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Imagesetter Advice

Copyright January 15, 1996

Transmitted from Jacksonville, Florida

A reader recently wrote:
We have a full service graphic design business coupled with our small format, high quality printing business. . . .We are considering buying a 14 Imagesetter. Two have been suggested: ECRM Scriptsetter VR36 with software RIP, and Agfa AccuSet 800 with Viper software RIP. We will use a dedicated Mac 8100/80 with 80 meg memory and 1 GB disk to drive Imagesetter and do color correction. . .Initial pricing is about $30,000 for ECRM and $42,000 for Agfa. It may also be possible to get preferential pricing from DuPont if we make a film deal with them. They have the same ECRM machine under their label.

My questions are:
What makes the Agfa worth more, if it is? Should I have a maintenance contract? Does anyone have experience with either? Are there others in this range that are better?
Thanks for helping me choose. Bob.

Well, Bob, don t know if we have the absolute answer, but here s what our readers said:
From: StepGGray

I can t provide direct experience with either model. I am however curious if both models will provide accurate registration for high quality printing business. Are these capstan or drum models? My experience with AccuSet 4 years ago suggests acceptable registration at best and an average repair-service-reliability record. I would opt for a service contract with Agfa. This was also true of a SelectSet 7000 two years ago. (I now use Lino -Hell film recorder)... Good Luck! Stephen Grayman
From: Mitchevans

We have the ECRM VR36 as well as the ECRM Autokon 1030 (which is a high level scanner and a VR36 inside). Both units are great. We have never had a service contract and our expenses on service have been $1000 in the 3 1/2 years since we installed them. I can t rave about the ECRM enough since we are direct to plate (onyx by 3M) and we used to be 10% metal plate 90% paper plate. now we are 99% onyx and only 1% negative and metal plate. We get great halftones and screens. Calibration is an issue but we now have it under control. ECRM is first class.... Mitch Evans
From: PeterGPrnt

Agfa is the choice with the service contract. I am not familiar with your particular model Imagesetter, but consider these points:

Consider: if the Imagesetter you buy has the ability to punch the film, and if the imposition software gives you the ability to control where the image is burned on the film, then you can burn film with the image registered to the punch holes. Given this, you have just automated stripping. We ve done it with a Star 400 RIP and SelectSet 5000. Bought used. And we don t traditionally strip now except on about 25% of our work (film from customers, etc.) And yes, we also do 4 color work on a 2 color GTO (we have the ZP).

Good luck. Don t expect much help from the vendors, they don t know what they are doing. Peter Grogan, Ink Kraft, Inc., 904/396-1717
From: PSTONI

We have an L-330 Imagesetter and spent approx. $30,000 at an outside service bureau this year due mostly to trapping. I would not buy an Imagesetter that doesn t have a rip which will trap. Trapwise and like programs are way too hard to use and there are some things they just won t do.

We were quoted a 15 Cytex Imagesetter with a software rip that will do trapping for about $40,000. This is what the service bureau s in town are using to do our trapping. Seems pretty reasonable to us.
From: FIPANDG

I have a good friend that sells the Agfa line and advises us that a maintenance agreement would be a waste of money. The $6,800 I was quoted sure seems to be just that. He said that the systems he has installed over the last 3 years need very little service, if any at all... Thanks, Don Cortez
And thank you for your help. If you have comments on this or other subjects, please message toTom Crouser.
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Date inserted: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 7:34:55 PM

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