Looking for a cheap or free RIP'ing software for an Epson Printer?

[Phish]

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone out there has any idea's on what software to use on a Epson printer? I used a Roland VS-300 at the moment which comes with Versa Works and we have managed to get this to produce good quality prints that our customers seem to like.

However, it seems that Epson do not have their own RIP'ing software, is that right or am i missing something?

It seems alot of money needs to be spent on a RIP just to output a few stickers side by side, or to output a few jobs together via nesting etc.

Can any of you lovely people out there recommend a decent RIP or know of a way of outputting different artworks at the same time without having to purchase a RIP to control this?

Many thanks

Phil.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

What Epson model?

Do you use Epson paper or 3rd party media? Are you happy with the Epson driver settings/results for your media?

You may not need a RIP, you could get by with a third party driver with RIP-style features:

Qimage Ultimate - The Ultimate in Batch Photo Printing

Start - Englisch


Stephen Marsh

 

[mwc]

Hi,

Can any of you lovely people out there recommend a decent RIP or know of a way of outputting different artworks at the same time without having to purchase a RIP to control this?

Many thanks

Phil.

Epson - Colorburst - Home: ColorBurst RIP - the OVERDRIVE product has a 15-day unrestricted demo available.
No recent experience with this product, but have a few customers with EPSON devices using a previous version with good results...

 

[Phish]

Many thanks for your input, i will take a closer look into these suggestions, as for the model number, i will get back intouch with you about this later when i get the chance to get back onto it.

Once again, many thanks

 

[Correct Color]

Phish,

However, it seems that Epson do not have their own RIP'ing software, is that right or am i missing something?

That is right, and no, you're not missing anything.

Doesn't really matter what model number your Epson is...

What really surprises me, honestly, is how many people expect to go online and find something of real value for free. Keep in mind that new, your Roland lists for about $16000.00, while the most expensive Epson you can get that will even produce an image without a RIP is right at $5000.00.

The important thing to keep in mind here is that your Roland is a solvent inkjet printer, and your Epson is an aqueous inkjet printer.

And that can be known simply because if your Epson was a solvent printer, it would have some sort of real RIP already driving it.

Because what RIP's really are for -- in my old and curmudgeonly view -- isn't nesting and ganging up images and the like, but for taking full control of the printer, so that you can get maximum capability out of it on any media, in any condition. And because of the nature of solvent inkjet, it's not possible to run any solvent printer without a RIP, because media settings are so critical to even being able to print on a media at all. And what Versa Works is is Roland's entry-level RIP that they ship with all their printers. It's certainly not "free." The cost of it is built into the cost of every Roland printer. And while it's a bit rudimentary, it does work.

And me, I'd argue that to get full capability out of any printer, you need a real RIP, one that gives you control of the printer. And there are several of them out there, but most of them cost real money.

However, there are today now as others have mentioned some products that call themselves RIP's but they offer no pritner control at all. All they really do is image management -- nothing you really couldn't do in Photoshop if you set your mind to it -- and piggy-back on the printer controls built into the media settings in the printer already. Myself, I'd call them something other than "RIP's", but that's just me.

So go with Qimage. It's one of these products. It's cheap, and it'll do what you want it to do. It just isn't a real Raster Image Processor in the way that Onyx, or Caldera, or Ergosoft, or even Versa Works, or any number of other real RIP's are.

As always, you do get what you pay for.


Mike Adams
Correct Color