BN20 - Couple of Questions

[Justin]

I'm helping another local company with some printing work and using their BN-20.

When it prints black it seems very thick and is bubbling on the surface. Could this be because they are cutting straight after printing and not waiting to gas before cutting? They do allow overnight for gassing and I suggested leaving it until then to cut. The black really doesn't need to be this thick. I adjusted the ink usage in VersaWorks but it made no difference.

Customer was told to use RGB but I think it should be CMYK.....Just run another test in CMYK and black has been sorted but obviosuly colours changed, need to look again!

Is it possible to change the 'lead in' when printing, i.e. reduce the amount of initial waste material?

When cutting the machine stutters making the process take much longer than needed. Supplier thought this was because PC going to sleep but it's not. Almost like there's data interrupting it.

Appreciate advice.

[socialgiraffe]

Firstly, there is no need to allow to gas off with Roland machines, you can cut straight away.

The bubbling effect might be because the ink has gone off. Worth checking when they last replaced the ink.

Try changing what media you are printing on in Versaworks and use the SIGN & DISPLAY ICC Profile. Might be worth stepping down the quality as well.

lastly, make sure that the OVERPASS is on "1" otherwise it doubles ow much ink it is putting down

[Justin]

Thanks Simon, appreciate the quick response. Machine is just a month old so inks should be fine.

They have it set on Generic Vinyl, its heat transfers so I'm trying that setting, will look at profile.

Do they need to let it gas before applying to t-shirts or just dry a while?

[socialgiraffe]

If they are using Versaworks then use the TEXTILE HEAT TRANSFER setting on high quality.

I often press the transfer within a couple of minutes of the printer finishing and not had any comebacks yet. Ideally you could make sure it is 100% dry by leaving it an hour or so. Particularly black as this always takes the longest to dry.

[Justin]

They've been running everything in draft (as advised) They've also been told everything has to gas off overnight lol

I've changed to THT material, profiles they don't have the one you mentioned, there is a list starting BNEcoMH_THT though?

[socialgiraffe]

I assume it is a newer version of Versaworks so I am going to be working a tad blind here...

You should have a setting TTHT GARMENT HEAT TRANSFER. This is different to THT TEXTILE HEAT TRANSFER Hopefully each setting will have what it is for (like mine) so if you can see GARMENT HEAT TRANSFER that is the one to use.

I do not run anything in draft (even cheap banners) and for garments in particular I would recommend high quality setting only.

What garment film are they using?

[Justin]

They're using VersaWorks v6.9.1.

No garment setting on media type list, just THT Heat Transfer, seems to have corrected the black issue.

I think it's Dark Solvent from Xpres?

[socialgiraffe]

Mine is 5.5.1 so considerably older

It's not broke so never seen the need to upgrade it.

Good to hear it has corrected the issue. Suggest to them the Siser garment films, I have found them to be the best around by a country mile, and also stress to them make sure they use the right film for the fabric they are printing. So many people cut corners.

[Justin]

Thank you Simon, that's all very useful info.

They have a message coming up on screen telling them to shake their inks, they've not been told to do this though.

[socialgiraffe]

Yep, you get it a lot if the machine has been standing there.

I have ignored it on occasions (just press return on the machine), but it would not do any harm to take the cart out, give it a couple of turns and put it back in. Think of it this way, Roland have not put that message in there just to see you do an impersonation of Tom Cruise in Cocktail, so you may as well spend the 20 seconds doing it.