Hardware
PostScript RIP print server vs software Postscript RIP
Additional
evaluations of PostScript
RIPs for wide format printers are in the works by the
FLAAR crew and the professor of printing at Bowling
Green State University of Ohio.
This
program of evaluations of Postscript RIPs began with our
initial
EFI Fiery RIP print
server with its Encad
NovaJet printer. Then we got our second EFI Fiery RIP
server.
BEST, Wasatch and ColorGate RIPs have arrived for evaluation
as well. The new version of PosterJet arrived in January
2002. Aurelon, ProofMaster (PerfectProof) and other RIPs
have arrived too. O.R.I.S. Sent their complete software suite.
MacDermid ColorSpan sent their ColorMark Pro 1G print server
hardware RIP.
Why
is a RIP so helpful?
EFI Fiery RIP with Encad NovaJet |
What
will make your posters and banners noticed? Color attracts
attention. So it helps if your RIP can handle color management
adequately.
You
can add text and a logo, but then you need PostScript to interpret
the lines and text. Postscript, either from Adobe or a comparable
interpreter from Harlequin (Global Graphics) is the heart
of most RIP packages. Basically a RIP is the brains of a large
format inkjet printer.
When
FLAAR began its programs we used an EFI Fiery RIP, a hardware
PostScript server solution. The EFI Fiery RIP offered several
advantages over attempting to print with no RIP at all (frees
up your computer so you can work on another project while
the server RIPs the image and handles the printing, relieving
your own computer of these chores).
But
when our Encad NovaJet Pro printer became obsolete, we naively
asked EFI how we could update the Fiery RIP to run our next
generation wide format printer.
We
were stunned to find out that the $4,500 RIP was a dead-end,
boat-anchor. This expensive thing suddenly had a value of
close to zero. I was so surprised it took a while for reality
to sink in.
During
1996 into 1998 I had been so impressed with EFI Fiery, after
all, every trade magazine touted them.
Then
I found out that virtually every other RIP in the world could
be updated, at least all the software RIPs.
So
I figured, well, maybe I can't update the EFI Fiery, but surely
I can at least run some other printer with it. I mean look
at the dozens of printers that you can run with a Wasatch
or Onyx
or PosterJet RIP. Indeed with some of these RIPs you can
run two printers simultaneously.
EFI Fiery RIP with HP Wide Format Printer
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Another
shock: the costly EFI Fiery not only was unable of being updated,
but also it would not run a single other printer. So when
the HP 2800 arrived, it required another thousands and thousands
and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of EFI Fiery.
That
was the year I began to check out software RIPs. I met the
capable engineers and officers first of PosterJet and then
of BEST. Saw their RIPs at CeBIT tradeshow in Hanover, and
then at DRUPA. Subsequently we have met the people of ColorGate,
Wasatch and I visited the Aurelon headquarters in Holland.
It was just 4 hours from my office in Germany.
The
Digital Imaging Technology Center is devoted to providing
recommendations on digital imaging equipment, originally (in
1996-1997) to museums, institutions, and departments of archaeology,
anthropology, tropical botany, zoology, and geology related
to studies in Mesoamerica. However this service became so
popular that now (Jan. 2002) the FLAAR network is the largest
nonprofit information source of its kind, read in three languages
and in 42 countries world wide.
It
appears that this kind of information is much sought after
by professional photographers, digital designers, graphic
studios of all kinds, desktop publishing, in-house publishing
in companies, and naturally by the thousands of in-house repro
and copy shops in colleges, universities, and museums. Thus
we have expanded our information services and solutions to
these markets as well.
Now
that FLAAR's evaluation facilities are situated on the campuses
of two universities, it is more feasible to catch up with
overdue discussion of RIPs. The new season will pick up again
during January 2002, led by Professor Charles Spontelli of
our university (BGSU). He has an MS degree from Rochester
Institute of Technology. His specialty is in color management
and he really likes working with RIPs in general and proofing
RIPs in particular.
We
have Aurelon,
BEST,
PosterJet,
ProofMaster,
and several other RIPs waiting in the queue.
The
downside of corporate PR
I
guess my question is why did so many trade magazines promote
EFI Fiery RIPs all those years?
We
were so mesmerized by all those PR releases that naturally
when we started we too thought it was a fabulous product…
until we found out our two versions did not offer tiling or
nesting nor could we even reorient an Adobe Photoshop file
horizontally or vertically in all modes.
A
possible parallel would be Enron. They were probably masters
of PR releases. Now you can understand why FLAAR has a policy
of not repeating corporate PR releases and definitely not
including corporate PR releases in our evaluations.
ColorSpan
hardware RIP
ColorSpan
is one of the few companies which offers a dedicated hardware
RIP. At least you realize this is a dedicated RIP when you
purchase it. Our students find it easy to run. We don't have
a list of all its countless features but my impression is
that it is very multifaceted, as it ought to be considering
its price.
Acknowledgments
We
thank Encad for providing a NovaJet and EFI for the Fiery
RIP; Hewlett-Packard for providing an HP DesignJet
2800 CP complete with another EFI Fiery RIP as well as
providing the more recent HP
1055cm, 800ps
and HP
5000ps and BetterLight for providing a Super
6000 BetterLight large format tri-linear digital scanning
back. We thank all the other RIP companies mentioned herein
for providing their products; kind of tough to check them
out without having them on hand.
Postscript:
Although EFI has dropped the concept of hardware RIP for the
Epson, they continue it for the Canon. In that case we would
recommend the PosterJet for the Canon as faster and more flexible.
In fairness to EFI, we understand they have now begun to add
features like tiling and nesting, but our impression is that
their RIPs still run only one single isolated printer and
in most cases are not upgradeable. However it is always possible
that an EFI may have some feature you specifically need; many
people probably love them. But just be sure you check out
other RIPs independently.
Contact
for Wasatch RIP is info@itnh.com.
Contact
for PosterJet is PosterJetUSA@aol.com.
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| All
reports are made by Dr. Nicholas M Hellmuth |
Last
updated Jan. 20, 2002
