We're driving our aging Trendsetter with an equally old Dell Powered 4600 running Print Console. No support on this box and it's starting to have regular errors such as battery reconditioning (not a problem), no Windows Update, etc. It's only a matter of time before we'll have to replace it.
So, I'm looking for a TIFF Downloader to shoot XMF 1-bit TIFFs to the Trendsetter. I'd rather not replace it with a working but old system. 
Any recommendations?
Thanks!

Hello! Just wondering if anyone has a solution for this. We received an InDesign file that has an RGB image with a spot color graphic – a chevron shape elements with varying screen values of the spot color, set to the "hard light" effect. Customer turned the spot to process in Ink Manager and we can see the effect he wants, but when the spot is turned to a spot, the effect doesn't work. 

Tried opening the RGB image in Pshop, adding a spot channel and a new layer. Put the graphic in the new layer in the spot channel and set the effect to Hard Light, but it doesn't look like it does in InDesign when all process – not even close.

I've attached screen shots. This has us stumped – we're thinking it just doesn't work and that the effect couldn't calculate with a spot color. We'll probably tell our customer that it has to be process. 

The spot appears as a spot further up the page, and the "match" to the graphic in question will only be as good as a CMYK match, which isn't close. In fact, we made a special formalized ink for this customer since they wanted something not possible in CMYK or as a choice in Pantone.  I've attached screen shots of what the customer wants and what we get.

Hoping someone out there has a solution that we just don't see.

Thanks!

Hello! Our old Epson 9600 with Creo RIP is about dead. We are looking to purchase a 7890 and have talked to two distributors. I would like to know how others are using this printer as a press proofer. The owner has tried without success to get answers to his and my questions about this system (follows).
Right now we use XMF to create CMYK TIF files onto a hot folder on the old Creo RIP. That RIP is basically and old Best Color RIP. WE have press profiles for one press, Taffeta, Silk, Gloss and Uncoated (the uncoated uses a different proofing paper). Attached to the Best Color RIP is an old EyeOne. I realize that we could output from XMF directly, but I believe that still isn't a good option for accurate color, right?
I would like to be able to easily verify that any proofs made are correct – that the Epson is still calibrated. We have an HP5200Z that does internal calibration to paper automatically which is quite nice. 
Here are my questions, concerns at this point:
1) I'm thinking we don't need the extra 2 inks since we send CMYK to it, but wonder if we could instead send RGB or LAB to it from XMF to get better spot color proofs;
2) Looks like the Epson SP Spectroproofer is the option for verification. BUT what about other options such as Color Profiler Option (we already have press profiles and don't change that much), Color Verifier Option, Production Option, Spot Color Option;
3) What would be a fairly good CPU for it? One vendor is saying Intel i5 3.4 GHz QC CPU, 8GBs RAM, 80GB SSD + 500GB HD, Win 7 Pro, with support. EFI says 4 HDs as a RAID, or 3.5 SATA, 1.5 GB
I'm quite confused about the options. If the Spectroproofer is the verifier option, why do we need the "Color Verifier Option" also? If all it does is measure strips, we're doing that now with the old eye-one, so how is it better? I recall that about 10 years ago someone had a reader that would verify a small color strip on every proof and add a "QC" label to it. That's what I really would like
4) One vendor says "... at least one output option is required for working system. None are included." I think all I need is hot folder functionality.
Are any of you using this printer? with a Fiery? and XMF? If so, I'd love to know how you have it setup.
Thanks and Happy New Year!

I was told by XMF tech that the client works now with Mavericks. Updated to Mavericks and it doesn't work... Is anyone doing this successfully? Looks like the error is related to the network - here it is:

We have Prinergy 3.x with a single-drive tape system. Not using it anymore except to get access to archived files, and the system could be on its last legs so it's important to us to get the files off the tapes before it fails. We will be moving old files onto external drives, but I'm wondering if there is a way to retrieve all files from each tape without picking them individually from the Prinergy job list and loading tapes as it requests.

If that's the only way to do it, is there a way to see what jobs are on each archive tape so that we choose "same-tape" jobs to retrieve? It takes quite awhile to eject/load each tape so it would be good to choose jobs that are on the same tape.

We don't have to retrieve all jobs, but thought it might be most efficient to do that then delete unwanted jobs.

Any tips appreciated!

This is one feature that was really easy in Prinergy but so far is still giving us problems in XMF or using Pitstop - other than this, no going back! What methods do you use to convert to gray? We have an action imported to XMF that does it, but pictures turn out really washed out. Best conversion seems to be as Postscript, output intent Grayscale, without color conversion, but that doesn't always work, at least some of the operators are having trouble with it. This really should be simpler than trying one method after another to get a conversion that looks (perceptually) like the original.

Hello! We have an older (version 3) Prinergy system that, at this point, we're using only to unarchive old jobs. We are getting errors, "RSM cannot identify media because a fatal error occured while trying to load the media label libraries"; and "Library Sony AIT 100 GB Drive failed to write a free media label on media "214" because an I/O error occurred while writing the label".
RSM sees a tape but seems to give it a random number rather than read the on-media(?) library.
Of course daily backup no longer works either. I'm guessing this is a hardware problem. I used a cleaning tape but that didn't fix it. I think that since RSM sees a tape, the communication between the computer and the tape device is okay (cables, etc.).
What do you think? Replace the drive? It's a Sony SDX-D700V.
Also, nothing changed on this system, this just stopped working.
Thanks for any suggestions!

I sent test files that were processed on a Fiery RIP. Noticed that a gradient of 50%-0% black switched to process around 25%. Also, a CMYK image in a PDF had a black-only screen changed to process. The tech printing the test mentioned that the Fiery converted everything to LAB first... I did notice a screen control strip retained the black-only area so I'm not sure what was going on with the test file. I realize this isn't very detailed information but wondered if anyone had a general description of how the Fiery handles color conversion of elements that are intended to print specifically in single, process colors. Thanks for any info.

I thought I heard this - is that right?

We have 2 Windows printer licenses installed. Both print a test page from the server to the printer so are installed correctly at that level. Both are setup in Calibration Manager as Windows printers, one using 8.5 x 11 media, the other "letter" media. This information comes from the driver. In XMF workflow, created workflow items as RIP proofs, and set media as use any media. Also tried setting these up as TIFF export. Both setups result in incompatible media errors. Any suggestions?

Black screens print with visible outlining around objects, and the screening overall looks scuffed. I've tried all the obvious thinks such as changing drums, fusers, paper, humidity; also tried various settings in the Spire changing screening, quality, overprints, all with no solution. I've bypassed our workflow and sent PDFX1a and even PostScript to the Spire - all previews look good and clean, but the screened black areas continue to look outlined and scuffed. If I swap the black for just cyan, for instance, and send that file to the Xerox - the screened areas print well - it's just the black. Xerox has been trying to solve this for a few months without any progress. Has anyone else had this problem?

I've been purchasing Acrobat Pro for a long time now. I have a customer still on Quark 5 who wants to supply print-ready PDFs. I told him to either upgrade or use Distiller. Ignorant question is: Does he have to get Acrobat Pro or does Acrobat Standard include Distiller? Tried to get that answer on Adobe's site but couldn't find it.
Thanks.

Hello!

Trying to setup a Cut 'N Stack imposition but haven't seen how to do it. Thanks for any pointers!

Hello! XMF here for three weeks. We are stuck on a couple of things.

First, how do we create an imposition that has pages of different trim sizes, jogged to common trim sides, as for stepped sheets? Can't seem to do that.
Second, also have a calendar. We're running as a 16-pager, but it seems that the orientation of the pages, or rotation either in XMF or done to the PDF pages, interferes with our ability to dictate gutter sizes.

I would appreciate any expert advice! Thanks.

- PWorden, State College, PA

Hello - We use a SpinJet 5500, vintage 2003 running SpinFlow 2.4 software. We've tried several papers since Digital Dylux became unavailable. Currently we're using FX 24# Ultra Bright Bond with a 3-inch core. It's the best we've tried, but still we get quite a bit of skew. I think it could be a hardware problem, but had it checked out by GEI CalGraph since it needed another repair, and they said to use Digital Dylux...

Does anyone have any tips to solve the skew problem? It can be off by more than 1/4-inch. It worsens near the end of the roll. Does SpinFlow version 4 software address skew? I looked at upgrading and it's fairly expensive.

Thanks for any advice.

Not finding many! Considering XMF for commercial sheetfed + some digital use. Looking for shop within 4 hours of central PA or even Torquay, Devon in August. Thanks!