How to print to the edge

[maynemag]

I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on how to print starting as close to the right side edge of material. I have a FJ-50 and understand that it will print up to 53" wide, for some reason when it starts to print the heads start to print about an inch from the right side. How can I adjust this. Also if I load 54" material and do the sheet setup on the machine it only reads it to 52".

 

[sfr table hockey]

I kind of think that the FJ 50 might only be able to go 52" max. I have a FJ 42 and it's max is 42". I know if you just let the printer read the media width it will be short on either edge about a 1/2". If you add a bit of tape to the reflective strip the printer will read your media as a bit larger and print closer to an edge. Like you have done by adding a wider roll you get the max print area. I have a piece of tape at the front edge to let the printer read before it hits the media. I also have a CJ 500 and thats a 53", or slightly over, print area. Also the FJ 500 I think was 54".

Also in HS mode you will lose a bit more width I think.

I tried to look up the difference in the FJ 50 and FJ 52 but could not find it. I also think the FJ 52 was still a 52" printer.

 

[maynemag]

so is the printer just using the reflective tape as a reference, and since the media covers most of it once it sees the reflective tape again it uses it as its stopping point?

 

[sfr table hockey]

Yes the reflective tape shows the printer where there is no media. If you cover just the reflective strip you can trick the printer into thinking there is media there. Once you set up the width you can release the rollers and even move the media and the printer still thinks the media was in the original spot. Downfall is the printer will print on the platten then even if nothing is there and make a mess. The nice thing about this setup is you can put the media anywhere in the printer and almost any width. If you have a 5" strip you wanted to print on you could make it work. Just add a strip to the reflective part and use the base point each time to set where you want to start the print. As is the printers need a min size of media to read or it will give an error sheet too small. I have now covered my rear and front media censors so that I get the most out of the last bit of media. It would always stop printing once the back censor got uncovered and I would only have a couple more inches to go. Now it will print propper right till the media comes off the rollers. Also the odd time on a piece of media, I would have something happen and it would lift at the back just enought to make the rear censor see light and would shut the print down and wreck the job. Or I would do something stupid like lift the front printed area up to look at while printing and uncover the front censor and do the same thing. Just remember if you cover these censors they won't stop printing if media runs out. You need to watch or be there on the runs that would be close to running out.

With adding wider media roll be carefull that there is still a bit of space between the printer rails in case the media wanders a bit. I had an edge too close once and the edge caught the inside frame edge and buckled the media and caused a head strike.

 

[maynemag]

thanks a bunch I will give this a shot!