Media Bunching

1. Loading the Media
Confirm the media has been loaded appropriately according to the User’s Manual.
If you are using a take-up system, make sure the media is aligned from the roll media to the take-up roll.

2. When Printing & Cutting

A. Reduce Cutting Speed/Up-Speed

B. Reduce the length of the panel
For printing & cutting in particular, the longer the page length, the greater the chance of misalignment occurring.
It is a good idea to keep the size of each single page to the minimum necessary. Skewing and alignment issues are usually eliminated if panels are kept around 1m or shorter. You can also reduce the cutting speed to reduce skewing and improve the print-cut alignment.

3. Pre-feeding the Media

If you are not already doing so, it is important that you leave the machine plenty of slack in the rear of the printer when you are working with heavy rolls of media to help reduce the strain on the feed motor. If the machine is struggling to move the media forward, it could result in a slight skew as it progresses.
You can ENABLE or DISABLE the PREFEED on most printer models. Refer to the User’s Manual for instructions.
You can also use Versaworks to prefeed the media before printing by selecting [Execute PREFEED Operation] in the [Cutting Condition Settings].

4. Vacuum Power

Most of our printers have a vacuum built into the bed that helps secure the media during printing. Different media types require different levels of vacuum power. By default, the vacuum is set to Auto. If you are having issues with media bunching or skewing, you may need to adjust the power level*.
When the media is flimsy and cannot move smoothly, decreasing this value (reducing the suction force) may correct the issue. If you are printing on thick media like banner material, increasing the vacuum power may help hold the material down and prevent bunching.

*This option is not available on all models. Refer to the User’s Manual to confirm Vacuum Power settings.

5. Pinch Roller Pressure

A. Adjust the pinch roller pressure, if possible.
B. Clean the pinch roller wheels and grit roller bar.
C. Replace the pinch roller wheels.

If the pressure applied by each of the pinch roller wheels is not consistent, it may cause the media to bunch between them or skew to one side. Some models offer the option to adjust the pinch roller pressure. Refer to the User’s Manual for more information.
After you have adjusted the pinch roller pressure, or if that option is not supported by your machine, check the pinch roller wheels for debris or surface damage. Make sure the wheels are completely clean and free of debris, as well as the grit roller bar that sits underneath the pinch roller and the media. If any of the wheels are damaged, it is recommended they are replaced as a set.