Norm workflow
Norm workflow
In my initial post I did state "Apart from sharing files with another printer who has their own trapping and color preferences I don't see the point in the NORM workflow." I do see that exporting imposed vector PDFs could be a useful feature, but only if the recipient wants to use your exact layout, sheetsize, etc. If not, it is probably best to just send a high res PDF and let the outside printer apply their own layout and of course trapping and color management. Norm just seems like a much celebrated workflow that only has a few specific features that apply to most printers and print jobs. Rampage can export decent quality, RIPed PDFs, that I use everyday for proofing. I send out high res PDFs when I am sending a job to another printer or print format (labels, large format), my RIP does not even come into play. Now if I had a "sister" company or department and we had nailed down how things need to be impoed I could see myself sending impoed vector PDFs, but that does not apply to me and I would guess it does not apply to most printers. And even those it does apply to probably don't use it most of the time.
In general I just think it is odd to use the lack of "true" NORM workflow as a criticism against Rampage. I have used Rampage for years in very successful companies and it has worked very well. I am sure that Rampage is in the top 3(?) workflows as far as market share goes; and those users aren't encountering problems due to Rampages particular feature set. All of the current workflows obviously work. Some people end up with a workflow because the boss is sold on it or it has one special feature that they really need, or when they started working there the workflow was already in place or it would be too hard to start over with another product, etc. But some people get a workflow because they are told that a competing workflow is not as good as the one that the (always honest) salesperson is pitching to them or they read on forums like this that a particular workflow, in this case Rampage, isn't a "real" workflow because it lacks a feature that very, very few could not live without.