Need Help weird cut on Mimaki cjv 150-130

[Garyd3599]

I printed some decals that were 22" x 6" inches. I used 54" roll. I put 2 rows of 8 (so 16 total decals). I had a small bleed so I just made a box around them to cut. The print was beautiful. The cut was not only off, it was way off. There first decal was kind of close. The next was about .25" off. Then it added that .25" on each one. By the time it was finished, the last one on the row, was off by nearly an 1.25". It looked like a set of stairs. I ended up printing again but cut them out by hand.
Has anybody seen this before and know how to fix it?

 

[equippaint]

It would help if you said what method you used to get to where you are i.e. illustrator to rasterlink, corel to rasterlink, a stand alone rip. Did you set the quantity and spacing in the rip?
Try to export your file to a pdf and then open in rasterlink. Sometimes the cut lines get off when I hit the rasterlink button from Corel. Could you have taken it out to laminate and put it in backwards?

 

[Garyd3599]

Thanks for your prompt response. I will try to give you the details. I did the file in illustrator (2018). I then sent it to rasterlink by using finecut8. I actually set the whole job up in illustrator and just sent it over. I have not tried the pdf option but I think I will. I did not laminate. I was just printing and cutting.
I will let you know if the pdf option worked.

 

[ewded]

Okay, just ask stupid questions instead of setting up your machine like I said. Whatever.

 

[equippaint]

They do say to have cutlines on a separate layer but ours are on the same layer as everything else and it hasn't caused problems. From personal experience with a similar problem Id put my money on it being a buggy export through finecut. Before you run your file check it in the preview window in RL, if the cutlines look way off they probably are. Then just export it and open it instead.

 

[Garyd3599]

With my finecut I have a button that makes a cut layer. Should I not use that and just create the layer myself?

 

[chromira]

With my finecut I have a button that makes a cut layer. Should I not use that and just create the layer myself?

Definitely use the cut layer button as this is the FineCut procedure. Double check the position of the cut lines in the "Output to Rasterlink" window. I have sometimes made adjustments to my image placement completely forgetting about the cut layer.

 

[Solventinkjet]

I prefer creating a spot color called "CutContour" and making my cut line that color. Then you can save the file as a PDF or EPS and open it in Rasterlink directly just like with Rolands and Versaworks.

 

[equippaint]

Like vander said, just make a cut line in a spot cut contour color named "Cut Contour", I think many use 100% magenta. It usually doesn't matter where it is in the file, top bottom, all mixed up, whatever. Then either hit the send to RL button or export as a PDF or EPS. No reason to make it any more difficult than this. Then the same file can be used down the road on another printer/cutter, sent out to someone etc. I've found exporting through finecut can be buggy from time to time so I wouldn't totally rely on it for everything.

 

[Dasdesignguy]

Always use crop marks. That way the machine can scan them and register the cuts much better than just doing a print and cut.