Which RIP should I go for when buying a jv3 please?

[Karl Williams]

It’s only my opinion but I would say go with the Shiraz software. It’s easy to use and is great for photographic work. I have used the Onyx as well and the results are very good. The Shiraz software does not have a built in cutter module, where as Onyx supports most opos eye cutters and sets the makers up for you correctly.
If you don’t need the contour cut facility then Shiraz would be a first choice for me.

[autosign]

How does the FlexiSign RIP compare to some of these commercial products?

[peterarendt]

Many thanks for your input Karl.
What I am trying to work out is what Shiraz or Onyx offer that Rasterlink does not
and if I select Shiraz then should I stick to getting the JV3 from AIT due to support?

Also any recommendations of supplier between Signmaster and Turning Point? (or any others nearer home to Bradford)

[Karl Williams]

Shiraz and AIT. As for the rips I only know the onyx and shiraz.
Ring AIT and speak to Stuart Cole.

[David Rowland]

Hi there..
if u search back through some of my posts you might find that I use the original JV3-160S with 6 colour mode and not the 2x CMYK JV3-160SP, we also drive it with Shiraz and we purchased Shiraz on the basis of the quality of print 3 years ago. Shiraz also runs on the Mac, so no problems there if time isn’t the urgency although sticking it on a PC in the corner would be better as it just needs to RIP every now and then.

I have heard of Rasterlink although not tested it, I did see Onyx at the show and looks good.

If anything I would look at the HP’s if you are gearing towards top quality but life expectancy is not critical, Shiraz will drive quite a few printers and I have seen printers with 10 ink cartridges in to make sure you have a full colour gamut. Most importanly is go and see the printers and you have just missed SignUK which you could have seen them all.

[peterarendt]

Thanks Karl,
I will give AIT a call

Hello Dave,
Nice to hear from you, it was really your posts that convinced me to go for the JV3 (Mimaki should be paying you a royalty!)
I am only really looking at driving a single printer, but whichever RIP we use will end up on a separate corner PC!

I have had a look at the JV3 printout which was done using the Rasterlink Rip and the quality looks more than sufficient for our needs.
I am just a little confused as to what these other RIPs offer (for a single user) that Rasterlink is lacking.

I have looked for some sort of comparison guide but could not find it! (Maybe a future feature for Uksignboards?)

The biggest thing that worries me about going for Onyx or shiraz is support. Both signmaster and Turning point recommend Rasterlink as the best RIP for avoiding compatibility problems, but I wanted a second opinion as to how likely this was going to be.

[Jamie Wood]

If that includes the RIP, then I think that’s a pretty good price.

As said by Karl & Dave, personally, I think that Shiraz and Onyx are
probably the best choices. Personally, I use Onyx, which I have no
problem with. I did have a demo on Shiraz at the show, and I thought
it seemed to have more features than Onyx, so if I upgraded my machine,
I would definitely consider it.

If you purchase from AIT, then Shiraz is the obvious choice. Also runs on a Mac, as Dave says. If you don’t need the RIP
to support contour cutting, the Mimaki plotters come with a plug-in for Illustrator or CorelDraw, for either Mac or PC.
Simply print registration marks using Mimaki FineCut, and the plotter will find them when you load the job in
for contour cutting.

I had a JV5 demo with Rasterlink, and was quite unimpressed with the
quality of output, although this may have been down to poor profiles. It
was fast, but not as good quality as I get from my JV3.

Another option is to look at the HP9000S, which is at least as good as the
JV3 quality wise, and also appears to be faster. I would recommend a
demo though, as sales pitches tend to exaggerate the speed figures somewhat. Shiraz or Onyx will drive one of these too.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Cheers,
Jamie.

[peterarendt]

Hi Jamie
Yes that includes the Rasterlink RIP in the price
(although I dont know what they are valuing it at!)
I should probably get hold of a price including Onyx Postershop 7 from signmaster

The only thing that concerns me with AIT is with them being based in London, I wonder
if they will be able to provide support if I have any issues with the hardware in Bradford.

As a newbie with large format print, I am a bit concerned about being left in the cold from a supplier once they have my money!, which is why I was looking for opinions on Signmaster, Turning Point, AIT or any others closer to home.

Many thanks for your input
Peter

[Jamie Wood]

If you have a hardware issue within the first 2 years, then the engineer
will almost certainly come from Hybrid, who are the distributors. They are
based in Crewe, but have people up & down the country. My nearest Hybrid
engineer is in Milton Keynes, and he passes by our work on his way home!
Sometimes pops in to make sure everything is OK. After 2 years, hardware
support will fall back to whoever you extend your warranty with. Software
is a different issue, and will usually be supported by your dealer.

You will probably be looking at about £2000 for either Shiraz or Onyx if
bought at the same time as your print/cut bundle. I think a stand alone
copy of Rasterlink would also be roughly the same, so effectively, you’re
getting it for nothing. You will almost certainly find more media profiles
available for Shiraz & Onyx.

I strongly suggest a demo with Rasterlink, as it may be good enough,
depending on your needs, and you will save quite a bit. Don’t be bullied
into having it though if it doesn’t meet your needs. Ask about media
profiles for popular brands – not just the ones that they supply.

One thing to think about – if you do go for a demo, take some of your
own files with you. Don’t let them have them in advance, as this will allow
tweaking to get them perfect for when you arrive, and may not give a
true impression. After all, when you get your machine, you will want a
RIP that works well without having to spend hours tweaking files.

Remember – lots of profiles for popular media is crucial.

Cheers,
Jamie.

[Adam Triggs]

Hi Peter,

I bought a JV3 cutter and laminater from AIT (Shaun Thompson) in December, Very happy with the service. Shiraz is a doddle to use, and although it doesn’t have a cut module within it, it is capable of crop marks which the cutter picks up nicely.

Coming from a complete novice, I can recommend Shiraz from day one as an easy, well supported product which will future proof you for years to come.

Cheers
Adam

[peterarendt]

Guys Thank you all very much for your input

I feel a lot more assured regarding the hardware issue.
I think I will have to pay AIT and signmaster a visit with my own files.

Many thanks for your help, I will keep you updated as to which I buy!

Thanks
Peter