Printing panels that line up on HP FB?

[PrintItBig]

Hi,

To you guys who have used a HP FB machine...

How do you print things like hoardings where graphics span more than one panel and need to line up across panel to panel?

We demo'd a FB750 the other day and one test we did was to print some 8x4 sheets one after the other with graphics spread over multiple panels. The end result was the graphics did not line up well. We were printing them portrait (4ft edge first).

Would it be more successful to treat all the panels as one big print, feed them landscape (8ft edge first), butted up against each other and then separate them when they're through the printer?

Thanks.

 

[PrintItBig]

Anyone?

 

[Andy D]

I'm not familiar with the HP flatbed printer, the bed must must be a conveyor, right?
I have an Anapurna 2500i , it's a conveyor flatbed hybrid.

If so, Yes, that is the way I print multi panels to make sure everything lines up
perfectly. Just make sure you leave dead space top and bottom in case you have drift.

If I can't print this way due to the panel size, I print them separately, not full bleed ,
leaving enough dead space all around the print and having good crop marks to
make sure they line up well after being cut to size.

 

[sballinger]

We have a FB700 here and when I have a print running over multiple panels, I prep two panels and tape them together on the bottom. I do have a 10' long table at the same height has the roll tables so that allows me to do this. We used to do this same process with when mounting prints with our AGL laminator, always worked fine

 

[Andy D]

We have a FB700 here and when I have a print running over multiple panels, I prep two panels and tape them together on the bottom. I do have a 10' long table at the same height has the roll tables so that allows me to do this. We used to do this same process with when mounting prints with our AGL laminator, always worked fine

sballinger
I really like your table, you built that,it didn't come with your printer did it?
How easy is it to move and adjust the height?

 

[danno]

sballinger,

Really like the table. Nice use of the trailer wheel jacks.

 

[sballinger]

Since our graphics shop is owned by an exhibit company, we had our shop build those tables. I have 4 more that are not adjustable for doing fabric/sewing. The height adjustment with the trailer wheels is pretty easy (I run around the table and crank all 4 wheels by myself) We had to add those wheels because the original height is set for our AGL laminator which has a lower feed. The table moves ok, not perfect but it's manageable

 

[Andy D]

whoops I'm an idiot and re-posted.

 

[PrintItBig]

I'm not familiar with the HP flatbed printer, the bed must must be a conveyor, right?
I have an Anapurna 2500i , it's a conveyor flatbed hybrid.

If so, Yes, that is the way I print multi panels to make sure everything lines up
perfectly. Just make sure you leave dead space top and bottom in case you have drift.

If I can't print this way due to the panel size, I print them separately, not full bleed ,
leaving enough dead space all around the print and having good crop marks to
make sure they line up well after being cut to size.

Yep it uses a conveyor system. Thanks for the reply.

 

[PrintItBig]

We have a FB700 here and when I have a print running over multiple panels, I prep two panels and tape them together on the bottom. I do have a 10' long table at the same height has the roll tables so that allows me to do this. We used to do this same process with when mounting prints with our AGL laminator, always worked fine/QUOTE]

Thanks for the reply.

Sorry more questions...

So if you're doing more than 2 panels in a sequence do you just keep taping them together as they feed through and untaping them on the other side?

Are you able to do full bleed 8ft x 4ft panels using this method?

Is there a maximum length the printer can accept like this? Or is that governed by the rip?

If you don't tape them together, can you just butt them up against each other or will the vacuum prevent this?

Also, nice table, where did you get the wheels from?

Thanks.

 

[sballinger]

Yes, if I'm doing more than 2 panels, I continue to clean and tape the panels together (i have another one of those tables just in case i really need it on the other side of the printer)

I have had no problem doing 4 x 8' sheets of PVC with this method, registration has always been spot on. I did try the method of just lining the panels up on the belt and butting them up but I pushed to hard and moved the panel that was in the printer (that vacuum is strong but not that strong)

If a length limit exists, i can't remember it off the top of my head. When i'm doing a multiple job, i just enter the length in manually. I really can't imagine a limit since it can do rolled material as well.

The wheels for the tables may have come from Granger, our purchaser found a good deal on them. Just standard trailer wheels (like the ones on the FB already)

 

[PrintItBig]

Thanks, for that.