|
Links
in this vertical column are to gateways of links and/or
detailed reviews, usually with color photos
|
Other
alternatives, solid equipment and software, but not super
expensive. More practical and cost effective, less frills
but can still do an outstanding job.
|
Super-nice
but not super expensive. In other words, if you work hard
you just may be able to afford this system.
|
HIGH-end,
but nonetheless a system that a normal mortal can actually
use (in other words, no drum scanner or anything that requires
a 10-year apprenticeship).
|
|
Color
printer, dye-sub
|
Kodak
dye sub (all their products are well made)
|
|
Fujix
Pictography (better than dye sub)
|
|
Color
printer, laser
|
Tally,
QMS
or Xerox Tektronix 11x17
|
Tally,QMS
or Tektronix 11x17
|
Xerox
DocuColor 40 with RIP
|
|
B+W
laser printer
|
QMS
is much more flexible than Lexmark, HP, or IBM
|
GCC
Technologies, 1200 dpi
|
GCCTechnologies,
their 1200 dpi laser is great (it's the one I chose for
my own office).
|
|
Rrecommended
laser paper
|
Weyerhaeuser
First Choice, Georgia-Pacific paper
|
Futura
Laser in USA
Reyprint
in Europe
|
Futura
Laser in USA
Reyprint in Europe
|
|
Paper
ideally suited if you need to fold your brochures
|
Microprint
(for folding)
|
.
|
.
|
|
wide-format
ink jet
|
Hewlett
Packard DesignJet
|
Hewlett-Packard
5000
|
Iris,
though there are now alternatives such as Ixia, ColorSpan
or I-Jet
|
|
PostScript
RIP
|
BEST,
PosterJet
|
BEST,
PosterJet, Onyx PosterShop
|
BEST,
Onyx PosterShop, Ilford's RIPStar, PosterJet, Wasatch
|
|
wide
format photo paper (media)
|
IJ
Technologies
|
IJ
Technologies
Rexam Graphics
|
IJ
Technologies, Sihl,
Rexam Graphics
|
|
Special
printers
|
.
|
.
|
Durst
Lambda
|
|
Proofer
|
HP
DesignJet ColorPro GA
|
Scitex
Iris iProof
|
Pictography
for ultimate prints
|
|
Color
management
|
|
|
X-Rite
or GretagMacbeth
|
|
Laminator
|
LEDCO
or USI
|
LEDCO
or USI
|
GBC,
Seal, CODA
|
|
Computer,
we have over 15 different computers in our facilities
|
Mac
G4 though PCs are now faster and cost less
|
Apple
stupidly dropped SCSI in favor of FireWire. SCSI is still
faster for hard drives, thus we prefer a PC with internal
SCSI
|
Still
a Mac G4 or PC, Silicon Graphics looks nice but nowadays
is a dead end for basic digital imaging; Sun is unnecessary
for normal 2D graphics.
|
|
Monitors
|
Dual
21" or an Apple Cinema Display
|
One
Barco 21" with one 24"
|
Dual
21" and also a 24"
|
|
RAID
system
|
Seagate
and other hard drives can easily be made into a RAID system
|
Hardware
RAID
|
Hardware
RAID, many are available from Megahaus, Snap! from Quantum
|
|
|
We
switched to Quantum after Seagate Cheetah drives failed
|
Seagate
Cheetah drives failed causing collapse of our RAID
|
Quantum
(our Seagate Cheetah drives failed)
|
|
SCSI
|
Adaptec
card
Ultra2
wide SCSI
|
Adaptec
Ultra2 wide SCSI
FireWire
in due time
|
Adaptec
Ultra2 wide SCSI, Atto
FireWire
in due time
|
|
|
Panasonic
(best price, solid equipment)
|
Yamaha
(wins most reviews)
|
Smart-and-Friendly
12x burn speed
|
|
MO
or equivalent
|
..
|
..
|
.
|
|
DVD
|
|
We
still prefer DVD-RAM over DVD-ROM
|
We
still prefer DVD-RAM over DVD-ROM
|
|
Extra
RAM
|
Maxed
out
|
Maxed
out
|
You
can never have too much RAM
|
|
|
|
Nikon
Coolscan 4000 ED
|
Nikon
|
|
6x6
slide scanner
|
not
many to chose from
|
Heidelberg
|
Creo,
Fuji, Creo
|
|
4x5
slide scanner
|
|
Imacon
is not our favorite
|
Creo,
Fuji, Creo
|
|
Flatbed
scanner
|
CreoScitex,
Linotype-Hell
(Heidelberg), or high end Agfa, naturally 11x17 inch
size. We like the Scitex EverSmart Jazz+
|
CreoScitex
EverSmart Pro II, Linotype-Hell (Heidelberg Linoscan 2400),
or high end Agfa, naturally 11x17 inch size
|
Creo
EverSmart Supreme, Linotype-Hell (Heidelberg Nexscan), or
high end Agfa XY-15 version of the Fuji C-550, naturally
11x17 inch size.
|
|
Drum
scanner
|
Imacon,
is not a drum scanner but simply a vertical CCD scanner.
Howtek has not impressed us.
|
ICG
model 360; I like the ICG since it offers the option of
professional oil mounting or an alternative drum where you
can slip the transparencies into a special holder...no oil
needed.
|
ICG
model 370; Fuji, Heidelberg are all excellent prepress scanners.
|
|
4x5
format digital camera
|
|
Better
Light
|
Better
Light beat PhaseOne two years in a row at the professional
photography trade show comparison.
|
|
System
for creating QTVR objects
|
Kaidan
object rig
|
|
PhaseOne,
though BetterLight has an object photography system in preparation.
FLAAR now has the beta version
|
|
Basic
digital camera for QTVR objects
|
Nikon
CoolPix 950 took most of the equipment shots on this site
|
The
Nikon D1 did not impress many reviewers.
|
|
|
medium
format camera to hold a digital back
|
Rollei,
I prefer their wider range of lenses than Zeiss. I have
three Hasselblads and they are great, but would prefer a
Rollei system now.
|
Probably
a flexible body type, such as from Linhof or Arca-Swiss,
|
Same,
but absolutely not any from Hasselblad, since you want a
camera from a company that has already handled perspective
control, tilts and swings: for 4x5 Cambo Ultima, Arca Swiss
or Sinar X
|
|
Large
format 4x5 camera to hold a scan back such as BetterLight,
PhaseOne or JOBO
|
Toyo
|
|
Arca-Swiss,
Cambo
Ultima, Sinar X or Sinar P.
FLAAR
itself uses the Cambo Ultima, which we found better designed
and constructed than the Sinar X
|
|
Lenses
|
|
Rodenstock
or Schneider but digital lenses
|
Rodenstock
or Schneider but digital lenses
|
