Print/Cut
Installing WallFlair™ Media
Written by Amber Costa
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.
For Top Performance, Update Your Firmware as Soon as You Install Your Printer
Written by Roland DGA
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
Written by Roland DGA
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:
Managing Static for Improved Image Quality and Maximum Printer Performance
Written by Roland DGA
Static on your printer can cause a number of issues that compromise print quality, particularly in the dry winter months. Understanding the underlying causes of static and developing techniques for managing static’s effects can help ensure consistent print quality and productivity.
What Causes Static?
Static can be caused by a number of sources, including friction from the media traveling across the platen, from pressure where the media moves between the pinch and grit rollers, and from detachment, when the media is unwound from it’s core.
What Does Static do to my Printer – and Prints?
When static electricity is introduced, it attracts the smaller ink mist satellite drops causing them to deviate from the normal fall pattern. These drops can stick to the printhead, eventually clogging nozzles and causing drop out. They can also scatter when attracted to locations of static on the media, causing a blurring effect to the print. In addition, static can create pinch roller marks and can even damage printer components, including side sensors, linear encoders and printhead elements.
How Do I Prevent Static?
First, you need to create an optimal print environment. Use your printer at an ambient temperature of 20 to 32ºC (68 to 90ºF). If the machine is used at an ambient temperature lower than 20ºC (68ºF), then depending on the type or width of the media, wrinkling or temperature-caused unevenness may occur.
Even when not in use, you should keep the environment at a constant temperature and relative humidity. Temperatures of 5 to 40°C (41 to 104°F) are ideal and a relative humidity of 20 to 80% (with no condensation) will ensure performance. Temperatures that are too high may degrade the ink and cause malfunction. Temperatures that are too low may cause the ink to freeze and damage the heads.
You should also properly ground the printer and use media that is not prone to static.
Additionally, static suppression hardware (shown above) is available, including options from Takk Industries and Meech.
More detailed information on how to control static is available in our online guide to static suppression.
Black & Yellow: Why These Pinch Rollers Shouldn’t Be Mixed
Written by Roland DGA
Pinch rollers are a key component in Roland printers, printer/cutters and cutters. We’ve had two different colored pinch roll wheels in our lineup for a while now and it’s important to recognize that the different colors have very different purposes.
- The yellow wheels, which used to come standard on ALL of our devices, are designed for print/cut achines and slower contour cutting speeds. Made of a slightly denser rubber, these wheels help with feed accuracy.
- Best for: Print Only, Print/Cut and Slow Contour Cutting
- The black wheels are softer and designed to ensure a more secure grip for better tracking. That’s why they come on all GX cutters out of the box.
- Best for: High Speed Contour Cutting
If you do a lot of high-speed contour cutting, the black wheels might suit your printer/cutter best as they provide better tracking. On the other hand, if you do print only or if you use a lot of paper and banner, the black wheels are not the best choice.
If it seems that the yellow and black wheels can be mixed and matched, think of them instead like tires for your car. Softer tires allow for a better feel and grip on the road, while harder tires have their specific advantages for certain road conditions.
Just remember: NEVER mix the black with the yellow! Consistency is the key.
Auto Rotate Your Files to Save Media
Written by Roland DGA
Saving media is one of the great cost cutters in a digital printing workflow.
To help you save as much as possible, there’s a little known option in VersaWorks under “Job Management” called “Auto Rotate.”
Selecting this option will help conserve your media by automatically positioning the image in the orientation that will make the most efficient use of the available space. Give it a try!
