Edge printing Silver Medal question.

[DeVries Signs]

Does anyone know why this is happening? I am printing black on Controltac 250 series and then Gerber silver medal on that.

Why does it automatically leave the area where the silver is assigned to print "open"? It's as if there was a clear fill assigned to those areas, but there is not.

Also- I need to use the Controltac vinyl for it's conformability, so I can not print directly on any solid black vinyl (although that would solve this problem!).

I could live with this if only the registration wasn't SO far off...ugh.

TIA-
(stilla'n00b)


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PS: Running Omega 2.61 with Edge Classic.

 

[Billct2]

In the pic it doesn't look like the silver is printing clear, just way off register, is that what is happening?
If it is I wonder if it has something to do with the heat settings and/or controltac expanding/contracting and throwing the registration off, maybe even the materials slipping.
You could try printing the silver first either a flood coat or a big overlap with the black overprinting on top.

 

[DeVries Signs]

What I really wish to do is be able to some how print SOLID black on %100 of the vinyl and then print the silver on top of that. I have no idea why it will not do this.

 

[Fred Weiss]

As Bill said, it looks like a color to color registration problem.

Since it's an older Edge, the first question I have is are you still on the original clutches? That much of an error indicates to me that something is going wrong mechanically.

Other than clutches, your registration is affected by:

• The comparative amount of foil in each cartridge. The greater the difference the greater the x-axis error.
• Having "Conserve Foil" turned on in GSPPlot (better registration if turned off).
• A defect in either cartridge that is impeding the foil from feeding properly.

The first thing I would try would be to run a test print with two other foils to see if the error is still there. If it isn't there then you know its one cartridge or the other.

 

[Fred Weiss]

What I really wish to do is be able to some how print SOLID black on %100 of the vinyl and then print the silver on top of that. I have no idea why it will not do this.

That is simply a matter of assigning overprint attributes to the silver and checking that it is printing in the correct order in the 1234 Dialog.

 

[Billct2]

silver over black? is that a good idea? you might need to white prime first.

 

[Fred Weiss]

silver over black? is that a good idea? you might need to white prime first.

I don't recall the last time I even used my Silver or Gold Medal foils but I do recall that they are totally opaque, cannot be reverse reading, are only rated for indoor use, and also that they don't mix like normal foils for Spectratone variations. So how an overprint would work under either circumstance would be something I would need to test if it was my job.

 

[Mike Paul]

The gold medal is totally opaque and works fine on dark colors. No primer needed. If you look at the backside of the foil cartridge it's white under the gold.

I never used the silver medal but it must be the same.

 

[Mike Paul]

I need to use the Controltac vinyl for it's conformability, so I can not print directly on any solid black vinyl (although that would solve this problem!).

I'd print on high performance Black. Careful with the gold and silver medal foils, they will crack if you stretch the print.

 

[DeVries Signs]

Thanks for all the quick responses, everyone.

Welp, I took the "fool proof" way out and I don't have any more registration prollums...

I printed a 11.8in high separate job using black on the white Controltac™, first, and then sent a separate job using just the Silver Medal on top of that.

Separate issue- anyone know why sometimes the foil STICKS to the vinyl??

Happens a lot more often than I'd like...

Thanks again-
Rog

 

[Malkin]

Where foil colors overlap in your designs, the colors will always "knock out" underneath by default.

To change this, select the objects that should print on top of another foil, and click the button as shown in the attached image. This will cause the black oval in the example to print as a solid oval, and the silver would print on top.

No idea about the foil sticking problem... Maybe some kind of heat setting?

 

[iSign]

they sell black controltac too.

but as for sticking, you are assigning the proper materials in omega right?
are the sprockets clean? They should be kept free of adhesive residue. Also, one of the sprockets 'floats' to allow for subtle variations in the width between to perforations in the material... that sprocket needs 2 or 3 drops of oil every 2 or 3 years... or whenever it get's sticky.. these are both good maintenance considerations, that also could possibly be a contributing factor in the foil sticking issue...

 

[DeVries Signs]

they sell black controltac too.

As far as I know, the 250c is only available in white.

The 180 series may be available in colors, but I don't like the visible air channels with that series. The 250c looks like regular smooth vinyl.


Thanks a lot for the other tips.

 

[signage]

It is available in black! see attachment!

 

[DeVries Signs]

Yes but I don't the 180C series.

 

[Mike Paul]

3M has Control-Tac, 3m has Control-Tac w/ Comply. (air channels)