Troubleshooting Your Printer/Cutter

June 21, 2010
By By Steven Jackson, Contributing Writer

When adhering designs to apparel, you must have the correct amount of time, temperature and pressure required for the material you are using.Photo courtesy of Seaglass Logowear, Clifton Park, N.Y.

Adding a Roland VersaCAMM printer/cutter unit to your shop can take you to a whole new level of decorating capabilities in terms of the types of jobs you can do, as well as the speed and efficiency with which you can do them. What’s more, despite the ample power the state-of-the-art machine can provide your shop, it’s not difficult to use — and if you follow these simple suggestions for troubleshooting your VersaCAMM, the road to decorating efficiency, versatility and profits will be even smoother.

Get schooled. Your first opportunity for training is when the installer brings the machine to your shop. Your goal should be to learn as much as possible from the installer while he’s there. It’s a good idea to have a few sample projects ready to produce with him; this way, you can do a project from beginning to end.

Beyond this initial training during installation, suppliers also offer hands-on training at a variety of locations across the country. These events present a great opportunity to learn some of your machine’s more advanced capabilities after you’ve spent a few months getting familiar with the unit. You can present questions and concerns you may have from using the machine for a while.

Internet forums also are a great resource for exchanging ideas with other VersaCAMM users and asking questions of people who use the machines every day. Eventually, webinars will be available at the MyVersaCAMM Web site, an enormously helpful resource that has information about upcoming events, videos, chats, blog postings from other community members and more.

Check your head. With so many things to think about during any given day as a business owner, manager or employee, it’s surprisingly simple to make a bonehead mistake — you know, the kind of goof that will make you feel a bit silly later, like forgetting to plug in the machine or printing on the wrong side of the substrate. That said, whenever a problem arises with something you’re producing on the VersaCAMM, stop for a moment and make sure you’re not having a bonehead moment.

Set it — and don’t forget it. Of course, user errors aren’t always that obvious. Sometimes the mistake can include using the wrong profile or heat setting for a particular type of material. Each profile in VersaWorks, your VersaCAMM’s software, has the proper temperature setting for the print and drying areas. If you inadvertently use the wrong setting, your problems could range from grainy-looking prints to materials that wash out quickly. Using the wrong setting, or a generic setting, is one of the most common mistakes with users, so always make this one of the first things you check when a problem arises.

Remember, these settings are critical, so if you didn’t already spend plenty of time with your installer learning how to load them into your machine, make sure you get trained to do so. You need to be comfortable setting the correct profile for each type of material you use.

Software solutions. You’ll need Adobe Illustrator or CorelDraw to create your artwork, which you’ll then export to VersaWorks, the RIP program that drives the printer/cutter. VersaWorks is included with the VersaCAMM unit. While the program is easy to use, keep track of the cut lines you insert; whether or not you see them on the screen, VersaWorks will still cut it if you’ve added them. Also, be sure to export images into the software in RGB mode, not CMYK. Making this mistake can cause prints to look washed out.

Tools and materials. Decorators are no different than mechanics and carpenters: They need the right tools to get the job done correctly. For instance, you’ll need a pick for weeding (some shops actually use a dental pick), as well as a cutting knife or scissors for removing excess material, and a rubber mat to protect your table.

The types of material you’ll use depends largely on the types of customers you have and the kinds of jobs they have for you. That said, you’ll probably find that three or four types of materials will handle about two-thirds of your work, so keep plenty of these materials on hand.

Take the test. Any time you use a new type of material in your VersaCAMM, it’s a great idea to test it before going into production. For instance, if you generally use one type of film for orders, but are trying a new material, don’t just dive right in and start producing orders. Spend some time learning the material’s properties, testing color schemes and trying a variety of cutting depths.

Let’s say you try a new metallic material, which is heavier and thicker than a standard opaque. You’ll need 110 grams of force instead of 50 to 60. By testing the settings before producing dozens of items, you lessen the risk of making a costly mistake.

For that matter, it’s a good idea to do a quick test before you go into production on practically any job. This way, you’ll be sure that you’re using the correct pressure and settings. Over time, you’ll get a feel for what your machine’s settings should be, but it’s still not a bad idea to do a test.

Smeared printing. If you’re having issues with smeared printing, it’s most likely the result of an improper temperature setting.

Incomplete cutting. When an image is printed, laminated and sent through the printer again for cutting, some decorators forget to adjust the cut pressure to accommodate for the laminate, resulting in incomplete cuts. A dull blade also can cause incomplete cuts, as can a worn-out Teflon strip in the machine. You can tell it’s time to install a new blade if you’re consistently using more grams of force than you should have to use to make cuts.

Print/cut registration. What should you do if a job requires you to cut around the edge of a printed image and you see some white showing, indicating a registration problem? First, keep in mind that these kinds of print/cut registration issues are less likely to occur with shorter runs, so avoid mammoth runs, if possible.

That said, try changing the page length via VersaWorks so that the machine prints a row then cuts it. This way, you’re not outputting a massive amount of printing, then having the machine pull the material back in to cut it, which increases the likelihood of a registration problem. Although this fix slows down production a bit, it increases accuracy.

Perhaps the simplest solution is to add a “bleed zone” to the image so that when it travels back through the machine, the cut happens in the color instead of right on its edge. Also, make sure that your unit is calibrated properly.

Application issues. All heat presses are not created equal, so even if you follow your supplier’s “recipe” perfectly, you still may have some application issues. It’s a good idea to tweak all of your recipe sheets to find the ideal balance of temperature, heat and pressure for your press; any time you’re working on a job, look at the recipe book and follow it.

Efficiency issues. Every shop will find its own workflow for maximum production efficiency, but start by following these guidelines: print, weed, mask and apply. Some shops have one person do the printing, weeding and masking while another does the application, whereas others have one person do the printing and cutting while another does the weeding and masking.

Steven Jackson is co-owner of Seaglass Logowear, Clifton, N.Y. He also is an educator and trainer for Imprintables Warehouse, Masontown, Pa. He offers free bi-monthly training at his shop on how to use the Roland VersaCAMM, as well as a bi-weekly chat at www.myversacamm.com. For more information, visit the My VersaCAMM Web site or go to imprintables.com.



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