Request help: Laser color copier/printers, RIPs, Color management

[Darren Tay]

Hi all,

I need advice from color-printing experts, because sales staff (Xerox
/ Canon / Ricoh / HP) that I've spoken to seem to lack technical
knowledge.

I'm trying to choose a replacement for a 4.5-year-old Canon CLC 900
(with external RIP, think it might be a z40).

It is used for printing design proofs and color-copying. Monthly duty
is about 2000 to 5000. Currently, the work flow is not color managed.

Mainly, I'm wondering: What are the real-world differences between
"professional" color machines and "office" color machines? Because
perhaps my art dept doesn't require those additional capabilities...

I've done test prints and office-color is sufficient resolution-wise,
the important difference is in the colors, which I am guessing can
always be corrected using custom printer profiles in color-aware
software. If this is true, then office-color might be a viable cheaper
alternative to pro-color machines.

Yes, pro machines have a color server, but this is a possible
disadvantage in my office, where print jobs are issued from several
workstations. Thus if there is a color server, then a large job might
occupy the server such that smaller jobs from other workstations have
to wait for it.
i.e. As opposed to jobs spooling on the originating workstations, for
copier/printers without color servers.

Is my understanding of "spooling/RIP" roughly correct? That this is the
slow step for high-res images, and that it is either done via software
on the workstation or it is done in a color server.

Of course this is ignoring the added functionality of color servers
like Fiery/Splash... but what exactly do they do? Do they do anything
that can't be done in software on the workstation?

Since the budget is tight, I've been wondering...
Could a office-color machine such as Xerox DC C450 or Ricoh 3235C or
Canon IRC 3220, when teamed up with profiling instruments print images
like pro-color machines (like Xerox 1250, Canon CLC 1180)?
I mean in terms of colors only, ignoring differences in
sharpness/resolution.

Any other thoughts on using profiling instruments like "ColorVision
SpectroPro" or "X-Rite Pulse" together with a "office-level" laser
color copier/printer?

Furthermore, if one has invested in such profiling instruments, and
uses color-aware software, then wouldn't you rather leave all the color
management to the Adobe software? And if you had a color server, you'd
want to make sure that it does NOT do any further adjustments, right?

So I guess I don't really understand the role of a color server, in an
environment with color-aware software and color callibration
instruments.

Thanks very much. Really appreciate any advice.

 

[me]

Hi all,

I need advice from color-printing experts, because sales staff (Xerox
/ Canon / Ricoh / HP) that I've spoken to seem to lack technical
knowledge.
I'm trying to choose a replacement for a 4.5-year-old Canon CLC 900
(with external RIP, think it might be a z40).
It is used for printing design proofs and color-copying. Monthly duty
is about 2000 to 5000. Currently, the work flow is not color managed.

Out of interest, whats wrong with your current machine (I've got one,
well a 950) with an older Rip.

Mainly, I'm wondering: What are the real-world differences between
"professional" color machines and "office" color machines? Because
perhaps my art dept doesn't require those additional capabilities...

I've done test prints and office-color is sufficient resolution-wise,
the important difference is in the colors, which I am guessing can
always be corrected using custom printer profiles in color-aware
software. If this is true, then office-color might be a viable cheaper
alternative to pro-color machines.

Once you get above about £3,000 so probably $4,500 to $5,000 the
machines tend to be contone printers like your current machine, rather
than halftone where you get dithering patterns involded.

Yes, pro machines have a color server, but this is a possible
disadvantage in my office, where print jobs are issued from several
workstations. Thus if there is a color server, then a large job might
occupy the server such that smaller jobs from other workstations have
to wait for it.
i.e. As opposed to jobs spooling on the originating workstations, for
copier/printers without color servers.

I'm not quite sure what the problem is here. My RIP plugs into the
network router so all the computers (albeit only 1!) can send documents
to the printer. The RIP has a hard disk on board to store documents
until the printer has finished printing, so I can stack them up.

Of course this is ignoring the added functionality of color servers
like Fiery/Splash... but what exactly do they do? Do they do anything
that can't be done in software on the workstation?

The Fiery server can store the documents and you can log into it to
delete/duplicate/hold documents as need be.

Since the budget is tight, I've been wondering...
Could a office-color machine such as Xerox DC C450 or Ricoh 3235C or
Canon IRC 3220, when teamed up with profiling instruments print images
like pro-color machines (like Xerox 1250, Canon CLC 1180)?
I mean in terms of colors only, ignoring differences in
sharpness/resolution.

I _think_ so, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the machines share
print engine.

Have you looked at the stuff available on ebay?

I haven't done any colour matching stuff, but IIRC there is some
software on the EFI website that I think helps with that sort of thing.
One of our UK pc magazines did a review fairly recently on colour
calibraters including colorvision devices either www.pcpro.co.uk or
www.pcplus.co.uk

 

[ian lincoln]

I'm considering a 5000 to replace my dying i850.Does the smaller dot size
and higher res make the grade?

 

[ian lincoln]

I'm considering a 5000 to replace my dying i850.Does the smaller dot size
and higher res make the grade?

sorry wrong thread

 

[kolorwell]

My viewpoint is that increasing paper thickness will reduce colo
saturation of printing quality that means toner transfer from OP
drum to paper will be incompletely. "Professional" color machine i
possible to be covered by deep gray level with a little bit of ove
color saturation adjusting. If the toner transfer is possible to b
completely, such as HP CLJ 2550L, the printing quality is almost sam
between "professional" color machines and "office" color machines.

How to make toner transfer from OPC drum to paper completely? Slo
down printing speed and look for the paper with polarity to conduc
more toner during printing. You may use keyword“laser printing phot
paper”to find more information on Google and Yahoo, like as follows

http://search.yahoo.com/search?_adv...y&ve_vt=any&vd=all&vst=0&vf=all&vm=i&fl=0&n=1

http://www.google.com/search?as_q=&...as_occt=any&as_dt=i&as_sitesearch=&safe=image