Last night at the NESFA Clubhouse, a group of Noreascon committee members had great fun unpacking and assembling our brand new wide-format color inkjet sign printer. It came in a box the size of a refrigerator, and wasn't much smaller when fully assembled. When it was powered up, it printed out a test pattern, then was observed to use different colored scanning beams to check and correct its color and alignment. It moved the paper back and forth and appeared to be thinking about things before it went woosh, woosh, slice, and dropped the completed picture into the catch basket below. The observation was made that we'd better not let it see I, Robot or it might start getting ideas.

Here's a picture of our sign master, Pam Fremon, getting acquainted with the machine. (Notice that the machine is actually bigger than she is.)

And here's a picture of our esteemed Chairman displaying one of the first images output by the machine. (The second test was a Hynes/Sheraton floor plan.)

Very cool!

Comments

[Sandra Childress]

If that's an HP DesignJet...I might be able to get my hands on some paper...someone please email me if it is, and I'll go scrounging at work...(HP's Inkjet Media division).

~Sandra

[Leslie Turek]

Thanks! It is an HP machine. I've passed your message on to Deb and she can send you the details.

[Laurie Mann]

Yep, it looks like the DesignJet that was the next model up from what I worked with last winter. Once you get the hang of those machines, they are WONDERFUL!

[Pam Fremon]

What people may not have noticed last night is that the new printer has an attachment that makes it into a flotation tank (like those you might see in malls). I figure 7 hours/day in Sign Shop and then 1 hour in the tank ought to do it.

The line forms on the right. Bribes (of chocolate or Aquavit) accepted.

--Pam

[Tim Szczesuil]

It's very nice. It's also *very* heavy! This thing came on a pallet that was about 6.6 ft by 3 ft and weighed over 200 lbs. Last Monday, Deb, Ann, and myself had the dubious pleasure of moving it from Deb's house (where it had been delivered) to the NESFA Clubhouse. Deb rented a small truck. The absurdity factor was rather high due to the three of us trying to walk it sideways with a two-wheeler. Just a word of caution to people who go over their budget: Deb is stonger than she looks. You have been warned!