EFI add-on options

[prepress_brillance_43]

Anyone using or know anything about:

>EFI Color Manager option
>EFI Spot Color Option
>EFI Color Verifier option
>EFI Colorproof XF Production Option

I really only have basic needs here at this shop, I need my proofs to match the press but I don't think we will have a need to match ICC profiles from across the globe... Any input on these options and what is necessary and what is not, would be a big help. I will be running an Epson 7600, with EFI Colorproof XF. I think I want the Spot option, but beyond that I think the rest is overkill for this shop, and maybe the verifier???

[mur]

To get yourself up and running get the
XF with Spot Color Option and the XL Driver (for epson 7600).
you then get a custom ICC profile made.

You can Always Add the Other Options later on if need be.

[edgar]

Seems like a mirror.

I have Colorproof too.

Whats the Colorproof technician doing during the instalation?

Did you run a test on press and on the Epson to generate ICC profiles?

What kind of works you do (process colors, PMS)?

Do you have spectrophotometer?

We have a difference: I have a Stylus Pro 10000 :lol:

[prepress_brillance_43]

The 10600? That is a workhorse, I had one at my previous shop. The ink cartridges lasted about a year!!... running avg of 3-10 proofs a shift. Installation of my equip. won't be until next week or sometime the following. Yes, we will be fingerprinting the press with install. I got in a neat new toy today, I can't wait to see how it operates, it hangs on the monitor and reads color from the screen??.... looks like a mouse??.... :?: I'll find out how it works next week as well....

[edgar]

Hey Brandon!

Since you see its results, you'll love it forever. But you and the press area need to work friendly with standards. Also you will need a dotmeter too. This helps to keep the exposure fine tuned.

Take care of the brand of plates you will use.

Hope you enjoy your brand new toys.

[Lammy]

Be afraid!!! be very afraid!!!! and Run as fast as you can.

Myself and a tech very familiar with Best Color just spent two days trying to set up EFI Colorproof XF. The same options you just listed. Evidently the EFI version is very new, as tech support emailed us the older versions manual for set up :?

We could not figure it out. First off the EFi documentation is horrid. They dont' even list a system requirment on the box for god sake. You have to install everything before you can get the PDF manual, you can't just read it off the CD. :roll: We had to wait the half hour to download and install, as the tech put it "the ton of updates" that EFI has released since taking it over. What we needed specifically was the patch that would fix the linearzation program so it would actualy print it's targets. Once we finally had a base linearzation file, we had NO idea what to do with it. There was no documentation to say where to put it in, or where exactly to put in the profiles for the printer and press. We also had no way to be sure we were printing an uncalibrated patches for the printer profile either. Not to mention they don't have all the paper profiles. We couldn't find one anywhere in the application for Epson Premium Semimatte Photo 250 GSM paper Isn't that one of the most commonly used papers?

EFIs version of best color is simply not intuitive, simple or straight forward. As the tech had said "they ruined a good thing". The week before the tech did an install with the older version, Best Color 3.5. He said it took him an afternoon and four prints. We spent two days and well at least we only made two prints before we decided it was a lost cause.



[/rant off]

[prepress_brillance_43]

Lammy, you have me worried(and I know from some of your other posts to trust you :wink: ). I was working with the earlier version of bestcolorxxl(w/10600) at my old job and it was ok, but what you're saying about what I will be installing next week.... :cry: I had already noticed, as well, that the system requirements were not on the box, and there's no manual on their website anywhere.(i hadn't looked on the CD yet) :twisted: 8O :cry: I'll do what I can with the reps/tecx that I get for my install->with the listed above I'm getting a new screen platerite 4100 and trueflow, >so big week next two weeks. I'll let you know what goes down. And maybe we can help each other get going....

[Lammy]

1st, register with EFIs site. That will let you into their tech support section. I couldn't find a current version of the documentation, but I didn't look really hard.

Make sure your running win 2000, 2003 or XP. Tech support said they actually prefer XP Pro. We had NT 4.0 and it wouldn't recognize the dongle. I'm running Dual P3 1Ghz chips with 1GB of memory and an 18GB drive. Seems OK so far. My install tech said I will be looking for a second hard drive soon though.

MAKE SURE your install tech knows how to setup the newest version of the EFI Colorproof XF. NOT the the Best Color Rip (3.5?) Tech support was actually helpful up until we had our Lin file and then needed to print our patches to make the profile. There is no clear documentation on what to do. Like I said, when I called tech support they emailed me the Best Color 3.5 manual.

I'm actually hoping someone here has set up the EFI rip already and can tell me what to do. ops:

BTW, I'm in the chat room if ya wanna hear me bitch :x :wink:

[Lammy]

Since I'm doing "homework" tonight, I figured I'd share. I've uploaded the three manuals I have from the install. You might want to try installing the Colorproof client on a mac and see if you get different, or better, manuals.

http://www.prepressforums.com/module...folders/Lammy/

also found this article. Scanned it quick and it looks pretty good.
http://www.it-enquirer.com/main/ite/...olorproof_xf1/

[edgar]

Originally Posted by Lammy

Be afraid!!! be very afraid!!!! and Run as fast as you can.

[/rant off]

Don't think about it. You won't have to run Neo. You are the One.