Advanced Color Solutions > Frequently Asked Questions Large Format Printing



	Frequently Asked Questions Pre-Installation Questions What is the ideal location for my Roland printer? Your Roland printer should be located in a cool location on a flat level floor. If the Roland printer is exposed to pro-longed amounts of heat over 80 degrees it can impair the quality of your prints and the performance of your machine. The printer also needs to be on a level floor so that the ink flows properly through the printer. Depending on the size of your Roland printer (30", 54", etc.) you'll want an additional 2-3 feet on both sides. Additionally you'll want to be able to access the back of the printer for ease of use when loading materials and replacing ink cartridges. If possible it is recommended to have the printer near a dedicated electrical outlet. Additional equipment, such as a heat press, can draw significant power and can trip the breaker if the circuit is overloaded with too many devices plugged in to the same circuit. What type of computer do I need to run my Roland printer? While it is possible to run Roland VersaWorks on a new Mac, it is recommended to use a Windows based PC. Typically if you have bought a PC within the last year or two it will support Roland VersaWorks. Depending on your design software (Photoshop, Illustrator, CorelDraw, etc.) the requirements for your PC to run the design software will be greater than what is necessary for VersaWorks. Remember, the better the processor and the more RAM installed the faster the machine will work and if you plan to deal with large graphic files (car wraps, banners, etc.) the better the computer the faster it will be to design and print. Keep this in mind if you're purchasing a new computer, if you're investing thousands of dollars to buy a quality printer, do you really want to save a few hundred dollars on a computer which is just as important as your printer? Will Roland VersaWorks run on Windows Vista 64 (64-bit processors)? Though Roland VersaWorks 3.0 is not a true 64-bit application, it can run on Vista 64 with a 64-bit processor. What do I need to have ready on the day of my installation? You will want to have adequate space cleared and prepared including sufficient power as discussed above, a computer ready to be connected to the printer and any graphics you'll want printed as part of your training. Though graphics are not essential for installation, if you don't have any graphics prepared, standard graphics will be used for training however it may not offer you specific training for your desired application. Post-Installation Questions How much daily maintenance is required for my Roland printer? As long as your Roland printer is left switched on, no daily maintenance is required. All Roland printers are virtually self-maintaining and will happily be left inactive for long periods. It is recommended that a 20 minute manual cleaning routine is completed (push three buttons and do a test print) at least once a week. You will also want to perform a manual cleaning as needed using swabs and Roland cleaning solutions. For more information about how to perform manual cleaning click here. Other than that, the printer will require the emptying of the ink waste periodically and an annual preventative maintenance visit from a qualified Roland technician. How long can a Roland printer be left unattended without using it? We recommend that your Roland printer be left for no more than two weeks inactive. During that time it must be switched on to allow it to maintain and self-clean it's heads. To revive the printer a 20 minute manual cleaning routine should be completed (push three buttons and do a test print). If the printer is to be powered down whilst inactive the heads and ink-train should be flushed with compatible cleaning solution. To revive the printer after a long period of powered down storage, the cleaning solution must be flushed from the system and new ink installed. It is highly recommended that a Roland technician be consulted before storing the printer in powered down mode. Do I need to register my Roland Printer? How can I register it? Yes, you should register your warranty. Most Roland printers that come with a two year warranty require that you register your printer to qualify for the second year of warranty. To register fill out the registration card that came with your printer and mail it in. If you lost the registration card, vist the Roland website to complete the registration online. Design Questions When designing my artwork to send to Roland VersaWorks RIP, should I design in RGB or CMYK? Roland VersaWorks is capable of processing both RGB and CMYK data. In order to achieve vivid colors for images, it is recommended to create image data (raster images) in RGB color. Text and drawings (vector images) should be created in CMYK color. What is an appropriate resolution to design my artwork? For large format printing, the recommended image resolution is between 75ppi to 150ppi at full size. By the other hand, if the original image resolution is low, the print quality will not improve by increasing the image resolution from an application using interpolation algorithms. The resolution of the original image must be as high as possible; if scanning, the highest resolution should be used and then saved to a an appropriate lower resolution after all adjustments are made. Technical Questions Can I use my existing RIP software to run the printer? We recommend that you use Roland's VersaWorks™ RIP which is supplied with the printer. It provides deep integration with the printing system and it's firmware. We also directly support other RIP platforms such as ONYX Graphics™ Production House™ and PosterShop®, Wasatch® SoftRIP® and CADlink® SignLAB® for specific environments and applications. If you do have an alternate RIP with a driver for Roland printers we would recommend that you contact the manufacturer for the latest update. Unfortunately, we cannot provide direct support for RIPs other than those mentioned above. What version of COLORIP am I using? With the COLORIP software open, click on Help from the top menu. In the drop-down menu that appears click on About This Program. A window will pop-up displaying the current version, revision date and other details about the version you're using. What are the new features of Roland VersaWorks 3? Click here to read the FAQ for Roland VersaWorks 3. When printing images smaller than the media width or printer width the print head travels the full width. How can I adjust the print head on my Roland printer to travel only the length of the image being printed? SP-300/540 - On the printer control panel press [Menu]. Navigate to Full Width Scan then press the [Right Arrow]. Using the [Up Arrow] change to Disable and select [Enter]. VP-300/540 & XC-540 - On the printer control panel press [Menu]. Navigate to Sub Menu then press the [Right Arrow]. Using the [Down Arrow] navigate to Full Width Scan then press [Right Arrow]. Using the [Up Arrow] change to Off and select [Enter].