anyone looking at Navigator 9?

Started by pspdfppdfxhd, October 24, 2011, 07:45:11 AM

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pspdfppdfxhd

We inherited a Navigator 8.0 rip with our used ctp system but just recently ran into a transparency issue out of InDesign 5 which choked up the rip. had to rasterize the problem pages in Photoshop but did get the job out. The rip hasnt' been updated since 2007 so it's probably outdated. Apparently version 8.3 rips the file ok so in the interim, we'll have to update to that version. Wer'e talking to Xitron about updating to 9 but it apparently won't be out till November sometime.

We've been happy with version 8 so far although it's pretty "bare bones" and included 3rd party trapping software and 3rd party proofing software. We have to move to a ROOM system to avoid a major screw up down the road.

Just wondering if anyone else is planning this upgrade. We'd like to go back to ApogeeX but this is a small shop and the cost is very high.


Joe

Check out some of the threads here about Sierra/XMF. Seems to be one of the most reasonably priced of the bunch out there. Ask Earendil and/or frailer about them.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

rickself

Quote from: pspdfppdfx on October 24, 2011, 07:45:11 AMWe inherited a Navigator 8.0 rip with our used ctp system but just recently ran into a transparency issue out of InDesign 5 which choked up the rip. had to rasterize the problem pages in Photoshop but did get the job out. The rip hasnt' been updated since 2007 so it's probably outdated. Apparently version 8.3 rips the file ok so in the interim, we'll have to update to that version. Wer'e talking to Xitron about updating to 9 but it apparently won't be out till November sometime.

We've been happy with version 8 so far although it's pretty "bare bones" and included 3rd party trapping software and 3rd party proofing software. We have to move to a ROOM system to avoid a major screw up down the road.

Just wondering if anyone else is planning this upgrade. We'd like to go back to ApogeeX but this is a small shop and the cost is very high.
Wow, that hits close to home. Our used CTP and RIP will be installed the remainder of this week. It too has Xitron Navigator 8. I have been shying away from CS5 in favor of sticking with CS4. Thanks, pspdfppdfx. That's good info to know.
Rick Self, Prepress Oldie
Mac Mini M1   G5 Quad-Core Intel Sierra  HP DesignJet Z6 44in   RICOH Pro C5200S
Fiery BCE5  Xitron Navigator v.13   Screen 8000II   Azura Plates   Komori L640

pspdfppdfxhd

I'd like to check out other options Joe but the "ball is in motion" and don't really have time to change course. The total cost for v.8 to v.9 is about 9 grand including the upgrade, ROOM proofing to our 7600 which is a plugin that sends the raster data from the rip into a pdf wrapper which we can out put to colorburst for managing the color. The trapping in the rip would be about 2,800 dollars itself. We're now using iTrap which to upgrade would be quite a bit cheaper. (about 800 bucks).

My boss said the Harleqin trapping has a steep learning curve and is too expensive. Anyone find Harlequin trapping complex? I'm not brain surgeon but have worked with apogee trapping in the past. I'd think the defaults would be ok for most of our needs.


Joe

I doubt if you could touch a full install of any current workflow for $9K so it's probably best to go the direction you are going in.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

pspdfppdfxhd

Still don't know if we should get the TrapPro that can be included with the rip or continue with the 3rd party itrap. Its my choice but am not sure what to pick. Gotta decide this week though.

pspdfppdfxhd

queer thing happening here with the TrapPro software....... you can see in the preview that the spot color goes from no trap to producing a stroke on the black. I've been testing the trapping and so far pretty good till I sent this pdf to the rip.

It's just a demo I downloaded, the real software will be installed tommorow. Well there's a least one question to answer here about the trapping ... maybe it's just because it is a DEMO. Well see..



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pspdfppdfxhd

strange, recreated the gradient in photoshop and dropped it in and it worked fine. Gonna try me Illustrator gradient.


pspdfppdfxhd

no good with Ilustrator background gradient either.....

t-pat

I do see that the traps seem from your picture to get fatter as the object gets larger - the big one on the left has a full width of a dot of trap and the smallest one on the right barely a fraction of the width of a dot, which should be a setting you can change?
vdp donkey
gmc inspire • sarcasm while you wait

pspdfppdfxhd

Naw, it's just wacky trapping like that. When the gradient was made in photoshop it looked exactly how i would expect it ....

gotta use this pdf tomorrow when the install happens to ask the experts why this could be happening only with vector gradients. But as I said, I'm only using a DEMO version that I installed on my Mac.... the actual software has not been installed on the host computer which is a pc.


Joe

Demo software is used to convince you to buy it. If that is the way it traps it's not very good demo software. :laugh:
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

pspdfppdfxhd

haha, yeah... can't wait till tomorrow in a sick twisted kinda way. Installing her via WebEx.



t-pat

Quote from: pspdfppdfx on December 08, 2011, 01:11:10 PMNaw, it's just wacky trapping like that. When the gradient was made in photoshop it looked exactly how i would expect it ....


which is how? Can you show us?

Because what I am seeing is like trap scaling or something. Are you talking about how it stops trapping once the gradient gets lighter or are you talking about how freakishly fat the trap gets on the one on the left?
vdp donkey
gmc inspire • sarcasm while you wait

pspdfppdfxhd

attached rip shot when the background gradient was made in photoshop. There are no abrupt changes in trap size just gradual from the light screen to the darker screen. There is no black stroke added as well. Just the spot color trapping into the black screen.




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