Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Stephen Harrison <sh@s...> 
wrote:
> #4 Why did Cone go to a RIP in this process and not go through the 
> printer driver directly making their system much more affordable? I 
> believe their software for the RIP runs some $2500 which is not 
> cheap. What advantage does the RIP serve. Mike: can you see the 
> difference in the prints between the Cone and the MIS in terms of 
> sharpness, dot or tonality.
> 
> Stephen Harrison


The idea was that it would be for production environments, not for a 
personal home printer. This is why it is for a pc (if you are willing 
to pay the $2000+ for it why not spend another $500 for a pc and be 
free of hosting the printer?)

 The RIP has extra features designed for printing multiple editions and 
whatnot. It was also 16bit from the start. If it were a plugin and not 
a standalone rip it will still cost the same. Other RIPS designed for 
the printing industry cost 2-5 times what it does.

This is not to say that I wouldn't like it to be cheaper and run on 
macs but oh well. 
I do not have one but would like to. Maybe someday...  I have to get a 
better scanner first.

-mikeH