Meet the Roland Utility: The Control Panel for Roland BN2 and BN-20A

If you are new to Roland BN2 or BN-20A, learning the Utility is as important as learning the machine or Versaworks!

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In this Roland tutorial, I'm going to walk you through every single feature in the Roland Utility so you can master your printer and know how to adjust settings, perform maintenance, and setup new materials.

Why the Roland BN2 Utility Matters

The Roland BN2 utility isn't just some optional tool - it's literally the control center for your entire printer!

This is where you'll: Set up new materials, monitor ink levels, check alerts and warnings, troubleshoot problems and launch maintenance.

If your printer isn't working and you're wondering "What is going on?", the Roland BN2 utility is the FIRST place you should look!

Getting to the Utility through DG Connect Hub

To open the BN2 utility, your machine needs to be plugged in and connected to your computer. Click the BN2 icon to launch the Utility.

On the main Utility Window there are several buttons and functions. There's the obvious ink levels along with a status bar.

The status area is basically your progress bar and warning system all in one. This is where you'll see information about the current status like "Printing", "Cleaning" or "Output possible" or the next step you need to take like "Load Media."

The small bell icon to the right of the status bar is where you'll find notifications and alerts.

These maintenance reminders are based on TIME, not usage. So if you don't use your BN2 regularly, you can probably go a bit longer than the recommendations. However, depending on the alert, you may not be able to print unless these alerts are cleared so if you're job refuses to start printing, check what's going on here.

You also have two temperatures related to heating elements on your BN2. These are important because your printer will NOT print until both the heater and dryer reach the recommended temperature. If you send a job and it's processed but not printing, check to see what temperature your heater and dryer are on. If you see something like 26°C out of 30°C - just wait a few minutes for it to heat up and the printing will start automatically.

The Setup Button..Not Just for Initial Setup

The setup button can be a bit misunderstood. This is where you'll go to setup: your machine the first time, each new material, and each individual job. So basically, get familiar with the Setup button .. you'll be using it a lot.

To setup a new job: Click the Setup Button > Select Your Material and follow through the prompts to load the material.

To setup a new material: Click the Setup Button > + > Name the New Material and follow the prompts. I have a full new material setup video here.

Cleaning and Maintenance Functions

The cleaning button gives you access to nozzle checks and different cleaning cycles.

Here's my recommended process: Do a nozzle check by clicking "output". Evaluate the results and if nozzles are missing, run a cleaning. Then print another nozzle check to re-evaluate.

Blade Adjustment and Test Cuts [Material Settings]

The Blade button lets you test and adjust cut settings for your specific material. Remember - these settings only apply to the material you've selected, not every material.

You can also do test cuts here by clicking "output" before or after making adjustments. This is ESSENTIAL for getting clean cuts and verifying your cut settings before you use them to cut a full sheet of material.

Using the Move Function

The Move button controls where your printing starts. You can adjust both vertical and horizontal printing start location and set it further down the material if needed.

This is perfect when you want to avoid the leading edge or position your design in a specific spot on your material.

Advanced tutorial on using the Roland Move Function.

System Preferences and Settings

Finally, the hamburger menu on the Roland BN2 Utility is small but mighty.

You'll find everything from media management to maintenance triggers to system information and preferences in here.

Want to change from Celsius to Fahrenheit or centimeters to inches? It's all found within the hamburger menu.

Why Mastering the Roland BN2 Utility Matters

This one little window controls EVERYTHING about your Roland BN2. Getting familiar with the Utility will save you hours of troubleshooting and help you get consistent, professional results.

Once you understand how to use the Utility you'll level up your understanding of how to use your Roland machine and software in general!

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking on them and purchasing products through my links, I receive a small commission. That's what helps fund Silhouette School so I can keep buying new Silhouette-related products to show you how to get the most out of your machine!

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