using a separate computer and RIP computer

[Pauly]

Who uses separate computer from their rip computer?

How do you have it set up? what software on what computer? Laptop or PC for the 2nd computer?

I have onyx thrive, so i can access thrive via my web browser but i haven't really used this much.

I'm not sure what the best approach is. I currently use 1 computer for everything, but i want to just use the RIP computer for the RIP only.

Just trying to get my head around it.

Thanks.

 

[Robert Boyd]

We have a separate computer with Onyx postershop only. The printer and computer are in a different location in the shop. Of course we are all networked. I drop a file in a hot folder to the rip computers from the design computer.
It automatically RIPS the file.

 

[myront]

We have two stand alone computers for two separate RIP programs (Colorspan for our dinosaur Colorspan & Flexi Production Manager for our HP360)

- Flexi is set up with a "hot folder" shared on our network. Our designers export their files to the hot folder and our print guy can manage them all from there. It also has a copy of CorelDRAW loaded
to allow for cutting vinyls and printed decals

- The colorspan is set up with a shared file on the network. Designers export to the file directory and the print tech can pull from there as needed. It has no other programs loaded

I would recommend using a stand alone system if budget allows.

 

[Pauly]

I've got my main design/every day computer, then a standalone computer with only Gerber Omega/GSplot to run our Gerber Edge/plotters and Summa plotter, then a standalone computer with only versaworks running our Rolands, then a standalone computer with just Onyx Thrive running our Oce. So a total of 4 design/production computers.

I'm going to be upgrading to Onyx on a second computer to run our Rolands hopefully in the near future... but will keep it separate from the computer driving the Oce.

Doesn't your computer get bogged down RIP'ing and doing design work at the same time? Maybe we're not running powerful enough computers but they get bogged down as it is, even with the workload spread over 4 of them.

My RIP pc is a bit of a work horse. Only time it gets bogged down is when i am playing with huge (a few gb) files in Photo shop.
The RIP has 4 500gb hard drives. I have all my images on 1 hard drive and the programs on another.

We have a separate computer with Onyx postershop only. The printer and computer are in a different location in the shop. Of course we are all networked. I drop a file in a hot folder to the rip computers from the design computer.
It automatically RIPS the file.

My printer is in the same room as the rip. Technically it's next to it. but it's all networked and whole shop is networked, apart from the front office were there's no need.

So you have your onyx hot folders accessible from your other pc? straight in and onyx rips your images?

We have two stand alone computers for two separate RIP programs (Colorspan for our dinosaur Colorspan & Flexi Production Manager for our HP360)

- Flexi is set up with a "hot folder" shared on our network. Our designers export their files to the hot folder and our print guy can manage them all from there. It also has a copy of CorelDRAW loaded
to allow for cutting vinyls and printed decals

- The colorspan is set up with a shared file on the network. Designers export to the file directory and the print tech can pull from there as needed. It has no other programs loaded

I would recommend using a stand alone system if budget allows.

I like the hot folder idea to move files around.

I thought about getting a 2nd PC, but instead going for a laptop. For me, being able to work at home or just not at my shop is a little easier. There's no problem getting a 2nd monitor ect for the laptop at work.


What's done for file storage if needed? RIP PC? or stand alone pc?

I'm thinking using a hot file from my laptop to my storage HD with a few short cuts ect to keep everything organised. One thing is i don't want to clog up my laptop with files i keep incase they need a reprint.

 

[dypinc]

Who uses separate computer from their rip computer?

How do you have it set up? what software on what computer? Laptop or PC for the 2nd computer?

I have onyx thrive, so i can access thrive via my web browser but i haven't really used this much.

I'm not sure what the best approach is. I currently use 1 computer for everything, but i want to just use the RIP computer for the RIP only.

Just trying to get my head around it.

Thanks.

Since our RIPs are windows based my boss will not let them be used for anything else. All workstations are Mac and with the Fiery RIPs we have a client front end that runs on the Mac OS as well as the Windows OS if anyone would use one. For other RIPs we use a Hot folder that is accessed on the workstations over the network.

 

[Bly]

Separate RIP PC running Thrive 12. It drives 3 HP latex and an Arizona.
My workstation is a grunty thing thing huge RAM and SSDs to set files up quickly.
QNAP NAS with everything on it.
Another PC runs the vinyl cutters.

 

[-Fusion]

Newbi question.

I'm just getting into this and have my VG-540 coming in 2 weeks. Trying to set up my RIP computer and I'm torn on how powerful of a computer to get (go big or go home?). We design on Mac in Illustrator and will be transferring to the PC via network.

thanks!

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

We have a computer for design work, a computer for office work, and a third computer that runs Rasterlink and SignCut and handles our day to day print and cut operations only.

 

[Pixels Are Bad Mmmkay?]

Newbi question.

I'm just getting into this and have my VG-540 coming in 2 weeks. Trying to set up my RIP computer and I'm torn on how powerful of a computer to get (go big or go home?). We design on Mac in Illustrator and will be transferring to the PC via network.

thanks!

I'm hardly an expert, but when we got our Mimaki and Rasterlink was when we decided to run a computer dedicated to only printing and cutting. We went with the cheapest Windows 10 HP laptop we could find, within reason. I believe the price tag on it was around $349. Our tech advised us that it would suffice just fine.

 

[reQ]

Same here:

1 PC for design work
1 PC for RIP/Laser/Plotter

 

[-Fusion]

I'm hardly an expert, but when we got our Mimaki and Rasterlink was when we decided to run a computer dedicated to only printing and cutting. We went with the cheapest Windows 10 HP laptop we could find, within reason. I believe the price tag on it was around $349. Our tech advised us that it would suffice just fine.

I been looking at a Laptop from Costco for $580. It appears to be pretty midrange I7, 12gb ram and 1TB HD. It honestly might be a little overkill for just a RIP laptop so I was looking at another but its just barely cheaper. I know with general computing SSD is best - but for RIP does it matter?

 

[Pauly]

FYI my RIP pc, I have a Xeon quad core 3.6ghz with hyper threading.
8gb ram. upgradable to 64gb. Haven't needed any more just yet.
2tb of hard drives. I run dual monitors also.
I wouldn't run a Laptop for a RIP Pc.

I could have gotten another PC for design ect, but i rather have a laptop for that so i can take out of the office.

 

[-Fusion]

FYI my RIP pc, I have a Xeon quad core 3.6ghz with hyper threading.
8gb ram. upgradable to 64gb. Haven't needed any more just yet.
2tb of hard drives. I run dual monitors also.
I wouldn't run a Laptop for a RIP Pc.

I could have gotten another PC for design ect, but i rather have a laptop for that so i can take out of the office.

Thanks! I'm running out of space..... My Plotter is going in my extra bedroom. Was hoping to save some room with a laptop.

 

[Pauly]

Thanks! I'm running out of space..... My Plotter is going in my extra bedroom. Was hoping to save some room with a laptop.

Ideally you want 1 RIP pc and software to run it all. That's what i gather anyway. Like i run onyx, and any future printers will be running off onyx also.
I just used the RIP pc to do other tasks also, but i need to stop doing that.

 

[-Fusion]

Ideally you want 1 RIP pc and software to run it all. That's what i gather anyway. Like i run onyx, and any future printers will be running off onyx also.
I just used the RIP pc to do other tasks also, but i need to stop doing that.

Im reading up on onyx now. Im a complete newb

 

[netsol]

bear in mind that most laptops have slower hard drives, unless you spend a lot more for alienware or some premium model. the smaller form factor drives found in a laptop are normally spinning at a slower speed. if you are using a laptop, be aware of "stepping" running everything slower if on battery power to be "green" . plug that laptop in when using it especially when printing. energy star is not our friend when ripping or printing

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

Replacing a laptop drive with an SSD is trivial these days. We've swapped out nearly all of them in the office and it makes a huuuge difference.
The machines are quicker than when they came fresh out of the box.

 

[SignMeUpGraphics]

And Pauly, the drives in the Océ built machine aren't super speedy. If you're ever looking for a speed boost, swap them out with solid state drives.
I'm just about to swap out the boot drive with one on mine, as the boot speeds are horrible with Win7 on a spinning disk.
I can let you know how it goes... for some reason the Océ machines are built to use those 4 drives via RAID, but without any mirroring or striping.
Hopefully the transition is smooth.

 

[Pauly]

And Pauly, the drives in the Océ built machine aren't super speedy. If you're ever looking for a speed boost, swap them out with solid state drives.
I'm just about to swap out the boot drive with one on mine, as the boot speeds are horrible with Win7 on a spinning disk.
I can let you know how it goes... for some reason the Océ machines are built to use those 4 drives via RAID, but without any mirroring or striping.
Hopefully the transition is smooth.

You should be able to swap them out. When i reformat mine some time this year. I had to play in the bios to get the 4 HDDs working. It's some sort of RAID card but not in a RAID configuration.
I thought about SSDs but it's quick enough for me.

 

[myront]

The idea of having hot folders is that the jobs dropped in are not actually stored after printing, they are dumped. You can set it to do so but we've found no need for it cluttering up the HD. You can also save more commonly reprinted items. You already have a copy in the the "design pc" if you need a reprint a year later.

 

[Pauly]

The idea of having hot folders is that the jobs dropped in are not actually stored after printing, they are dumped. You can set it to do so but we've found no need for it cluttering up the HD. You can also save more commonly reprinted items. You already have a copy in the the "design pc" if you need a reprint a year later.

Makes sense to me. 90% of our prints are one time prints. The only things i keep on file is my image library, A clients image library if requested and prints sustainable to damage which might require a reprint.

Appreciate everyones $0.02
I'll most likely set up a hot folder to transfer from 1 to another. And use the rip and manually open the images though job editor/preflight and do what i need to do.
With thrive, i don't need to have hot folders to another computer to automatically rip. As i can open my browser and upload it there though the network on thrive and choose my quick sets or media if theres nothing to be changed.

Thanks everyone.