Alternative to ORIS

[Luvdgoof]

We have been using ORIS software to calibrate and color match our Epson Stylus Pro 7900 to GRACol for many years. We are also using ORIS software to do some color matching between our Litho and Flexo presses. While remodeling our PrePress department, the Dongle containing our licenses for the ORIS software was misplaced. I was told that we would have to repurchase the software licenses because the Dongles cannot be replaced if lost. Since we are going to have to purchase the software again, I am taking this opportunity to search for other software options. In you experience, how do other providers compare with ORIS software? We are currently using Automation Engine from Esko for our other PrePress needs and Prinergy from Kodak as a TIFF catcher for making plates. Would it be to our benefit to seek options within those companies, would someone else provide something better, or we better off sticking with ORIS?

 

[chevalier]

Have you reached out to the account rep on your ORIS? I'm surprised they didn't at least offer a steep discount. I assume that you hadn't maintained a service contract? I wish they'd get over it and move away from dongles. ORIS remains my only software vendor who still requires hardware dongles. The leading alternative is EFI Fiery XF. Virtually every proofing software out there is licensing the engine underneath or simply repackaging Fiery XF as their own product. If I had a choice between the two I would still choose ORIS.

If I remember correctly Esko recently rebuilt their proofing solution and uses the core engine of Fiery XF but is so heavily customized by Esko for integration into their suite that you wouldn't know it without some deep digging. If you own ColorEngine licensing I would suggest you go down that road. If you do not own ColorEngine you might as well buy it if you expect proofing to work properly and stay in sync with the rest of your workflow. Esko really should just make ColorEngine a default feature of any AE install as their only shooting themselves in the foot by not doing so. Every other major workflow out there has the features of ColorEngine built into it by default (Prinergy, Prinect, etc.).

Take the time and go through the webex/go2meeting,etc. demos and take a firm look at them all.

 

[benstarr]

Assuming you were happy with the way everything was working prior to loosing the dongle, repurchase ORIS and you plug-in your new dongle and you'll be right back where you were. Quick and Easy. I second chevalier about reaching out to your ORIS Account Rep about a discount, I would think they'd work with you to some degree to get you back up and running for less the full retail price.

It sounds like you have two different tasks that you were using ORIS for Proofing and color conversion between presses.

For proofing you have a few options ORIS, GMG ColorProof (or OpenColor), or EFI Fiery XF (Esko's proofing is based on XF so that may be a better option than stand alone EFI). If you move away from ORIS I think you'll be happiest with GMG, EFI is going to have limitations that you won't have in GMG or ORIS.

For the Color Conversion between Presses I don't believe you have an option to do that with EFI, with GMG you'd be looking at ColorServer (which works great) and I'm sure Esko and Kodak have options for you but I'm not familiar with them so cannot make any recommendations there.

 

[MitchtheMitch]

Kodak does have ColorFlow Pro that is supposed to manage and create DLPs as well as do ink reduction. We have the "workflow" edition of Colorflow that creates 2D curves for our presses so do not have any real life experience with the Pro version. Attached is Kodak's UserGuide: View attachment ColorFlowUserGuide_2_1_May6.pdf

We use ORIS Press Matcher and we love it so if it were me, I'd be screaming at ORIS to help get the dongle at a reduced price...that is very surprising of them.