Big Printer doesn’t have to mean Big Prints.
Posted by Rick Sader on April 10, 2011 at 8:19 amBig printers are a must if you need big prints. Large vinyl or fabric banners, full-sized window graphics, vehicle wraps, etc. are best produced using a machine at least 54″ wide. But this same printer can also be used to produce small prints in large quantities quickly & efficiently. This is especially true if the printer is equipped with an integrated contour cutter. This means that any complicated two-dimensional shape can be cut to produce beautiful inkjet decals.
Lone Eagle has the Roland 545ex printer/cutter which is used to make all of the vibrant & durable graphics mentioned above. In this post, I’ll show you how the same equipment can be used to produce hundreds of custom printed & cut decals quickly. A recent client ordered 1600 wine labels printed onto adhesive-backed vinyl & contour cut around the perimeter. The machine deftly does a “kiss cut” around each printed label that cuts only the adhesive-backed vinyl but not the underlying release liner. The client then only needs to peel them off of the backing and apply them to the bottles and/or boxes.
In this example, simple rectangles were cut around the printed labels. But any intricate 2D shape can also be produced with this printer/cutter. The applications include things like window & wall decals used for interior design, retail/POP graphics, vehicle graphics, etc. The trick is to use Adobe Illustrator to include cut lines in your graphic design. These cut lines are non-printing lines that are recognized by the printer.
This video shows you what I mean. After about 100 labels were printed, the machine pulls the media back into the printer and starts to cut around each label. Check it out:
But wait! There’s more! It’s even possible to print your design, remove the print from the printer, zip it thru the laminator to add a clear protective laminate, and then re-insert the media into the machine for contour cutting. This is a great way to produce durable contour-cut graphics for vehicle wraps. I like to use reflective vinyl for the cut lettering that goes over a wrap. It really adds an awesome effect.
Big Graphics Have Big Impact on Local Campaign.
Posted by Rick Sader on April 7, 2011 at 9:11 amTo kick-off his run for Stafford Commonwealth Attorney in Virginia, Eric Olsen turned to Lone Eagle for a 4′x10′ banner as a backdrop to his announcement on the courthouse steps. As you’ll see in the photo below, this simple, low-cost vinyl banner made a big impact on the look and feel of the event. But let’s go back in time to a few days before the event. The phone rang on a Friday afternoon about 4:45pm Pacific and it went something like this:
“Good afternoon, Lone Eagle.”
“Hi Rick, it’s Eric Olsen…..got a minute?”
“Hey Eric, how’s it goin’?”
“I know it’s late notice, and I understand if you’re not able to do it, but I’m announcing my candidacy next Wednesday and I was wondering if you could make me a big banner.”
A big grin slowly came across my face. First of all, I love it when clients call with tight deadlines & they’re not sure if I can deliver. I’ve never missed a deadline…. never…. not once….. no matter how tight. Second, Eric is a friend of mine and the thought of helping him by doing what I do best made me very happy.
He emailed me some thoughts on what he wanted his graphics to look like and I got to work right away. About 90 minutes later, I emailed him a low-resolution version for his approval. (Would have been sooner but, hey, it was dinner time….. a guy’s gotta eat). He approved it Saturday morning and I started printing. About 30 minutes later I was busy punching grommets into his beautiful glossy campaign banner. It helps to have awesome ICC profiles ready to go for a huge range of media. It’s one of the things that allows Lone Eagle to fly thru jobs with both high quality and speed. My local FedEx shop had it by lunchtime and Eric had it in his Fredericksburg, VA home by Monday afternoon (two days before the event).
Here’s a photo that Eric emailed me after his event. That’s Eric on the right:
Put yourself in Eric’s shoes for a minute and imagine how he felt. I’m sure he was relieved to find the package on his doorstep Monday afternoon….two days before his event. Later, he told me how “awesome” his graphics were and how happy he was. A great big smile came across my face. That’s how we roll at Lone Eagle. Now what can we do for YOU?