Roland VersaWorks Export

[Macabi]

Hello,

I use affinity designer to create logos, labels… and stickers.

But I cannot export my creations directly in the printer software , because it misses information for cutting.

It would be great if you could implement export pdf or EPS with the necessary information for the Roland VersaWorks software.

It seems that it just miss some specific information, for recognition of cutting lines.

example:

 %%DocumentCustomColors: (CutContour)

%%CMYKCustomColor: 0 1 0 0 (CutCour)

> 0 1 0 0 (CutContour) findcmykcustomcolor 1 setcustomcolor

 

Thanks. :) 

[Macabi]

Hi, Everyone

After spending time creating spot colors with CutContour name, and export to VersaWorks finally  i export a PDF file with cut lines that Roland VersaWorks recognize directely from Designer.

The feature i request is already there ?!!!

 

I apologize  :blink:

 

Great Job !

[folivio]

I use VersaWorks as well. That's great to know I can create CutContour lines. Do you mind if I ask you to post the steps?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Frank

[MattP]

Wow, Macabi - that's fantastic news! If it's not too much trouble, I know there are a number of users here who might benefit from a very brief key-points overview of the process? :)

 

Thanks!

Matt

[Filippo]

Hi all! 

 

I'm a new AD user, and I'm testing the beta version for Windows. First of all, I'm very impressed by the software and I will definitely use it for my work from now on.

 

I too use Roland VersaWorks to create labels, t-shirt, etc. and I wanted to use AD instead of Illustrator. I've encountered the same problem as Macabi, and I've found a solution that works for me.

 

- First I've creater a Spot colour named CutContour (C 0, M 100, Y 0, K 0);

- The layer with CutContour must be above all the layers;

- The colour space MUST be RGB (I was trying to export the file in CMYK, but it didn't work);

- Than I've exported a PDF (for export) file, leaving the presets untouched.

That's it! 

 

I apologize for my english, I know that I'm a little bit rusty....but I hope that this post can help the other users with the same problem!

 

Filippo

[rrfabio]

hello you must first create a spot color with overprint called CutContour then export only works with pdf .. :D

[Macabi]

Hi,

sorry for late reply, i didn't connect since...  :unsure:

To make CutContour or PerfCutContour in designer :

Create a spot color and name it CutContour or PerfCutContour if you need it, no matter the color.

Export to PDF .

If you have a picture in your design  you can only export in PDF/X-3:2003.

in AD 1.4.3  i can export in RGB or CMJN.

 

You can have severals Cut path in your document, make sure that the layer with your Cut path is outside and above the group of each design. 

 

Hope this helps.

[tompajo]

I'm new to Designer but I'm not new to cutting. Can anyone explain or make a short video of how to do this? Step by step. (spot colors, CutContour, colour space, export to PDF etc...)

 

That would be highly appreciated! :-)

 

Thanx!

[Paddington]

Someone managed to make it work, I tried but without success !!!

I need it to work.

[jerry.hoyler@fastsigns.com]

In Illustrator. You make a stoke around the outside and label it CutContour and as a spot color(we use magenta) and at .1pt or .001in. I really need to learn how to do Cut Contours in Affinity or it is worthless to me. Can someone please help me. Thanks

[tompajo]

I've stopped using Affinity since this problem obviously isn't a priority for the Affinity team. I wrote about this in 2016...

[MickRose]

I've used Designer with a Versacamm and it has always worked fine. You need a global spot colour named CutContour and you need make sure that when you export to PDF you click the More/Honour spot colours. As always with Versaworks this won't work if the artwork contains any transparency.

[GStudio]

Hi Guys, 

I have converted the color palette to .ase and imported to AD now , I have all spot colors available, from Roland Color System, CutContour and Roland Metallic Color System.

Thanks for the tips exporting to pdf, I mostly use eps when I use illustrator, Im testing this software and I can tell is promising, I will stick as much as possible with AD.

On illustrator I use many plugins from Astute Graphics I really wish to have the same options here, they really empower AI.

If anybody need the .ase color palettes here you can get them, Please let me know if they work as expected.

This is how you add them... see image capture.

 

 

 

Roland CutContour.afpalette

Roland Color System Library.afpalette

Roland Basic Colors.afpalette

Roland Metallic Color System.afpalette

Roland Metallic Color.afpalette

Edited October 11, 2018 by GStudio
Updated palette files, and short tutorial.

[MickRose]

Hi GStudio - thanks for these Roland palettes. All I need now is a Roland VP540 which doesn't stop working half way through a print job!

[tompajo]

How do I do to get the job (PDF) into Versaworks? When I try to add job to queue it's greyed out.

I'm completely new to Vesaworks...

[MickRose]

Hi tompajo - what printer are you using? Is it physically connected to the PC or network? Is it a network or usb connection? Do you have the user manual?

[tompajo]

Hi Mick, I'm using a GX-24, USB direct connected to my PC 

[tompajo]

And yes I have the user manual.

[MickRose]

GX-24 is a cutter not a printer and Versaworks is the wrong software. You can certainly make eps or PDF files from Affinity Designer but you will need cutting software to drive the cutter. Do you have any?

[tompajo]

Yes, I have the Roland CutStudio but I can't get the PDFs to work. It says in the documentation for VersaWorks that you can use it for GX-24 and I'm able to connect it.

 

[MickRose]

I didn't know Versaworks would work with a cutter. Have you checked other forums? http://myversacamm.com/forum/topics/adding-a-roland-gx-24-to-versaworks

Have you tried eps files in CutStudio?

[tompajo]

Yes I've tried eps in CutStudio but no luck and I looked at the other thread about this but there was no useful info.

[MickRose]

Yes, it seems CutStudio is a stand-alone program which doesn't import files for cutting. I use VinyMaster Cut which is quite cheap and might be available on a 30 day trial. This will import PDF/eps without problem and will certainly talk to your cutter. There is also an open source cutting package called Inkcut to try. If you are still having problems I wonder if you have a driver for the GX-24 installed. If not I think they are available from the Roland website.

[tompajo]

Inkcut seems to be a nice solution but it didn't support windows (even if they state cross plattform with support for windows...)

The driver is installed :-)

I'll try VinylMaster Cut and see if it resolves my problems.

Thanx a lot for your time!

 

 / Tom

[folivio]

Here is a Palette for Designer and Publisher with the Roland Spot Colors. The actual color doesn't matter. It just has to be a Spot Color and must be named exactly like this.
CutContour
PerfCutContour
RDG_WHITE
RDG_GLOSS
RDG_MetallicSilver

Frank Olivio

Roland-Palette.afpalette