Print&Cut Birthday Card
In this tutorial, we show you how to create personalized printed cards with JobControl® Vision Software and camera systems.
Print&Cut Birthday Card
In this tutorial, we show you how to create personalized printed cards with JobControl® Vision Software and camera systems.
Preparation
Required material
- Individually printed paper 200g/m² for the inner part
- Printed or coloured paper for the outer part at least 300 g/m²
- Adhesive dots or tape/glue
Machine used
- Speedy 360
- 80 watts
- 1.5" lens
- JobControl® Vision Camera system and software
- Aluminum Cutting Grid Table or Honeycomb Cutting Tabletop
You can also recreate this sample with Speedy 300, Speedy 400 and SP500 with the JobControl® Vision software.
Important
- To make the card more stable and give it a better stand, use paper with a minimum weight of 150 g/m² for the inner part.
- Ensure that you send beziers curves to the printer in the driver settings. Otherwise JobControl® Vision can not recognise the registration marks.
Step by step
Step 1: Inner part
You can use our template for the inner part of the card or alternatively you can create your own unique design. To make it even more sentimental, we recommend you adding the name and age of the recipient before printing.
Using the settings below, you then need to send your design to the laser. In this case it is only the registration marks and cutting line. We suggest deactivating the layer with the graphic design so it does not get sent to the laser.
Print settings
Process mode | Resolution | Cut line |
---|---|---|
Standard | 1000 dpi | none |
Halftone | Others |
---|---|
Color | enhanced geometries inner geometries first |
Step 2: Laser process inner part
Depending on the type of laser machine used and the laser power available, the laser parameters may vary.
Laser Parameters
Laser Parameters | Colour | Process | Power (%) | Speed (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
RegMark | Black | RegMark | - | - |
Creasing | Red | Cut CO2 | 3,5 | 2 |
Cutting | Blue | Cut CO2 | 7 | 1 |
Cutting | Desert blue | Cut CO2 | 15 | 4 |
ppi/Hz | Passes | Air Assist | Z-Offset | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|---|
- | - | - | - | - |
1000 | 1 | on | +1.5 mm | - |
1000 | 1 | on | - | - |
1000 | 1 | on | - | Correction 20 |
Step 3: Positioning of print and laser job
Connect JobControl® with the laser.
Move the job from the queue on the plate and place it in the print position in the laser machine. To do so, you need to move the laserpointer to the middle of any registration mark and then drag the corresponding one to the crosshairs in JobControl®.
Tip:
For easier positioning, use the “What you see is what you get” function (WYSIWYG) in JobControl®.
Step 4: Calibrate the camera
First you need to adjust the focus on the paper. In order to calibrate the camera, you need to go to Settings - Options - Hardware - Vision. Ensure that the registration mark stands out from the background. Next move the camera to any registration mark on the print. By using the ideal settings of Exposure, Gamma and Threshold, the circle around the registration mark should be green as well as the bar below the preview. Please adapt these parameters accordingly.
Tip:
Choose fully nonlinear for compensation. By doing so, the software will be able to adjust the job to scaled and rotated prints.
Step 5: Cutting the job
Once the camera is set up, you may then start your job.
JobControl® will read all registration marks and will automatically cut the job if the position and orientation of the laser job in the software aligns to the position of the material on the working area.
If the two positions do not align, you will need to manually assign the position by placing the camera at the first registration mark. If the bar below the camera preview is green, press Enter to confirm. If the print is distorted, you will need to assign the second registration mark to the correct position. The remaining registration marks will then be read automatically.
Step 6: Outer part
Double-page printed paper was used for the outer part of the card.
Registration marks are not required in this case as no contour cutting is needed.
Next, send your design to the laser machine with the parameters specified below.
Tip:
You can engrave a unique pattern or the name of the recipient on the card to make it extra special.
Print settings
Process mode | Resolution | Cut line |
---|---|---|
Standard | 500 dpi | none |
Halftone | Others |
---|---|
Color | enhanced geometries inner geometries first |
Step 7: Laser process outer part
Use our laser paramaters for the outer part. Please note that the parameters may vary depending on the type of laser machine used and the laser power available.
Tip:
If you decide to use another type of paper, be sure to first test the parameter settings on a small section before commencing the actual project.
Laser Parameters
Laser Parameters | Colour | Process | Power (%) | Speed (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Creasing | Red | Cut CO2 | 5 | 2 |
Cutting | Desert blue | Cut CO2 | 20 | 3,8 |
ppi/Hz | Passes | Air Assist | Z-Offset | Advanced |
---|---|---|---|---|
1000 | 1 | on | +1,5 mm | - |
1000 | 1 | on | - | Correction 20 |
Step 8: Finishing
The next step is slightly more difficult - folding the card. Start with the middle fold and then work your way up by folding the cake tiers.
Once you have finished the tiers, put the inner part in the outer card. You can use either adhesive dots, tape or glue.
Tip:
If you wish to fold the card beforehand, for the first try you can cut the job on normal, unrpinted paper (80 g/m²). Just change the process of the Black parameter to "skip".
Inspirations
In a hurry? Try an engraved card instead. You can juse the same design on white or colourful paper. Ensure to use paper with a minimum weight of 150 g/m².