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> Has anyone out there used a Xerox DocuTech? Does it have any
quirks, oddities,
> or just plain problems?
> (If "DocuTech" is not the right name, please let me know...)
> tracey showalter
> tshowalt -at- sctcorp -dot- com
Tracy,
I've been using a DocuTech printer in Oakland, CA, and can share my
experiences with you. It's ideal for small print jobs that require
high-quality. I've generated postscript files from Framemaker
(running on a NEXT) and sent them via SCSI cartridge to the printer.
The DocuTech is networked, so it can accept my postscript files as
input and generate 1200 dpi pages at high speed. Typical turn-around
time for printing 50 copies of a 500-page manual is 1 week - 10 days,
including shipping time. The DocuTech printer can print tabs and
insert them in-line, so that the finished doc is ready for three-hole
punching and shrink-wrap. My printer charges me about $20 for each
500 page manual, including three-hole punching and shrink-wrap.
I've only worked with a standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch page, and don't
know how the DocuTech would handle custom page sizes.
Not all DocuTech printers are networked, since the networking
software/hardware adds significantly to the cost. DocuTech printers
themselves run about $250,000, so they are not to be found at most
print shops. If the DocuTech printer is not networked, it's nothing
more than a glorified high-speed laser printer, in my opinion. A
non-networked printer must take hard-copy as input. If you are
shopping around, only talk to print shops that can accept postscript
files as input.
I have been overwhelmingly pleased with my DocuTech experience, and
have encountered no problems using it. I can answer more specific
questions for you if you send them along.
-Robin
---
Robin Foster | "Lost in space..."
robin_foster -at- proponent -dot- com |
65 Red Hill Circle
Tiburon, CA 94920
415-435-9900