window perf, hp315 and head strikes

[Geneva Olson]

I've been using the clear focus econovue for years now. I have always had issues with head strikes on the window perf. I learned how to manipulate the vacuum, and heaters to get a decent result, but now i'm having issues again. I have increased the vacuum to damn near as high as the printer will allow, i've lowered the heat to where I sometimes rub ink off after it's gone through the heater, I've poked through the vacuum holes on the printer...but I still get the head strikers.

Is there a material that works better? Does anyone have any other recommendations on what I can do to make it work?
I have 8 windows on my storefront and I have printed window perf on all of them. Not one head strike. But now it seems like I have a head strike on every print.

It's always in the middle and it always starts out ok and then about 6 inches to 8 inches of print it starts the head strike...you can see the lifted material going there.

ANY help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JBurton]

Is this an old roll? I had to toss most of a roll of perf 6 months after I got it due to headstrikes. I think the material just absorbs moisture rapidly compared to other stuff.
I have been happy with the gans stuff, that bigfish was pushing, but I think he brought all the same products in to his new venture, big fish digital. I used the clearview initially, but this stuff was even cheaper with similar performance.

PRINT MATERIAL, SUPER SOURCE

GET THE INSIDE INFO YOU DESERVE!

thebigfishdigital.com

 

[Stacey K]

Same problem here. I only print small projects and I order the larger ones out.

That's no help at all LOL

 

[Geneva Olson]

Same problem here. I only print small projects and I order the larger ones out.

That's no help at all LOL

NOPE. No help at all! but I still love ya.

 

[Geneva Olson]

Is this an old roll? I had to toss most of a roll of perf 6 months after I got it due to headstrikes. I think the material just absorbs moisture rapidly compared to other stuff.
I have been happy with the gans stuff, that bigfish was pushing, but I think he brought all the same products in to his new venture, big fish digital. I used the clearview initially, but this stuff was even cheaper with similar performance.

PRINT MATERIAL, SUPER SOURCE

GET THE INSIDE INFO YOU DESERVE!

thebigfishdigital.com

it's not an old roll. It's the end of a roll. I noticed if I have a lot on the roll it seems to be good until I get to a certain point.

For the life of me I can't figure why I can get a good run on some of it and why I can't on others.

FWIW: I talked to a grimco rep and asked if he could guide me to a different window perf that maybe is better and doesn't do that. I asked if he could sell me a 10 yd roll of another product to try. He told me he was offering me a solution of selling me a whole roll and if it didn't work out I could get a refund. Yea, that isn't a solution that's a sale.

 

[JBurton]

I'd bet if you fill out the contact us page you'll get a call and a sample roll from big fish...
A 5'x164' roll of this stuff is $305, compared to 54"x100' at $230 for econoview, it's actually cheaper per ft.

 

[netsol]

is this a problem that would go away if you were using a takeup reel? that should hold the roll tight and flat

i have several materials that have "too much curl" towards end of roll but print fine for the first 2/3 of a roll

most of my vinyls on the roland "tighten up" and lay flat once the heater reaches temp. they will "lift" if not hot enought (a curl at right angle to vinyl take up), i never paid that much attention to
if my perf was the worst offender

 

[JBurton]

is this a problem that would go away if you were using a takeup reel? that should hold the roll tight and flat

In my experience, its a matter of the paper expanding in the curing module faster than the vinyl, causing the paper to buckle under the vinyl, lifting the vinyl surface until it hits. Even loading it and going straight to the takeup reel doesn't seem to alleviate it when it's a 'bad' roll or the last third. For me it's more of the issue of the burn marks than actual head strikes, but after a cancled print due to marks from the curing module, the stupid printer almost always slides across the material and causes a head strike after the failure.

 

[Geneva Olson]

is this a problem that would go away if you were using a takeup reel? that should hold the roll tight and flat

i have several materials that have "too much curl" towards end of roll but print fine for the first 2/3 of a roll

most of my vinyls on the roland "tighten up" and lay flat once the heater reaches temp. they will "lift" if not hot enought (a curl at right angle to vinyl take up), i never paid that much attention to
if my perf was the worst offender

I bought a takeup reel for this reason thinking that it would alleviate the problem. But, what JBurton said seems to be what I'm experiencing.

 

[netsol]

i am the worst as far as storing my materials improperly.
that being said, would it help to store the perf in a bag with something hydroscopic (rice, or some of those little capsules that come in my prilosec?
if we can control how much moisture the paper absorbs, you could minimize the situation

 

[Geneva Olson]

Mine hang on the wall So I'm not sure how much moisture they are getting. We do live in Houston with a 100% humidity.

 

[netsol]

a console humidifier might pay for itself very quickly
Jburton got my attention, all you would need to do is close the gap between how much the backing paper absorbs & what the perf absorbs.