Valiani New Interchangeable Head

[span2iels]

I have it on good authority that Valiani are to introduce a new head at thei year's Spring Fair. The head is called the MatStylus. I have seen the promotion leaflet from which I have copied the following:

Once again Valiani leads the way with our newest exclusive innovation, the MatStylus Interchangeable drawing head.

This amazing interchangeable head revives the lost art of French Matting by allowing any user to add creative,
eye catching design elements to a variety of mat surfaces.

The MatStylus includes 3 different sizes of adapters, allowing the user to insert various sizes and brands of pens,
pencils, plotter pen cartridges and felt-tip pens.

The Valiani MatStylus is completely managed by the Valiani Future Mat Designer software and allows the user
to convert any Template, Corner Design, Text and even Clip-Art into a line drawing.

Use one or more of these applications to surprpise and delight your customers:

Create intricate & precise French Lines of any color and thinckness.
Enhance your designs with text using virtually any Font.
Decorate your mats with fancy Clip-Art, logos, line-art, etc.
Add a signature to any mat with ease.
Use CorelDRAW to showcase your unique designs... your unique creativity.

Should be a particularly useful addition to those of us with Valiani CMCs and proves that yet again Valiani are one step ahead of the competition.

[Jonny2morsos]

I guess this will only be for the newer versions that have the interchangeable blade head. Sounds vety interesting.

Will be paying Simons a visit at Springfair.

John.

[span2iels]

John

I have one of the first CMCs with the interchangeable head that was brought into the UK and I have been told that the new head will fit my machine.

MalR

[Merlin]

The new head will be for the cmc-ix range. The interchangeable head.

Nico/Joe will be demonstrating the new MatStylus head on the Sunday and Monday at the NEC.

Approx cost of the new will be £500 and lead time 4 weeks. Hopefully there will be some deal available but with the Euro exchange rate that looks in doubt..

[Moglet]

A very interesting CMC development!

It would be great if one of the JGFs that attend the Fair could post a review for people who can't go. One thing I'd be interested in finding out is how well it overcomes blotting problems, especially at corners.

[span2iels]

I would be surprised if there was a blotting problems because rather than use inks with a leafed pen the promotional poster indicates that the head makes use of felt tip pens and also pencils

[Moglet]

Funnily enough, it was the felt tips that prompted my comment.

[Merlin]

After an impressive demonstration by Nico of the MatStylus, we ordered one. Even John Ranes II ordered one.

Lead time is 6 weeks because they sold out whilst at the Las Vegas show. At the same time as selling some 20 Valiani CMC's.

There is still some R & D going on as to which is the best pen/nib/tip to use. The demo was done using PILOT fine silver and gold felt pens. The collets used will also take the standard plotter pens.

Will report back when it arrives and I will post close up photos of the lines.

[Roboframer]

I did a 2 1/2 hr Valiani seminar at WCAF where they showed some of what this stylus can do.

It was, of course, impressive inasmuch as the limitless amount of designs it can do that you wouldn't want to tackle with a ruling pen!

It will take pretty much any pen/pencil. Well, not ANY pen - any drawing pen/felt tip - anything that can be both pushed and pulled.

For bold lines it's great, for more subtle ones you'll see the start/stop point - would be great if it could be programmed to stop juuuuuuust before the start point. Still, who hasn't gone over a stop/start point with a ruling pen and got a bit of a 'blob' on EACH corner? If you need to look that close, why worry about the freakin' artwork!

Great machine, great people. But, for a 'normal' - IOW square 'French mat' (Lines with a wash panel) - even if I had this I'd still use a flat brush and a ruling pen, I've yet to see a machine that can produce that look.

It can't do acrylic medium and real gold leaf either!

[Moglet]

Hi John,

Thanks for the review of the Valiani drawing head. It's something I've been very interested in hearing about. Did Valiani do any really complex/intricate patterns? Say, for the sake of argument, you wanted to decorate a mount with an intricate border of leaves or flowers, can it do stuff like that?

[Roboframer]

Did Valiani do any really complex/intricate patterns? Say, for the sake of argument, you wanted to decorate a mount with an intricate border of leaves or flowers, can it do stuff like that?

Wnat you describe is exactly one of the designs they passed around.

But there was still a start/stop blob - whimper whimper


Basically, what you can programme the blade cutting heads to do, you can programme the stylus to do - but then even more as there is not an issue with tight corners - it's a doddle and I'm also sure that machines like this have been around for a long time - but they could not cut mounts - they're just drawing machines.

I've seen computerised 'French Mats' from the likes of Rosentiels from years back - they suck!

[prospero]

I've seen computerised 'French Mats' from the likes of Rosentiels from years back - they suck!

They fade as well.

[Roboframer]

And they were/are drawn on carp board!

[Moglet]

Thanks also to Merlin for the review (my apologies, John - missed your post when readling the thread earler ). Looking forward to pics when you've received/played with the new toy!

They fade as well.

Very good point, Prospero. Might be well worth feeding that back to Valiani for their R&D / best pen recommendations...

[Dermot]

Pretty much any sort of pen and you can also use a pencil (pencil wont fade that is why some artists use a pencil for signatures) ………..you can put signatures on if you wish……..very good if you do work for photographers …..

When I went to the Valiani stand I had a template with me, it took Nico (sales director of Valliani) less than 60 seconds to design it and start cutting……now this was the very interesting part……..the cutting was a bit off……..but in no way did Nico display and embarrassment …..he just said that should not happen and started looking for the problem…….it turned out that a very small plastic part had broken on the pneumatic plunger, the first time Nico had ever experienced this in 21 years …….that it was a broken part was a huge relief for me …..

Broken parts you can replace….so I have no worries about this little issue on the Valiani……..I was also very impressed with Nico’s very calm handling of this little problem he was very impressive and reassuring…………….a little later Valiani cut the template without a glitch ……..

Most of the other CMC people also had difficulties but it was around the calibration of the machines and the alignment of mounts ………and/or the mountboard they had with them was getting some of the blame….strange ….. ……..these two issues would worry me….I understand it can be possible to corrected some of the alignment issued however I feel you would need a fair degree of software expertise….all machines could make a good hand of designing the mount template I had, which was originally had been done on a Wizard ……..however personally I felt most at ease with how the Valiani design package worked….

Wizard did not offer to cut the mount for me (all the other CMC people did)……and I did not ask them to……..part of my analysis of the machines and the proactive support for them was having a template with me………I felt that having a template with me was a loud enough signal that I was very serious and the least I would have expected was that a proactive attempt would be made to cut the template………I was at the show for two full day, I passed the Wizard stand quite a few times and never saw them cut a mount, perhaps I just passed at the wrong times….it has me thinking a bit….

Anyway I feel I gave all the machines and the support for them a good road run……….now I just need to make my decision as to who and what to go with…….

[Merlin]

Good post Dermot
Maybe in an attempt to help others on the same road.
Can you explain your thought process and the good/bad of each machine as you saw it.
Which machine do you think you are going for and why.

[Moglet]

Seconded!

Any chance of a looky looky at the template, too, Dermot?

[Dermot]

Orignal Desigh Obama/Newspaper with Double Mount/Mat http://www.newavenue.ie/office/uploads/ ... 033540.jpg

Double Mount/Mat Template http://www.newavenue.ie/office/uploads/ ... 033519.JPG

[Merlin]

Áine

Did you see the PDF for the Mat Stylus new head ??

[Merlin]

For those who are interested in the new MatStylus head but have not seen it yet, I have a .PDF of the brochure.

Just PM me your email address and I can forward it to you