Vinyl Express Qe60+ Cutter

December 30, 2009

The Vinyl Express Qe60+ is a cut only device and is only available if the special registration code, "CUTTING", is enabled.

Initial Software and Cutter Setup

• SoftRIP Registration Mark Setup: Wasatch SoftRIP can print five types of marks for use with this cutter. These marks are selected from the "Cutting Registration Marks" button inside the 'Setup - Print Unit' window. Select the "Vinyl Express Type 1", "Vinyl Express Type 2" marks or the "Vinyl Express 1/2 Inch Interval Cut Marks" if you intend to use the "RIP Detect" registration method (see the "RIP Detect Registration" section below). After selecting either "Vinyl Express Type 1" or "Vinyl Express Type 2" marks, a separate window will open to allow you to choose the size of the cutting marks. Refer to the Vinyl Express Cutting Marks help for more information on this.
  
  Select the "1/2 Inch Register" or "1/4 Inch Register" marks if you intend to align your job manually (see the "Manual Registration" section below).
  
  Note: When printing any of these marks, you should print with 1" or greater left and right margins, and 2" or greater top and bottom margins. This ensures that the cutter has enough room to properly detect the registration marks.

• Connection: Choose the physical connection from the 'Setup - Print Unit' window.
  • USB: When you first plug the cutter into a USB port you will be prompted for a USB driver. Install the Vinyl Express driver provided with the cutter. Once complete, the Vinyl Express will show up in the physical connection list on the print->setup screen.
  • COM: Select the COM port to which the serial cable is connected.
  • LPT: Wasatch SoftRIP does not support the parallel interface for this device.

• The first (Rip Detect) lets the registration come from the RIP.
• The second method (Manual Detect) is a manual method.

1. Device-Specific Instructions for Print now, Cut Later (RIP Detect Registration)

   Note: The print should have been printed with "Vinyl Express Type 1", "Vinyl Express Type 2" or "Vinyl Express 1/2" Interval" Register marks. These marks can be selected from the "Cutting Registration Marks" menu on the Print/Setup screen prior to printing.

   Loading the media:

   
   • As the print comes off the printer, note the edge that is to the lower right corner of the print. That corner will be referred to hereafter as the origin (TP1) of the print (see illustration above).
   • Insert the media in the same direction as the media originally came out of the printer. Since the cutter cannot cut any media beyond the pinch roller nearest the control panel or the pinch roller furthest from the control panel, align the media so that the pinch rollers are outside of the cutting area.
   • After setting the pinch rollers, press "Sheet" or "Roll" to choose paper. Align the knife in the open area bounded by the first mark (TP1) as shown to the right. Press Origin.
   • In SoftRIP, go into properties (Print->Setup->Edit->Properties) and choose "RIP Detect"
   • The cutter is now ready for the cut path to be sent from the queue. See the user manual for further assistance.

2. Device-Specific Instructions for Print now, Cut Later (Manual Registration)

   Note: The print should have been printed with 1/4" or 1/2" Register marks (Not Vinyl Express marks). Select these marks from the "Cutting Registration Marks" menu on the Print/Setup screen.

   Loading the media:

   • As the print comes off the printer, note the edge that is to the lower right corner of the print. That corner will be referred to hereafter as the origin (TP1) of the print (see illustration above).
   • Insert the media in the same direction as the media originally came out of the printer.
     Note: Since the cutter cannot cut any media beyond the pinch roller nearest the control panel or the pinch roller furthest from the control panel, align the media so that the pinch rollers are outside of the cutting area.
   • After setting the pinch rollers, press "Sheet" or "Roll" to set paper type.
   • Align the knife with mark #1. Press Origin.
   • In SoftRIP, go into properties (Print->Setup->Edit->Properties) and choose "Rip Detect"
   • The cutter is now ready for the cut path to be sent from the queue.
   • When the path is sent, an information screen will ask you to align point #1
   • Use arrow keys to make sure knife is centered on the mark and press "Enter"
   • The knife will move to next point. Use arrow keys to adjust and press "Enter"
   • The knife will move to next point. Use arrow keys to adjust and press "Enter"
   • The knife will move to the final point. Use arrow keys to adjust and press "Enter"
   • Cutting will now proceed.

3. Device-Specific Instructions for Cut Only

   Loading the media:

   • Insert the media in the cutter and align the media so that the pinch rollers are outside of the cutting area.
   • After setting the pinch rollers, press "Sheet" or "Roll" to choose paper.
   • Use arrow keys to place the knife over the desired starting point.
   • Press "Origin"
   • The cutter is now ready for the cut path to be sent from the queue.

Interval Between Cut Marks

If you select "Vinyl Express 1/2 Inch Interval Cut Marks" from the "Cutting Registration Marks" menu in Wasatch SoftRIP, registration marks will be printed at regular intervals down the edges of any print layout. (This feature only works with layouts and with the print spooler, never with immediate print of a single page.)

When you make this selection, you'll be presented with the following control.

If the length of the print is close to or greater than the maximum cutting mark interval, subdivisions of cutting mark spacing start there. This means that the interval should never exceed that maximum, and may be half of the maximum, as would happen if you had a 24 inch interval, as shown above, and were printing 24.1 inches.

Basic Setup of the Vinyl Express Qe60+

• Set Mark Type
  1. Pause
  2. Use 'Next' to find & select 'Auto Reg Mark'
  3. Enter
  4. Next
  5. Next
  6. Enter (Mark Type)
  7. Use up & down arrows to select 1 or 2
  8. Enter
  9. Pause
• Set Mark Size
  1. Pause
  2. Use 'Next' to find & select 'Auto Reg Mark'
  3. Enter
  4. Next
  5. Next
  6. Next
  7. Enter (Mark Size)
  8. Use up & down arrows to set size
  9. Enter
  10. Pause
• Set Mark Scan Mode
  1. Pause
  2. Use 'Next' to find & select 'Auto Reg Mark'
  3. Enter
  4. Enter (Mark Mode)
  5. Use up & down arrows to select from the following:
     • Off
     • 2 Points
     • 3 Points
     • 4 Points
  6. Enter
  7. Pause
• Set Command Mode
  1. Pause
  2. Use 'Next' to find & select 'Command'
  3. Enter
  4. Use up & down arrows to select HP-GL
  5. Enter
  6. Pause