Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

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The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
Supported file formats: PostScript, PDF files and major formats including TIFF, TIFF/IT, 8-bit
and 16-bit TIFF, 4GB TIFF, JPEG 2000, PSD, Kodak PhotoCD, ER Mapper, MrSID, JPEG,
Targa, Scitex CT, DIB, GIF, PCX, and BMP
Price level: RIPCenter approx. $1,695.00, PosterShop approx. $3,300
Address: Onyx Graphics, 6915 South High Tech Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84047, United States
www.onyxgfx.com
PHOTOGATE
Vendor: ColorGATE
Purpose: Software RIP for photo and fine art reproductions
Description
Aimed at photographers, designers, and agencies, the PHOTOGATE software RIP in
the ColorGATE range comes in both Pro (with PostScript for document printer) and
Raster (bitmap formats only) versions. It is ideal for printing to aquarelle, hand-made,
or photo and fine art paper, producing both high-quality color and black and white
prints. With the PHOTO&FINEART Module you can print neutral grayscale images,
take account of the effects of ambient light, and print with added tints.
Comments
ColorGATE has a whole range of client/server RIP products, based around PRO-
DUCTIONSERVER. Somewhat confusingly, the individual modules are also available
as stand-alone software packages. The output from PHOTOGATE is clearly excellent,
but until recently it was almost impossible to understand the upgrade paths, combinations,
and alternatives, given the poorly translated literature offered by the vendor. This
has been partially corrected by a new Website and some new documentation. However,
the ColorGATE tagline “Pleasure for Production” still sounds odd in English.
Version: PHOTOGATE 5.1 (2008)
OS: Windows 2003, XP, and Vista; data from Mac OS/Unix/Linux can be sent via the virtual
printer (PortMonitor)
RAM: 256MB (1GB recommended)
Supported file formats: PostScript 3, PDF 1.6, PDF/X-1a, EPS, DCS 2.0; JPEG, TGA, TIFF,
BMP, PCD, and PSD
Price level: Small format $1,200, medium format $1,600, large format $2,000, raster-only versions
also available from $600
Address: ColorGATE Digital Output Solutions GmbH, Grosse Düwelstrasse 1, 30171
Hannover, Germany
www.colorgate.com