Nick info-at-nickdunmur.com (Nick Dunmur)::13/8/04::8:38 pm:: GMT+0100 >I was under the impression (and it is my HO only :)) that any RIP will >only be of real value if you output text and vector graphics in your >images. A properly calibrated printer and custom profile (not a canned >manufacturer's one) for the ink and paper combination that you use >will produce fantastic images at a fraction of the cost of a RIP. unfortunately calibration is not really possible without a good RIP Nick. Essentially, the only <calibration> we have on an Epson driver is to choose the paper type and resolution. It can work well and give pretty accurate colour, but once you've seen your images printed with a good RIP there's no going back.
>I guess there may be some speed benefits with a RIP, but AFAIK, it's >not vital to your workflow. it depends how good you want your prints to look ;-) >I'm sure Neil B will have something to say >on this though! :) I sure do If you'd asked me 18 months to 2 years ago I'd have said that the majority of RIPs were actually likely to give worse performance than the RGB driver for images, mainly because of issues with dither (dots were fine for proofing but too visible for photo work). Some also had very convoluted colour management features and thus could be extremely confusing to use. Many RIPs still have both these problems along with a few others. Better RIPs:: RIP = raster image processor - thus, only really needed for postscript files. However, IMO we now have RIPs which actually print better photos than the Epson driver ever will since they not only RIP but also drive the printer better and with more control. Some come with ready made profiles, which may well be fine for some users on certain printers, but, for me, the big advantage of a good RIP is that it will include access to tools which allow me to produce a custom linearisation [or calibration] for the specific paper / machine. When you've seen the difference this provides it's difficult to go back to an RGB driver. It's certainly the case for proofing, but, actually, it even applies to photo printing. On top of the lin tools we have full control over the profile building, black generation (black start and width / GCR etc.) and ink limiting, this can be very advantageous. Plus the user now has the ability to actually work on his files in <printer CMYK>, should he wish. There are many advantages to being able to see the final CMYK on your calibrated and profiled screen before pressing <print>. Image print RIP:: I've read many reports, both good and not so good, about the Image Print RIP. Some users are very happy with the output. What no one in the know seems to argue with is that one cannot produce ones own linearisation and that Image Print provides, essentially, an RGB pipeline. i.e. you can send CMYK, but we're told that CMYK's changed back to RGB, then to printer CMYK internally. That's what the Epson driver does with CMYK, so I guess Image Print falls into the category of a much upgraded Epson Driver, and I'm sure there's a big need for that. For me, though, removing the tools and features that make a personal tuning up possible, and the inability to profile as a CMYK device, makes it less than ideal. Of course for those who are happy with the output, that's fine, same goes for the original RGB driver. Advantages of linearisation (calibration):: If you're making proofs and want them to be accurate, then I think that a (linearisable) RIP is very useful in attaining the colour values needed for proper proofing. We can make ISO certified (measured) proofs on an Ultrachrome Epson, which, in most cases, is unlikely to be possible with the RGB driver. RIPs and Photo printing:: I'd have to defer to Jack Lowe at this point, I spent a lot of time tuning the original RGB driver for Jack's 9600 with HPR 308 about 18 months back, the results were good, we thought they were very good. A few months back, as part of a project which involved setting up an Epson 7600 for ISO certified proofing, I installed Proofmaster RIP for Jack. It seemed pertinent to add the 9600 to the RIP licence aswell, because of OSX compatability, the workflow tools (like nesting multiple images on one sheet) and reduction in ink usage. We didn't expect a big speed advantage but we sure got one. I hope Jack will have the time to tell you himself whether he sees any improvement in printed output from his Epsons. Maybe some of you might like to have print tests done, quite a few of my clients will buy a 4000 or 7600 and use Jack's service to print the 44 inch monsters as needed. Regards, Neil Barstow :: Apple Solutions Expert :: colourmanagement.net Consulting in Imaging & Colour Management, custom profiling, training, seminars implementation :: WE RESELL :- Gretag+eyeOne :: basICColor Squid, Display etc. XRite. :: GTI viewing booths :: Epson :: Proofmaster RIP + ISO Proofing solutions www.colourmanagement.net/ :: www.apple.com/uk/creative/neilbarstow/ =============================================================== GO TO http://www.prodig.org for ~ GUIDELINES ~ un/SUBSCRIBING ~ ITEMS for SALE
