Rollers are a takedown mechanism that can be found in many knitting machines, including the Kniterate. They reside underneath the needle bed and pull down the fabric with a winding motion. It is also often possible to push the fabric up by using a negative roller-advance value. The takedown occurs when the fabric is long enough for the two rollers to grab onto it, and as the rollers rotate in the opposite direction of each other, the fabric is progressively dispensed from the machine—almost as if it were being printed.
Unlike sinkers, rollers provide uniform takedown, meaning it is not possible to apply more force at certain points in a course than others.
In knitout, rollers can be programmed with the extensions x-roller-advance and x-add-roller-advance to move them forward/backward.