Roland Versa Sign Maker - Labels for Basketball

 

Please note the postings for this site for the week are going to look slightly different for the next five days or so as we are in attendance at the NZAIMS Games in Tauranga, New Zealand. 

We will continue to be posting as we have a number of projects that are ongoing although we are not going to be starting anything new this week directly as we are working remotely.

This week with Basketball it has been pleasing to know that we can indirectly showcase our technology in a couple of ways.  We have already posted how we have created some school specific 'gifts' for the teams that we are playing against in the form of the super sized glow-in-the-dark key rings.    

On a practical level for the team we wanted to ensure that each student while they had a drink bottle obviously made sure that they had their own individualised bottle and so for this purpose we used the schools Roland Versa Sign Maker.   We used the students Mac Book and Gimp to create an image which we then converted to a png file.   Once it was in this form it was an easy transition to the school sticker machine and a set of team individualised stickers were made for each of the students drink bottles.   

This task was completed independently by a senior student who is a Y8 student at our school.

If you want to see examples of how we have used the sticker machine to produce signs for our rubbish bins to address our recycling you can click on the link here.  You can also read a previous post about this process for a more generic team sticker from 2024 by clicking on the link here.

If you want to see additional school related projects that demonstrate how we've used the Roland Versa Sign Maker (also known as our sticker machine) you can click on the link here.

Roland Versa Signmaker: Enviro Group Signs

 

Recently Auroa Primary School has begun an overall of what is being created and carried out with regards to our environmental work.   

One of the key aspects of this is sorting the rubbish that is collected by the students at our school.  To this regard we wanted the students to be more actively sorting the waste material that they create.

While we were able to gain colour coded rubbish bins for this process one of the issues that we wanted to ensure was that the right waste would go into each bin.   To do that we turned to one of the pieces of technology at our school, the Roland Versa Sign Maker.   We have a dedicated sub-page to this machine and the way that we have used it on this blog, you can click on the link here or you can search in the search box on our blog and use the keywords 'sign maker'.

Each of the four bins has a different sticker which has been placed on the top of the bin but also the sides.  The design for the sticker was created by our middle school students - Year 5 and Year 6 students who are ten and eleven years old.   You can convert essentially any .PNG file into a sticker (and younger students can of course use apps such as Pic Collage as a creation tool) and then print it.

The stickers are durable, waterproof and have an extended shelf life.   We have used this machine to produce the decals for some of many major machines around Auroa School such as our Pinball Machines or Step Master Machine.

Roland Versa Sign Maker + iPhone Stands

 

We have detailed in depth the iPad and iPhone stands being developed by one of the groups of students who are seven and eight for our 2025 Market Day.

When we have been looking at finishing we have the products that we have left as there were removed from the printer, but we also have been experimenting with adding details or depths to prints.

In these examples here we have started looking at how we can add or enhance the presentation.   This question arose because with the Market Day we have several businesses that have asked for  themed iPhone or iPad stands.

Some of the logos and the details for the business have proven to be challenging to accurately recreate using the design features of Tinkercad.   The solution for the students was to switch to using the Roland Versa Sign Maker.   

This machine has its own tab on the blog feature some of the ways that we have used it with the students.   Essentially one of the functions of it is to create quality vinyl stickers which can then be applied to a surface, in this case the PLA which has been made via the 3D Printer.   The sticker is able to be printed via a .PNG file or a .JPEG.

In the examples shown we have used the logo of a local school and an online business.    For an additional feature we used QRMonkey.com to create a unique QR code which was also applied to the stand, which is shown on the front on the wedge and also at the back at the bottom of the print.

The stickers applied to the designs need no additional finishing and expected to remain on the stand long term.   They have been previously applied to a variety of surfaces such as laptops, metal water bottles etc and they have maintained their integrity despite being placed on a high use device.

3D Printed Hinge + Further Dolls House Finishing

 

Its been one of our key projects this year, the Schools Dolls House, including 3D Printed furniture that was designed via Tinkercad.

Below this post you can see the overview slideshow of the entire projects.   The additional features recently added includes the framing around the windows, a balcony above the door and the steps leading up to them.

The major adjustment is the roof.   The initial roof when the project started was closed over and permanently fixed.

To allow the roof to swing open in two parts a hinge was printed used the 3D Printer, the Bambu H2D.   The hinge is shown left in full fixed location.

The 3D Printer can of course be used to customise hinges of any size.

The PLA with the print allowed it to be open and closed with the flexibility created by the plastic.

The print time for the hinge was under thirty minutes.  There are a number of freely available hinges online.

The hinges can be seen in the photograph left - with the roof open to allow access to the inside of the Dolls House.

As we have previously noted the final step is the use of the Roland Versa Sign Maker the intended use of this is for the decals on the floor and the walls.   It could also be used to decorate the outside of the house.

The full project including the work on the furniture can be view in the slideshow below.

Special Event: DDR Dance Machine K-Pop Special

 

Having just held another school event - our DDR/Step Master Machine Livestream of K-Pop Demon Hunters we wanted to share the details and explain how the tech that we have at our school is used for this event.

The livestream and the videos are located at Mr Bloors Youtube Channel, this has everything including his amazing video that details the building of the Step Master Machine.

This video is located here and his Youtube page is located here.     The school laser cutter and Roland Versa sign maker were both used extensively in the creation of this machine.    For the purposes of the broadcast you can also see the filming rig.

As explained in a previous post on this blog we used the school laser cutter to create these MDF blocks which were 130mm square.

The blocks then had applied to them a sticker from the Versa studio sign maker.   This was made up of the poster that had been produced for the event which then in turn created a puzzle for the students to solve which became one of the challenges in the video.

You can click on this link to see the portion of the video that first used the blocks in the form of the puzzle.   The second challenge involving the blocks was the tower stacking challenge that can be viewed by clicking on the link here.

To produce something special for the students who won the competition these clickers were produced.   The clickers were sourced from a commercial location and are equivalent of a fidget toy.

The unique aspect of the design was the fact that the Bambu H2D Printer was used to produce the top that made something unique to celebrate the event for the students.

The template for this was provided online and was personalised for this event.

Student who won the competition were rewarded by receiving the clicker as shown above and also given a sheet of stickers from the event that were themed around the 'K-Pop Demon Hunters Show/Movie.

These designs were located online and were made available for the students.

The stickers were printed on the Roland Studios Versa Signmaker.

The paddles that were given to each of competitors to wave and support their team.   These were produced by using the school laser cutter and the labels for each of the paddle was produced by using the Roland Versa sign maker.

Credit for the design and work on this post needs to be given for the amazing Mr Jason Bloor (Sonic Vision Studios).   You can click on the link to his amazing Youtube page here.

Heat Press - Mug Transfers

 

The students at Auroa Primary School who are senior Y7/Y8 students have the opportunity on Friday to complete projects during our school DPE program (which in other schools is known as manual or technology/tech).

We have detailed the opportunities for students on Fridays which includes cooking, laser cutting, art, sewing and digital design.   

For digital design one of the projects involves the students using a heat press (for mugs) in conjunction with digital design.

We have previously posting on this blog about using the heat press and the versa sign maker for the students to create unique and individual t-shirts - which you can read by clicking on the link here.

In this example students sourced images that they were passionate about from online sources and then arranged them in a way that appealed to them.   The stickers were then applied to the mug using a heat press and transfer machine.  The stickers were processed by an external provider to ensure that they met the standard to be reuseable.

Each of the students who creates this project is able to personalise it.    The final product gives an excellent finish that looks detailed and professional.

It is able to be used as a regular mug once the process has been completed and is 'heat' and 'dishwasher' safe.

You can read the details of the schools DPE program by using the search box in the top right hand corner and using the initials DPE (Design Production Engineering).

3D Printed Furniture: Advanced Details

Challenge: To push students design ideas and abilities in creating more detailed furniture that could fit into a dolls house.

Background: This has been the focus with the classroom for the last week or so.  We have had to take the time to print a number of examples of the students work, as they have been refining, reworking and altering their design.   An overview of the entire project is located here.

In this example a student has wanted to push themselves to design a realistic and detailed kitchen unit.   This idea was created first by another student who came up with a detailed idea of a kitchen unit, which was featuring a sink built into the design.   This is located on our blog here.    Once the design had been shared with the class and then tested for viability and AR/VR into place.

The student wanted to create a number of features in this design, a sink with a hot/cold tap, a cutting board (which has an apple attached to it) various cupboards and a working fridge.

Size: The side featuring the cutting board which is shown in bottom right.   The first side measures 10mm long is 20mm high and 20mm across.  From the following side has similar dimensions and a length of 110mm.    The sink side was 70mm in length.   The fridge which is shown next to the sink was created to be an independent piece.   The height of the fridge was 70mm high and 20mm across and 40mm long.

Timeframe: The total time for the print took four and a half hours.   This was reflected by what needed to be created to make the print fit with the context of what was required.  Any smaller and the design would not have worked with the figure.

What we would do differently/Next steps for the students: The intention has always been to use as much of the schools technology as possible.   The 3D Printer are a significant part of it but the exciting part for some of the students will be the use of the sticker machine to produce decals to work in conjunction with the print.    The student who created this is now going to work out the area of the bench, measure the size of the fridge and use technology available to consider how they can create the decals.     Although this student does not have specific experience with the use of the machine before they will be using their iPad and Pic collage.

Canvas Printing Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20

 

Recently we achieved a significant series of results from our students in several inter school competitions.   To celebrate this we wanted to ensure that we could produce something special to mark the occasion.  

Our first option was to go to a local stationary provider and take a .jpg of the photograph of the students and ask the stationary provided to produce the image on canvas with a frame.   We in addition wanted to have lettering to recognise the event printed onto the canvas.     The total cost to produce the image on the canvas was $70.00 (NZD) which included the frame.   The next step was to think about the resourcing that we have at our school and consider how we might be able to use one of these to create our own version of the image.

We have used our Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 machine for a number of projects, and while our primary use has been to produce stickers related to the school, it has a number of other features.

In the version of the image shown left, it is the same .jpg that was used at the commercial version - except in this case it was printed using the Sign Maker and printed onto canvas.

The two images are essentially identical - however as we produced the image ourselves we were able to spend time altering the image to best suit its display.   

This allows for our version to have more specific detail.   Both versions took an identical time to print, which was just under one hour.

When the two images are placed next to each other to consider display options the two are essentially identical however as noted we have more opportunity to customise our version.

The images were both 1.5m by 800cm tall.   The final aspect of the design was the backing.

In the commercial version (which is above when the two images are shown together) it is backed onto canvass backed by cardboard.

This then led the staff member who was creating this project to consider how we might look at identifying ways to make the backing.

We have previously discussed how we have a large laser cutter here at school.   In this case the teacher wanted to create framing using the school laser cutter.  The frame is made from MDF was created to fit the image perfectly.   In the example shown left the frame was assembled, the frame was then glued and then held in place by masking tape as shown.    A cost point for the school is hard to absolutely determine as the costs of the MDF are minimum, the only legitimate cost would be the ink for the use of the printer.

At the end of the day we have been able to produce something that is very positive for the school that is comparable or superior to a commercial version, which students should be able to replicate easily (especially now as a template for both has been established).

Using the Versa Sign Maker

 

For the end of year our students have a group of leavers who graduate from our school before moving on to High School.  As we want as a school to gift them something special, we have had a group of our students, working with a staff member to produce a personalised sweatshirt hoodie for each of the graduating students.

Crucial to this process was the transfers that were crated and printed using the Roland Versa Sign Maker.

The transfers were printed on specific paper and the paper was then pressed onto the material.

The designs were transferred onto the sleeve, the front of the sweatshirt and a detailed label on the back (as shown top left).   The names of the students that were in the group is contained within the numbers to represent the year.

This allowed our school to produce something unique for the students.

Using the Sticker Machine for General Labels

 One of the local groups that we are working with is the local people who are opening a new Wharekai (Kitchen/Dining Area) as part of their Marae.   As part of this we have been looking for opportunities in how we might use our technology and share the projects and share the ideas, resources and what we can make with others.

This use of the sticker machine fits several of those criteria.  We have allowed others to design projects to encourage them to engage in the school.  In this case these labels while straightforward and would be used typically as labelling for material at the site.   We would be confident once the vinyl was applied to the resource that it would not fall off or weather, even if it is exposed to water.   We can point to the outside poster which has remained outside for over a year without any weather damage.

The stickers were printed 70mm by 50mm and were designed using Pic Collage.   The designs were then imported into the software that is part of the machine, and printed via the LCD panel with the software that was part of the machine purchase.

The machine has a variety of medium to print on including t-shirt transfers.

The print time for a sheet this size was just over twenty five minutes, which would be standard for a sheet of this size.

Gala Day Signs - Using the Sticker Machine

Using the Versa Sign Maker to create signage for the School Gala Day/Event.  We are always looking for practical examples on how we apply our technology.  This is a simple example of one of the games that we used for our School Gala Night.   The machine was used to print a vinyl sticker - the sticker was printed large, that is 50cm by 1 metre.    The sticker was then applied to a sheet of corrugated cardboard.   In this case we used a real estate agents sign, which was supplied to us by a local agent that they no longer required.  This allows our students who were running this event to have signage that was labelled with the school details (mascot and name at the bottom) with the graphics completed on a Mac.   In the event of there being any rain during or before the school gala we were safe in the knowledge that the sign would not get wet (as it is essentially a large vinyl sticker).

The second version of these posters was created by a student using the Pic Collage app.   This was a design that was created in a short time-frame and as a result the student was able to produce signage for their school fundraiser that took place during the school gala night.

This produced a robust large sign that could be then used (and potentially used again in the future, there is no evidence of any colour running or fading of the design.   As a further note an example of this use of the machine has been created for advertising a local event.  The event poster was created by a local sports club, this poster has been placed outside in a location that was visibly prominent but also exposed to the elements.  This has been in place now for nearly a calendar year and there is no evidence of any damage to the sign, no evidence of fading etc.  This has been in place during a New Zealand winter and was exposed to a full range of elements.

Sticker Machine Examples - Paint Container Conversion

Roland - Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 

This machine has a number of uses and is able to produce stickers, vinyl prints and prints on canvas material.   We have used it for examples that are on a variety of surfaces.

A brief example of how it might be used is something like this - in the example shown left an old paint container bucker has been cleaned out, for food scraps from the school for the worm farm.   The decal has been applied, including transparent sections where the black lettering stands out with the white background.

Applying another form of media to the plastic bucket would be challenging - as the applying of glue etc would unlikely to be successful due to the durable surface.    As can be shown from the example the sticker allows for a clear use for the container, and while the media is pre-made creation of any image, then a simple conversion of the image into a .PDF allows it to be printed into a sticker format.

Versa Studio Sign Maker: T-Shirt Creator

 

Roland - Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20

As we've previously mentioned on this blog - when detailing our DPE projects for our senior students - show what was possible with the Laser Cutter to create a desk storage organiser or a chest storage box.

As part of those rotations we also have an opportunity to use the Roland - Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20.   This is the machine used by our students to create stickers, to create labels for the sports bottles or was used extensively during our school market day to produce labels for various businesses.

Using GIMP the students designed a personalised sticker about themselves.   This was then applied with a hot press onto a t-shirt producing a personalised t-shirt.

The students designed their individualised shirt with a level of individuality that would allow them to develop their design skills further.

The close up of the centre of the design can be seen left.   There is a main character, and outside of that there is a circle.  Contained within the circle are some individualised items - a chefs hat (cooking), a plant (gardening), broadway sign (musicals), pot (kapa-haka), books (library, microphone (singing) and the emblem of the swimming club.

The t-shirt is able to be worn as a regular item and able to be washed as a normal item.

The process was completed over several days with some focussed on the design and shape.   An adult was responsible for using the hot press to attach the sticker to the t-shirt.

Versa Sign Maker: Individual Water Bottles for School Sports Teams

We have been using our Roland - Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 for a variety of different tasks around our school.  One of the things that it proving excellent for in terms of use is creating vinyl stickers which can be then used for the purpose of labelling etc.

The example shown left is for the school Netball team.   Each player in the team has been issued with a water bottle, to create a sense of identity for the team and also to ensure the bottles are clearly labelled a sticker has been produced for the team.

The sticker was created using Gimp and the main image taken was a photograph of the school team.   The picture had further elements to it - a silhouette of Mount Taranaki which is a local landmark, and the name of the team on the outside of the sticker.

There was potential for a further level of personalisation here as a second sticker could easily have been added on the other side of the bottle to ensure that students did not drink from the same bottle by accident.

 As is shown in close up left - you can see the features in more details.   The printing time is minimal (slightly longer than a regulation printer).   The sticker measured 160mm high and was 120mm wide.

The design was completed by (senior) students.

There are obviously further ideas that could be used that follow this format or this idea and the level of individuality could be also added to, in terms of layers (for instance if a student required multiple water bottles or containers some of which needed to be clearly separated or identified).

 

Sticker Machine: Creating a Playing Board for a Game

 Challenge: Students have been looking at developing an individualised project to use the sticker machine, the laser cutter and the 3D printer to integrate them together.

Background: This was very much a student conceived and driven project.   The student in this case  was a basketball fan and wanted to come up with a game themed around basketball, the NBA and their specific favourite team.  The base for the game consists of a large decal which was converted from a .gif file that the student found online.  The court measured 30cm high and was 60cm across.  It was printed onto a sheet of MDF which was cut the correct size using the schools laser cutter.

The conversion of the file was very straight forward.  The next step was for the student to create hosts for the hoops for the basketball hoops.  These were constructed using the laser cutter and cut to size.

In conjunction with these the hoops for the backboard and the basketball ball stands were built.   These were designed in Tinkercad and 3D Printed.   The base was then produced in conjunction with this, and was designed to support the hoops by having them inserted into the MDF and then allowing them to stand independently.   

Level of Difficulty: Low.  The base for the court is essentially a single print, file and image which did not require any alteration from the design.   The hoops and stands were straightforward basic shapes to work in conjunction with each other.

Timeframe: The 3D print aspect of the design was two hours, the sticker printing was minimal as was the laser cutting. The Roland Versa Sign Maker was essential to complete this task successfully.

Size as noted - 60cm by 30cm for the court, the other elements were relative.  A modification of the size would depend on the purpose as described below.

What we would do differently/next steps for the students: The idea is to create a game which the board and the pieces are related to, the next challenge for the student is how to process and produce this.  The game is currently a board, with hoops and ideas it needs to have additional features to make it functional. 

The student is very pleased with their results to this point but is currently assessing ideas in how they might progress the project further.

Using the Sticker Machine to Produce Hat Transfers

 

We currently have a group of students who are working to use the Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20 to produce a sticker which is then going to be steam pressed on the hat of the students.   This will allow the students to personalise their hats with a label of their own design.

The designs have been created by the students using the Gimp online software and a laptop.   Student were able to design them in one sitting then thinking about the composition the design and how the label might look when applied to the fabric.

Student Market Day - Laser Cut Tiles and Packaging

We have detailed on this blog in the past that the students at our school have the use of and access to a free standing Laser Cutter (an example of our school one is shown on the link here).   We have used this for a variety of projects such as coasters, or laser cut boxes for our school, and in particular this year for our School Market Day.

Another project that has been completed by our students is using the Laser Cutter to engrave on tiles - an example is shown left with the Piwakawaka shown left.   While the students did not create the image this in theory would be possible.  

We have a group of senior students using their use of the Laser Cutter to create MDF/Bamboo backing for the 3D Prints that the students from our junior classroom have created.   These prints (a mixture of original prints and online located and sourced) have then had the students use the Roland Versa Sign Maker to create
 a unique and creative sticker for this business.

You can see the full evolution of the packaging shown here on the left in a variety of designs from the classroom.

The MDF has been cut to a general size to suit the designs - the students have then used Pic collage and Brand Maker to create a logo themed for their business.   The Roland Versa Sign Maker has then printed the stickers which have been attached.   The MDP (which is 130mm wide) has then been decorated with dye as shown.

As always we feel compelled to mention that this is a junior class of students completing this work.  The students in New Zealand are Y3/4 which places their age as 8 and 9 year old students - many using technology that is mentioned with either support from senior students (who are Year 7 and Year 8) or using technology independently for the first time. 

One of the aspects of the students learning that we want to share is the process that the students have been through.  We have shown examples of the students completing this as we prepare for Market Day.

We have taken examples and printed these on another of our school resources our large HP Vinyl Printer.   These are then being mounted on corrugated cardboard and being put on display with the students work.   This will allow members of the public to view the entire process.

 

Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker BN-20

 

This is another example of how we are using another significant piece of school technology, in this case it is the Roland Versa Studio Sign Maker.

The business that is relatively advanced in our Y3/4 class has been the 'Fancy Dogs' articulated toy dogs and one of the challenges has been to keep this student challenged to make additional parts of her business going since she completed the 3D Print part of the business some time ago.

In this instance the student used Pic Collage, which is one of key creation apps at school on her iPad in conjunction with Brand Crowd to produce her logo.  It was then converted into printing on the printer.   It has produced a range of adhesive labels that are commercial grade which the student is then using to fix directly to the MDF which she is then using to display her product.  This produces a nice finish and enhances the overall product.

Once this had been successfully completed a number of the other students followed this lead - again they were taking a design which they had created and using the technology present in the school to enhance its viability and presentation.

We have also the ability to produce these on a smaller scale for niche businesses or organisations that might potentially not be able to justify or afford a larger scale run.

This is shown in the example on the bottom left where a student whose parents have connections to a local club sourced the logo and created a sticker specifically for that group.

Market Day - Packaging Examples

Challenge: To produce packaging to be used in relation to the 3D Prints for School Market Day.

Background: As the students are currently in the process of finishing their final designs for the 3D Printed aspects of their Market Day Projects some of the students who have created and designed their projects already are now focussing on producing the packaging of their projects.   

The mock up of the prints has to include a few compulsory aspects.  One is the print needs to be displayed.  We have a commercial grade laser cutter on site (which will be featured in a post shortly).   As a consequence of this we have a number of 'off cuts' that is prints that haven't worked as intended which are available to the students as scrap.   The students from our class have located a number of these and are using them for the base to hold their designs.    While the MDF is currently an off white we have discussed the students painting the base or using dye to change the colour.

Problem solving with juniors has involved working out ways to secure the prints to the wood.   In the case of use the Roland Sticker Machine it produces an adhesive label that is shiny but also very smooth - the and the prints when sitting on them tend to slide off.  While they can be held in place by ribbon or string this is not fool-proof and tends to require careful management.   One of the potential solutions and one we are using in our classroom is to apply a small amount of blue tack under key parts of the prints, which are not typically visible to the potentially purchaser but make it much more secure to the base.

Prior to using the Roland Sticker Machine the students are experimenting with composition and also looking at practical examples of how the items that they are selling might look.

In the example of the Fennec Fox shown left the student needs to consider that the lettering or design font maybe obscured by the placement of a print on top of the labelling.   In this case the student has used  Brandcrowd to create their design although other students in the classroom have also used logomaker for the same purpose.

The students working on all of these projects are Y3 and Y4 students in New Zealand, so students who are eight and nine working on 3D Printing for the first time in most cases in the classroom.

Again with the rabbit which has previously featured on this blog the student is looking at ways to enhance the presentation - when the object is placed on the MDF and the composition looked at and the student then needs to consider the backing.

One of the other aspects of the print is the QR code designed by the students linking to additional information and work.  For students who have already completed and designed the print this allows them to continue working on the project while other students are looking at completing their designs and testing them.