Signs of the Times - June 2013 - (Page 66)

ISA’s Sign Expo 2013 – Another Look ST columnists tell what they liked By Darek Johnson We’ve said it before: no one can cover a show this large in three days, so, in theory, every attendee unintentionally overlooks what could become a valued treasure in their shop. ST ’s Software Update columnist Theresa Jackson, following ISA Sign Expo 2013, said the show reminded her to search for three important features in a RIP – an Adobe PDF Engine which supports transparency through to output; a color engine with the leading color libraries (Pantone specifically, for color matching); and support for the Mac OS. The latter is because Theresa is a Mac user. She runs Orchard View Color, a successful, Southern California design shop, and, in addition, she’s an Adobe Community Professional. Theresa said ISA’s crowds often prevented her from firsthand viewing photos by Darek Johnson various companies’ software. In one case, she said, “I didn’t see a demonstration because the staff was so busy. I saw a little of the RIP by looking over someone’s shoulder. It looked very PC, like Excel or database software, and didn’t impress me as being designerfriendly.” She did get through to Roland, SAi, Caldera and EFI. She said you can’t determine what you like in a RIP until you work with it. In addition, she’s always disappointed that many signmaking RIPs won’t work on Mac systems. Chris and Kathi Morrison ST ’s Tech Review columnists, Chris and Kathi Morrison, own The Image Specialists, a Northern California sign and digital-print shop that handles various projects. They produce work inhouse on several, digital printers. Kathi soloed the 66 SIGNS OF THE TIMES / JUNE 2013 / www.signweb.com Expo this year (Chris couldn’t get free from other obligations) and shared a few comments with us. She said she examined a handful of new roll-to-roll and flatbed printers, but most interesting was a growing trend of manufacturer’s return-migrating (her words) to four-color (CMYK) processing. “But, with a twist of variable-dot, grayscale, printhead technology,” Kathi said. Variable-drop, grayscale (VDGS) can increase a print’s apparent resolution and also produces similar images as multi-color printing, because VDGS produces differentsize ink drops and, especially, it allows smaller drops in light-colored, print areas, and this simulates fade tones. The effect creates a nearcontinuous tone, like a darkroomprocessed photograph, and requires less ink than the light-ink color methods. http://www.signweb.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - June 2013

Signs of the Times - June 2013
Contents
ST Update
Tech Update
Profiling Media for Purpose
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review
Technology Review
Sign Museum News
New Products
Enter ST’s 7th Annual Vehicle Graphics Contest!
The Reality of Your Surroundings
The Great ’scapes
Digital Printers at ISA
It’s a Jungle in Here
Advertising Index
Editorially Speaking

Signs of the Times - June 2013