Scanning Old Keylines :mad:

[christydezignz]

My print shop finally purched an ABDick computer to plate system. I am very disappointed in the system...I can't believe it!

I only have to options:

1.) Scan and send over the the RIP as a PS file. Perfect. Everything looks great. But now I have to scan it every time we want to print.

2.) Scan and save as a bilevel, (which only works with b/w...no halftones), sending this HUGE tiff file over to the Mac to archive. Thanks to Adobe I just open that tiff file in Acrobat Professional to convert it to a 5MB PDF, and if it needs to be adjusted I need to take it in either Photoshop or Illustrator and edit, then make a PDF.

Why couldn't I just scan it in the software that it uses to send it directly to the RIP that makes it a ps file for me???

Has anybody else experienced this? Any suggestions?

[Broacher]

>>Scan and save as a bilevel, (which only works with b/w...no halftones), sending this HUGE tiff file over to the Mac to archive.<<

I haven't worked with this particular equipment but I have some suggestions.

Bi-levels, (true 1 bit bilevels, not grayscales) are relatively small when saved in CCITT compression-- that's what Acrobat uses. Unfortunately, for some reason I could never figure out-- Adobe Photoshop does not save directly to CCITT 1 bits. And halfones are ultimately bilevel-- in fact, some printshop workflows depend on this. And it's relatively easy to convert grayscales to halftoned 1 bits. You scan high-- say, 1800 dpi (or higher) in greyscale. Then, when you go to bitmap mode, you choose halftone, and then set your linescreen and angle. Anything that's solid black (like type characters, forr example) will not get 'screened'. Then save this off to a PDF for more manageably sized files.

But doesn't the RIP have some kind of 'watched folder' function which allows it to monitor a folder for files? I can't think of one that doesn't. In which case, you'd just 'print' your PDF or even PS directly to that folder and keep going. No?

And I don't understand why your RIP can read a PS file but only accepts scans? That doesn't make sense. If it's reading the PS it's interpreting postscript. Why can't you just set up a RIP folder as the output target for a postscript driver?

[christydezignz]

But doesn't the RIP have some kind of 'watched folder' function which allows it to monitor a folder for files?
-What do you mean by 'watched folder'?

I don't understand why my RIP will only take scans turn to PS so easily, but if I want to save them I have to create the PS myself either. It does not make any sense at all.

Why can't you just set up a RIP folder as the output target for a postscript driver?
-how would I do this?

Our network:
Mac
PC hooked up to the ABDick Scanner - Only for scanning OR saving a tiff
PC hooked up to the RIP - Only to preview the job before making plate

Are you saying that I can make whatever is scanned in to a folder saved....somehow. There's no "Save PS file" or anything, it just gets send to the RIP and they trash it. You can't save it over there either. I argued forever to the tech but they just don't understand..RRrrr :mad:

Thanx for your input by the way, I appreciate it ;)

[PrintDriver]

What's the name of the Rip? Or is is proprietary for the plate printer?
Someone isn't RTFM.

[christydezignz]

It's just the RIP station the came with the ABDick platemaker.