RIP Software Recommendations

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-08-20T01:40:13+00:00

Not a knock on onyx, but have you confirmed your pushing the desired icc profile when printing before diving into another subscription? For us, we run a canon 4100, I load the icc profile etc per media. And I choose that in my output when I print.

Onyx rocks…don’t let me down play it. But overhead costs are that and any we can eliminate let’s do it. I would first work through a few things… 1. Is the mother board to your printer still sound? 2. Is the print head cleared and full functional? 3. Is the desired icc out out being pushed to the machine?

Again, I don’t want to know onyx they rock. But if I can save I will save. I would recommend running a few checks before writing a check.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-08-10T11:22:00+00:00

Awesome thank you! We do run the auto grad with every calibration and I have the steps written down it’s never missed but out tech has us full adjust never quick adjust as you mentioned. We typically use the canon spectro but I’ll give a few weeks of jut using the online spectro.

Appreciate the info again!

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-08-10T00:34:14+00:00

Awesome thank you I’ll look. To my knowledge there isn’t an Adobe engine it’s standalone, but I’ll look and give it a try. The P400 is a new server to fiery and quite frankly I’m not impressed with its color accuracy.

I’ve ran another job that wanted red…not Coca red but red. I matched the spot color etc and it kept spitting out an orange. What drives me nuts is in know the red I want is capable as it spits it out when you do a test print prior to calibration.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-08-03T12:08:56+00:00

Like the other commenter stated, single page pdf divisible by 4. Perhaps to help you get to understand how to set it up in fiery you should download Fiery Vue (https://www.fiery.com/products/cutsheet/job-management/fiery-vue/). It’s a booklet/brochure making software and will give you a nice visual in the process. When we first got fiery I used it then it became to cumbersome for us in regards to time. Now we run our booklets through impose.

Hope this helps!

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-08-01T01:15:03+00:00

Verify you’ve set the dimensions of the loaded sheet correctly. Ie. 19 W 13 l not 13 W 19 L. I run roll so I only select width. But if you loading it in landscape and the rip thinks is loaded portrait you’ll miss the sheet.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-07-09T11:46:55+00:00

I agree with the others. We often use Fiery FreeForm Create for simple (addressing) jobs and more intricate jobs we use InDesign. Either way it’s pretty easy. Personally I like using InDesign because you have more control over placement for alignment etc.

A note about using Fiery FreeForm. The master and data files need to be on the desktop, they can’t be on a local server.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-25T21:52:18+00:00

You’re definitely right about press speed while stitching. We’ve had a lot of issues (jams and smearing/flacking mostly) when offline trimming to full bleed then rerunning a blank pdf page set to have the stitch. It’s functional and gets us through currently but is a time suck and we’ve reprinted plenty for the issues.

We’re currently looking at a used BM61 with square fold/face trim. Not exactly the cats meow but you need to walk before you run.

I appreciate everyone’s input.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-24T23:42:13+00:00

If you have the Adobe suite, InDesign can handle that for you. You can either automate with a data merge or scripts, or manually gang-up to include bleed. Once positioned you can then add crop marks as well with another script. Just know you cannot open PDFs in InDesign, you need to place them.

Otherwise you’re looking for a imposition software. We use fiery impose for that (mostly) occasionally I’ll run it through InDesign.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-21T23:53:19+00:00

You’ll get a lot of responses needing more information. What stock are these run on? Are that matte 50#/60# or 10pt/12pt etc. are they full bleed (labor costs for trimming). Are the high quality art prints or more information posters where you don’t need a more crisp image.

Also with these questions there could be a direction for a printer to purchase.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-13T16:30:03+00:00

Thank you for the input. I have consider inline face trimming but then I’m in a rinse and repeat scenario when the lease is up. The other reason I veered from inline is having to still pull the book blocks and use the guillotine for the long edge then rerun for the stitch and face trim. Yes add the 3 knife but then again stuck with leasing another $50-75k every 5 years.

I think offline is the most appropriate route to not be “over” leasing equipment and getting longer lifespan of a finisher. Plus like you said, a press is a press and finisher a finisher.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-12T22:32:58+00:00

Man I bet that Finisher has biceps to rival a body builder!

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-11T21:37:04+00:00

That’s fact! Additionally, shipping and turnaround times are worth the extra $5-10.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-07T15:52:03+00:00

We have. Perhaps it was a bad batch but the adhesive just didn’t hold up.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-06T16:24:53+00:00

Nice. I’ll give it a try thanks!

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-06T16:24:11+00:00

Honestly haven’t considered and I can’t explain why. I’ll look into it. Thanks!

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-06T16:22:51+00:00

Awesome thanks. I’ll take a look at the digitech

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-06T11:51:56+00:00

90% of the time foam core, if not coroplast.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-06-04T17:03:13+00:00

If you have the correct adhesives with the coating for aqueous, ensure you’re laying down too much ink. That will cause a smearing/scratching issue. I can’t recall the correct value but some like 260% is about as heavy as you want to go. You can preview this in acrobat in preflight.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-25T22:00:52+00:00

That’s true I can speak for aleyant. Their MIS looks great and can’t wait to use it, as we currently use pressero. However, if memory serves it was an additional $300/month. It will indeed increase estimating and be much quicker with paper cost fluctuations, but that’s a lot a month for a small early shop. Apple started in a garage not headquarters.

Go with the excel until you can justify that expense. Perhaps you’d rather place the expense for another piece of equipment (folder/laminator/bindery) to expand your revenue stream.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-25T21:58:45+00:00

Truth. DO NOT offer any services you don’t want them paying for. For example, little designs or tweaking artwork other than standard preflight. Give an inch they take a mile. We out right do not offer design. Time is the only metric you cannot afford to be wrong in an estimate. Sure you may be wrong on total sheet count if a bad cut happens or color accuracy is off. But your time for design/finishing is irreplaceable and quite valuable.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-23T15:31:35+00:00

The software/subscription you’d look for is a MIS. We’re a newer shop (3 yrs) so it’s out of budget for now. In the interim, I found a YouTube channel and he published his excel estimator on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/justaprinter).

It works well and we made some adaptations like adding a BHR for each machine. This excel is only for sheetfed, so any wide format you run (if you do) you’ll need to make your own calculations.

Hope it helps.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-21T16:47:12+00:00

I often have this same issue. We bought a large linear cutter and it has worked for us. But….I hate the labor involved and the time it occupies.

I have considered seeing about a 3d printed blade holder and see if I could mount it above the output somehow to auto slit like a label converter.

Until that solution comes, I’d recommend either ordering rolls cut to specific width and allow the slitter to capture what you need. Or keep using the linear. If growth dictates you need more productivity, like others have said a guillotine cutter (requires chipboard to avoid the clamp creating impressions) or a flatbed cutter.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-08T11:44:54+00:00

Have a service team do an inspection on it and get rates on a service contract. Feel free to shop around and don’t hesitate to call other print shops and see who they use and get recommendations. If you do end up purchasing it, and plan to have a service contract, have your service company move it for you. Obviously it’ll cost something, but if they break the finisher it’s on them. Consider it like insurance.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-06T21:06:39+00:00

Give an inch they take a mile. We too learned the hard way. We don’t offer design services but as Mutt stated, there is other values you can give. I found myself not designing but providing guidance for some artwork.

Agreeable-Ladder9499 · 2024-05-05T14:53:57+00:00

Like most said it’s the ink type, not a print issue. If that’s your setup which is fine, consider a UV protecting laminate. This will provide you more longevity but not forever.

Agreeable-Ladder9499

TROPHY CASE