Going Digital... Like everyone else. Advise.

[Aaron]

 So it's come down to financing. As long as we can get credit, we will be a high end commercial printer with a brand spanking new digital department.

So, words of advise? Any general suggestions? What to be ready for, words of advise implementing this new workflow.

Probably ending up with a Xerox 800 and will be learning VDP from scratch and learning what/how to send files to this beast.

One thing I did like, the Xerox 800 uses the Adobe Print Engine 2.1 (or 2.0, can't remember). So it should handle the PDF files very similarly to the way Prinergy does, right? Please!

sidebar - was reading a number of threads about jpg compression. The storefront peeps are trying to convince me jpg compression is safe. Anyone using it successfully? Maybe with jpg 2000 it's more stable?

[gnubler]

We run a streamlined JPG workflow here. Makes pages "pop". 

[Aaron]

yeah gnubler, I was reading your post earlier. Did you every get the compression to behave?

[gnubler]

Are you talking about transparency & flattening? That doesn't involve JPGs, the Walmart of file formats amongst customers. My RIP on the digital color machine can't handle transparency with spot colors (white boxes, etc).

[Aaron]

2 different question. Jpg compression seems to be the devil. And I know transparencies are also devilish, but I thought since the 800 uses the Adobe PDF Print Engine it won't be flattening the files, correct?

[DigitalCrapShoveler]

JPGs are meant for the innertubes. NOT printing.

[gnubler]

The masses love JPGs because it's all they know. I refuse to even print them. Dirty. Batch resave as TIFFs.

[Joe]

So it's come down to financing. As long as we can get credit, we will be a high end commercial printer with a brand spanking new digital department.

So, words of advise? Any general suggestions? What to be ready for, words of advise implementing this new workflow.

Probably ending up with a Xerox 800 and will be learning VDP from scratch and learning what/how to send files to this beast.

One thing I did like, the Xerox 800 uses the Adobe Print Engine 2.1 (or 2.0, can't remember). So it should handle the PDF files very similarly to the way Prinergy does, right? Please!

sidebar - was reading a number of threads about jpg compression. The storefront peeps are trying to convince me jpg compression is safe. Anyone using it successfully? Maybe with jpg 2000 it's more stable?

APPE will bomb if it runs across a PDF that has an image that is using JPEG 2000 compression. EVERY time.

No, JPEG compression is not OK. Not even the high quality one. Screw the storefront peeps and use ZIP compression for PDF's.

[gnubler]

Why does it bomb? Curious.

[Joe]

It bombs when it tries to trap it. Of course with digital you don't absolutely need trap so it may not be an issue. And it may only be a problem with the Kodak RIP because Kodak acknowledges it is a known issue in Prinergy.

[Aaron]

Interesting. Guess I will stay away from jpg compression all together. Like I have been doing. But the Storefront guys have a point. If customer are going to be ordering through this system and uploading files, ZIP compression really doesn't reduce the file size much. They are going to be sending rather large files. Oh well.

As for the APPE question, I am correct right? If the digital press print engine is the APPE, I shouldn't have transparency issues, as long as the customer prepares the pdf correctly and doesn't flatten the file.

[Tracy]

whenever I have a transparency issue with the color copier
I output from indesign high res trans flattener, it works
someone might be able to say why it works. tee hee

[delooch]

"I shouldn't have transparency issues, as long as the customer prepares the pdf correctly and doesn't flatten the file."

 

good luck with those customers.... i would not bank your success on the skill levels of your clients.
 

[Joe]

Interesting. Guess I will stay away from jpg compression all together. Like I have been doing. But the Storefront guys have a point. If customer are going to be ordering through this system and uploading files, ZIP compression really doesn't reduce the file size much. They are going to be sending rather large files. Oh well.

As for the APPE question, I am correct right? If the digital press print engine is the APPE, I shouldn't have transparency issues, as long as the customer prepares the pdf correctly and doesn't flatten the file.

I wish it were that easy. I don't have many issues with transparency with APPE but something will crop up every now and then. Also we don't flatten until the colors are separated and screened. Your flattening will be done to a composite file so I wouldn't declare that you will never see transparency issues. Hell, I see transparency issue at the digital copier on files that have already been flattened. The only guarantee is that issues will pop up. None of this crap works as the salesman tells you it will.

[gnubler]

None of this crap works as the salesman tells you it will.

Really?  :laugh: