Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeelpppppppppppppppp

[darkdragon]

I purchased a seiki sk870t cutter and i have the flexi 8.6 software. I am having major issue getting my print images to cut correctly. I have followed the tutorials endlessly and even downloaded inkscape and have attempted to use it instead of illustrator. regardless of what i use the end results are the same. i have contacted support for both flexi and seiki but they just keep sayin follow the tutorials. I have wasted alot of money in ink and vinyl trying to resolve the issue. My issue is alignment. no matter what i try it is always off by at least 1/2 inch. can someone please help me.

 

[signcrafters london]

Is Production Manager telling you to turn off crop mark detection on your plotter? That's what it told me to do on my Mimaki plotter. That resulted in the cut being off by the length of my crop marks = 10 mm = almost a half inch. I turned crop mark detection back on on the plotter and now everything works fine.

 

[darkdragon]

Unfortunately no, it hasnt asked anything about crop mark detection. My biggest problem is im just starting out and i know nothing about the software or the cuter other than reading the tutorials and trial and error. Ive been doing graphic design for a while and there are no reasonable custom graphics shops in my are so i thought i would put my skills to use making custom decals and so far ive done nothing but stay extremly stressed out with the entire project. i have designed several decals and none have turned out as they should.

 

[iSign]

THERE'S A CLASSIFIED SECTION IF YOU DECIDE TO SELL YOUR EQUIPMENT AND GET A JOB...

maybe you could learn all this stuff on a job anyway...

getting paid to learn: cool..

entering the marketplace as a professional after you've already learned what you are doing: cool

 

[darkdragon]

thanks for the advice but in the area i live in that isnt possible. besides i know what im doing as far as the design goes im just having alignment issues with the software.

 

[AUTO-FX]

What about the company that sold you the plotter? Can't they offer any assistance? Or did you buy it on Ebay or something?

 

[schramm]

DarkDragon,

I think that it is a little bit more then equipment malfunction. Check out uscutter.com/forum those guys are use to using ebay equipment.

If you are getting images given to you either for free (finding them on the net) or from clients you need to make sure that they are both grouped and welded as many images un-weld when you download them from sites. Beware of downloading free items from the net as they are more trouble then they are worth.

I agree that you should try this out working for someone else before trying this on your own from a ebay purchase. Most of those plotters are total crap!

 

[darkdragon]

thanks for the advice and as far as my images are concerned most are originals, i create my own images

 

[darkdragon]

you know im sorry for bothering all of u. it seems that this is a site that doesnt welcome everyone. not everyone has the luxury of purchasing a roland cutter and some of us have to work other jobs while trying to learn the trade and have to rely on other means to learn. judging by the comments here those that are self taught or those trying to learning their own arent welcome because the replies so far are go find a job. thanks for wasting my time, and for anyone else reading this if your thoughts match those above dont even bother posting

 

[Si Allen]

If that is the way that you feel ... don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!

Most of us here have spent many years learning the trade ... and you have been given excellent advice so far.

Obviously that is not what you wanted to hear!

Face it ... you bout a hunk of junk! AND no support! That suxx ... but it is not our fault.

Hang onto the Flexi and put that turd back on e-bay ... then save up for a real cutter!

 

[iSign]

not sure what your problem is assuming i dont have a job for one and secondly i thought this site was designed to help people not be a sarcastic ass

darkdude, thanks for the message!

First, I didn't assume you don't have a job, I assumed you don't have a sign job!

I said perhaps you could learn this trade by working for a sign company. That makes a lot more sense then buying equipment & hoping to become a professional in a trade you have zero experience in. Frankly we all have seen enough of the basement dabblers screwing up the local markets with bad pricing, bad materials and bad quality... so I suppose if you are going to proceed, some of us should help you to not go forward without at least some basic advice.. but once you said "im just starting out and i know nothing about the software or the cuter" ....well, frankly you need more help then you can reasonably expect for free...

and as for you perception of what this site is for... "i thought this site was designed to help people" ... what help exactly were you offering then? (besides educating us what our site is for)

 

[Mainframe]

Darkdragon, you bought a sub standard piece of equipment that is driving you crazy out of the gate, then you came on here and asked for help on something that few if any professionals have seen or used, so you get jabbed in the ribs about it in a help forum & wonder why. If you would have bought a Roland or Graphtec, or any other quality cutter, you would have just introduced yourself to us telling us how much fun you are having cutting all your own designs, think about it....If you can get out of that deal & get a better plotter, do it, otherwise you are in for a rough ride, running my Roland plotters is the funnest part of many jobs in my shop.

 

[darkdragon]

The thing is the cutter works great if im doing just cuts on colored vinyl. The issue I am having is the alignment is off when i want to cut a printed image. It is the software that I am having the issue with not the cutter. I create my vector in inkscape, open it in flexi, add the text, print it. Send it to the cutter, set the alignment in the production manager so that the image is centered and send it to the cutter. It cuts but about a half an inch off. I wasnt trying to be rude to anyone or tell anyone what the site is for. If I can help anyone with vectorization I am more than willing> I do all my own artwork and vectorizing. I just cant figure out why all my print cuts are offset

 

[signage]

Have you accurately measured the print? The finished print may be of the wrong size! You need to do adjustments for this read the manual!

 

[Tim Kingston]

As a recent Graphic Design student, I share your pain. But, let me say you are mistaken about this place. It is a great resource with great people willing to help. However, it is a two way street. It's like the old saying "If you want a friend, be a friend". I've been here over a year and have posted a few times trying to help where I could and haven't really asked for help yet; I feel have to pay some dues first.

As far your problem goes, try this. Instead of aligning to the center of the sheet, align to the right instead, when cutting in Flexi. Hope this helps, Tim.

 

[Gino]

Welcome from PA..........................................

He must be at work.... it's 9:30 in the morning. Maybe he's learning while at work like y'all suggested. ​

 

[darkdragon]

I do have help to offer if anyone needs vectors made. or if anyone has questions concerning illustrator or photoshop. I have 4 years experience with photoshop and am more than happy to offer any help. If I have offended anyone with my post that was not my intentions. I am simply trying to figure out what i am doing wrong. I know the cutter and the flexi software are capable of doing what i need and that the solution to my problem is more than likely something simple i am over looking due to my inexperience with the software. thanks for all the advice from everyone, and again if i have offended anyone i apologize

 

[Deaton Design]

I know very little about digital printing, as I dont own one, but I do order some from time to time. Sounds like something to do with your cutline maybe. Are you using the outline on the art as a cutline, or did you put a cutline away from the art? Seems like your software is not recognizing the cutline where its at on the artwork. Like I said, dont know much about it, but thought I would offer.

 

[Deaton Design]

http://www.signwarehouse.com/support/index.php?_m=knowledgebase&_a=viewarticle&kbarticleid=640

Heres a link at signwarehouse on using flexi to set up a contour cutline. Doesnt concern your plotter, but may help.

 

[iSign]

Are you running these "printed images" yourself? Using the Flexi 8.6?

If not, who is printing this work?
on what printer?

what software are they using?
What style registration marks are they printing?

Is the Flexi 8.6 you speak of "Flexi Sign Pro?"
I'm not sure if the "8.6" version would tell me that, but there is a "Flexi Basic" version, which is not designed to do what you want.. also it sounds like you want to "align" by centering... I'm only familiar with registrating cuts to prints using registration marks created by the same software that is sending the cuts, so I'm trying to see if that is what you are doing...

 

[AUTO-FX]

See if you can get a copy of the users manual somewhere. It should tell you about setting up the alignment for your cutter to registration marks. Every plotter with this capability has settings for different parameters and printer output. it sounds to me like your plotter just needs to be set up for your printer output. It's not your software.