Is Image Alchemy Y2K compliant?

Yes: All versions of Image Alchemy are Y2K compliant. Please see the Handmade Software Year 2000 Statement.

Do you have a Windows program?

Image Alchemy v1.11 for DOS now includes Image Printer for Windows 95/98/NT. Yes, that's right, you get both a DOS and a Windows program. Image Printer includes some of the most requested features of Image Alchemy, most notably, the ability to RIP output to a plotter.

I'm upgrading from SunOS (Solarix 1.x) to Solaris 2.x - do I need a new version of Image Alchemy?

No, but there is a Solaris 2.x-specific version. All of our SPARC versions up to v1.9 will run on SunOS and Solaris 2.x. Starting with v1.9.1 Image Alchemy included a SunOS-specific binary and a Solaris 2.x-specific binary. These are included on the same distribution. A Solaris x86 build is also available now.

Can I use Image Alchemy to do a batch conversion of images that are in a lot of different formats and have them all converted into transparent interleaved 6-bit GIFs all matched to a common palette?

Of course. The command line would look like:

     alchemy *.* -g31 -c64 -fcommon.pal

What options should I use to create TIFF files that can be read by Edify?

The command line for converting a PostScript file would look like:

     alchemy filename.ps -Zo1728p -t103 -Zd202 198 -Z+

The command line for converting a raster file would look like:

     alchemy filename.jpg -Xb1728p -t103 -D202 198 -+

On Solaris 2.x I get the following error:

ld.so.1: /opt/alchemy2: fatal: libxview.so.3: can't open file: errno=2

You need to set the LD_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable. Using the C shell, it'd look like:

     setenv LD_LIBRARY_PATH /usr/openwin/lib

Which is better, undercolor removal or gamma correction?

Gamma correction. At one time Image Alchemy did not support gamma correction for CMYK files but it does now. Undercolor removal files are based on gamma correction values. Specifying a certain level of gamma correction is easier than using undercolor removal files. Devices such as the NovaJet series of plotters will benefit most from gamma correction. Good values to use are -Gi1.0 -Go1.6 for Photo Glossy paper and -Gi1.0 -Go1.8 for presentation bond.

What if I have files in a format that Alchemy does not currently support?

Contact technical support and see if we are currently working on it. If not we may ask you to send samples files to ftp://ftp.handmadesw.com/pub/incoming/ and then email us at support@handmadesw.com with the names of the files. We'll take a look at them and if we do not already have the file format specification we may ask for your help in locating it. For a sample of the type of information we would need, take a look at Appendix F in the Image Alchemy User's Manual.

How do I use UNIX pipes to a non-default device?

     alchemy foo.eps -P103 \|lp

works for the default device.

     alchemy foo.eps --r7 "|lp -dpln650c"

would work to a non-default device (be sure to use double quotes).