CompuServe Thread

Brian, Making copies on highspeed equipment is MUCH less expensive than making laser prints. Unless the quantity of prints is extremely low, you will almost always want to have your final output (master) made on highend equipment. Always output to the highest resolution equipment at your disposal. To determine exactly what equipment you should use to make your master, you need to identify what the use and purpose of the final product is. For example, if you plan on including halftone images (B&W photos) nothing less than 1200 DPI will be acceptable (in most cases), although 600 DPI may get you by for non-pro work. Look at it this way… you're first step is to get the layout tools you need to be able to produce the types of documents you want to create: 1) decent word processor 2) DTP program 3) structured drawing program 4) graphic manipulation software for file conversions cropping, editing, compositing, touching up, etc. 5) as many fonts as you can get your hands on, that are compatible with the software you choose 6) maybe a really good collection of clip art Then, make sure you have hardware that will support the creation of the types of documents you want to produce: 1) at least tne meg of memory (graphics manipulation EATS memory) 2) enough storage space to hold your programs and files (probably not less than 200 meg of hard drives, I would think, although you could start with less and then add more) 3) a backup system to protect your clients work and your investment… a removable HD like a syquest would be a good choice, since most service bureaus will accept work on these carts. 4) a scanner and software if you are planning on being able to incorporate original artwork like company logos, etc. 5) maybe a hires 24 bit graphics board for better diplay options than are standard on the Amiga (or, get an AGA Amiga). With all of the above in place, all you need do is add some patience, practice, talent, and trial and error to create terrific stuff. Final output is the LEAST of your concerns, because you can always proof your work on your own low-end personal printer (be a 300 DPI laser, a deskjet, or whatever) and then print the work to a postscript file, and take it your local service bureau for output to paper (for copying) or film (for making plates for press work. For about $10 a page, you get to use a service bureaus $25k – $100k equipment… not a bad deal. Now, as I said in another message, we're begining to see VERY reasonably priced 1200 DPI B&W laser printers hit the market for around $1800… so if it were my choice between spending $1000 on a non-postscript 300 DPI printer, and $1800 on a 1200 DPI postscript printer, I'd probably do everything I could to find a way to get the better printer… But then again, if cash were tight, I might choose to blow off the $1000 300 DPI laser in favor of the least expensive 300 DPI laser I could find, like an OKI810… it all depends on what my needs are. BTW, I do a lot of the type of work I 'think' you are trying to talk about, and I own all of the above mentioned things… but still only output here to a 300 DPI laser (one postscript, one LJ)… all of my final output goes to the service bureau, or Kinkos, and occaisonally, I even walk in to the local computer superstore and just pop a disk in to one of their computers sending the file to one of their demo printers <g>