New PC Specs i would need for Adobe Design Software

[shoresigns]

I have seen the setup of 3 local sign companies (one has a secular branch and one has a religious branch (with different staff/equipment, 3 buildings being used)

I don't mean to derail the thread, but what on earth do you mean by secular and religious sign shops? Is that some weird metaphor for professional shop vs. an amateur (guy with a plotter in his garage) shop? Or an actual "religious" sign shop, like they only supply to churches and businesses that identify as religious? Is that a thing in America? I mean, nothing surprises me these days, but the idea of a "religious" sign company is breaking my head a little.

 

[Bobby H]

I couldn't make any sense out of it either, just choosing not to respond. I've visited enough sign companies and seen enough of what I would consider typical design/production setups in my 25+ years of doing this work. It's common for a "design" computer to have some other production device, such as a vinyl cutter or routing table hard-wired to that computer. As for writing one's own DIY printing and cutting software from scratch using Python, that just sounds completely ridiculous. Why not hand-code our own graphics software and operating systems from scratch as well?

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I don't mean to derail the thread, but what on earth do you mean by secular and religious sign shops? Is that some weird metaphor for professional shop vs. an amateur (guy with a plotter in his garage) shop? Or an actual "religious" sign shop, like they only supply to churches and businesses that identify as religious? Is that a thing in America? I mean, nothing surprises me these days, but the idea of a "religious" sign company is breaking my head a little.

1 sign shop that has a division that handles religious based signage, garments etc and one that handles more of your run of the mill type of type of signage and garments. And the people that handle the items for one division don't handle the items in the other.

The only reason that I was mentioning that was to provide scale of the shop. I didn't want Bobby to come back with either, they were too small or not a "real" sign shop.

I would consider that a fairly good size shop, but what do I know.

As for writing one's own DIY printing and cutting software from scratch using Python, that just sounds completely ridiculous. Why not hand-code our own graphics software and operating systems from scratch as well?

I know you can with a python script....

A script is not a full program (I know you tend not to dwell on those little differences). I'm talking about a macro, something that quite a few people on here say that they have done and in fact, at least one of those same individuals use that as a selling point for Draw over Ai (as far as how easy it is for "you" or I to develop for one program over the other, the end user, I'm not talking about how easy it is for Astute to come up and create something, just someone at our "level" if you will). While Adobe does have a mechanism for that, it is much more limited then what I've read/be told that Corel at atleast at one time had available for end users.

I'm thinking at one time, even Corel allowed end users to use C++ to come up with their own tools as well.

I do find it weird coming from someone that professes that people should know more about their tools and yet disregard something like this as I consider it just an extension of knowings ones tools (and I do include computers in that as well). In fact, there was actually a conversation about the benefits of having in house software and they were talking about their own software, not just scripts/macros.
I just consider this a natural extension of people able to use one's tools to it's full potential, but that appears to be just me. Although there are people in here that have created their own tools (not software based and maybe that's a significant distinction for you) that has increased efficiency. I just consider doing macros/plugins/and yes if one is able/motivated enough in house software.

I'm actually surprised that the bigger shops that you have seen don't actually do that. That surprises me.

seen enough of what I would consider typical design/production setups in my 25+ years of doing this work.

I thought we would have been further apart. I started in '94.

 

[ikarasu]

No business should go with an eco system theyre not familiar with.

We always tell people who own fleets and want to buy their own vinyl cutter to save a few bucks, stick with what theyre good at... their time is better spent driving sales and making proffit that way... The same can be said about PC's.

If you've never used a mac, or arent good at it... buy a PC, and Vice versa (As much as I hate macs). Even just doing stuff like adobe software will be a pain in the ass to someone who isnt familiar with the OS.

My wife grew up on a mac and she's useless on a PC. I grew up on PCs, I know them inside out - I can build them blindfolded, I can tweak it to exactly how I want it, I can find any setting in seconds... I used to do tech support all the way from level 1, to top support in the business... yet if I have to do something on a mac, I want to punch the wall, or whomever is closest to me that made me have to do work on a mac... Thats not an enviroment you want to bring into the work place


If OP is used to macs, buy a mac... if OP is used to PC's, buy a PC. If you're interested in trying a different platform... Do it at home, not in a place of business where you're stuck using the device for 8+ hours a day killing your production because you're not used to it.

 

[Bobby H]

A script is not a full program (I know you tend not to dwell on those little differences).

Print and cut functions like those found in large format RIP programs are not something you can merely throw together in a macro to run in some basic print dialog box. It's a little more involved than that.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Print and cut functions like those found in large format RIP programs are not something you can merely throw together in a macro to run in some basic print dialog box. It's a little more involved than that.

I never said within a basic print dialog box to handle print/cut operations. I'm unaware of the ability to run a script within the basic print dialog box (not to say that it can't be done, I'm unaware of it being done). You can call the basic print dialog box from a script, that I do know. But no, I'm not talking about using the basic print dialog box.

Just cutting (and since I was talking about that earlier, you probably just transferred that dialog box over to this conversation) that can be handled with a basic print dialog box and that can also be handled without any scripting.

 

[Bobby H]

I never said within a basic print dialog box to handle print/cut operations.

You're trying to sell the idea that a sign maker can get by without RIP software for small to medium size large format work. If you don't have a real RIP program what else do you have other than a basic print dialog box? I don't know of anything in between. Or am I just to supposed to hand-code something together out of the blue?

Doing print and cut work is very common these days. But it's not a one-step process. Just this afternoon we had one last minute job to run off 1000 print and cut product label decals for a marijuana dispensary. Not hard to do using Onyx. However, the print/cut work is specific to the RIP, the type of large format printer and the model of vinyl cutter being used in the combination. First you have to print the artwork (with all those copies) and include the right kind of crop/registration marks set in the right positions. Then the print often gets laminated. And then it has to be fed into a vinyl cutter. The RIP has to read that print and fine tune rotate the vector data to match up how the vinyl cutter scanned the crop marks so ensure proper registration when the cut part of the job is executed. I'm not a software engineer, but it seems pretty obvious there is more going on under the hood with those operations than what someone could write in some simple macro.

 

[visual800]

DELL XPS systems IMO are the best hands down. get you a refurb or a used one. Mine is a little over 10 years old and it still is running great. I think it has the i4, which at the time was top gun.

I do like the idea of not hooking your production pc to the web, that way there are no pointless windows updates to ruin your system

 

[shoresigns]

If you've never used a mac, or arent good at it... buy a PC, and Vice versa (As much as I hate macs). Even just doing stuff like adobe software will be a pain in the *** to someone who isnt familiar with the OS.

My wife grew up on a mac and she's useless on a PC. I grew up on PCs, I know them inside out - I can build them blindfolded, I can tweak it to exactly how I want it, I can find any setting in seconds... I used to do tech support all the way from level 1, to top support in the business... yet if I have to do something on a mac, I want to punch the wall, or whomever is closest to me that made me have to do work on a mac... Thats not an enviroment you want to bring into the work place

For what it's worth, I was a Windows-only user from 1992–2017, when I got my first Mac after 25 years of Windows PCs. I was leery about it, since I have always been a computer nerd, and I knew Windows inside and out. Three years later, I love MacOS – I had always thought Windows was better for "power users" like myself, and that MacOS was more of a streamlined, closed system for casual users. As it turns out, MacOS is built on Unix, which has really encouraged me to get more comfortable with command line tools, and it's great for scripting and learning Python. I can't think of a single time in the last 3 years where I've thought, "this would have been easier on Windows". It's also worth noting that I have noticed zero differences between the Mac and Windows versions of Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign, aside from keyboard shortcuts. Also worth noting that I don't own an iPhone or any other Apple products besides my Macbook Air.

 

[myront]

Use this hammer to smash adobe then you'll have a decent pc

 

[WildWestDesigns]

You're trying to sell the idea that a sign maker can get by without RIP software for small to medium size large format work. If you don't have a real RIP program what else do you have other than a basic print dialog box? I don't know of anything in between. Or am I just to supposed to hand-code something together out of the blue?

Dear god, you choose the most extreme alternative. No, not at all. I'm just saying people shouldn't be totally dependent on what a 3rd party deems that they should have or not have. And not be afraid of extending what you have with your own tools.

There is little difference between someone that writes their own little script (or even program, be it cli or gui based (which is incredibly easier then I am willing to bet you think that it is, based on what you have said about Corel)) and the sign maker that creates their own "analog" tools (which there are some here that have done, I can mention one right off the bat that has said as such, but I don't want to call them out in case they don't want to be dragged into our conversation), but they do exist.

I don't understand why people get hung up creating and expanding their physical tools, but there is this mental block on software?

I'm not advocating having to come up with something totally from the ground up (unless you want to) extend what you already have. No reason not to build upon what others have done. But that would mean using open source, which is something that you seem to be against, so maybe there is really only to build from the ground up.

I'm not a software engineer, but it seems pretty obvious there is more going on under the hood with those operations than what someone could write in some simple macro.

Have you even tried? I tend to doubt it, but I could be wrong, I just don't think you have even given it a legit shot.

Also, if one is using programs that have a very open API to hook into, one is able to do a lot of wonderful things. Something that I don't think Adobe would have quite as open even if it was available. Hell, the ability to what you can or can't script via Actions is quite limited.

Look, if one want's to always be at the mercy of what others do (and their are legit reasons to just use commercial software) that's fine.

I just don't get a group of problem solvers doesn't want a little independence and have tools that improve their workflow and give them a competitive edge (this was actually one of the pros that the above mentioned user is often quoted as saying).

it's great for scripting and learning Python.

Oh nnnnoooooo!!!!!!!!!! A sign maker that's actually programming. Don't you know shoresigns that you as a sign maker aren't supposed to be doing that?

Is Mac still on Python 2.7 or have they finally at least moved to 3.6?

Also worth noting that I don't own an iPhone or any other Apple products besides my Macbook Air.

My wife had one of the 1st gen Airs, suffered from a kernel overheat that turned out to be quite common.

 

[player]

Mac hardware is being designed to fail, and Apple is working very to deny users "the right to repair".