Choosing the Right RIP for Producing a Printing Environment

In the production printing environment, choosing the right RIP is the key to quality output. Rich Huff and Kelley West of Doculabs discuss that internal managers should carefully consider when purchasing RIP, including differences between functions and various RIP structures.

With the rising demand for dynamic, digital color output, printing providers have found that without the correct raster processor, the output quality of printing equipment is disappointing. In fact, using the wrong RIP can make the digital printing device not match the production of the specific application.

Although the differences between various RIPs are not important for typical commercial office printing, the choice of RIP is just as important as the choice of digital printing equipment in a production printing environment. Most printing equipment is equipped with RIP or RIP directly, so buyers have no choice. However, some of the more advanced printing technologies—including color copiers/printers, large-format printers, and digital color printers—support a large number of different RIPs. Using these devices for quality output, business managers carefully select RIP, which supports their needs and application types.

What exactly is RIP?
Simply put, RIP converts print data into rasterized images or dots so that inkjet printers or laser output devices can print on paper. The RIP is located at the end of the production workflow before printing, where it receives the print data in a descriptive language or vector image. For example, the Postscript page description language contains instructions for printing purposes and where to print on the page. According to the specified coordinates, RIP converts the Postscript command "linedraw" into a linear dot to be placed on the page.

In addition, RIP for color printing equipment is responsible for accurate color reproduction. First, RIP must translate the color of each element on the page. It then converts the color-related information into a color pattern and sends it to the printer for printing.

How to choose RIP?
When purchasing RIP, there are quite a few factors to consider.
The first and the first consideration is the structure of the RIP. For example, do you need a soft RIP or a combined software/hardware offering? Or do you need a network RIP?

The second thing to consider is the functionality of RIP. How fast do you need RIP images? What level of color management do you need?
And of course, the cost is also a factor to be considered.

RIP structure
When choosing an EIP, make sure it meets your structural needs.
The need to consider is:
1. The combined hardware/software RIP is provided as an entire software package that contains a computer (usually proprietary) and RIP software. In a given software package, software and hardware are optimized to deliver the best results and performance. Some hardware RIPs can be upgraded, but they need to be specifically composed, such as memory.

2. Software RIP is a simple software that is responsible for image conversion. PC, MAC, and Unix workstations are available. Software RIP allows users to choose their own computer system. The advantage of software RIP is that users can upgrade computers through standard components or purchase new computers together. The disadvantage is that the software is not optimized with the hardware, so the performance level is not the same as the proprietary system.

3, network RIP - some hardware RIP provides a computer card, which can be placed in a digital press. This reduces the amount of hardware that must purchase and store horizontal space. However, network RIP can only support one output device and they are difficult to upgrade.

4. Page description language support - Although Postscript is the most extensive page description language in a production environment, you can use application software to generate other file types, such as PDF, TIFF, or other proprietary formats. Make sure that the selected RIP can support all file types required by the application software.

5. Press Support - Although specific companies require specialized RIPs, companies and print-for-pay companies should look for RIPs that can support multiple presses. Such RIPs are ideally suited for complex environments—for example, those that use color copiers and large format printers. In addition, by using one RIP to support multiple printers, the cost of RIP will be spread across multiple needs.

RIP's Function Once it is decided which RIP meets the needs of the structure, the next step is to ensure that it has the required functionality. Here are some points to keep in mind:

1. Speed ​​is the key to companies and fast printing companies. Although the overall speed of the RIP depends on the computer hardware and software, some factors, such as the use of color and resolution, also affect the speed with which an independent job can be handled. Evaluate the speed of a RIP, use examples that represent typical and complex applications, and track the entire process. How long does it take to print a RIP file? How long does it take to print multiple copies? and many more.

2. Color Conversion - The image produced by the scanner is displayed on the computer monitor in the RGB color space and then printed out on the CMYK page. At some point in the production process, these images must be converted from RGB to CMYK format. If the workflow requires RIP to do this conversion, check its functionality. For precise colors, RIP must provide a user interface that allows specialized operations to adjust the color conversion process based on image type and expected output.

3. The color management system allows different types of equipment to be characterized and corrected so that the printed color is as close as possible to the desired color. In order to support color management, RIP should accept industry standard profiles and color compensation libraries. The RIP should also allow the user to adjust the tone curve for each color, and ideally, allow the curve to be adjusted after the file is RIPed. This allows the user to be able to control the final output without returning to the production process.

4. Storage Performance - Because RIP is the last step before printing, and because the imaging process is very time consuming, the ability to save a RIP file is very important. If the printer is stuck or the document must be reprinted, reprinting the RIP file is the fastest method. RIP must have a large hard disk to store RIP files and an interface that allows users to quickly select and reprint RIP files.

5. Calculations and Reports - In local and large-scale networks, color devices are storable for a large number of users, and RIP functions as a control point. It can record every file received and keep track of the number of accessories and page generation. Stronger computing features allow network administrators or printing company managers to respond based on department or value center usage and respond accordingly.

Fees A RIP can cost 50-100% of the total cost of a digital printer. Because it determines the scope of application, a good RIP is worth investing.

Remember that now RIP technology updates itself every 9 to 12 months, so the best bet is to plan ahead. In terms of experience, buying a RIP not only meets the needs of the current function, but also meets at least the needs of the next nine months. Or, if you can procrastinate, you will find that a product has come down in price for a year or so and it is more able to meet the needs.

The trend worth noting At present, there are more vendors that produce software RIP than hardware RIP. One of the main reasons behind this is that software RIP can take advantage of changes in the computer market—such as Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Apple Computer—more quickly than hardware RIP. That's what you should consider when choosing a RIP that fits your environment.