Epson 1520

Hi Eustace,

An RIP server is a printer/color profile manager that maximizes color fidelity output.

Couldn't your friend get a serial-USB adaptor and connect the 1520 to his G4?

Why is he printing from OS9? Is that because the RIP software is OS9. If he can get his 1520 happily operating from his G4 (or OSX in general), can he use that RIP or does he need to upgrade that to an OSX version?

I do know that when I first upgraded to OSX, I was frustrated with some printing because I got better results on my Epson 1270 in OS9. That's when I experimented with Gimp Print, but found it a bit difficult to get the color fidelity settings correct with Gimp Print (at least for picky me).

If your friend is using Photoshop in OSX, he may want to try managing his color output from within Photoshop, rather than relying on the RIP or Epson. When he has a file ready to print, he can press command-P, and he'll get Photoshop's print setup screen. He should check "advanced" or "more options" (can't remember how it's worded) at bottom of screen. Input source is "document". Output source would be the 1520 paper that he's using (something like "Epson 1520 photo paper") -- there should be a drop-down list of choices. Most output is fine with "relative colormetric" and "black point compensation" both checked. Then, when he pushes the "print" button, he'll be taken to the Epson printing window. There, he should make sure the paper selection matches the paper he selected in Photoshop and then select "NO COLOR MANAGEMENT". This will put Photoshop in charge color. I've had excellent results with two different Epson printers using this work flow.

Epson may not have 1520 drivers for OSX. If that is the case, he might want to try working with Gimp Print in OSX. He'll have to experiment a bit with the different color settings, but once he has it to his liking, he can save those settings and print happily. I just haven't taken the time to do that experimenting yet. It's an excellent program and FREE. There's also a forum for GimpPrint here -- http://sourceforge.net/forum/?group_id=1537

Apologies if all that is either redundant or does not apply to your friend's situation. I've never worked with a RIP, so don't know how it affects workflow, but I've had gallery-quality output without one.

Hope this has been a little helpful ...

Tina

As I understand it, a RIP (Raster Image Processor) is a program on your Mac that takes things like PostScript commands (draw a box here, draw a line there, insert these letters here in this font and size) opens a page buffer in memory and draws it, then sends that raster-ized bitmap to your printer.

In the Cups/Gimp Print scenario, that rasterizing job is taken over by ESP Ghostscript, a part of the package. ESP Ghostscript is included with Panther, and possibly Jaguar, and can be installed just by checking the Gimp Print drivers box at install. If you did not install it initially, the package from source Forge includes it, so it can be downloaded and installed easily.

I use Gimp Print plus the available ImageWriter II and ImageWriter LQ drivers.

Eustace,

Tell your friend that I, too, was an "old dog" and it takes a little patience to get used to doing things differently, but it really pays off. If he is using OSX already, then half the battle is won, in my book.

If he's using Photoshop CS (hopefully he has upgraded to at least CS ... if not, I believe he really is stuck! Can't remember if PS 7 works in OSX or not ...) I'd take it step by step:

1) 1520 driver. I checked with Epson, and they do not provide an OSX driver for the 1520. So do as Grant suggested and install the Gimp drivers that come with Panther (not Jag, unfortunately). If he is running Jaguar, he'll need to download from the SourceForge site -- http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php3

If he's running Jaguar, he'll need both GimpPrint and Ghostscript, both provided at that link above, which also has links to other Gimp support, FAQs, etc.

If he's running Panther, he won't need Ghostscript --- just install per the Panther CD.

2) Serial-USB adaptor

3) Try the photoshop work-flow I mentioned. Also, the GimpPrint site has excellent instructions on how to install and operate GimpPrint. I don't know how much info is included in the Panther CD installation of Gimp drivers.

You should be able to get him going (and away from his OS9/RIP workflow) with just a little tweaking ..... If by any chance the Panther CD version of Gimp does not include 1520 drivers, download the Gimp drivers from their website.

Keep us posted ... I'm curious how it goes!

Tina

Ouch! PS 5? Has he at least played with CS since he has it? I'm just at plain old CS (not CS2), and find it very easy and as I recall little new to learn -- in other words, my same old tricks still work.

You're probably right about needing a crash to push him. But if he's happy with his run-around for printing, and gets the output he needs, maybe he should stick with it? (If it ain't broke...) but if he has co-workers or colleagues who are stuck with his workflow, maybe that'd be an incentive? Or maybe his output product would actually look better if he tried using CS? That's definitely an incentive if he's a designer. Maybe there's a way you could take a piece that he's produced the old way and you produce/print with a new work flow and have it LOOK so much nicer? If he's in the business of having to present his work, a better-looking final product can make all the difference.

And write down your steps along the way so he'd have a roadmap to do it himself when he's alone and able to try it without feeling like "Eustace asked me to do it this way"? Just some thoughts from another stubborn, inflexible old dog!

Good luck!

Tina

Hello Eustace, Tina, and All. I haven't been able to chime in on this one due to an unwelcomed Lady named Rita who will be here in 12 hours or so. Been boarding up the homestead, cleaning up the yard, stocking up on supplies (was lucky enough to score a generator Wednesday- at a decent price as well). Pretty much ready to ride it out now.

Anyway, to answer one of your questions- GimpPrint is drivers for otherwise unsupported printers. It also supports USB to Parallel adapters, which I don't think are natively supported. I used GimpPrint and an adapter (Belkin) with Epson Stylus Color 600 and Stylus Photo 700 successfully. (Both printers have since succumbed to clogged print heads and are hence "retired".)

Hi Bill,

I lived in Houston for many years, and experienced many hurricanes in New England, so can appreciate what you're going through. Hope you're someplace like the Heights or at least not down towards Lenwood or Friendswood.

Hang on tonight and hope you stay dry! We'll all be thinking of you.

Tina

Well Rita's gone and I'm back. She went far enough east that we got some tropoical storm force winds and about 3 inches of rain. I lost a big limb off an oak tree and have a lot of mess to clean up in the yard, but we're all safe. Lost electricity (that's Hydro to you, Eustace) for 36 hours. Today's high was near 100 degF, so it was a bit uncomfortable until the power came back.

BTW, Tins, I live in Kingwood. Plenty high enough and 70 miles from the coast, but lots of tall pine trees.

Bill...................
Glad to hear Rita left you guys so well off. Here in Wilmington. NC, we've had 10 hurricanes in 10 years, and just had Ophelia parked for 36 hours and about a foot's worth of rain. But, I'll take the storms, being from the land of the earthquake (SoCal).

Hi Eustace,

You might try "Printer Center Repair" http://www.fixamac.net/software/pcr/

There are versions for Jaguar and Panther. It does an excellent job of diagnosing/repairing any of those obscure, hidden printer-related settings, permissions, etc.

As for the Epson itself, as far as I know, no resetting of the driver is possible.

Sounds like you're making progress!

Tina

Ah, Kingwood. I remember it well. There used to be a fabulous place in Tomball called Ma Goodson's Cafe -- best chicken fried steak in the world. A full T-Bone (none of this hammered cube steak), piles of fresh mashed potatoes and buckets of gravy ...

And as for Rita, glad she shifted east. Even down in Friendswood, in-laws have tons of leaves in their yards, but no damage.

I got to wondering over the weekend if you, "our" Bill W, was the same Bill W that's mayor of Houston. So?

Glad all's well...

Tina