The Letterville BullBoard: HELP with Roland PNC 1100

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Posted by Amy Billings (Member # 1368) on :

When I send a design to my cutter, it just sits there.

I have tried everything I know to try. I did a test cut from the owner's manual and it does fine. The machine seems to move like it should, cutter goes to the left when I lower the handle, etc. It I put in a piece it does it's thing measuring it.

It just doesn't seem to want to do anything when I send it a graphic.

I tried deleting the printer driver and reinstalling it, new printer cable. No change.

I am cutting directly from Corel 8. I have the design outlined in .001". In the printer driver I have it set to 15.00" and 62.99". I choose 90 degrees, and then I choose a machine setting of 1, which puts in a speed of 20.

In print preview I choose "top left corner", and everything in print preview looks great.

Then I print and NOTHING HAPPENS ! HEEELLLPPP ! I have a big job I need to get out the door ASAP.

Thanks

Amy Billings
T-Shirt Express
Asheville, NC

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Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Amy..try .003 inches instead of .001. The default outline in Corel is .003 and that is what the Roland driver recognizes.

Another thought I had was...if the Corel page is set to 13.5x62.99 is the driver set to the same size? In "properties" is the page the same size? I have had it happen that I switched to 15" vinyl, set up the graphic in position in Corel and then forgot to change the size of the page in the driver properties to also be for 15" material since I usually use 24" material. What happens then is that everything looks fine in the preview window but nothing happens because the graphic is off the 15" page. This happens with a graphic that is, say 2" tall and set to the top left corner. It shows upo there in the print preview window but can't cut because all there is loaded is 15" material. And it is at the top left of a 24" page. That MIGHT be the problem too.

If that doesn't work give me a call tomorrow. We can figure this out, I'm sure. Unfortunately I'll be out of the shop until noon. 519-225-2634.

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Dave Grundy
AKA "applicator" on mIRC
"stickin' sticky stuff to valuable vessels and vehicles!"
in Granton, Ontario, Canada
1-519-225-2634
dave.grundy@quadro.net
www.quadro.net/~shirley

[This message has been edited by Dave Grundy (edited March 11, 2001).]

Posted by Laura Butler (Member # 1830) on :

Amy,
I run Corel 9 with my PC-60 and have had this same problem from time to time. Here are a few things that worked for me. Try changing the cut line to less than .001, or change it to a color, or go to Tools, Color Management and turn color management off. Usually this works. Sometimes this happens when my computer is running low on resources so restarting usually fixes it.

I saw new drivers for the pc-60 on a webpage. I think it was at www.dgaroland.com web page. I downloaded them and try to install but couldn't get the file to install properly.

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Laura Butler
Vision Graphics and Sign
560 Oak St.
Lapeer, Mi 48446
810-664-3812
visiongraphics@tir.com

"Anything thats comes from my shop, comes from the right brain."

Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :

I use 8 and it will cut with either 003 or 001. There are a number of things that can cause whats happening here. All of them pretty simple and all easy to overlook. Try test cutting just a few letters out of corel. If it works the problem is in your design somewhere. Go back through and check each item to see if it has an outline. Items without an outline WILL show up in the print preview. Every now and then I'll get something that won't cut and I usually just redo the design, unless it's complicated.
Do you have the Roland assigned as the printer? When I first set mine up to cut direct anytime I rebooted the computer the deafult went back to my Canon printer. Since I cut more than print I changed the default.
Are you using an AB switch and is it set correctly? You might want to try diabling it.
Like Dave pointed out the paper sizes must match, I leave mine on 22.99 all the time. Though I believe if it's showing up in the print preview it should cut, providing everything has an outline.
One other thing, and maybe Dave can correct me here, but I always set to start in the bottom left corner. If I were to choose top left it would run out a bunch of vinyl before cutting.

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George Perkins
Millington,TN.
goatwell@ionictech.com

"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"

http://goatwell.tripod.com

Posted by Amy Billings (Member # 1368) on :

I tried all of the above, and no avail. Just can't figure it out.

I made the outline .001 and then .003. I did just letters, nothing. I made sure the sizes are the same. I even tried choosing bottom left corner, even though I have always done top right, and nothing.

I don't have an AB switch.

I have booted puter and cutter several times.

I would swear the cutter was malfunctioning, except that I did a test and it cuts okay, also measures a piece okay, etc.

Anybody know how to get in touch with Gail ? I think she is the PNC 1100 expert.

Thanks guys,

Amy

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Posted by Amy Billings (Member # 1368) on :

Oh yea, I forgot something. Could it be something to do with the pinch rollers ? I remember when I first starting using this thing I had a problem and it turned out to be something with the pinch rollers. I don't remember exactly what it was, now. I have changed their position some and it hasn't helped, but maybe someone knows more about this than me.

Thanks again,

Amy

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Posted by Bob Burns (Member # 268) on :

Another thing:
If you have 2 or more LPT ports, use LPT1.
If you're already using LPT1, are there any dongles attached? If so, unplug it.

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Bob Burns
Bob Burns Signs

1619 Oregon Ave.
Prescott, Az 86305
1-520-778-5879

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Gail..As I mentioned in my message on your machine (sorry I missed your call) The rubber pinch rollers MUST be completely on top of the gritty section of the lower rollor. Also, I can't remember if the PNC1100 has a "seeing eye". It will be an oblong hole just ahead of or behind (or both) the pinch rollers. If it does have one the vinyl must be covering it.

What I find strange is that the machine cuts a test OK. Are you sure that the outline is either .001 or .003 INCHES and not some other unit of measurement? Like picas or points or mm etc.? In almost all cases of the cutter not doing anything at all it is the pen outline thickness that is the culprit.

[This message has been edited by Dave Grundy (edited March 12, 2001).]

Posted by Brian Keence (Member # 1867) on :

Amy,

Make sure your "Page Layout" is set just as it is under "Print Setup". Just a thought, if it isn't the same it would be easy to have your image out of the actual cut area.

I've had this same thing happen to me on my pnc1210. I sometimes select and copy the image, then click on "New", go through the printer setup, then layout setup and paste the new image on the new sheet. Position it and print. Don't know why this works, but it does.

If your 1100 is like my 1210, the machine will tell you if your pinch rollers are set wrong. Dave is also right about the little "EYES" having to be covered.

As far as the outline, I just select everyting and then I apply the "Hair/Line" outline and everyting cuts great. I've never changed it from the default that corel gives it. (Corel9)

Like George said, make sure the Roland is selected as your printer. Mine resorts back to a HP as default everytime I reboot, or start a new drawing.

Good luck, I'm just learning the combination of Corel and Roland, but have been using it for a couple months now. For the most part it works flawlessly.

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Brian Keence
K&B Signs
2220 Lake Tekawitha Rd
Pacific, MO. 63069
(636) 257-3679
brian@kbsigns.com
********************
It's clear as mud now!

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Brian...Since you mentioned that you are using Corel9...be aware that you need to leave your default printer as default. Corel 9 does NOT like certain printer drivers as default...and the Roland cutter drivers are one of them. I found this out when I set the Roland as the default "printer". All of a sudden I started getting all kinds of illegal operations etc. (and not when I was trying to print/cut). A check on the Corel9 newsgroup alerted me to this. After setting my inkjet as default the illegal operations went away.

Posted by Gail & Dave Beattie (Member # 572) on :

promlem check list!

corel: 8 or 9
make a custom page that matches the roland 1100.... 585mm x 1600mm landscape.
(you know u can change this anytime in the printer properties)

select 'all' the design you are trying to cut and left button click on the 'no fill' cross on the pallet= nothing will cut if it has fill

with the item still selected go to the outline tool
click the down arrow next to line width to make certian that the very min is showing.
(i work in mm so the default is .076 this changes to .001)

check your veiw in normal not wireframe!

make certian that the items to be cut are on the page.

go to print
select the 1100 from the drop down menu
go to properties
make sure the rotation is still set right... (90 for down the roll)

go to print preview
left top align...

put vinyl in the plotter
put feet down
select roll
enter
head travels to the left

back at screen hit print

the eye for the 1100 makes no differance if you select 'roll' and not peice when you hit the go button

i have a workspace set up for all of the above and so i just type or draw, hit print and its there.... but for problem solving
these are the first things to check

let me know if your ok after working thru this lot...
there are other things you can check but do this first, good luck

regards
gail

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on chat T2

Gail & Dave
NSW Australia

taurus_signs@one.net.au

sumtimes ya just gota

Posted by Dave Grundy (Member # 103) on :

Gail..I am interested in your comment about "nothing will cut if it has fill". I work in wireframe (and switch between wireframe and enhanced/preview to check out how things look, of course) but I assign the colours and even fountain fills to the layouts so that I will know what was used for future reference. I leave the fills, including fountain fills, and just go ahead and cut. Never have had a problem. Is this something that is perculiar to drivers for specific cutters or have I just benn lucky?

Posted by Gail & Dave Beattie (Member # 572) on :

as you know dave i have the old 1100 and a pc60
the pc60 cuts things with fill no problem but not the 1100!
this machine is over 11 yrs old now and yes the plotter n driver arnt designed to cope with fill, it confuses it most of the time... so it just sits there lookin at ya!

one thing that has worked real well for me over the years is to colour the outline to match the vinyl
i open the file im gunna cut from and clear the red fill out but make the outline red instead, same with all the colours.
cut by colour becomes as easy as select all the same clour bits and 'cut selected' from the print control.

regards
gail

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on chat T2

Gail & Dave
NSW Australia

taurus_signs@one.net.au

sumtimes ya just gota

Posted by Amy Billings (Member # 1368) on :

Gail, I tried everything exactly as you said, and still no luck. What else to try ?

The only thing I can figure out might be that I have recently had major computer problems and had to do a lot to get it running again. In this process, I have had to reload all my other printer drivers.

I deleted the Roland printer driver and reinstalled it from disk (a disk I had downloaded from the internet), but this did not help. To the best of my knowledge, this is the same Roland driver I was using before.

Any ideas ?

Thanks,

Amy

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