Hi Martin,
 
Here we use a polaroid CL-5000 and have had great results. On the
software side we convert the images to tiff using X-image (foster
findlay assosiates). For single colour washes we use paint shop pro
(the new version has batch conversion) and for stereo anaglphs or
double labelled samples we use adobe photoshop. I know that adobe is
pricey but we have found a variety of other uses for it also.
 
Correl is good for the fancy stuff and we have found it good at
importing images onto a background so that titles and a legend can be
added and since the new version (5) has "other exiciting features"
(well their literature tells me it's exciting anyway) as morphing it
seems a good buy.
 
Superprint drivers for the polaroid are slow and huge files are
created. On the other hand by processing the images as tiffs we dump
to the polaroid using the image print software.
 
One warning however, since the tiff format is constantly evolving we
have found problems with older tiff images we have stored. To the
point that on a few occassions the images have been unreadible! I
don't know if anybody else has this tiff problem, but I am considering
using a different format - any ideas?
 
 
Incidently we have just had a salesman in showing us the tektronix
range of printers. The Phaser 220 colour printer seems affordable
with near photographic quality (but not quite) - and there is a
network version.
 
hope this has helped,
 
  Steve Bagley                                 '''
                                           ` (.   .)'
  _________________________________________oOo_(_)_oOo______________
 
   The Confocal Microscope Facility
   Cells, Immunology and Development        Voice:   061 275 6771
   The University of Manchester             Fax:     061 275 3915
   England.                                 [log in to unmask]
 
   As water reflects a man's face, so a man's heart reflects the man
   ___________________________________________________________________