I have a stylus photo 1200, linked via USB to my iMacDV/SE. But when I try and print postscript fonts (or Adobe Illustrator files) the printer can't handle them (interestingly, only some files don't print. Others do.). Epson support said I need a RIP. But the Epson Stylus RIP is not cheap (in Europe, Epson said it could cost up to £200?).

Two questions. Is there another way around the problem, using Quark and Photoshop for example? And secondly, is the Epson stylus RIP the only one to get, or are there other cheaper RIPs that work just as well?

[grimley]

I find that the easiest way to print to my 740 from Illustrator, or indesign, is to print to a pdf and then RIP it via that. Not only do you have complete control over how the images are rendered and their resolution, but the files are smaller and so far I have had no problems with Acrobat.

And it really doesn't take that much longer.

To my knowledge, there is no way to print documents with postscript embedded files (fonts or encapsulated postscript files (images)) on the Epson Photo line of inkjets without purchasing the (Epson's) RIP package. These printers, as with most other inkjet printers, tend to simple printers. They generally print whatever you see on your document. Our lab has a Epson photo, and although we don't have Illustrator, we do use Photoshop and Canvas A LOT. The inkjet printers (or most common ones, at least) simply do not support postscript without help.

One option, if Illustrator supports this, is to take your postscript files and export or save as a PDF (We use Pagemaker's Acrobat Distiller). Bring it up in the free Acrobat reader and print it out on the Epson. It works for us.

BTW...you do have enough RAM (or VM turned on) to allow your hard drive to spool out the images to the printer right? Unlike a laser printer, inkjets have no RAM of their own - instead relying on the host computer's hard drive, and if you're printing out large high-res images on your Epson, that could be a source of the problem.

Good luck, Eddie

Thank you both.

PDF's are great, but I need to have my outputs at photo quality (for presentation) and I find (though maybe I'm doing it wrong) that pdf's are just not up to that level yet.

Unless someone comes up with a better solution in the next 24 hours, An Epson stylus RIP it is.

Thx again.

i have the epson stylus 1200 printer with level 3 rip . it does a great job on true type and type 1 fonts and any vectorbased images. but if you're intending to print any bit map with it , don't. it does a terrible job. i'm thinking of purchasing the adobe pressready software instead.

[grimley]

I don't understand how Acrobat can't do this - even in Illustrator you have the option to set whatever resolution you want for the PDF - I think that it defaults to screen, print and press - and Distiller works the same way... I looked at getting a RIP but I have heard nothing but bad things about them - whether it be quality or tripling the time it takes to print. I'd avoid them.

Go deeper into distiller.