Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 1st, 2017, 8:36 am

Hi, I hope someone can help me before I have a breakdown lol.

I have calibrated the machine, following the instructions, and the video that shows adjusting x and y values for accuracy. The machine cuts perfectly on the line of a test print of a single rectangle.

However....I am trying to cut 70 1nch stickers out but am finding by the time it comes to the end of the first line, the alignment is off by at least 1mm. It's driving me mad!!! I also have the camera, and was hoping to use that for accurate alignment on the marks, however when I have it on, my ctrl button won't work, so I cannot move the blade.

Two different questions really, but if anyone could help me with both, I would be eternally grateful.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 1st, 2017, 9:42 am

I cannot address the camera issue - you will have to ask Dawn about that. I dont have the camera and can get perfect alignment, If some of the stickers are cutting perfectly, then I dont think it is your alignment but would like to see the file to see if anything jumps out at me.

Have you checked to be sure your media is firmly attached to the mat as well as the mat being secure under the pinch wheels?

If you want to upload the file one of us would be happy to look at it and test cut it and see if we have any issues with the file. That would at least narrow the scope of what to consider.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 2nd, 2017, 6:39 am

Hi Gigi, thank you for your prompt response. I have attached the file I am trying to cut on print and cut.

I am using a new mat, so adhesiveness shouldn't be an issue. I am trying to cut on transparent gloss sticker sheets, but have also tested it on card. I have done a previous contour cut on the transparent sheet, and the alignment was out on that too, however, not significantly so I was able to use them. I am using the circle from within the library, and the image is a .png image that a customer has sent to me. I have edited it to remove the background (making it transparent) but that is all. I have previously cut stickers on a scan n cut, however I am having issues with that too (not my week!), so decided to transfer to the SB (something I will be doing for all my files eventually), and was faced with this issue.

On a plus side, I managed to get the camera working, so used it to ensure everything was super straight and spot on, but still no difference, If you could take a look, it would be much appreciated.

Edit: I have just tried to upload the file and it says the extension scut4 is not allowed? so I have converted it to .svg.

Carleen.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 2nd, 2017, 10:04 am

It imported at a huge size and when I work to get it to a regular 8 1/2x11 size - well it's not making it easy to get a 1 inch circle.

I can cut it smaller, but would like to try the exact file. To upload a SCUT file, you need to zip it to upload. This is a problem with the forum configuration. It views a SCUT file as a virus - go figure! But if you zipt it , then it can be uploaded. Or you can email it to me directly if that's easier - admin@silverbulletcutters.com

More thoughts. Which blade are you using and how is your overcut and offset set? Have you done a machine reset?

I will get to it when I can today. - hopefully soon. Given that it's a Saturday and a holiday weekend, there is a lot going on. :)

Will wait to get your scut file too - thanks.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 2nd, 2017, 11:54 am

Hi Gigi,

Yes, I have that issue when importing SVG files too lol.

I have my offcut at .25mm, the 45 normal blade in and overcut at 1.00mm. I have zipped the original scut file and attached :). Totally understand the holiday, we had ours last week, it goes too quickly!

Thank you.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 2nd, 2017, 4:49 pm

Ok - I had to move the file way up on the page to get the registration marks to fit within the printing margins. And I also moved the registration marks so they were closer to the images so I could get it all without the print margins (every printer is different.

I will attach the photos I took of what it looked like with the print and cut set up and then the end result. There are a lot of things that are puzzling to me that might be giving the results that are not perfect.

I cannot tell how you constructed the file. Ideally, the printing should be grouped (without seeing circles) and that would be your print layer. Then you would have a cut layer with the outer circle or inner circle, and no color would be attached so it would not be seen on the screen/mat, but it would exist and that would be grouped and become your cut layer. So then there would only be two layers on the right side - not as many as you have. It looks like you grouped each label individually yet there is no option to ungroup. If I break apart your image, I end up with white circles and no other part - the writing disappears, which it shouldn't. If I Edit> Undo break apart, the printing does not return - I just get blotches of color. I honestly have never seen that happen.

I have a lot of questions. Did you create the entire file in SCAL. Was part of it brought in from another program? How?

Two circles show on your design, but only one circle prints (with no editing) - that doesn't make sense to me either.

So I just went back and opened up your folders that show - wow. So you have a print and cut file for each label in addition to a separate circle. Your circle shows the cut line but your cut folder shows nothing. (if I turn off the eye, nothing changes. If I turn off the eye on the circle, the outer circle goes away. I think you have an extra element there that shouldn't be there.

There are often many ways to get the same result, but I am wondering because there is so much information and that it's a large file, that the software is even a bit confused as something is throwing the cuts off - they are not having the same issues so it's not an alignment issue as far as setting up the print and cut with the registration marks.

If I was going to make a label file (and I have) I would make the label size first - the one inch rounds and set them up in columns and rows however you need them. Then I would group them (and not change the color yet because you want to see the circle to line up the text - right?) So you have one file then which would be your cut file (you can go back and select that as your cut file if the software doesn't pick it up when you have the label done. Then create the text in the center of one of the labels the way you want it and populate it into the other circles. When it looks the way you want it to look, close the eye on the circles, select all of the text and group it - that is your print file. If you need that inner circle to print (which I would opt not to if I could) then be sure to create that first before you group the text so that prints.) Then I would select the cut file again (the outer circle(and remove the color.) That would give you a print file and a cut file and would be totally clear without all of the additional folders and sub folders that you have.

You could also take your image file (assuming that it is one large file with the 70 labels as a trace image. Then you would have the circles traced. Check "save image" in the Trace file pop up and close. they will open up on the screen. Select and ungroup. Close the eye on the print file so you just have the circles that would cut. Create a shadow for them (which is the the way you have it cutting now. Then delete the cut image since you dont want it cutting ON the circle, you want it cutting with a border around it. That should line it up perfectly. Make sense? I tried to do it but the png image does not have a close circle even tho it prints that way - so I cant create it the way I want to show you. Hopefully the explanation makes sense.

If you are designing in Illustrator, use the plug in and send to SCAL .directly. Or if you are importing an AI file, be sure to change your preferences in the Edit>Preferences under SVG DPI from Inkscape to Illustrator. That might give better results.

Don't know what else to say at the moment - my brain is tired and I need to get on with some other things! LMK if any of this makes sense.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 2nd, 2017, 5:42 pm

Hi Gigi! Oh my, that is fab! I think how I made the file up was probably a bit too complicated then. I imported the image (as a .png) and then took the circle for cutting from the library. The customers logo is the writing and the inner black circle, which she wants foiling, and printed onto a 1 inch transparent sticker (she originally wanted black stickers, but I was having a hard time picking black dots up on black paper, but now the camera works, I may be able to do that if I foil it). I then assigned the relevent cut and print, and then duplicated each one using the duplicate row/column feature. I thought this may save me time, but two days later, it obviously didn't :banghead:

I am going to go back to the beginning and do an image trace as you suggested, and make the file up that way, grouping each layer as you suggested. Wish me luck! Hopefully, when I post back, it will be happy news :D

Thank you for taking time out of your holiday weekend to have a look for me, it's really appreciated.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 2nd, 2017, 7:23 pm

Well that's how it seemed to me. Wow foiling it too - an added component, but I love to foil things and have been doing that a lot lately! :) Curious and off topic but.... does she just want the inner circle foiled - not the writing?? Not sure from your description but that may drive you to drink :banghead: although I can think of a few ways to get around that........

And as far as the black goes, you can go over the dot with a white pen or sharpie and will be able to see the registration - just a thought.

I didn't want to create more work for you - and sometimes if I was actually doing it I could figure out an easier way, but I coudln''t get a clear image of her logo in order to try it. I am happy to play around with it if you want to send me the image - it's up to you. Just not sure if I can get to it before tomorrow or Monday.

I hope you have success - please lmk. My fingers are crossed.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 5th, 2017, 5:54 am

Hi Gigi,

Wellllllll.......I finally got it all aligned on card, super fab happy dance, however, as soon as I put the transparent sheet on for cutting, it throws everything off. This leads me to believe that the machine hates the glossy transparent medium I am trying to use, and no matter how nice I ask it, it always throws it way off. I have slowed the machine right down to a pace that even a snail would win a race at, but nope, as soon as it moves over it positions itself in the wrong place. I have normally done these type of stickers on my SnC machine, which hates me as well, so I have had to order a new one and will then send the other one off for a service.

Just a thought, which I haven't tried. If I remove the rollers off the glossy sheet completely, if there is any slipping going on, that should sort it right? I'm just going to try that, as I hate being defeated, and will report back!

Everything in black is to be foiled, I wouldn't have been able to do it any other way.

Thank you for everything :)
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 5th, 2017, 6:54 am

Gigi, that didn't work. I am stumped. I have cut on that medium before, for other stickers, albeit I did have a more generous offcut to work with, and yes the alignment was out slightly, but I got away with it due to the design. I have attached a picture of the this, so you can also see the medium I was using (and the foiling :D). I have also cut on gloss paper for stickers, with a flower wave edging to it, which worked as well. This leads me back to thinking it must have something to do with the medium I am using....idk....
1503482741710443.jpg


I have also attached an image of the card cut (slightly out on that picture, but I made adjustments and it was perfect) and also a picture of the stickers I am trying to do. I you are able to zoom in, you can see it shifts to the left at the bottom, and then ends up as a shift to the right at the top.
20170905_104029.jpg

20170905_124314.jpg
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 5th, 2017, 10:11 am

The cut out ones look pretty good to me, but then I have a fever and am fighting a cold or flu or something nasty - you can take that with a grain of salt!

Not sure you answered one of my questions - how are you creating the circle that is actually cutting around the label. Could those be off?

Have you done a machine reset just to be sure nothing changed internally? I don't think that's it, but I have seen it fix a wide variety of things! And I am grasping at straws.

Will keep thinking...
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 5th, 2017, 4:16 pm

Oh forgot....yes I did do a machine reset and then found out what the little Red button on the side was lol.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 5th, 2017, 4:22 pm

My other message didn't post!

Okay, I created a shadow layer, following your advice. Prior to that, I was using a circle shape from the SCAL library.

Not sure if it is relevant or not, but the test on card was printed from a different printer to the ones on the sticker sheet.

I have also found the sticker sheets do sometimes print slightly wonky, so I line the registration marks up on the mat. Is that the right thing to do.? The sticker sheet cut is almost like it is being squeezed from the left and right, so the top left is too far to the right of the circle, and the bottom right is too far left of the circle.

Colds suck BTW, I do hope you feel better soon, as there is nothing worse than streaming eyes and not being able to breath properly :(
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 5th, 2017, 6:49 pm

Thank you - yes they are the pits!! Hoping the antibiotics kick in soon.

Well - you may have just hit the nail on the head - if the sticker sheets are printing wonky (I love that word!) or not aligning - that is the ONE thing that makes sense to me as far as the alignment being off in two different ways. And the registration marks are not going to help because what is printed on the sheets will be different from the mat - make sense? I don't understand when you say you line up the registration marks on the mat. Blame it on the foggy head!
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 6th, 2017, 2:41 am

Hi Gigi, ah you will feel tons better when they do!

I couldn't think of the right word last night and wonky was the first thing that came into my head lol, but yes aligning straight when printing. I align the registration marks on a black guideline on the mat, so effectively it should be aligning the print straight? I am going to try my other laser today, to see if I can get a straight print and will report back.
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 6th, 2017, 9:13 am

Thank you........ waiting........:(

Well - not exactly. If the print is off, the registration marks aren't going to help because the registration marks are based on the way things look on the virtual mat. If it prints crooked but the columns and rows don't shift, then it will still cut okay because the registration marks will also be crooked. But if the print does not exactly reflect what is on the mat, the cuts will be off. Am I making sense?
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby missdpd » September 11th, 2017, 5:01 am

Hi Gigi, I hope you are feeling a lot better now.

I just wanted to give an update.

I still haven't fully resolved the alignment issues, however I have done a work around, which helped a little.

I ended up cutting the sheets down to A5 size and running them through. There are still alignment issues, but not as much as before. I guess it may be one of those things that i may never get to the bottom :(

I have added a picture of the finished piece, so you can see what the outcome looks like :)

Thank you for all your help, I really appreciate your taking time out to help me try and sort this issue.

20170911_105302.jpg
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Re: Print and cut issues when cutting stickers

Postby Gigi » September 11th, 2017, 9:28 am

Thank you - I am starting to feel much better.

Those stickers are really beautiful. I am perplexed but glad you were able to get more consistent results.

I am glad you stuck with it. I am frustrated when I cannot be more help. Thank you for your kindness.
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