What’s a
RIP and Why is It So Difficult to Print?
Raster Image Processing (Ripping) converts data
provided by a printer driver into the output raster
language supported by the printer. This processing
has typically been handled by onboard hardware or
firmware. For large, complex images (including raster/vector),
this processing is slow and prone to failures and
errors. Printer manufacturers have responded by developing
products with faster processors and larger amounts
of memory. Users experiencing problems are encouraged
to upgrade to the latest printers, often at a cost
of $10,000 - $50,000.
HyperXpress® is
a software-based RIP that moves the final output
processing from a printer’s firmware to a workstation.
By taking advantage of the higher-performance (faster
processor, more memory, large hard drives) of a workstation, HyperXpress is
able to process images in a fraction of the time!
A raster image is nothing more than a series of
dots. On screen, these dots appear to have many colors
- really only Red, Green, and Blue (RGB). When printed,
they must be converted to the correct scale of dots
on the printed media. The screen has one scale of
Dots Per Inch (DPI), while the printer has a different
scale of DPI. When printing an image, the RGB dots
are converted to the lines of dots on the paper.
Printers don’t have RGB inks, they have toners
of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black (CMYK), which
need to be combined to give the illusion of the original
RGB image. Since the user’s image is unordered
and unorganized in the application, some RIPs have
trouble dealing with a large unordered file containing
many overlays. This is why hardware printer RIPs
often run out of memory, or sit and “think” for
a long period of time while processing files.
Hardware RIPs (built into printers and plotters)
and software RIPs have trouble processing large hybrid
files containing image and vector-type data. HyperXpress,
a software RIP package, solves this problem...and
quickly! Most other software RIPs are designed for
the graphic arts and publishing industries and have
limitations with CAD, GIS and scientific data. HyperXpress was
designed specially for the data associated with CAD,
GIS and scientific applications.
|
