Re: CMYK RIPs vs RGB RIPs. Advice, Input, Comments.
Re: CMYK RIPs vs RGB RIPs. Advice, Input, Comments.
- Subject: Re: CMYK RIPs vs RGB RIPs. Advice, Input, Comments.
- From: Terence Wyse <email@hidden>
- Date: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:44:40 -0400
On Mar 13, 2012, at 4:39 PM, sngraphics wrote:
> Also I just wanted to touch on a couple of points you mentioned.
> "with a RIP you are generally NOT at the mercy of operating system updates that could totally hose your color"
> Before the 900 series that was true.
> "With ColorBurst and the 7900, they're essentially using Epson's CMYK driver"
> But now with the 900 series relying on Epson's CMYK driver couldn't your color still get hosed with system updates?
I've got a lot of experience with the ColorBurst RIP (X-Proof, Pro, Prepress versions) but not a lot of experience with their Overdrive product...so take the following with a grain of salt...
While Colorburst X-Proof uses the "CMYK Driver" with the x900 printers, it's still part of the ColorBurst software and not installed externally. Installation of Epson print drivers is not required....thus making it relatively immune to OS updates.
From what I know of CB Overdrive, it's basically a color-managed front-end to the standard OS-level RGB driver. Because you're still installing and printing "through" Epson's standard RGB print driver, in my opinion it would still be somewhat subject to things changing at the OS-level. I don't know that for a fact, but it seems logical to me. If somebody knows different, I'll stand corrected.
> Also I never had a chance to get into Ink Curves, Linearization and Ink Limiting and now they are grayed out options in X-Proof Plus and non existent in Overdrive.
> "With an RGB driver print system, you're at the mercy of the print media options for things such as ink limiting and black generation."
> This is true but from what I've been hearing (and experiencing) that Epson has done a pretty good job with their drivers/profiles etc.
From a screening quality standpoint, I think Epson does a very good job.....but personally, I would NOT want to be at the mercy of the printer driver for things like total ink limit, GCR and black generation....I still see that as a significant advantage of CMYK profiles.
> "With an RGB driver print system..."
> Just checking. What you mean is a RIP based on the manufacturer driver or JUST using the driver?
Makes no difference to me.....if it's using the installed print driver for screening, media settings, etc. then it's subject to those limitations.
This distinction can get muddied a bit since even a lot of the high-end RIPs (EFI Colorproof, GMG Colorproof, et al) will offer their own proprietary "drivers" (screening) but have increasingly also licensed the manufacturer's "drivers" for things like screening and media settings. This is especially true of these "extra ink" printers like the HP z3200 and the Epson x900 printers.....the cost to develop their own screening and "color mixing" models for these printers is significantly higher than for stand CMYK+ light ink printers. It makes sense really if the printer manufacturer has already done all this research and it's of high enough quality....why spend all that time to develop their own solution for little or perhaps no gains in quality?
If it were me, I'd personally upgrade X-Proof for the 7900 so I'd be able to continue creating and using CMYK profiles. In my opinion, it's going to be quite some time before X-Proof is replaced by Overdrive. Even if they redirect their focus towards development of Overdrive, what ColorBurst offers *today* for the Epson x900 printers is already extremely good.
Regards,
Terry
______________________________________
Terence Wyse, WyseConsul
Color Management Consulting
G7 Certified Expert
FIRST Level II Implementation Specialist
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