ipf5100 rosetta blues

[santa]

My 2200 is going busoms up. I reset the warning lights and I need to replace it with a printer that has a user-serviceable over-flow tank. I would like to be able to print long panorama's beyond the Epson 3800's ability but it's my understanding that to print with the 5100 from Photoshop CS3 I would have to run under Rosetta. In spite of my touble shooting PS crashes under Rosetta at times and I don't trust it.  I have CS but the idea of doing all the work in CS3 and then going to CS to print and then possibly needing to go back to CS3 for other adjustments doesn't sound like a good workflow.
     Is my understanding correct?  It's not possible to print from PS CS3 unless running in Rosetta ? Canon support confirmed that the UB is "in the works" but that apparently has been going on for months now.
    The 3800 or 5100 is probably as large as I can go, so perhaps I will have to get the 3800 at this point and wait on the UB. Any thoughts?

[Scott Martin]

Canon hoped to get the UB plug-in released by the 15th (today). Rosetta isn't too bad as a short term solution - as long as it's very sort term. The 5100s can be found and purchased.

[Kalin Wilson]

It's not possible to print from PS CS3 unless running in Rosetta ?

I'm not a Mac owner, so I may be off base. I thought the issue was only with the export plugin. You can print under OS X with the regular printer driver. Testing by several members of the iPF5000 wiki has shown that the differences between output from the OS driver and the plugin are very slight if noticeable at all, although most of us probably still use the plugin. So standard printing through the OS driver might be an option until the UB version is ready.

[jerryrock]

CS3 prints fine with the Espon iPF5000 driver for OSX.  What you have read about is the 16-bit Photoshop Plug-in that is not Universal Binary and does not work natively with CS3. The only difference between the standard Epson driver and the plug-in is the ability to output in 16 bit. Most ink jet printers will only accept 8 bit files for printing.

[Wayne Fox]

As mentioned by others, the 5100 prints just fine using the Mac drivers, which is the same way the 3800 prints.  I've been printing comparing a 5100 against my 3800  for about a week now.  

Yes, to print with the 16bit plug-in requires CS3 to be running under Rosetta.  This does work (I haven't used it yet, but on Friday watched a Canon rep demonstrate it on a MacBook.)  It shouldn't be crashing ... perhaps you have some other plugins that are not universal binary?

I assume you enabled Rosetta by doing a Get Info on the Photoshop CS3 application file and checked the box.

The results using the Mac drivers are outstanding.  The only thing I'm not sure about is if the length of print is a limit of the Mac driver.  If so, you would have to use a RIP with either printer or use the plugin on the 5100.  

The Canon rep said the Universal Binary driver was "any day now".

[Scott Martin]

The only difference between the standard Epson driver and the plug-in is the ability to output in 16 bit. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139596\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The plug-in also provides better saturation, better smoothness and the ability to print up to 59 feet long.

Most ink jet printers will only accept 8 bit files for printing.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139596\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

The Mac and Windows printing APIs have certain inherent limitations that non-postscript OEM drivers are limited to. Printing length and bit depth are the main reasons that companies like HP and Canon have written their plug-ins to get around. Mac OS 10.5 (comes out next month) will have a 16 bit path that Epson's driver will take advantage of.

[John Hollenberg]

The plug-in also provides better saturation, better smoothness and the ability to print up to 59 feet long.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139736\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I compared custom profiles made for plugin and driver and found that the gamut was virtually identical.  There was a slight increase in accutance that was noticeable only by very careful inspection.  Most people probably wouldn't see it.  Conclusion:  in my testing, I didn't see that much of a difference.  Still, I use the plugin exclusively  

--John

[santa]

I appreciate the clarification. My next post is about to be where to find one. Whether or not I can get one will depend entirely on shipping costs. Shipping is "free" at the few web sites I have seen but invariably that does not mean free to Alaska and with a big fella like the 5100 it will be shipping that will make it or break it in terms of me being able to buy it.

[Scott Martin]

I compared custom profiles made for plugin and driver and found that the gamut was virtually identical. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=139767\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yep, you are right!

[John Hollenberg]

John - that's crazy, there is quite a difference in the reds, greens and magenta areas on the 5000 and 8000. I think you owe it to yourself to do some more testing. The method and software used for profiling could make a difference. Email me offlist if you would like to me to send you some of my comparative profiles.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I will email you offlist, but did a careful comparison of profiles made for Canon Heavyweight Satin as detailed here:

[a href=\"http://canonipf5000.wikispaces.com/Plugin+Gamut+Vs+Driver]http://canonipf5000.wikispaces.com/Plugin+Gamut+Vs+Driver[/url]

I can't speak to other papers, but for this paper there was very little difference in the profiles, and very little difference in the prints.  That doesn't mean that other results are invalid, but I stand by the results of this test.  

--John

[John Hollenberg]

I will email you offlist, but did a careful comparison of profiles made for Canon Heavyweight Satin as detailed here:

http://canonipf5000.wikispaces.com/Plugin+Gamut+Vs+Driver

I can't speak to other papers, but for this paper there was very little difference in the profiles, and very little difference in the prints.  That doesn't mean that other results are invalid, but I stand by the results of this test. 

I received an email from Scott (Onsight) confirming my finding that the gamuts are virtually identical for plugin and driver.  You have to be very careful to make sure that any kind of color management is turned off in the driver or you will come to the wrong conclusions.  See this Wiki page for instructions about how to make sure color management is turned off in the driver:

http://canonipf5000.wikispaces.com/Creatin...on-Canon+Papers

--John