How do they do this?

[David Fairfield]

Was at the art store yesterday, saw some very well made stickers in the scrapbooking section. The label says "laser cut" but I just can't see how it can be done on a laser.

http://www.mrsgrossmans.com/2-2_prod...id=Laser%20Cut

These stickers are on a backing paper, with no smoke marks and no cutting into the backing. Also, the curved bits are perfectly curved, no tremors as you often see with a laser vector cut.

If that stuff is laser cut, that is some of the finest cutting I've ever seen, and 4 for $1.50

Anybody know, what's the secret here?

Dave

[Joe Hayes]

This is posted on their website under the Tour Area.

Wait until you see our LaserWeb! It's the only system of its kind in the United States that can cut our laser-cut stickers. It's a high-tech wonder that shoots 10,000-degree laser beams to make the delicate cuts on Mrs. Grossman's Paper Whisper™ stickers.

[Larry Bratton]

This is posted on their website under the Tour Area.

I have been working trying to accomplish the same thing. I can achieve decent results by doing the stickers one at a time. I use the center to center function in the Epilog driver. I have difficulty when I try and cut multiples on the same sheet. I would be very interested to see how these folks are doing this. I've tried all kinds of things, including scanning the printed page into Corel and then vectorizing it. I can get close but not as precise as they need to be. It drives me nuts to know that one can buy one of the new plotters that read registration marks that costs a whole lot less than my $25,000 Epilog and make stickers that I can't do.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Anybody know, what's the secret here?

Dave

I do it all the time in peel-and-stick vinyl - 'cept my cutting doesn't need to be registered to printing on the sheet. I have done that, but it's a PITA and I don't do it often. Visit my site's page on inlays and click "instructions".

missionfurnishings.com/category/Inlaid-furniture-parts.aspx
I just throttle back on the power and avoid cutting through the paper backing. They likely have access to a laser that puts ours to shame though, that's a lot of cutting. how they weed so much out of the design.... I don't know. "laserweb" seems to merge a laser cutter and a web press (printer).

It looks like these patterns are straight out of books available at Boarders.
.

[David Fairfield]

Sure, I can do something similar, but very slowly, and leaving typical laser "fingerprints"-- a slight cut into the backer, smoke marks, and tremors on the curves at high speed.

But this stuff is perfectly perfect, sharp, clean and crisp. The white material showed absolutely no smoke, it looks more like it was just printed on the backer. And it must be done super fast, because its priced so cheaply.

Amazing!

Dave

[Scott Shepherd]

I'm not saying this isn't laser cut, but in my opinion, if it is, it's a very special machine built for doing that. What I have found in the past is people love to say things that aren't completely true.

Again, not saying that's the case here, but what if they are die cutting it and then laser cutting the paper backers to length? Then it's a "Laser cut decal".

I'd have to see it to believe it's laser cut, or have someone that has seen it tell me they saw it. My guess is it's die cut.

[Martin Boekers]

here is an article about a subsidary of Mrs. Grossman, A wine labeling company, that appears to use the same laser.

It states that the laser was made by Lasercraft but is out of production.
This article was written a few years back.

One interesting thing it referred to it as a laser die-cutter, so it sounds like it was specifically designed for what it's doing. It has to be quite fast as stickers are about $1.50.

http://pffc-online.com/label_tape/sticks_flexo_0908/

Maybe someone in San Francisco can take the tour and fill us in.

Marty

[Scott Shepherd]

Well, there's your answer! 8 feet per minute being laser cut.

I'd hate to have to weed them.

[Doug Griffith]

At that speed I can't believe it's a gantry style laser. It must be a galvo where the material moves on a conveyor type system.

[Larry Bratton]

here is an article about a subsidary of Mrs. Grossman, A wine labeling company, that appears to use the same laser.

It states that the laser was made by Lasercraft but is out of production.
This article was written a few years back.

One interesting thing it referred to it as a laser die-cutter, so it sounds like it was specifically designed for what it's doing. It has to be quite fast as stickers are about $1.50.

http://pffc-online.com/label_tape/sticks_flexo_0908/

Maybe someone in San Francisco can take the tour and fill us in.

Marty

This is a very sophisticated operation. Looks like the wine label company and the sticker company are both located in this 110,000 sq ft facility. I suspect given enough resources (money) one could get a highly specialized cutting system made to order.

I just need to make a few stickers from time to time, so I guess I am stuck with doing what I am doing or buying me a Craft Robo for a few bucks.

[Dave Johnson29]

At that speed I can't believe it's a gantry style laser. It must be a galvo where the material moves on a conveyor type system.

8-ft per minute is 96" per minute, that's 1.6" per second. I could cut that with scissors. My 17 year old laser does 16" per second.

[Doug Griffith]

I'm guessing 8 feet per minute is feed speed through the machine not the cut line. That's typically how printers are defined. The label stock is 6.5" × 14". I'd say it feeds through on the short side of 6.5" moving at a rate of 8 feet per minute.

[Viktor Voroncov]

I have did tests on GCC Spirit on this kind of paper. Speed of cutting was 60% (max speed is 62 ips, so 60% is 36 ips) with 100% power. Idea was how achieve maximum cutting speed. The main problem was ARGON instead air in air assist which cost $.
It was ABSOLUTELY NO burn mark during cutting.

[Niklas Bjornestal]

I have did tests on GCC Spirit on this kind of paper. Speed of cutting was 60% (max speed is 62 ips, so 60% is 36 ips) with 100% power. Idea was how achieve maximum cutting speed. The main problem was ARGON instead air in air assist which cost $.
It was ABSOLUTELY NO burn mark during cutting.

Cant you use CO2 insteadt of Argon? It should be alot cheaper, and should prevent any burning.

[Rodne Gold]

The laser must be a galvo driven beam type which cuts real fast.