New Features in HELIOS PrintPreview UB

Compatibility

Many PostScript and rendering compatibility enhancements to ensure highest compatibility with applications.

In-RIP separation

In-RIP separation support including DeviceN. In-RIP compatible composite print jobs will be processed and rendered into separation bitmap previews, which are specified by the in-RIP separation parameters. These separations are then recombined into a color bitmap preview utilizing the Print Preview queue. All In-RIP separation features are supported, including spot colors, DeviceN separations, separation order and names.

“psrip” tool

Command line PostScript RIP application to output a continuous tone raw bitmap format (8-bit per colorant) or (together with ImageServer), to any supported ImageServer file format, e.g. TIFF, JPEG, PNG, JPEG2000. The “psrip” tool is ideal for bitmap preview generation or RIP compatibility and performance checks, for PostScript and vector EPSF files. Together with ImageServer UB, it can also be used to convert PostScript and vector EPSF files to bitmap file formats.
 
Supported output color spaces are Grayscale, RGB, CMYK, Spot and DeviceN. The output resolution, or x/y pixel size, can be specified. Optional antialias bitmap smoothing is supported.
 
For composite print jobs a composite preview will be generated. In-RIP separations or host based separations are rendered into separate preview files for each separation plate.
 
The emulating PostScript level, as well as version and serial number can be specified to ensure best compatibility. Additional PostScript 3 and Type 1 fonts can be installed on the server to be used for rendering.
 
Output of multi-channel PSD & TIFF files: In-RIP separated output is written into one multi-channel image file. Thus, a pixel preview of process and spot colors within the print job is easily available by opening the rastered image with Photoshop.

Enhanced overprint support

Full overprint mode (PostScript Version 3015.102) and black overprint support for both host-based and in-RIP separation.

Altona test suite

The Application Kit consists of a set of PDF files, specially designed for testing digital output devices. See http://www.eci.org/doku.php?id=en:projects:ats for details.
 
Testings with PrintPreview showed that HELIOS is compatible with the Altona test suite.
 
This is the output of a separated printing of “Altona_Visual_1v2a_x3.pdf” via PDF HandShake to a PrintPreview queue
 
The results of this test depend on the used output setup:
  • Separations
    • Overprinting is OK
    • Different color spaces (e.g. CMYK, CalRGB) converted so that the visual output is equal 
  • Composite
    • Overprinting is OK
    • Color spaces are not converted so that there are differences between CMYK and CalRGB 
  • In-RIP separation without output profile (PostScript color matching is done in the RIP)
    • Overprinting is OK
    • Color spaces are converted by the RIP so that there are differences between CMYK and CalRGB 
  • In-RIP separation with output profile (PostScript color matching is done by HELIOS)
    • Overprinting (overprint mode) not available
    • Color spaces are converted by HELIOS so that different color spaces (e.g. CMYK, CalRGB) gives equal visual output

UB