I've set up a poll on my Prepressure site asking visitors which prepress workflow (http://www.prepressure.com/prepress/workflow/choosing-a-solution) they use. So far Prinergy seems to be the most popular, closely followed by Apogee and Prinect. If you haven't voted yet, please do so - then head back here to discuss your vote and somehow relate it to some obscure 70's TV show (or so) :grin:
Prinergy here. We used to use Nexus and switched a couple of years ago. I like the product but dealing with the big red K can be frustrating at times.
Nexus "Classic" here (v 9.5.8). Good product once you get used to it - we have both the older ps RIP and the newer pdf RIP module. Only regret is that when we purchased the RIP in 2003, I couldn't persuade the company to invest in a full version of ArtPro, so we ended up with Nexus Edit, which I find somewhat clunky. My main frustration is that once Artworks Systems merged with Esko, and subsequently updated the workflow from Nexus to Automation 10, they wanted us to pay major $$$$ to update. At some point in the next two or three years we will be forced to either pay the update $ or completely switch workflows. BTW does Prinergy charge for updates?
10.6 Rampage here. Mostly a PDF/EPS workflow with for Preps 5 imposition.
Been talking about upgrading since the final episode of M.A.S.H. It doesn't look like we are going anywhere soon.
It is a real fight sometimes to get some of the new PDF versions through the RIP. Its going to bite us in the ass one of these days.
Just voted Laurens. Shall post back when the necessary obscure 70s show reveals itself. :grin:
We've found recently that XMF and Apogee both use Adobe trapping. Some issues with trapping of Spots, which Kodak and some others don't experience with their proprietary trapping.
FYI, Andyfest, we pay about $K5/year for XMF Maintenance Licence. Cover all upgrades, bug fixes. They have improved things a lot since we first got it. I don't know how that compares to the others upkeep fees.
Every year I go through the "WTF do we have to pay that amount of money for!?" :shrug:
Quote from: andyfest on October 22, 2011, 10:37:52 AMNexus "Classic" here (v 9.5.8). Good product once you get used to it - we have both the older ps RIP and the newer pdf RIP module. Only regret is that when we purchased the RIP in 2003, I couldn't persuade the company to invest in a full version of ArtPro, so we ended up with Nexus Edit, which I find somewhat clunky. My main frustration is that once Artworks Systems merged with Esko, and subsequently updated the workflow from Nexus to Automation 10, they wanted us to pay major $$$$ to update. At some point in the next two or three years we will be forced to either pay the update $ or completely switch workflows. BTW does Prinergy charge for updates?
If you have a service contract (not cheap) the dot updates are included in the service contract while major upgrades have to be bought. If you don't have a service contract I think you have to pay for the dot updates though I'm not 100% sure on that because we do carry the expensive service contracts. And I think if you have the super duper deluxe service contract even the major updates are included in it. We do not have that one.
Quote from: frailer on October 22, 2011, 03:53:13 PMJust voted Laurens. Shall post back when the necessary obscure 70s show reveals itself. :grin:
We've found recently that XMF and Apogee both use Adobe trapping. Some issues with trapping of Spots, which Kodak and some others don't experience with their proprietary trapping.
FYI, Andyfest, we pay about $K5/year for XMF Maintenance Licence. Cover all upgrades, bug fixes. They have improved things a lot since we first got it. I don't know how that compares to the others upkeep fees.
Every year I go through the "WTF do we have to pay that amount of money for!?" :shrug:
That's cheap. We're paying $1,200 a
MONTH! That's almost 3 times as much as what you are paying. :cry:
Quote from: Joe on October 22, 2011, 09:22:16 PMQuote from: andyfest on October 22, 2011, 10:37:52 AMIf you have a service contract (not cheap) the dot updates are included in the service contract while major upgrades have to be bought. If you don't have a service contract I think you have to pay for the dot updates though I'm not 100% sure on that because we do carry the expensive service contracts. And I think if you have the super duper deluxe service contract even the major updates are included in it. We do not have that one.
We do pay about $8000 CDN for our service contract and do get the small updates and support for free, but the major updates seem to be major $. It seems like a lot of money when there has only been 1 dot update this year and we have logged 1 support call in 2011.
Rampage 12.0 with Metrix. We used to use Preps. Metrix is very nice, and Rampage does wonderful for us.
Quote from: typeman on October 23, 2011, 06:41:45 PMRampage 12.0 with Metrix. We used to use Preps. Metrix is very nice, and Rampage does wonderful for us.
Any chance some screenshots of Metrix GUI? Heard good things about it. Curious.
Esko Suite 7 here, been using it since V8-V9 back in the late 80's, I think.
Quote from: frailer on October 23, 2011, 07:03:20 PMQuote from: typeman on October 23, 2011, 06:41:45 PMRampage 12.0 with Metrix. We used to use Preps. Metrix is very nice, and Rampage does wonderful for us.
Any chance some screenshots of Metrix GUI? Heard good things about it. Curious.
I'm interested also. Start an AMA?
Quote from: andyfest on October 22, 2011, 10:37:52 AMNexus "Classic" here (v 9.5.8). Good product once you get used to it - we have both the older ps RIP and the newer pdf RIP module. Only regret is that when we purchased the RIP in 2003, I couldn't persuade the company to invest in a full version of ArtPro, so we ended up with Nexus Edit, which I find somewhat clunky. My main frustration is that once Artworks Systems merged with Esko, and subsequently updated the workflow from Nexus to Automation 10, they wanted us to pay major $$$$ to update. At some point in the next two or three years we will be forced to either pay the update $ or completely switch workflows. BTW does Prinergy charge for updates?
How do you like the PDF rip versus the "classic nexus"?
We bought the Nexus pdf RIP module to RIP supplied pdf files exported from Indy CS4/CS5 that contained transparent elements that "classic" did not interpret properly. 99% of our clients supply Illy files which we use in conjunction with our classic RIP with no issues. However, we have one large client for whom we make plastic tags, that supplies pdf files loaded with weird transparent elements. We generally gangrun these tags - up to 224 different tags on a 224 position dieline. Classic would sometimes mis-interpret the transparent elements and choke on the mega-pdf we were inputting. The pdf RIP module seems to interpret and RIP these files properly and quickly (compared to classic). These gangruns are really the only files that we have been using the pdf RIP for.
Quote from: andyfest on October 24, 2011, 09:17:23 AMWe bought the Nexus pdf RIP module to RIP supplied pdf files exported from Indy CS4/CS5 that contained transparent elements that "classic" did not interpret properly. 99% of our clients supply Illy files which we use in conjunction with our classic RIP with no issues. However, we have one large client for whom we make plastic tags, that supplies pdf files loaded with weird transparent elements. We generally gangrun these tags - up to 224 different tags on a 224 position dieline. Classic would sometimes mis-interpret the transparent elements and choke on the mega-pdf we were inputting. The pdf RIP module seems to interpret and RIP these files properly and quickly (compared to classic). These gangruns are really the only files that we have been using the pdf RIP for.
So the PDF rip retains the PDF format until when? Final output to 1 bits?
Pretty much. We're still using "classic" to trap the supplied pdfs with vector trapping. We're then using a layout script and the trapped pdfs input into another "classic" workflow to generate an imposed ArtPro file. A fully imposed press-ready pdf is then exported from the ArtPro file. That's where the pdf RIP comes in. The imposed pdf is input into the pdf RIP, which interprets and separates the file into 1 bits. The workflow looks a lot like a "classic" workflow. If we had all of the features (trapping, etc.) of say, Neo, we probably wouldn't need the "classic" RIP for any of this kind of work.
K thanks.
Looks like it's going to be a judgment call on what to do when AE10 is fully complete.
The tech rep from Esko that visited, once we had the pdf module installed, told us that we had maybe three years of usable life left in our "classic" RIP. He felt that the increasingly complex transparent effects used in future versions of CS applications would force us to migrate to AE10. Just what I need... :old:
Quote from: andyfest on October 24, 2011, 11:36:40 AMThe tech rep from Esko that visited, once we had the pdf module installed, told us that we had maybe three years of usable life left in our "classic" RIP. He felt that the increasingly complex transparent effects used in future versions of CS applications would force us to migrate to AE10. Just what I need... :old:
Yea it should be fun :sarcasm:
Quote from: andyfest on October 24, 2011, 11:36:40 AMThe tech rep from Esko that visited, once we had the pdf module installed, told us that we had maybe three years of usable life left in our "classic" RIP. He felt that the increasingly complex transparent effects used in future versions of CS applications would force us to migrate to AE10. Just what I need... :old:
We all get used to working how we're used to working, if that makes any sense. But if you could see the simplicity of native APPE workflow, especially if it's got integrated impo, I suspect you might feel a bit put upon with how you're working now.
My productivity has soared, and 'productivity' and 'my' in the same sentence... quite an achievement. :laugh:
Your description above kinda reminds me of the old 'marble in a shoe box' that you'd make as a kid. Drop it in the hole in the top, wait a full minute, rolls out a hole in the bottom. Oh OK... :old:
Quote from: frailer on October 23, 2011, 07:03:20 PMQuote from: typeman on October 23, 2011, 06:41:45 PMRampage 12.0 with Metrix. We used to use Preps. Metrix is very nice, and Rampage does wonderful for us.
Any chance some screenshots of Metrix GUI? Heard good things about it. Curious.
2 more
anything in particular you want to see?
Thanks for the look in, typeman. Kind of a cross between PREPS 6 and XMF impo. Can you drag pages/elements roughly into position, then set offsets in a dialogue box to lock in? Looks as though you can.
Quote from: frailer on October 24, 2011, 05:48:41 PMThanks for the look in, typeman. Kind of a cross between PREPS 6 and XMF impo. Can you drag pages/elements roughly into position, then set offsets in a dialogue box to lock in? Looks as though you can.
Yes. Also, you can shift click 2 or more pages (products) and tell it to align them left, right, top or bottom. Or can click on 2 pages and tell it to switch positions and many other things like that.
Not sure of the exact history of it, but the original guy who developed PREPS went on to do Metrix. Have heard good things about it. Well integrated with JDF, stuff like that...
in our training for preps 6 they went over auto ganging and it reminded me very much of a demo of metrix I saw.