I found this one of the easiest projects so far. It had been difficult to find available staff to learn this machine, but I was lucky and Chad was available today.. Frequently others working in the spot where the Roland lives. It can be challenging to share the space.. Chad is very skilled at teaching step-by-step.
What am I most proud of?
I didn’t create the graphic myself, but I was happy to have found a really great graphic to print. I learned to create the shadow around it in order to cut the sticker into a shape. I think the result was fabulous.
What would I do differently next time?
The stickers turned out exactly as I wanted them, so not much I would do differently. I might want to make them a bit larger.
Today’s project
Stickers- Roland printer, vinyl
Chad was available today to help me with the Roland Sticker machine and Adobe Illustrator. I watched as he showed Melanie and I was able to load and process my own sticker with very little help. He showed me how to make a “shadow” to cut the outline around the sticker. He gave me some tips on what to watch for on the design, places that are outside the designated space and cuts that might overlap. I believe I have all of the information committed to memory, but I will need to use the machine again in order to know that for certain. I have only a vague familiarity with Adobe Illustrator, but enough to get me through this project.
Prepare the graphic Adobe Illustrator
Load and size graphic
Add outline of choice (simple box or create “shadow” effect to outline object)
select Swatches/Library/Other Library
Select “Roland VersaWorks”
Size Artboard
Save file as PDF (choose anything but smallest as graphic size)
Open Roland VersaWorks
Double click File Set,
Select Get Media Width/update-This causes the software to communicate with the Roland and get the proper dimension of the media.
Add copies- make sure the copies are spaced closely, but not too closely
Manage paper- make sure paper type matches what is in the machine, in this case Vinyl
Cut on the Roland machine
Make sure the retaining clips are in place
On VersaWorks send cut
After printing-on the Roland, select Function-Sheet Cut
