TIFF/IT files.

Gregg

Well-known member
One of the publications my company advertises in requires TIFF/IT files. I currently supply a PDF/X file to a vendor who creates the .FP, .CT, .LW, .HC files and sends them to the publication.

What I am wondering is if there is anyway that I can make the TIFF/IT file, in-house, to avoid added cost and time.

From my research it appears that you need a Harlequin RIP to create these TIFF/IT files. Is my assessment correct?
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Hi Gregg,

Yes a Harlequin RIP with the TIFF/IT option would do the job fine. Version 8 of the Hqn RIP is out now and you should be able to shop around for a good price on that package.

Regards,

Andy.

Andy Cave,
Chief Executive Officer,
Hamillroad Software Limited.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Thanks, guys.

So it has to be through a RIP then. There is no plug-in for Acrobat or InDesign that would handle it? I'm guessing probably not.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Apago Pheon can wrap a TIFF/IT-P1 into a PDF. There are a number of ways to do it. Many different RIPs can make a TIFF/IT-P1. Brisque or Prinergy for example, Harlequin based RIPs, Apogee, etc.

If you can find an old Brisque Proof with a TIFF/IT-P1 license that would take care of it. They must be printing at Quad or a long-run plant. Did they give you spec's on the CT/LW resolutions?
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Specs are:
CT 200-400
LW 2400

SWOP standards for DMAX, proofing, etc.

Web press w/ both saddle and perfect binding.

They also accept DCS2 files, which also need to be RIP'd, correct?

The publication is +The New Yorker+.

So, what am I looking at for costs? What do you think the cheapest package I could get would be?

Thanks for all your help, everyone. All replies have been very helpful.

Edited by: Gregg on Aug 3, 2008 1:17 PM

Edited by: Gregg on Aug 3, 2008 1:18 PM
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Wow. TIFF/IT-P1 ?

Tagged Image File Format for Image Technology Profile 1 (TIFF/IT-P1)

A simplified form of the TIFF/IT format that maximizes the compatibility between desktop systems and proprietary CEPS (Color Electronic Prepress Systems).

You think they would sell me their CEPS system ? I know the Smithsonian is looking for one !

I say - go to HELL. -

no, not the place with the fire - here - http://www.hell-gravure-systems.com/

look up - HelioLinkPro with HQH (High Quality Hinting)

Okay, I can STAND it, please tell me who they are! ( privately - [email protected] )

They must be printing rotogravure -- or --- do they wear big fat ties and listen to Billy Joel, Peter Seger and Bette Midler - or are they totally old school and ride horses ?

I mean, like wow !
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

*oh, did not see that you mentioned the publication is The New Yorker...*

you must have looked at this ancient page at their web site !

[http://www.condenastmediakit.com/nyr/mechanical.cfm|http://www.condenastmediakit.com/nyr/mechanical.cfm]

HA HA HA HA !! phew that is MOLDY

*Media: Macintosh-formatted Zip (100mb), Jaz (1GB), CD, or WAM!NET.*

This was written in like 1992 when the internet was just being BORN.

Mac formated ZIP ? and I don't think you can enen BUY Jaz drives anymore - this assumed you are going to ship them the file in a BOX.

Trust me, they will take PDF/X-1a files, and they have Vio and AdSend portals - call one of these people and mention that they migt think of updating this web page...

Khadija Prather, Production Coordinator, 212.286.5355
Trisha Michetti, Production Coordinator, 212.286.5351
Leona Smith, Production Coordinator, 212.286.5829
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

> {quote:title=michaelejahn wrote:}{quote}
> Mac formated ZIP ? and I don't think you can enen BUY Jaz drives anymore - this assumed you are going to ship them the file in a BOX.

Sorry Michael what's a BOX? …I never used that technology :p (knew what TIFF/IT was )
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

That is funny, I hadn't even noticed the Jaz drive, Wamnet line. And the thing is that site +is+ updated. At least from the last time we advertised with them (about 6 months ago).

You're right though, best thing to do is call and urge them to take PDFX/1a.

Communication is key.

Just called, PDFX/1a. We're good to go!

Starting the work week on a positive note :)

Edited by: Gregg on Aug 4, 2008 9:00 AM
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

One: it is easy to "wrap" a tiff-it in an acrobat file. There is a plug-it--I think it is called "tiff-xt". Google for it if you really need it. It allows one to place a tiff-it (the LW or assign file) in a quark (maybe also ID) page and distill it.

However as people were saying about the dates of the requirements posting, almost every printer/publisher has switched to pdf files except Condé Naste publications. They also recently relented. My guess is the magazine you are supplying ads for is a conde naste pub and if you call them they will accept pdf.

Tiff-it, ct/lw had its day but that day is way past.

alan
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

You have other choice - You can FTP the PDFX1a with Fonts to our server an we can process it to TIFFITp1 per any magazine specs (We have specs for CT/LW Resolution on most of them) and either you download back from our server or we can arrange to submit to publisher and provide you with conformation. We have been producing TIFFITp1 since before PDF was available on our SCITEX - MAC PSM RIP and have been verifying it with AD-CHECK PROGRAM before shipping out. You can each me at [email protected]

Those newcomers to pre-press/ printing after PDF workflow started, DO NOT know that TIFFITp1 format DOES yield better reproduction than watered
down PDFx1- that is in use mostly today and for that matter DO NOT also know that PDFX1a made using postscript driver ( to create postscript file to distil) and using job-option developed by DDAP ( digital distribution for advertising for publication) yields the no-fail PDFX1a - with higher quality printing
both for publications and commercial printing.

Chances are most of the printers shall be forced to switch to PDFx1a - as newer RIPS start to handle transparancies better with Level 3 Postscripts.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Uhh... No, Vikram I think you are quite incorrect. You do not have to make PDF/X-1a's from PostScript. The old DDAP settings are simply guidelines that DDAP was publishing. That is quite different than the ISO standard itself. Direct PDF export from Adobe applications works as well as exporting PostScript. The issue of transparency has been addressed by PDF/X-4 which allows the inclusion of live transparency.

TIFF/IT-P1 does not yield superior results to PDF/X. TIFF/IT is all raster data. So you must ensure that you have the correct CT and LW resolutions for correct output which can introduce imaging artifacts.

The DDAP guidelines were good in their day, but their day has been over for many years now. CT/LW is basically dead. Your PS/M even at version 8 is still quite old and really only a CPSI RIP. So if I were to take a perfectly valid PDF/X-1a:2003 created from InDesign CS2/3, send it to you and have you create a TIFF/IT-p1 I'd be no better off than sending the PDF/X-1a right to the publisher. There are places where TIFF/IT-p1 is used internally at long-run printers, but that does not mean that they only accept TIFF/IT-P1.

Most publishers and printers readily accept PDF/X files now. And with the release of the Adobe Print Engine there is no longer any need for a RIP, such as PS/M, to internally convert native PDF into PostScript to process it. You can maintain 100% PDF native workflow.

Six or seven years ago I might have agreed with you.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

if you can send the file to me on a bernoulli or syquest, i can have a look at it.....LOL
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

Hey now! Those Bernoulli drives were great in their day. The SyQuest you mentioned, will you accept the SyQues EZ 135? ;)
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

@ alan ruta

--- I know you were not actually advocating TIFF/IT in any way - but hey, it has been years, so let this old man have a TIFF/IT rant !

1. It is HORRIBLE IDEA to "wrap" a TIFF-IT in an acrobat file - why?

Send that to anyone and they will scream BLOODY MURDER once it hit the RIP or ----

-- (gasp) -

if they 'place' it as a partial ad inside a Quark or InDesign file -- YIKES -- then try and save to PDF - that publisher will absolutely let you know that they do not want one of these beasts again !

Distiller needs to unwind that LW - a 1200ppi (0r 2400 ppi) RLE (Run Length Encoded) TIFF - better have a lot of RAM and hard drive space !

Thankfully - in most cases, most people with CS3 and Acrobat Pro wil not have the ability to convert anything they have INTO a TIFF/IT-P1 file.

I mean, I have some pretty tricked out systems and servers here, and I have not had anything that can make a TIFF-IT file for a LONG time.

Most everyone these days can make a PDF/X-1a file bydirectly exporting from Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.

So, while it was actually great advice that one could, one could also say "hey, you CAN drive a screw into a telephone pole with a hammer !" - but a screwgun is faster, easier and works far better.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

@ Virkram,

dude, like are you for real - on an adobe PDF forum, you really think you can get away with saying such things ?

-- like - what are you talking about here ?

--- "TIFF/IT-p1 format DOES yield better reproduction than watered down PDFx1" - what on earth does water down mean anyway ?

And why would I want to convert a page that is 2mbs average to 38 MBS - what is the benefit ?

Also, you can't overcome the fact that all images need to be upsampled and downsampled to a single, common resolution -- If I have two 300 ppi images place in an InDesign document, each with a different reduction and different rotation in that InDesign document, and I send that to a RIP that renders that at 2400 ppi for a platesetter -- 100% of the time a CT/LW work must always convert both images to a common resolution and 100% of the time that resolution is downsampled and degraded.

Takes some clocks, watches and bicycle images, apply rotation and scaling - then compare plates made from CT/LW to the the PDF > to > Marking Engine resolution of 2400 ppi.

NOT EVEN IN THE SAME BALLPARK.

want to prove it to yourself - buy this -- http://www.myresometer.com/page/page/4250032.htm

This is precisely why every single prepress vendor -- and the big consumable companies AGFA, Fuji Dupont and Kodak -- moved away from Scitex/Rampage intermediate resolution compromised approaches in 1998. CT / LW was designed to reduce the amount of RAM required for imaging - invented by the military in Israel for mapping, later licenced in the 60's for Textile imaging - Scientific Textiles (Later SciTex) first used LW on e 1000 HP computers that has BOARDS that were 12 x 15 inches and contain 64k of RAM - that is not a typo - 64 K of ram on a 12x12 board. Our 500Mb winchester drives were the size of a washing machine.

When I arrived at AGFA in 1998, the the US sold RamPage with its CT/LW for SPEED - but later, when we compare photomicrographs of PDF pages RIPPED to 2400 ppi to any CT/LW plate and you can see the difference. We used these to sell into shops that had Sctiex systems like over 10 years ago !

you can't come close to this quality with CT/LW.

but i will take a hit off what you are smokin' - must be really good !

Peace !

Michael "you asked for it!" Jahn
Shameless PDF fan boy and koolaid drinker.
 
Re: TIFF/IT files.

TIFF/IT files had one huge advantage - consistent RIP times. You could schedule a platemaker like clockwork because the data was pre-rasterized. PostScript or PDF data means scheduling variability.

Rorke Data used to make an application that rendered TIFF/IT files ( Page Composer ), and there was a free viewer.

[Press Release|http://www.rorke.com/news/2000/rorke_unveils_freeware_tiff_it.cfm]

I don't think it is still available. We used a Heidelberg DaVinci to output TIFF/IT files. I still have it if anyone is interested. Our current Xinet FullPress system can be configured to output TIFF/IT files.
Maybe someone is willing to part with a copy of some other software that creates TIFF/IT files ?

I also have a SyQuest 88 drive, I just finished a project where I migrated several cartridges of data to CD-R. Yes, that investment in SyQuest hardware is still generating income.

It is common to laugh at "old" technology, but _proven_ technology, no matter how old, is more reliable than _unproven_ new technology. If I'm trying to make a profit, I'll take the proven technology, and laugh my way to the bank even if other laugh at me.

Chasd.
 

PressWise

A 30-day Fix for Managed Chaos

As any print professional knows, printing can be managed chaos. Software that solves multiple problems and provides measurable and monetizable value has a direct impact on the bottom-line.

“We reduced order entry costs by about 40%.” Significant savings in a shop that turns about 500 jobs a month.


Learn how…….

   
Back
Top