Rapids Reproductions

When talking about digital printing what does RIP mean?

Ron — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:38:04 +0000

RIP stands for raster image processing [verb] or raster image processor [noun]. RIP takes a digital file from your graphics software and turns it into a raster image file for your printer. According to www.about.com “RIP takes the digital information about fonts and graphics that describes the appearance of your file and translates it into an image composed of individual dots that the imaging device (such as a desktop or wide-format printer) can output”. In many cases RIP is not needed because your printer driver does the communication necessary. However RIP offers additional features and functions not found in standard printer drivers particularly if you are doing fine art prints or high volume printing. Some of these features include print queuing, batch processing, color separations, halftone screening and checks for missing fonts or graphics. RIP comes in firmware, hardware or software versions. Software RIP is a third party product that works with many kinds of devices. One of the leading RIP software companies is Onyx (www.onyxgfx.com). Depending on your application RIP can produce higher quality prints while increasing productivity and reducing costs.

New Latex Ink Wide-Format Printer

Ron — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:09:07 +0000

New latex ink printers combine the benefits of solvent based and water based inks without the draw backs. Developed by Hewlett-Packard it has been sold and tested in Europe and is now available in the United States. Like water based inks you get odorless prints which are dry and ready use right out of the printer, low maintenance (no daily cleaning of print-heads) and the environmental benefits of no hazardous chemicals or combustible inks with no special ventilation needed. Like solvent based inks you get durability and lower cost per copy by using low cost uncoated media. The image quality at production speed with a wide variety of low cost media and the “green” features make this an interesting development in the wide-format printing world.

3D Printing

Ron — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:09:33 +0000

We have been following advances in “3D Printing” for several years now. According to Wikipedia 3D Printing is “a form of additive manufacturing technology where a three dimensional object is created by successive layers of material”. Applications for our customers would include design visualization, prototyping and model making. Starting from a 3D CAD file you send your file to the 3D printer the same way you send your 2D CAD file to a plotter. The benefits of the 3D “print” include saving time and money on design/product development and marketing/communicating designs to clients. We just learned HP has begun marketing a “Designjet 3D” printer in Europe. Being HP Designjet dealers we look forward to being able to represent this product soon in the United States, possibly offering 3D printing as a service. We will keep you informed of any developments. Until then there are several printers being sold right now in the U.S., just google “3D Printing” to get more details.

The Use of Color in Design Communications

Ron — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:08:17 +0000

Surfing the web for blog ideas I came across an interesting web site about using color in construction documents (www.colorforconstruction.com). Although it focuses on construction documents the information presented is relevant for any graphical communication. Here are some highlights on the benefits of the use of color. These were taken from the Xerox Corporation web site.

Color reduces search time by as much as 80%.

Color reduces errors by 80%.

Information can be located 70% faster if it’s
in color.

Document sorting improves by 15% when highlight
color is used.

Highlight color improves search time by 39%
compared to using different fonts.

Color increases comprehension by as much
as 73%.

Color increases learning and retention by 78%.

Sources
Studies
Loyola College, Maryland, U.S.A.,
by Ellen Hoadley, Ph.D.,
Laurette Simmons, Ph.D.,
and Faith Gilroy, Ph.D.
Case & Company,
Management Consultants
Bureau of Advertising, Color
in Newspaper Advertising
Maritz Motivation, Inc.,
Southern Illinois

Sounds great so why isn’t color more widely used in large format documents? The most common objection is cost. While it is more expensive for color prints the cost has been coming down due to reductions in the cost of color printers and supplies. You also must consider the cost of printing documents is almost always less than 1% of the total project cost and how much can be saved by reducing errors and the greater efficiencies gained by the use of color. A harder objection is how people with color blindness will be affected by the use of color. Not being color blind it’s hard for me give an intelligent response however since color is already in use in many aspects of the work place there might be ways to adapt. Please send any comments that may enlighten us on this.

Proper handling and storage for wide format inkjet printer paper

Ron — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:19:46 +0000

Depending on your purpose there is a wide range of inkjet media available and the storage and handling requirements will vary. For black line drawings and basic color renderings, Oce recommends printing in a dust and dirt free environment with temperatures between 60 to 85 degrees F and 30% to 70% humidity. Keep your paper stored in the original packaging until ready to use and reseal open paper if you won’t be using it for awhile. For higher quality prints using display graphics media the guide lines are more stringent. In our Estore under specific products we either list the manufacture’s recommendations on storage and printing conditions or have a link to the manufacturer’s web site.

Handling and Storage of your xerographic printer paper

Ron — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:59:09 +0000

Summer heat and humidity has arrived and can affect the performance of your wide format printer. Today’s media, more natural, can absorb moisture on humid days even in air conditioned offices causing voids and light images. Optimum conditions are 68 to 76 degrees F and a relative humidity of 35 to 55 percent. Storing your paper wrapped and in an office environment is helpful. Once unwrapped and in the printer, some printers have built in dehumidifiers to help condition the paper but on summer’s worst days printing can be affected. Enjoy the summer weather; winter is only six months away. In the meantime be conscious of how you store your wide format media. Keep it sealed and stored in optimum conditions when possible.

What is Reprographics? (from the IRGA website)

Ron — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:52:15 +0000

Defining Reprographics

The reprographic industry is a relatively small industry with approximately 3000 firms in the United States. It is comprised of entrepreneurial businesses serving predominately the large- and wide-format reproduction needs of the architectural, engineering, manufacturing, retail, and advertising industries. Average sales volume is about $1.5 million and average employee counts are 20-25 people.

Large-format reproductions are produced with a variety of technologies dependent, in part, on the application of the final product and quantity needed. Examples of typical reproduction methods include: diazo (blueline), electrostatic (xerographic), photographic, laser, and ink jet.

Reproductions can be made from the same size or smaller/larger hard copy originals. Prints can also be computer generated from CADD (computer aided design and drafting) files or from a growing variety of desktop publishing and design software packages.

In addition to addressing the large-format reproduction needs of their customers, reprographers frequently sell reprographic equipment and consumable supplies. Other business services such as mounting and lamination, quick copying, microfilming, scanning and facility management are also provided.

Typical items produced by reprographers include architectural/engineering blueprints and renderings, indoor and outdoor signage, maps, billboards, backlit displays, trade show graphics, legal and medical exhibits, etc.

Social Networks

Ron — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:58:30 +0000

Rapids Reproductions is now on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Any other place we need to be?

Computer and Facilities for Customer Use

Ron — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:42:55 +0000

We now have a computer in our lobby/showroom that customers may use to access our online catalog and any online plan-room for the downloading of drawings. We also have a drafting table and conference room with phone and data connections for our customers convenience. With these new additions along with our free Wi-Fi you may think of our new facility as an extension of your own office.

Large Format E-Paper Coming?

Ron — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:51:38 +0000

It may take awhile but someday we may be selling E-paper not bond paper.

From epapercentral.com

Large E-Paper Displays

SDC’s can also be combined to produce large format displays. The Citizen Bendable Clock is such an application. Equally noteworthy as its wide surface area is the “bendability” of the clock, another important advantage of the technology.

At the EXPO 2005, in Aichi Japan, Toppan Printing exhibited a large wall-sized newspaper that made use of E Ink technology. The wall-sized newspaper was actually an application of LCD (liquid crystal display), which displayed the colored photos, and electronic paper, which was responsible for displaying the text. Perhaps future e-paper applications would be similar to this; combining various technological solutions to solve a single problem.