Color IRIS Printers

[PEPKE%FSU.MFENET at NMFECC.ARPA]

My recent request for personal experience with color printers for the IRIS 
elicited 5 responses.  A summary follows, but first, some disclaimers:

This was not a scientifically performed survey. Five responses is not large 
enough to draw statistical conclusions.  All the information herein is 
second hand or worse.  I have no connection with anyone except as a customer 
or potential customer.  Mongo only little cog in big machine of Institute.  
We don't really know what reality is exists except through our senses.  Blah 
blah blah.

There were three recommendations of the Seiko printer, which boiled down to 
it works well, it does reasonable shading, and it is easy to install, 
as it connects to the RGB output of the IRIS.  There was one recommendation 
for a printer manufactured by Shinko and distributed by Mitsubishi, which 
I guess was either the CHC-635 or the CHC-335.  Mitsubishi also distributes 
a box which allows the printer to connect to the RGB output.  Their printer 
seems to do good shading as well.  As far as I can tell, both printers 
would be good choices.  16 of one, 10 hex of another.

There were two caveats about the Tektronix ink jet printer.  One told of a 
demo unit that never worked properly in spite of claims from Tektronix and 
Silicon Graphics that their individual pieces worked perfectly.  The other
told of a Textronix printer that another department obtained that was 
cumbersome to use and install.  The Tektronix printer, apparently, requires 
a board to be installed in the IRIS.  Maybe the problems have been fixed.  
Maybe Tektronix has come out with a wonderful new printer that works 
perfectly.  Maybe a Democrat will be elected President.  I don't know.  You 
get to determine what you believe.

There was one recommendation of the Dunn Instruments camera, which is 
somewhat beyond the scope of this discussion.

Hope this helps anybody in a similar bind...

Eric Pepke                           pepke%fsu.mfenet at nmfecc.arpa
Supercomputer Computations           pepke%scri.hepnet at lbl-csa2.arpa
   Research Institute                pepke%fsu.bitnet at wiscvm.wisc.edu
Florida State University             "The black paper between a mirror
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4052            breaks my heart that I can't go."

Disclaimer: My employers seldom even LISTEN to my opinions.
Meta-disclaimer: Any society that needs disclaimers has too many lawyers.