



The result? A new generation of solvent-based printing technology designed to inspire your clients while maximizing your profitability. And along the way, we received enthusiastic feedback about every aspect of their business. Over the years, Epson has been known to change the way people print, while transforming the industry along the way.Īs with any new Epson Stylus Pro printer, we looked to the customer for guidance. It just isn't a real Raster Image Processor in the way that Onyx, or Caldera, or Ergosoft, or even Versa Works, or any number of other real RIP's are.When Epson decided to develop a commercial outdoor printer, customer and industry expectations were high. It's cheap, and it'll do what you want it to do. Myself, I'd call them something other than "RIP's", but that's just me. All they really do is image management - nothing you really couldn't do in Photoshop if you set your mind to it - and piggy-back on the printer controls built into the media settings in the printer already. However, there are today now as others have mentioned some products that call themselves RIP's but they offer no pritner control at all. And there are several of them out there, but most of them cost real money. And while it's a bit rudimentary, it does work.Īnd me, I'd argue that to get full capability out of any printer, you need a real RIP, one that gives you control of the printer. It's certainly not "free." The cost of it is built into the cost of every Roland printer. And what Versa Works is is Roland's entry-level RIP that they ship with all their printers. And because of the nature of solvent inkjet, it's not possible to run any solvent printer without a RIP, because media settings are so critical to even being able to print on a media at all. The important thing to keep in mind here is that your Roland is a solvent inkjet printer, and your Epson is an aqueous inkjet printer.Īnd that can be known simply because if your Epson was a solvent printer, it would have some sort of real RIP already driving it.īecause what RIP's really are for - in my old and curmudgeonly view - isn't nesting and ganging up images and the like, but for taking full control of the printer, so that you can get maximum capability out of it on any media, in any condition. Keep in mind that new, your Roland lists for about $16000.00, while the most expensive Epson you can get that will even produce an image without a RIP is right at $5000.00. What really surprises me, honestly, is how many people expect to go online and find something of real value for free. That is right, and no, you're not missing anything.ĭoesn't really matter what model number your Epson is.
