1. Let your inkjet paper usage and plate usage leverage your purchase.
2. The new EFI/Epson bundles are worth looking at. We have every current inkjet printer on the market (in our lab) and the Epson and Canon units are simply better made than the HPs. But, for many, the RIP is oure overkill plus Epson support for RIPs is yet unproven.
3. If you already have profile making software (Monaco, etc.), then all you will really need is a new RIP and a 44" driver for the 9600 or 9900.
4. If you are a Rampage user, then you are probably also a Fuji customer. FGS USA does not sell GMG. They do sell CGS and EFI.
5. If you only need a new RIP and driver, then EFI Fiery XF is a very cost effective option @ $1,995.00. Jeez, if you trade in your old CGS RIP, you will get a fat discount, too.
6. They will ALL WORK fine.
To the points above....
1. Good advice...if you want the best "deal" and you want your proofing system purchase dictated by your plate and media dealer. Personally, I think it's a bad idea. Do your homework and find the best system that meets your needs before you go looking for the best "deal". A proofing system deal tied with consumables isn't necessarily the best deal for the customer but probably IS the best deal for the dealer.
2. I have no problems with either Epson or Canon products but as far as I know, Canon does not include an embedded spectro option and Epson charges extra for theirs whereas HP includes the embedded spectro for essentially the same cost as equivalent printers that don't have the spectro. If you go for a non-embedded spectro printer, expect to pay at least $1K for a MANUAL spectro or about $4K for an automated spectro. But note that in MOST cases, the built-in/embedded spectro in these printers are for linearization/calibration but NOT for general profiling. In other words, if you intend to create your own press profiles and such and not work with standard GRACoL/SWOP/whatever data, you will either need to purchase your own off-line spectro or have the guy that's going to install your proofing system do this for you, usually for extra charge. In other words, don't get sucked into paying for a $2.5K built-in spectro option only to find out you still need a $4K off-line spectro IF you intend to do your own press profiling.
3. ....but if you DON'T own 3rd party profiling software and your RIP requires it to get *high quality* profiles, expect to add around $2,000 to the TOTAL cost of the proofing system (GMG includes its own profiling software).
4. If you're a Rampage customer, you're not locked into Fuji products and services. I have plenty of Fuji customers that are pleased as punch with their GMG (or whatever) proofing system....in fact, in many cases it replaced their original proofing system and they're better for it. Don't think for a minute that you're tied in any way to just what your dealer offers....even if it's not their product, they will still want to keep your consumables business. Do what's best for you, not necessarily your dealer.
5. The EFI Fiery XF is indeed a very cost-effective option...just be fully aware of what it does NOT include. As far as competitive upgrades, other RIP vendors do the same.
6. Indeed, they all DO work fine..although some work finer than others.
There's no argument that many RIP products, from ColorBurst all the way to GMG, can and do produce an acceptable visual and numerical match to a press sheet. I still feel there are worthwhile differences between the different products in terms of the QUALITY of the press match but it's probably quibbling.
Where I DO think these proofing RIP products differentiate themselves is in their method of KEEPING the system matching the press over time....in other words, their CALIBRATION process (as opposed to profiling) tends to be the key differentiator these days, something that is NOT tested in various proofing "shoot-outs". You need a system that is able to maintain a high quality match over time and precious few of these systems have the calibration "foundation" to do this adequately....in fact, many of these systems still require that you re-profile the inkjet system AFTER you've performed a re-calibration in order to maintain the same proof-to-press match as before. I've personally only worked with 3 systems that have what I would consider an adequate calibration routine...and only 1 out these 3 used ICC profiles.
And as Ian said, be SURE to get a professional to install your next proofing system.
Regards,
Terry Wyse
