Best Solution for Printing Multiples of Same Image on Roll? (Canon IPF8400)

[Concord]

I am about to start using an IPF8400, first project is printing multiples of the same 17" wide image on a 36" roll.

I am using Photoshop (Mac).

The options that I am aware of:

Canon's "Free Layout Tool" (Opinions on this?)

RIP (too expensive)

Lightroom (I have it but have never used it)

Duplicating the image in Photoshop and doubling the canvas size, placing the duplicate next to the original.  The file is ~200MB.  I am not sure how the printer would handle the large ~400MB file size.  Also, in the future I will be printing other images that will be even larger on a 44" roll, perhaps 300MB each or larger.  Would it be ok?  This would be the easiest option since I am already using Photoshop.

Any advice appreciated.

[Geraldo Garcia]

Hello,

You have the following options:

A) If it is just for this image, by all means duplicate it in Photoshop and allow some space for cutting between them. Flatten the image before sending to the printer just in case, but the file size should not be a problem.

B) Lightroom is a great piece of software and quite useful for printing an much more. If you plan using it further that can be a good option also. On lightroom's print module you can select "custom package" and arrange the image twice.

C) If you are serious about printing and have the option to use a windows computer instead of a Mac (or can run parallels), consider "Qimage Ultimate", a pseudo-RIP quite inexpensive and very powerful. Google it, download the fully functional trial and watch the instructional videos.

Good luck

[aaronchan]

If you are using windows, you can use Qimage. It is a great nesting program with a lot of extra function such as DFS sharpening and very good up sampling.

aaron

[Richard.Wills]

Free layout - right click the image, copy, then paste.

Our 8400 came with a free* copy of EFI eXpress 4.5 - even easier** to do multiple layouts.


*so that might be why it was GBP£4000
** Easier, once you've gone over the learning curve

[mstevensphoto]

re: file size, the size in photoshop isn't necessarily what the printer gets. I've printed 1.3GB files with absolutely no protest from the printer.

[John Caldwell]

I do what you are proposing often with Lightroom, just as Geraldo has said. You could print the same file as many times as you want, in the same size or in different sizes, and work from only one source file.

Funny, only minutes ago I got an email advert from Lasersoft, mentioning their Print Tao 8 RIP software. Since I trust the company I went to the product page and read testimonials about this RIP. None of the testimonial told me what I needed to know to make a purchase, and that is, "What does Print Tao 8 offer that Lightroom doesn't ?". That it would cost me $700 for our Epson 4900 and 9900 machines, enough to buy Lightroom for all of my friends, increases the contrast for me.

I can't help but recommend printing from Lightroom which is useful in so many other ways as well.

John Caldwell

[Jimmy D Uptain]

I do what you are proposing often with Lightroom, just as Geraldo has said. You could print the same file as many times as you want, in the same size or in different sizes, and work from only one source file.

Funny, only minutes ago I got an email advert from Lasersoft, mentioning their Print Tao 8 RIP software. Since I trust the company I went to the product page and read testimonials about this RIP. None of the testimonial told me what I needed to know to make a purchase, and that is, "What does Print Tao 8 offer that Lightroom doesn't ?". That it would cost me $700 for our Epson 4900 and 9900 machines, enough to buy Lightroom for all of my friends, increases the contrast for me.

I can't help but recommend printing from Lightroom which is useful in so many other ways as well.

John Caldwell

I was doing a couple of "RIP" trials recently: Mirage3 and Print Tao


Here's what Print Tao does that LR doesn't.
It will automatically size a roll according to the prints you want to make. No more creating a custom size, saving it as a preset, and hoping you remember crossing  all the "T's" in order for it to work correctly.
You can also custom cut the roll to any length you like. I like this feature. If you nest a bunch of photos, and the print ends up being 60" long, you can tell it to cut em off in 30" sections making the media easier to deal with.
The one thing it doesn't do is gallery wraps. Nor does LR.

Mirage will not custom cut, but it does gallery wraps, so I went with that one.
The real selling point to me was that I could drag several images into either software and it does everything for you. Just hit print.
My wife likes to download PDF's for craft stuff. No more importing them into either Adobe program and doing all the sizing, setting the printer up, etc. Just drag it in, and hit print. Huge time saver.

I would strongly suggest downloading the trials and playing around. Mirage's trial is relatively short but it gives you full functionality.
Print Tao's trial is longer (indefinite?") but watermarks the pictures.

Oh yeah, both are Mac friendly.