printing multiple copies with crop marks pickup reel stalls out.

[Shadowglen]

I am running a Roland VS-640. My job size is 51.13 wide x 42.62 High printing to 54" roll. In this case I need to run the same job 12 times. it is with crop marks we will lam and then return to cut. I set my page to customCUT enter the actual page width that the machine read 52.12 I add 1/2 an inch to my height in media settings (43.12) and set it to print 4 copies at a time. The tile spacing is set to .10. It finishes printing the first print, then advances about 4 to 5 inches and prints the next set of crop marks. I think the machine disables the takeup during crop marks because it has to roll back after printing them. So when the printer starts printing the graphic the dancer does not trip the take up because too much media has fed and you have to use the switches on the take up to roll it taunter to where it starts auto taking up again. Is there a way to lessen the distance between prints to say 2" and also how do I make sure the take up will function correct. I feel I am missing a setting or something. any help and advice is welcome and as always criticism is also handled well

 

[Ragnabrok]

When you want to use the custom cut feature, you have to load the roll as TU or TU2 (one of them specifically, i forget which), instead of roll or edge. Everything else you are doing sounds right, as long as the take up unit is plugged into the printer.

 

[toomeycustoms]

TU2 will not activate the takeup until the print is done. This would be useful if you were going to immediately cut after printing. We usually have it set to "Roll" or "TU" and it has worked in both cases for us.

It sounds like most of the steps are the same as what we use. Has it worked for you before? After our XR prints the crops it backfeeds the material slightly to bring tension against the TU bar and then starts printing.

 

[Shadowglen]

Thanks guys I will try it with the TU instead of roll and see if that works better. so I assume there isno way to lessen the space between prints?

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Thanks guys I will try it with the TU instead of roll and see if that works better. so I assume there isno way to lessen the space between prints?

You could try playing with the Page Space variable on this screen:

 

[Shadowglen]

I will have to check the page space as suggested above, as I have changed from roll to TU and still have to manually hit the switch between prints to reengage the take up reel. So much for automation vs babysitting.

 

[Shadowglen]

dropped from 40mm to 20mm space between pages and sent just 2 prints to speed up the testing. nothing space is still the same 4" and the take up still wont engage. Starting to have more faith in the cheap slip clutch style I have on my 540.

 

[Shadowglen]

Thanks for the response guys. Still battling the darn thing. I can live with the 4" space between prints because none of the settings will decrease that, but I cant deal with the the take up issue. It still requires a manual trip between each set. Print and walk away is not an option.

 

[Shadowglen]

OK revisiting this. My Roland rep told me to save the job as a RVW file, load the same file multiple times, highlight them all and hit print. This worked for the first 2 prints, but failed randomly after that. The registration marks printed with about 4 inches of space every time, but did not always have enough tension to trigger the dancer. Also note the vinyl was loaded as "roll" not TU, or TU2 Does anyone load multiple jobs and walk away trusting the take up or does everyone have to babysit?

 

[toomeycustoms]

We do this all the time with no problem. One thing I recall is after the machine prints the reg marks, it does back feed the material slightly to regain tension against the bar since it doesn't takeup when printing the reg marks. This is on an XR-640.

 

[ironchef]

You dont have to do that with a mimaki lol

 

[Shadowglen]

Still not sure myself. I was trying to lessen the distance between the crop marks so it would stay a little taunter and trip the take up but it wont go less than 4" space. I guess it is just stubborn.