Installing full bleed digital print on die cut magnetic shapes - Registration Suggestions

[47CP]

We make a lot of die cut shapes out of magnetic material (individual numbers/letters and various shaped "panels") and would like to leverage our wide format printer to help with production time on these.

Currently, if we are making a given number that has a white outline with a red number, we cut the number itself from white magnetic and then cut the red part from vinyl. In order to register it when assembling, we scissor trim around the end of the red vinyl part before removing the outline part and them remove that strip of vinyl and put app tape on. We then use the backing paper to line it up and create a hinge to apply. Same procedure for a what we call a number panel, or placard. E.g a white rectangle with black numbers and text on it.

We make these same things with many other materials as well, but all those materials are printable, so we just print with registration marks, laminate, and cut on the cutter. I can't do the same with magnetic as our cutters with OPOS/Whatever Graphtec calls it won't do the magnetic and the flatbed doesn't have the camera/OPOS.

In an ideal world, I would print a "number" with both colors, slap it on magnetic material cut the same shape and send it out the door. The issue I am having is that no matter the registration method I use to assemble the two pieces, I get a very small variance, and the base magnetic color shows. Not an issue on white/white but putting something with red edges on a white base is almost impossible and any miss is really apparent.


Any thoughts on a better way to do this? Printing directly on magnetic and then die cutting would be best, but our flatbed is only 5 years old and it would be a huge upgrade to add registration mark sensing to it.

Thanks in advance

DaveW

 

[Boudica]

ok, I read this 3 times, and I'm failing to find the part where you don't just add a bleed to the artwork. I set up cut files all the time, if it's for contour cutting vinyl, or sending out a printed substrate to be CNC cut.

 

[47CP]

Sorry, I was not clear. The issue is not printing, adding bleed is no problem. The issue is that when I apply the printed item (say printed to the edge with red) on the white magnetic, it is almost impossible to get the registration of the two perfect and even a 1/32" "miss" shows that white magnetic edge like a spot light.

DaveW

 

[FireSprint.com]

I am having trouble following the text as well, but here's what popped into my head (Aside from just subbing these out to us)

Can you try something like this?
1.) Precut a perfect rectangle of magnetic on your cutter. Say you have a 48" roll of magnetic, cut a 42"x42" square right out of the middle. Perfectly.
2.) Print and cut a perfect 42x42" square of printed vinyl with all your little magnets nested on there with bleed.
3.) Laminate the two squares together. A 42x42" square should be easier to get accurate over a bunch of little contour cut shapes.
4.) Align that square to a perfect 0,0 origin on your flatbed cutter. You should be able to cut/draw a 0,0 origin line right on your table.
5.) Cut through the laminated magnet with more perfect registration.
6.) Practice this a few times, get it right most of the time, calculate your costs, and realize "Shoot, I can just send this to FireSprint and be done with it....on to the next job!"

 

[iPrintStuff]

What is your exact equipment setup?

Sounds like this is much more complicated than it needs to be. Can it be flatbed printed? If you have the cutter I’m sure there’s budget for a small printer?