Chapter 4
38
Loading Inks and Materials
P83173A RevA
7/19/10
Preparing the material
The Gerber CAT|UV is a flat
bed printer with an optional
roll-to-roll configuration.
When printing on rigid or flat
material you will use the
printer's flat bed and vacuum
system. The gantry containing
the printheads travels along the
length (X-axis) of the printer.
The printheads move left and
right within the gantry along the
width (Y-axis).
When printing on roll material
such as vinyl you can use the
roll-to-roll configuration (if so
equipped), which makes use of both the roll material loader bar and the automatic winder unit.
The roll-to-roll configuration uses eight pinch and grit wheels to grip and pull the material
through the printer's roll-to-roll assembly.
When printing, fans under the material create a vacuum to hold the material firmly against the
printer's flat bed or roll-to-roll platen to maintain its position during printing. By choosing
either the FLAT BED or ROLL-TO-ROLL key on the control panel, the correct vacuums are
enabled when pressing the LOAD/UNLOAD key.
NOTE: When printing long material that crosses into roll-to-roll area, material MUST be
taped down to ensure it does not bend upward and cause hardware and/or printhead damage.
Choosing a material type
The Gerber CAT|UV is a true flat bed ink jet printer with optional roll-to-roll capabilities which
can print on a variety of uncoated materials up to 64" (162.6 cm) wide and 1" (25.4mm) thick. It
is versatile enough to meet your graphic needs including outdoor signage, indoor signage,
Point of Purchase displays, banners, backlit displays, and reflective signage. Compatible
materials are divided into two categories:
♦
Roll
(which refers to vinyl, banner, textiles, or flag in rolled or sheet versions)
♦
Rigid
(which refers to a flat substrates including PVC, styrene, corrugated plastic,
aluminum, acrylic, glass, MDO, plywood, and sign foam)
The material must meet the following standards:
♦
Maximum rigid or roll material width is 64
"
(1.6m/162.6cm).
♦
Maximum rigid material thickness is 1
"
(25.4mm).
♦
Maximum rigid material length for the roll-to-roll configuration is 120
"
(3m/304.8cm).
♦
Maximum rigid material length for the flatbed-only configuration is 100
"
2.5m/254cm).
