VersaUV® Owners: Check Your UV Lamp Filter Often
Have you seen a UV lamp filter that looks like the one in this photo?
If you have, it’s definitely time to replace that filter. A UV lamp filter clogged by ink mist and dust can cause LED lamp failures, requiring a replacement of the entire lamp assembly. We recommend checking your filter frequently and replacing it at least once a year.
We have added the UV lamp fan filter as a consumable, so ordering is easy. Here are the part numbers and links to purchase the items from our online store:
1000007542 – FILTER, FAN UV LAMP for LEC-300, 330A, 330, 540 and LEJ-640
1000009093 – FILTER, FAN UV LAMP MINI (5 PCS) for the LEF-12
If you have questions about replacing your lamp filter, please contact our technical support team by filling out the online form here.
Installing WallFlair™ Media
Roland recently introduced WallFlair Removable Vinyl and Fabric, printable wall graphic media that adheres to flat, painted wall surfaces, as well as most wallpapers and wood panels.
With its removable adhesive, WallFlair can be taken down easily without leaving a messy residue. Installing it is just as easy when you follow these instructions:
| 1. Clean the wall surface thoroughly and allow it to dry completely. Chemical cleaners should be avoided. |  |
| 2. Peel back a couple of inches of the liner on the top edge of the graphic and position on the wall. Use a squeegee to apply the graphic with the exposed adhesive to the wall. |  |
| 3. Continue to slowly pull off the liner while applying the graphic to the wall with the squeegee. If a bubble appears, gently pull the graphic away from the wall and reapply with the squeegee. |  |
| 4. Once installed, wipe the graphic with a soft, dry cloth to remove any particles that may have accumulated. |  |
Please note that WallFlair is not intended for use on unfinished walls and must be applied on a dry surface. Printing to bleed can be achieved using WallFlair Removable Fabric but is not recommended for WallFlair Removable Vinyl. A 1/8” to 1/4″ border is recommended when printing on WallFlair Removable Vinyl . Use a 60 degree blade for intricate cut contour lines in graphics.
To view a recording of our recent webinar, “Making Wall Graphics with your Roland GX-24 Cutter & Versastudio BN-20,” check out the “Roland Media Solutions” section our Roland Academy archive. Access is free of cost for all registered Roland owners.
For more details on WallFlair and other Roland media products, click here.
Preparing Grab Cad and Google Warehouse Files for Milling on your MDX
Flat parts created on a CNC router
Looking for new modeling files for your MDX? There are a couple of great libraries that can access for free. The first we recommend is Grab Cad. Grab Cad files are very high resolution, easy to download, and most are already .stl or Solidwork files.
Alternatively, you can access Google Warehouse for files, and then download them for viewing in the free Google Sketchup 3D modeling tool. These files can be exported to .stl for fabrication in your MDX. The downside with Google Warehouse is the program’s low resolution. With simple 2D parts like those shown in the robot on the right, this is not a big issue. But, for curved objects like a car body, you are better off using a big mill bit to smooth over the surfaces to get a smooth, high quality model.
Assembled parts create “SPKR bot”
To get decent results from a Google Warehouse design like this Acura Integra (below), split the model into pieces for a 3-axis milling job in foam. Once the parts are milled they can be cut out and assembled together into a 3D model. The model quality for this job was acceptable and the manufacturing time was just three hours.
Follow this link to export Google Sketchup models to .stl using the free plugin.
Tips For Making Stronger Banners With Less Time, Equipment And Labor
A Guest Blog Written by Rick Hatton, Banner Ups
Crystal Clear PowerTab
When it comes to banners, especially those being displayed outdoors, durability is just as important as eye-catching graphics and colors. It’s crucial for an outdoor banner to be strong and capable of standing up to anything “Mother Nature” can dish out. While it might seem like steel grommets would be a stronger option for outdoor applications than a plastic tabs, in practice, just the opposite is true. Consider the effects of wind, for example. Because grommets focus the wind load into a tiny area, they often cut through the banner media and rip out when the wind blows. By contrast, Banner Ups tabs spread the force out over a much larger area, providing up to three times the resistance of grommets alone. Here are 10 ways you can use Banner Ups products to increase the strength of your banners, while reducing the cost of labor and materials reduce the cost of labor and materials:
- To avoid grommet tear-out, install PowerTabs instead. They’re about 2-3 times stronger and require a fraction of the time to install.
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Banner Ups PowerTape
For long banners, instead of making a folded hem by sewing, welding or using double-sided banner hem tape, apply single-sided Banner Ups PowerTape along the top and bottom edges of the banner. When used with PowerTabs, fabrication can be completed in 3-4 minutes.
- Does your customer require grommets? You can still use PowerTape to increase strength and reduce labor time. Just apply PowerTape and grommet through PowerTape and banner media.
- For ultimate strength use Banner Ups MegaTape – a double-sided version of PowerTape made with the same super-strong film – to create a folded hem that can withstand high winds. To view amazing video of MegaTape withstanding hurricane-force winds, click here.
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MegaTape
Accurately folding a banner hem with double-sided tape can be tricky. To learn a simple tip for installing MegaTape, or any double-sided tape, perfectly every time, click here .
- Are you using scraps of vinyl to reinforce your grommet holes? Forget it! This adds almost no strength. Instead, grommet through a PowerTab. It will double or triple the strength.
- Tired of the unsightly look of grommets? Banner Ups has developed a “Hidden Tab” trick that makes all reinforcing materials completely invisible. Interested? Click here.
- PowerTabs and other Banner Ups products can be used to replace grommets for pop-up display stands. Install a tab on each corner and then insert the tension post through the tab center hole.
- Looking to maintain profit on low-cost banners for churches, schools and other non-profit organizations? Sell them an unfinished banner plus PowerTabs. Installation is so simple they can do it themselves. Instructions are printed on the back of each sheet.
- Need a simple way to convince your customer to select PowerTabs over grommets? E. L. Hatton will supply (at no charge) a convincing strength comparison test. Click here to view.
How to Submit a Guest Blog: Roland is now accepting “guest blogs,” such as the one above, for possible posting at the “Tips & Tricks” section of our website. If you’re interested in sharing application-related tips and pointers that would be of value to others within the industry, please contact Marc Malkin via e-mail, mmalkin@rolanddga.com, for details and guidelines.
For Top Performance, Update Your Firmware as Soon as You Install Your Printer
Your Roland equipment is assembled with the latest software and firmware at the time of shipment. However by the time that the machine arrives at your doorstep, there may be new updates to drivers and firmware.
To compensate for this time, it’s important to make sure you have the latest drivers, updates and firmware as soon as you install your printer. Check with your dealer and be sure to get the latest downloads from Roland’s support site.
How to Replace Specialty Spot Colors in VersaWorks
In the Fall of 2012 we released a new, upgraded version of VersaWorks (4.8), with several new features, including six PANTONE® libraries that expand your spot color matching capabilities. A complete overview of these new libraries and all other VersaWorks features is located in the software section of our website here.
One of our favorite new VersaWorks features is the spot color replacement tool. With this tool, you can easily replace any industry standard spot color in the design file with a PANTONE color from one of the new libraries – or with any spot color from our own Roland Color System, also included in VersaWorks.
While this new capability alone is great, there is even more functionality embedded in the spot color replacement feature. With it, you can also replace any spot color with a pure white, clear or metallic silver specialty color.
Why is this important? It’s very rare to see files that use our naming conventions for specialty inks. For example, the spot color in the design file may have been named “silver” by the user when VersaWorks knows the intended color as “metallic silver.” To bridge this gap, you now can create your own custom library that maps any designated spot color to one of our specialty inks. This feature can save a lot of time by allowing you to make important changes in the file entirely in VersaWorks – without any additional file preparation.
Follow these simple steps to create your own specialty spot color library:
