Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
So we took the plunge at the ISS Atlantic City and bought a Roland Versacamm SP-300! The anticipation mounted as we waited for our unit and when it came…. We still had to wait to setup the unit with the tech rep from Imprintables Warehouse. Mike Koval from Imprintables came out and helped me carry this monster from our walk in basement where it had been delivered to up to our second floor office. This thing weighs about 300 pounds and it took both of us to get it up there! Once the machine was upstairs it took about an hour to get the stand setup and the machine running. Within an hour after that we had loaded the software and started doing prints! Here is Mike and me setting it up: See picture 1 below
First print – we did some sticker vinyl that used a graphic from a previous customer. The process to get the image into Versaworks is pretty straight forward. I use Corel X3 and you just need to add a hairline with color properties of CutContour and output as an .eps file. Once that is saved, open the file with Versaworks and it will recognize the CutContour as the cut path. Brilliant! Here is a pic of the first print: see picture 2 below
Notice the space on the right where one sticker has already been removed. The graphics came out great and the setup was a snap. Mike was there the whole time answer all of the questions we had and helping us to work through the process. I really wanted to see what we could do with the Opaque Solutions heat transfer material we had gotten, so that was the next step. A quick change out of the materials and then we built a cut path and exported to .eps. Versaworks needed the profile settings for the new material but Mike was ready with it. I did notice that although it was easy to setup the profile, it was limited on the max resolution output. Unlike other profiles in the Versaworks program, its max output is 720 x 720. No big deal as most things will print fine with that. We proceeded to print on the Opaque Solutions and then had our first problem. The output was grainy and not at all what I had seen or expected. We tried several ways of trouble shooting it but it was a couple of days later when the real problem came to me and a solution was found. When exporting files in Corel, I needed to ensure my resolution was set to the level I would want to output in Versaworks. Easy fix and much better prints. We did a press or two with the prints from that day and overall they were very good. After playing around with settings and materials, I was able to get results like the one below: see picture 3 below
This is a 10 x 8 full color print heat pressed onto a dark t-shirt. Photographic quality! The hand is still there but it is much better then the color print or the Roland Heat Transfer Material that I tried. The great thing about it was the stretch ability of the product. It is amazingly flexible and seems to go right back to its previous shape. I will be wash testing it over the next week so expect an update from that. The next material I tested was Imprintables Clear Solution. This stuff is just plain AWESOME!!! It is similar to saranwrap feel if you take it off the carrier material but not quite as sticky to itself. It needs to be reverse printed and you can trim just outside of the image borders with no worry. The profiles gave me a bit of trouble and I still have some troubleshooting to do on it but I did have very good success using a roland clear vinyl profile. I will figure out the tweaking to get the most out of it over the next week or so. Below is a sample of the print from it: see picture 4 below
Great clarity (the picture really doesn’t do it justice) and the softest hand on any vinyl or inkjet transfer material I have ever felt. The most amazing part about this product is its ability to stretch and then go right back to its previous shape with no distortion. It is hard to describe adequately but you can put this stuff on spandex and stretch it to the point of ripping the material in half and it still goes back to its original shape and retains its quality of picture. Absolutely amazing! Here is a picture of both heat transfer materials side by side: see picture 5 below
Now on to the other things you can do with this! The beauty of the Versacamm is that not only will it help you with shirts and other apparel, but now you can do stickers, banners, vinyl wraps, perforated window treatments, magnets, and so much more. We wanted to see the limits of a banner so the sample banner material was next and here are a couple of pictures of during and after printing: see picture 6 & 7 below
For sticker application you must mask the graphic after it has been weeded and then apply to the desired substrate. Here is a picture of the sign for my office door (day job): see picture 8 below
And here is a picture of a printed and cut magnet: see picture 9 below
All in all, this entire machine has increased our ability to provide products to our customers. It is very easy to setup and maintain, versatile and opens up new doors for us. The staff at Imprintables has been great with a thank you out to Mike for all of the help in setup and the quick replies on questions as they have come up, Lee for helping us get the ball rolling, and Josh and Dan for all of the support every time I called. I hope this helps some of you out there and I will be posting more updates on the wash testing of different products and please feel free to ask any questions. Thanks for waiting!
Thanks a whole lot Steven. I bargained today with our local dealer and got a great price on the SP300 (after informing him that a new versacamm model was just released). I'm expecting delivery of the machine on wednesday. Can't sleep now as I'm too excited.
Byron, let me know when you have questions..... I have probably already had the same issue and found a fix. Quick tip for anyone with a versacamm; To make sure the alignment is horizontal, you only have to do it once by lining up with the vent holes just before the dryer unit. Then perform a sheet cut and the lead edge will always be perfectly horizontal. When you go to load the material back in again, line it up with the sheet cut ridge and then clamp it down. The machine will measure the width of the material and automatically feed it just past the next ridge! This is important to have it past that ridge as you do not want the material to catch on it as it prints or your material will buckle up and ruin the print. I can post pictures later if you need them. Hope it helps!
Re: Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
I have the sp540 versacamm. (for those that dont know wht the numbers are this is basically the same machine that steve got but can print 54 inches wide instead of the 30 inch model.. The machines are very versitile ..I have had it about 10 months now.. and use it daily.. altho ive not tried it for t-shirts.. I mainly dye sub my shirts.
I will have to get some of this new stuff that steve was mentioning to try out.
I do not mask my stickers before i apply them.. I have applied printed vinyl up to 4 feet wide by 10 feet long without masking.. I have found for me i have better luck getting it on bubble free without masking. I use a product called the big squeegie to apply and I would recomend it to anyone laying digital prints.. also for small decals and prints a standard felt squeegie is a must..
Re: Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
How well did you burgain your SP300 Byron? I'm at the final stage of purchasing one and I think I got EUR1.000.00 savings just by reading t-shirt forums!!! and burgaining further more, you know, the VP300 coming up issue and how the will fade out the SP300, or keep it on the market, bla bla bla
Re: Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
Yep, basically, that's what I did. And I think it worked (a little or a lot, I'm not sure now) I got another 12.5% discount form the agents last quotation 3 weeks ago. I was prepared to buy it at the old price anyway as I realized that Roland is not yet phasing out the model (looking at the Roland Japan website, the VP was just an added model, not really a replacement for the SP)
Well, I'm just happy I also took the plunge (finally), and Steve and others here are sharing good info on the machine.
Re: Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
I have tried with good results the "solvent dark" from Forever Transfers from Germany. I think imprintables.com sells several transfer products for the Versacamm also.
Re: Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300
If you go on Youtube.com and search "Stahlsdigital" you will see the process for printing with the versacamm 300 using the new Cad color solutions transfers.
I don't own the versacamm but am considering getting one. Stahls can also send you some samples to try out.
Diary of a print / cut newbie: Roland Versacamm SP-300 
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I got another 12.5% discount form the agents last quotation 3 weeks ago. I was prepared to buy it at the old price anyway as I realized that Roland is not yet phasing out the model (looking at the Roland Japan website, the VP was just an added model, not really a replacement for the SP)
