Am I insane to try this?

[Proofread People]

One of the owners requested to print a logo onto a premade mesh banner (with grommets!) on our Canon Arizona 1360 (we do not have the roll to roll feature). I am highly doubtful that this would work well, how would you even keep it flat. Has anyone attempted this or is it plain foolishness?

 

[JBurton]

So, boss man wants you to load $100 banner into his $100k flatbed printer? Aside from the dumbassery of running a printhead over grommets, my concern would be what is going to happen to the ink that goes through the holes of the mesh? Is that cleanup time worth getting this banner out the door?

 

[MikePro]

i don't have that printer, but i've played with a mimaki 2513.

can you assist the vacuum hold-down with some double-sided tape tabs to stretch & tack?
else i'd simply try wrapping/tucking the mesh around a board/panel leaving only the section of the banner to be printed on
...that fladbed has a 2inch available print height, after all.

 

[netsol]

i don't have that printer, but i've played with a mimaki 2513.

can you assist the vacuum hold-down with some double-sided tape tabs to stretch & tack?
else i'd simply try wrapping/tucking the mesh around a board/panel leaving only the section of the banner to be printed on

blue painters tape & 3m spray adhesive (i would protect my machine.)
blue painters tape, glue side down, 3m spray adhesive, blue painters tape glue side up MESH BANNER
PROTECT your machine & THE BANNER

 

[Proofread People]

So, boss man wants you to load $100 banner into his $100k flatbed printer? Aside from the dumbassery of running a printhead over grommets, my concern would be what is going to happen to the ink that goes through the holes of the mesh? Is that cleanup time worth getting this banner out the door?

Exactly

 

[Proofread People]

blue painters tape & 3m spray adhesive (i would protect my machine.)
blue painters tape, glue side down, 3m spray adhesive, blue painters tape glue side up MESH BANNER
PROTECT your machine & THE BANNER

Thanks Mike. I don't think it's worth the time to "hack" it, high risk, low reward

 

[ozpall]

the owner asked for it, its the owners printer, i say go for it!

 

[Proofread People]

the owner asked for it, its the owners printer, i say go for it!

don't you hate it when people insist on a method that are against your better judgement? drives me bonkers

 

[Gino]

Ask him why he wants to do such a possible task ??

 

[justaguy]

I'd say, "Boss, I'll do whatever you ask since you pay me. However, my professional experience tells me I should warn you that we are risking damaging a $100k+ machine for a banner that would cost us ~$50 to remake from scratch. So we don't risk having our WF production down for a week due to a head strike, can I just remake it for you?"

 

[Gino]

Yo.......... you're new here as I see by your profile. How do you know YOUR professional experience trumps the boss's needs or wants ??

Don't go by anyone here's say-so..................

 

[justaguy]

Yo.......... you're new here as I see by your profile. How do you know YOUR professional experience trumps the boss's needs or wants ??

Don't go by anyone here's say-so..................

Yo to you well! Yes, new guy to this forum, but not new to printing (25+ years experience in cut sheet, and probably 15 of those doing various forms of wide format). However, the operator (who is an experienced user with his printer) clearly has concerns, so that was a suggestion on how he could address his boss. Personally, I'd probably tape down all edges and raise up the print head to ensure I clear the grommets, and just clean up the over-sprayed ink afterwards. But I'd still warn the boss that we only get one shot at this and may lose the banner - and have to re-create anyway.

 

[Johnny Best]

Yo?

 

[Proofread People]

Ask him why he wants to do such a possible task ??

he thinks it will save him money because it's not something we do often...PS other owner says, "No Way"

 

[MikePro]

just raise up the portion of the banner to be printed on with a board

else i'd simply try wrapping/tucking the mesh around a board/panel leaving only the section of the banner to be printed on
...that fladbed has a 2inch available print height, after all.

 

[Proofread People]

Yo to you well! Yes, new guy to this forum, but not new to printing (25+ years experience in cut sheet, and probably 15 of those doing various forms of wide format). However, the operator (who is an experienced user with his printer) clearly has concerns, so that was a suggestion on how he could address his boss. Personally, I'd probably tape down all edges and raise up the print head to ensure I clear the grommets, and just clean up the over-sprayed ink afterwards. But I'd still warn the boss that we only get one shot at this and may lose the banner - and have to re-create anyway.

Yes, thought of all that (tape all edges, etc.) it's a 50' banner, logos are spaced out. And hope we land in desired position?. I will have to move and reposition, secure banner each time. I just think it's an inefficient use of time, asking for trouble.

 

[Proofread People]

just raise up the portion of the banner to be printed on with a board

Would have to do some testing if I raise it that high, the banner is 50', the ends would hang off the front and back...

 

[Proofread People]

the owner asked for it, its the owners printer, i say go for it!

lol

 

[Smoke_Jaguar]

I say go for it. I love collecting stories of incredibly stupid things people do to cause crazy expensive damage to equipment. It helps me as a tech being able to tell stories about how their little $500 fix for routine maintenance is nothing compared to this idiot I heard about who did five figures in damage doing something insane.

 

[GAC05]

Just make sure to get a video of the attempt. I'd like to see how many 50ft banners it will take to cover the cost of a new printhead.