Higher End RIPs

[ZooCity]

Getting ready to purchase a good rip and move up from Accurip.  Looking hard at Wasatch SoftRip SP.  We also are purchasing an Oyo (now Exile Technologies) Goblin thermal ribbon CTS machine and this comes with a Harlequin RIP which also has some great add ons from what I've seen such as a "smart" auto trap/gutter feature. 

I'm at the point where I will pay what needs to be paid for the best RIP out there.  For me "best"=highest quality, easiest interface to use and one with features that save time and increase our accuracy.  In addition to ease of use, reliability, support, etc. I specifically want:

• Deep control over linearization with presets for various films.
• Network RIP that we can queue jobs to for various printers, i.e. one queue for CTS, one for a 4800, etc.
• Compatible w. an Epson 4800 up through newer Epson models.
• Ability to run ink for film in 1-4 heads (I like one head for best quality) and then use open heads for dye sub inks.
• Good calibration control for dye sub printing with presets.
• Excellent and accurate on screen rip preview including overprints, etc.  I really want the very best here, I have to use 1-3 Adobe programs to get a mediocre preview of output and it's a time killer that can allow errors to slip through.
• Interlocking and/or overlapping gradient output from AI and PS, i.e. no more gaddamn stacked dots outputting.

Quite the list I suppose.  Who's using what and what's good out there?

[dirkdiggler]

Most people probably use Accurip because its made for our industry, but Wasatch will do so many things I don't even understand them.  We use it and never get close to all its capabilities.

[balloonguy]

I use an old version of harlequin. I do love the control over lpi, angle and dot shape. I really don't use much else. I am not aware of auto trap. I have always used ai for that. The on screen preview is great. I am not sure if I can drive multiple printer/ques. I have never tried. I have an old techstyler. It is AWESOME!!!!!
Matt

[Rockers]

Most people probably use Accurip because its made for our industry, but Wasatch will do so many things I don't even understand them.  We use it and never get close to all its capabilities.

Same here. Wasatch SP but to be honest if that ever breaks down gets deleted of our PC or something like that I would probably struggle to set it up again.
But I like it a lot over AccuRip. More options. Not sure though if you can print black from several heads at the same time.
Anyone able to walk me though how to set up the stochastic halftones on Wasatch SP?

[mk162]

the best RIP i've used was called OpenRIP.  They are now owned by Xante.  It was made for Windows XP so getting it to run on a 7 machine was tough, but it worked.

It worked with the 3000 and was a stellar rip...had a ton of great tools built and very easy to use.

[ABuffington]

Wasatch SP is what we recommend.

Linearization using common transmissive densitometers, like the Eye One from Gretag Macbeth.
Great halftone controls for many dot shapes, lines, etc.
Can run up to 4 printers at once.
Preset image controls like punch contrast, and many other curve functions to enhance the print.  Like a black shirt print that is flat with no contrast.  Looked great on screen but films show little light to dark, hit one button, get decent black shirt punch in highlights and darker darks.
Incremental pico liter dot controls to output standard or variable sized dots.  This is huge for inkjet printing, not so much OYO.  By increasing pico liter dot size you also increase the Dmax of the film.  Image too transparent?  Just bump the pico liter dot size up for more opacity.  Great for inkjet printers having issues with Dmax.
Hybrid screen capability.  Transition from halftones to stochaistic at a tonal value of your choosing on any film.  Prevents vignette moire.
Archive ripped files for reproduction, (get a huge external drive for this function)  This prevents accidentally running a different printer profile on tonals and messing up a 4/C process or sim job.
Create as many printer profiles as you like.  I narrow down to one good one, but if you have multiple printers you can linearize them all so that output matches closely across any printer. You can lock the settings, create hot folders that artists just drop the PS EPS DCS 2.0 file into.  This is one area where killing the CYMK on a sim process job while in Photoshop prevents 4 unwanted CYMK films on a 10 color sim process job.
Many want an all black printer, ok so what about color proofs?  You can also fine tune the color output for a color printer, create art in PS with bitmaps and output a good approval print showing the simulated halftones if you have another color printer other than the OYO.  Helps to color calibrate monitor with a spectrophotometer like Eye One and get an ICC profile for the paper/printer/inks used.  Epson has many already done, buy a proofing paper, load the ICC profile into Wasatch, output a WSIWYG output of the art on the monitor.  Or make separate ICC profiles for a bunch of fabrics, papers, etc to offer some digital products.

I would need to check to see if the OYO driver is supported.  Wasatch has this info on their site.  Get the tech support package, helps the learning curve or networking issues in the beginning.  Wasatch SP has many, many more features.  Once it is dialed in to output great film, just lock it and password it to prevent changes.

Al

[Colin]

Like Al said, Wasatch is awesome.

My one caveat is that you have to pay for tech support every 6 months.

[ZooCity]

Nice, the wasatch sounds tight.  I think the OYO thermal CTS is just setup for the Harlequin.  That doesn't mean we couldn't also run Wasatch for film though. 

We do have a spectrometer and would set that all up.  I like the idea of having a proofing printer for halftone representation too.  The 1400 that we keep in storage for emergencies could do that job I reckon. 

I really like the archived ripped files, very smart idea for process work.

[ABuffington]

Just checked with Wasatch, they no longer support the OYO printers.
Also the archive function is gone as well, but the ripped data does stay in the print queue for as long as you need it.
Pico liter dot size increases are limited to Epson Printers, there are different settings for other printers.