As a matter of fact I both own and use the Summa DC3, but since I didn't pay for mine I may not be an objective opinion resource
You might wish to contact our sales manager, Drew Groshong, as he can refer you to users that have given us permission to divulge their names.
Drew can be reached at 800.527.7778 x 105 or drewg@summa.us
Best Regards,
Jim Summa
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I'd like to hear something as well. I got some samples from Summa a while back and they look pretty darn good. I'd also like to see how it would print something like Bob Rochon's truck lettering job posted on the portfolio a while back.
-------------------- Tony Broussard Graphic Details Digital Media Loreauville, LA Posts: 395 | From: Loreauville, LA | Registered: Jul 1999
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If Bob Rochon would send the file ( or upload to www.summadirect.com/upload ), I'd have copies printed and mailed to any who request it.
If Bob's on-board so are we.
Regards,
Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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Sooo, The logical question now would be, How do we request one?
-------------------- Roy H.Somers Signs Of Distinction 609-652-6507 Oceanville, New Jersey Posts: 107 | From: USA | Registered: Dec 1998
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Dave Parsons, in our sales department, has offered to take the point on getting samples out to everyone. Just post your address here, or send a private e-mail to Dave at davep@summa.us.
"The file" is still in transit to us, so please hang tough a bit longer. Once we have it, knocking out a bunch of copies is pretty easy, so we should be able to mail them out the same day (right Dave? ahh the joy of being a volunteer )
Best Regards,
Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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My Edge machine don't stop, and it's almost paid off. Soooooooo I will be looking at a wider format machine in the not too distant future. And the DC3 is a posibility. So a Sample would be nice.
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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We will be in Las Vegas for the ISA Expo, booth number 1274. We'll have computers attached to everything (a couple of Summa DC3s and 4 or 5 SummaCut and SummaSign cutters).
Bring a CD and I'll print and cut your images. Sorry, only CDs work ... we had a memorial service for floppies and Zips some time ago. Also, we'll probably be running CorelDRAW and Photoshop, so the file would have to open in one of those ... eps, pdf, cdr, ai, tif, jpg, psd, etc.
Check the show program for our location, but if our new booth is ready in time you should be able to see us from the entrance.
Thanks,
Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I would like to receive a sample print of Bob's files as well, please.
Thanks in advance.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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It's a head-scratcher for me why it didn't work. If you file size is too big, you may run into problems with packet loss over the web depending on the speed of your connection. But I just uploaded a 50 MB file to test the script and had no problem.
I guess I should ask, how big is the image? For practical purposes, we'd probably print (and cut) the samples 3 across, so they'd fit in our large envelopes with minimal bending, spindling and mutilating. If you resize it in Photoshop to 12" x 12" @ 100 dpi CMYK, then save the tiff using LZW compression, it'll stay under 1 MB. I'd even go 2 across if you wanted to see the sample a bit larger, say ~18 inches wide.
Call me at 800.527.7778 x 106 to discuss further.
Thanks!
Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I love ya like a brother. But you sell Gerber and are a wholly owned subsidiary of the same, I believe. So, how’s about you and I compare Summa DC3 to MAXX/2 output, and do a cross-trade. You pick the file.
Or if you’re seriously considering the resale of Summa DC3, please contact Rob Gorman in our Boston office at 781.233.7494 or robg@summa.us.
Thanks,
Jim
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I've already dropped a note to Bob Rochon to request the proposed file...and I'll pick a few others as well. Heck, let's pick a selection of print media while we're at it...this will be fun.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I think Jon has a fantastic idea goin here. I think there are many of us considering the move into adding print-print/cut abilities, and what a better way to compare output/media than the same artwork output from each machine.
-------------------- Tim Rieck Signs Halfmoon Bay, BC Posts: 736 | From: Halfmoon Bay, BC, Canada | Registered: Sep 2000
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To give credit where credit is due, it was Jim's idea but I'm happy to call it the Gerber MAXX2 CHALLENGE (...whatdy'a think, Jim? Has a nice ring to it, dontchya think?)
If you haven't entered the print/print-cut world yet, you might want to consider a Gerber EDGE first...as I'm sure even Jim would agree: it's a more affordable, more versatile machine than either his 36" machine or our Gerber MAXX2.
If you're thinking it's "too small", talk to some Gerber EDGE owners (on 4EDGEtalk.com, if you like...or we can give you references).
Still, it is never a bad idea to plan too far ahead...
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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This looked like a hot challenge...but two weeks have passed and I haven't heard another peep out of Jimmy D or Bob Rochon.
Jim:
Are you still up for this? Have you run Bob Rochon's file yet? Is a sample print already on it's way to me?
Bob:
I sent you an e-mail using the address in your Letterville profile and wonder if it is still current(?).
On the other hand, if you are too busy or are reluctant to get in the middle of this (either of which I can fully appreciate and accept), please let us know.
I will gladly accept Jim's gracious offer to let me choose other image files, so your involvement isn't necessary from my perspective (we have plenty of wide format images to choose from). I must admit, however, that I like the added drama of running a real job by a true Letterhead!
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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How about at the show, someone...anyone...brings the printed output (on vinyl or any other cuttable material), from ANY printer: Maxx, DC-3, Mutoh, HP, Encad, Mimaki, Roland, etc., etc. with it's associated vector file to the Graphtec booth as well, and compare the results??
Maybe your favorite printer is neither the Summa nor the Gerber?
hk
-------------------- Howard Keiper Independent Contractor Benicia, Ca. thekeip@comcast.net
I've yet to hear back from Bob. He made an attempt to upload the file to our site but got an error. I don;t know if he gaveit a second shot, but I don't have a file.
I offered, in an e-mail to Bob, to have him FedEx a CD on our FedEx account. But, I've yet to hear a reply.
Meanwhile, I have MANY folks that wish to see a sample. In truth, I'm not familiar with the image the Tony B spoke of originally. If it's a monster and some other image would be better / easier to upload, I'd encourage all who are interested to send a file via:
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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I got a call from you guys offering a sample from a file that I send, I'll be sending something soon!
Thanks! Tony
-------------------- Tony Broussard Graphic Details Digital Media Loreauville, LA Posts: 395 | From: Loreauville, LA | Registered: Jul 1999
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Jim, Jon and any other digital image equipment vendors that are in on this. I want a sample of Bob's design to.
If you want some more designs to include in the pack I have a beautiful tiff file of a customers logo for a backlit. File was built at 800 dpi and take about 300 MB on a CD. Image has a very high tech 3D look to it. It will print out at about 8" x 15" without mods. I would be pleased to make you each a CD and send it to you this week.
My customer would be get a kick out of seeing his logo go off to a lot of signshops.
-------------------- Chuck Churchill, It's A Good Sign Inc. 3245 Harvester Rd, U-12 Burlington, Ont. Phone: 905-681-8775 Fax: 905-681-8945 Posts: 633 | From: Burlington, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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It doesn't look like Bob's file is going to happen.
I would be happy to print your file for you...and anyone else who is interested in supplying a file.
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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Jon dont give up on me yet!!!!!!!!!!! I am just getting back up to speed from the flu, I know I know but I've been busssyyyyyy. And yes I was in Texas for a bit.
anyway I'll burn the disks today
[ March 07, 2003, 03:58 PM: Message edited by: Bob Rochon ]
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I'm afraid that I'll have to disagree. The Gerber EDGE is many times more versatile than anything you can find to compare it too, and is still a very viable and relevant investment for most commercial signshops...particularly as their first or second step into digital signprinting.
It may well not be right for your business (I don't know), but it is FAR from "dead".
-------------------- Jon Aston MARKETING PARTNERS "Strategy, Marketing and Business Development" Tel 705-719-9209 Posts: 1724 | From: Barrie, ON, CANADA | Registered: Sep 2000
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I grabbed the file, but have to respectfully decline.
At screen resolution, it looks like your basic printer test image showing small type, solid fills, lines (in percentages of black), photos and gradients.
But we don't print what's on screen; we print the file. And at 100% (pixel for pixel -- what's actually in the file -- that we print), there are two issues:
- Photos are scanned from a printed piece ... moire hell ... that's the case with all three photos
- Gradients are U-G-L-Y (poorly built). Non-complementary colors are blended together, making the transitions muddy as heck ... they're gradients that would never show up in a design anywhere
Sorry dude, but we don't print stuff that's designed to look bad. While it seems like a "good test" we don't get into "our crappy prints look better than the other guy's crappy prints."
I'd be happy send samples that illustrate Summa DC3 can print small type, solid fills, lines (in percentages of black), photos and gradients -- and cut around them all in a single step. No problem.
Or, if you don't want me cherry-picking the images, please upload a graphic to our site (Uploader). But make it something real ... something that someone would pay money for. Please no ugly stuff that would be immediately rejected from any design process.
Thanks!
[ March 07, 2003, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: Jim Doggett ]
-------------------- Jim Doggett General Manager, USA Yellotools, Ltd www.yellotools.com Posts: 500 | From: Sherman, TX USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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CD's are burned, they have .tiff, .psd, and for Jon I even have the .plt files. I need to get some padded envelopes tonight at Staples and they will be in tomorrows mail.
-------------------- Bob Rochon Creative Signworks Millbury, MA 508-865-7330
"Life is Like an Echo, what you put out, comes back to you." Posts: 5149 | From: Millbury, Mass. U.S. | Registered: Nov 1998
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I "had" a Gerber Maxx for awhile, and now am happy to say I have an EdgeII which has performed quite nicely. I still think the MAXX is a great idea. It makes so much sense that Gerber who has done such an excellent job with Edge technology should be able to make a "wide format" Edge printer. My opinion that the sign shop of tomorrow must be involved with some aspect of wide format (outdoor durable) graphic production. Jon and Jim Please send me one of each sample print when you get the file you're waiting on. Thanks
-------------------- Tony Lucero Eagle Graphics Waterford, MI www.eaglegph.com Posts: 305 | From: Waterford, MI, USA | Registered: Apr 2000
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I must respectfully ask you to get off your high horse...
In the real world we don’t always have control over what we have to work with. These are photos of 42” x 31” panels we’ve done, sorry for poor photo quality; they were grabbed indoors yesterday with no flash. In all three panels the customers were very pleased with the end product. I must say that I was surprised with the results considering what we had to work with.
In the Metso panel, the customer supplied a catalogue for the images, and 2 day deadline.
The Hotel could only supply a postcard, but they wanted that image.
In the RSM mining composite, the blast in the background was taken as a screen grab from a video they’d made of the blast, the other 3 photos used were cropped from 4”x6” photo prints.
My point is we can’t always have 1200 dpi color corrected images to work with. Bob Burns recent post on resampling illustrates this point. I don’t tell my customers “Sorry Dude, I won’t print your crappy image.” I just get the job done, to the best of my ability, using the material and equipment that I have to work with. If the DC3 can only produce decent results with ‘perfect’ files, then perhaps it is not the machine for me, nor many other sign shops.
The test file I wanted printed is exactly that, a test file, not a demonstration file. And the results would be for me to judge, not to demonstrate as a sample at a trade show. I want to measure horizontal and vertical scaling. I want to see those tiny letters; I want to know where the printer will lose the line pairs.I want to see how the printer handles those horrible blends; I want to see how evenly it prints process grey. I want to refer the solids to a sample chart. The photos in the file were scanned from a test pattern original I use to calibrate my color copier. I’m fully aware of the moiré, but I want to see the skin tones, the sky blues, and the shading of the yellows, reds, and greens in the salad bowl. I won’t be looking at the photo images under a loupe, that’s not the point. Don't presume to tell me what I'm looking for in a print. It was nice of you to provide the pixel per pixel view of a piece of the image, realizing, of course, that when viewed on screen it represents a 417% enlargement of the image, print it in real size at 300 dpi and you’ll see that the image is certainly sharp enough to demonstrate the properties that I want to see.
Print the file or don’t print the file, but to say you won’t print it because it may look bad is a cop out. The DC3 may well impress me, it certainly did at last years trade show in Florida, but your handling of my request for a test print hasn’t impressed.
At this point I have a need for a wide format, digital outdoor printer. I’ll need it to print directly on a number of substrates including reflective vinyl. It’s main use will be for safety labels, pipe markers, outdoor signage, and vehicle graphics. My timeframe to purchase will be within 6 months, I’ll need the machine up and running before Oct 1. The decision to buy a machine has already been made and I am now looking for information and feedback over the choice of actual hardware.
What concerns me more in all of this is the fact that this thread has been floating on this board (actively) for over six weeks, and I haven’t seen a single post from a DC3 owner. I can only conclude that either the user base is extremely small, and none of them frequent this board; or that none are enthused enough to post about the product. I was hoping to see an unbiased assessment of the machine rather than be directed by a company to one of their ‘pet’ customers.
There are many factors that will influence my decision over what machine to buy, not the least of which will be my perception of what support to expect from a company and whether I'm confident that supplies and consumables will be easily available over the expected life of the machine.
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