is the GPerformance Mode activation block. There is no barcode block on there. I had thought all the S2's had this option built in? I had seen videos from back in 2014 on cutters older than this, running a barcode server, and looking at the Summa site, I thought it said this function was integrated into all S2 models. I could be completely wrong, but wanted to check here first.
 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
Christian @ 2CT Media said:
Have you followed these steps? https://www.summa.com/en-us/blog/vinyl-cutters-how-to-set-up-an-automatic-print-and-cut-workflow/

Also, is your cutter control and firmware up to date?
Click to expand...
Yes, I've registered, downloaded the activation file, and had the activation code saved as well. The next step after that is to go into the Summa cutter control panel and into the Actions menu, which is where the Barcode option should be, but it's not. And I updated about a month ago to the latest firmware.
 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
This is the screen that should have the Barcode option so that it can be activated...

20210731_173449.jpg
 
Saturn

Saturn

Aging Member
You may already know this (I'm not in front of my Summa so I don't know what it shows on that G-Performance screen) but to actually start/send the barcoded file you do that ONLY from the RIP or Cutter Control on the PC. You don't want to toggle anything on or off on the Summa itself to get the barcode going, aside from when it asks to be placed under the first barcode line.

If you're to that step and it's not working I don't have advice. I'll try and remember to take a look at my panel tomorrow and see what it displays at the same place as your photo just as a cross reference.

Regarding cutting all the way through, definitely do a few searches on the forums. I personally do NOT use the FlexCut option. Instead I hit my cuts two or even three times (depending on the complexity and detail), but it's still probably faster and cleaner than the flex route. I do about 10k a week this way, and have been for a couple years on the same 2015 S2 T75.

Eventually I will get around to making a video so people can see it's possible. I think a lot of folks get frustrated that the knife extension on the Summa has to be so precise to work well—Not something that just magically adjusts itself or you can throw a part-timer at and expect to just happen.
 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
Saturn said:
You may already know this (I'm not in front of my Summa so I don't know what it shows on that G-Performance screen) but to actually start/send the barcoded file you do that ONLY from the RIP or Cutter Control on the PC. You don't want to toggle anything on or off on the Summa itself to get the barcode going, aside from when it asks to be placed under the first barcode line.

If you're to that step and it's not working I don't have advice. I'll try and remember to take a look at my panel tomorrow and see what it displays at the same place as your photo just as a cross reference.

Regarding cutting all the way through, definitely do a few searches on the forums. I personally do NOT use the FlexCut option. Instead I hit my cuts two or even three times (depending on the complexity and detail), but it's still probably faster and cleaner than the flex route. I do about 10k a week this way, and have been for a couple years on the same 2015 S2 T75.

Eventually I will get around to making a video so people can see it's possible. I think a lot of folks get frustrated that the knife extension on the Summa has to be so precise to work well—Not something that just magically adjusts itself or you can throw a part-timer at and expect to just happen.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Yeah, my problem is I don't have the option on that G-Performance screen to actually activate the barcode feature. From the home screen I'm supposed to select Actions...and that takes me to the screen with the G-Performance icon...which is another feature that can be activated. From what I've read...on that screen I should have the activate barcode option, and once I select that, I am supposed to input a code that I was given. But I don't have anything about the barcode displaying there.

On your multiple cuts, are you just setting multiple kiss cut layers in the artwork so that it passes over each one two or three times during one cut process? Or are you sending the same cut job to the cutter as a kiss cut two or three times? I feel like running two kiss cut passes and adding just a little more pressure my help my issues, because the kiss cuts come out amazing. I've watched videos of people running their Graphtec FC9000's and it is seriously making me contemplate selling this Summa and going that route just because of the ease of cutting decals, which is what I do the most.
 
Christian @ 2CT Media

Christian @ 2CT Media

Active Member
The reason I was asking about your firmware is if you accidentally installed the firmware from a S1 and not an S2 this can happen. So of it is not an MD9981.025 then I would reinstall. If it is, then you need to contact summa as something may need to be added to the machine like the g performance on the older machines.
 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
Christian @ 2CT Media said:
The reason I was asking about your firmware is if you accidentally installed the firmware from a S1 and not an S2 this can happen. So of it is not an MD9981.025 then I would reinstall. If it is, then you need to contact summa as something may need to be added to the machine like the g performance on the older machines.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it's definitely the S2 firmware that I have installed. Thank you for the input.
 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
Saturn said:
You may already know this (I'm not in front of my Summa so I don't know what it shows on that G-Performance screen) but to actually start/send the barcoded file you do that ONLY from the RIP or Cutter Control on the PC. You don't want to toggle anything on or off on the Summa itself to get the barcode going, aside from when it asks to be placed under the first barcode line.

If you're to that step and it's not working I don't have advice. I'll try and remember to take a look at my panel tomorrow and see what it displays at the same place as your photo just as a cross reference.

Regarding cutting all the way through, definitely do a few searches on the forums. I personally do NOT use the FlexCut option. Instead I hit my cuts two or even three times (depending on the complexity and detail), but it's still probably faster and cleaner than the flex route. I do about 10k a week this way, and have been for a couple years on the same 2015 S2 T75.

Eventually I will get around to making a video so people can see it's possible. I think a lot of folks get frustrated that the knife extension on the Summa has to be so precise to work well—Not something that just magically adjusts itself or you can throw a part-timer at and expect to just happen.
Click to expand...

Wow...I just decided to come up to the shop and mess around with this and you are 100% right! FlexCut is garbage haha. I set up another profile just for die cutting without using Flex and have been able to get it dialed in on vinyl with no laminate. On a really complex decal that I was having to rely on my Rolands to cut...since FlexCut wasn't doing the trick without having really ugly cuts around the edges...a single pass with just enough pressure barely cut through and turned out absolutely perfect. The decals didn't fall out while being cut, but as soon as you touched them, they popped right out. Much, much better quality cut that's for sure.
 
Saturn

Saturn

Aging Member
You may find over time that a couple passes is easier to keep dialed in or gives more consistent results. If they're falling out or popping out too easy that's usually a sign that your blade is too far extended—unless it's brand new and you know for a fact it's not out more than the width of the material. I love my Summa and wouldn't trade it, but it's a narrow little window that it performs best in.

Ikarasu was nice enough to post a vid of their Graphtec doing some perf cutting recently, so I figured it was time I at least posted a vid showing that the Summa is capable of the same thing.

 
G

GivenToFly

New Member
Saturn said:
You may find over time that a couple passes is easier to keep dialed in or gives more consistent results. If they're falling out or popping out too easy that's usually a sign that your blade is too far extended—unless it's brand new and you know for a fact it's not out more than the width of the material. I love my Summa and wouldn't trade it, but it's a narrow little window that it performs best in.

Ikarasu was nice enough to post a vid of their Graphtec doing some perf cutting recently, so I figured it was time I at least posted a vid showing that the Summa is capable of the same thing.

Click to expand...

Probably a dumb question, but how did you get yours to do both passes back to back? When I was experimenting with two passes, it would do a whole row one at a time and then do the last one twice and work it's way back down that row doing each one again. I'm running my cut process through GoSign, so not sure if that makes a difference as well. I like how you have that going a lot better for doing double passes.
 
Saturn

Saturn

Aging Member
Not dumb at all! Although if you're using GoSign for everything I may not be helpful.

I create my final print file (PDF) in Illustrator, with the art on one layer and the cut line ('cut contour' spot color line) on a second. Since I like 2 passes, I stack two identical cuts on that same second layer. Then I 'select all' and step and repeat everything across and up as needed, for my rows and columns. I start with an artboard that I know is the right width for what will fit on the media and still allow Onyx to add regmarks/barcodes.

Onyx doesn't have a 'hit multiple times' option for cuts like Flexi does, so I'm forced to impose things the old fashioned way because I want the multiple hit, but this also means I can rotate and arbitrarily make things closer or further apart as I see fit—which can mean a lot less waste on long term repeat jobs as I can usually fit more up than the software would. Yes, it's a bit more work that just dropping a 1-up into the impositioning software, but not much once you've got it nailed down.

I would say it's either a layer issue, since most cutters will take how things are stacked super literally—OR you might be able to get away with finding a 'cut in order' or 'cut with least movement' or 'sort cut paths' type option to toggle. I think most cutting software has something like this, where you can either force it to cut your file as you set it up exactly, or let it kinda decide how it thinks it should be cut (preferably with the least moving around.)
 
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