Tayda UV print with Inkscape (open source)

[benh]

Hi Folks !

So for a while I've been making enclosure designs using Inkscape. However it doesn't support spot colors and layered PDFs that are needed for the Versaworks based printer Tayda uses.

To solve that, I used to import the multi layer SVG from Inkscape to Scribus (another open source software), and use the latter to import the Roland swatch & fix things up, then export to PDF 1.6 from there.

It was a convoluted and fragile process, mistakes did happen, hidden transparent layers would occasionally confuse the printer and result in bad prints, and Scribus isn't that actively maintained & broke for me recently.

So with the help of Claude I eventually put together a python tool to perform the SVG to PDF conversion. It will detect various "mistakes" such as transparent layers, white in the colour layer etc... and warn. It will replace white & gloss layer colours with the RDG spots etc... And export to a multiayer PDF.

The tool runs in command line, it needs either librsvg or Inkscape as a backend (for the layer to PDF generation) and *should* work on MacOS with brew though I only used it in Linux. On Windows I would recommend WSL.

https://github.com/ozbenh/svg2updf

Thanks to Hugo from Tayda who checked for me a number of test PDFs generated.

WARNING: I haven't yet received & checked an enclosure printed with this :-) They are almost done but I'll be away for a while so won't be able to check for 3 or 4 weeks. But Hugo has been generally happy.

There's also a checker tool you can use in there to check a PDF for known issues with UV printing.

Cheers,
Ben.



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[gordo]

This is so damn cool.  I haven't had a chance to check it for a print job but will do so as soon as I can.  Inspiring to see folks still working out solutions.  I've been using Affinity stuff with generally good results but it always feels like a gamble with Tayda.  I use Inkscape at work to build SVG's for graphic floor plans for an electrical system monitoring software called NLyte.  The software is a bit slow but is stable and I love how I can make minor revisions to large floor plans without blowing out floor plan scales from previous files.

[benh]

This is so damn cool.  I haven't had a chance to check it for a print job but will do so as soon as I can.  Inspiring to see folks still working out solutions.  I've been using Affinity stuff with generally good results but it always feels like a gamble with Tayda.  I use Inkscape at work to build SVG's for graphic floor plans for an electrical system monitoring software called NLyte.  The software is a bit slow but is stable and I love how I can make minor revisions to large floor plans without blowing out floor plan scales from previous files.

Let me know how it goes and if there's anything I should improve !

Sent from my Pixel 11 Pro XL using Tapatalk

[gordo]

  Will do. Also blatant excuse to finish up a pedal