Software - RIP Software

Shiraz Software has announced a new generation of its RIP Server, Signature and Focus solutions which will allow users easier management of an unparalleled range of functions designed to streamline production and improve revenue. Fronted by a sleek, accessible Dashboard, the Shiraz V8 release has focused on creating an unbeatable, accessible user experience for wide-format printers.

A full-scale rebuild of the underlying architecture sees the entire Shiraz range updated with faster and smarter RIP functionality, as well as an enhanced customer service module with sophisticated remote access and extended support for machines from several manufacturers. With native support for the latest Windows 7 and Mac OS X Lion operating systems, Shiraz V8 includes a Live Update facility which checks automatically for software upgrades, new media profiles and performance-enhancing tweaks, installing them with minimal interferences to the software's operation.

The new Dashboard facility in Shiraz V8 makes switching between frequently-used components a matter of seconds, not minutes spent loading different modules. This extremely intuitive interface enables novice users to learn control of their print environment quickly without compromising on the extended functionality expected of Shiraz by advanced operators. Meanwhile, across all versions of the new Shiraz programs, the powerful new RIP Buffering and Hyper RIP features deliver multi-threading in the print queue, allowing multiple jobs to RIP and print while others RIP ahead ready for immediate print, thereby increasing production efficiency.

Shiraz Server V8, Shiraz's complete solution for RIP workflow management for environments with multiple users and devices, sets new standards in speed, stability and ease-of-use, reducing management and processing times and improving throughput and accuracy. Server V8 now includes a HPGL/2 engine to support rendering and printing of vector and raster files. Developed especially for use in design, graphic arts, engineering, architecture and GIS mapping environments, the new HPGL/2 engine allows for large-format printing without the need for costly specialist solutions for individual applications.

For smaller wide-format facilities which nevertheless require a top-flight RIP solution, Shiraz Signature V8 promises a number of significant improvements, whilst retaining the powerful RIP capabilities that have made it Shiraz's leading production option. Alongside the redesigned user interface, it incorporates new developments in image management for smarter printing. Signature V8 is now available in single-user Solo or multi-user Server editions.

The faster, more instinctive user interface of Shiraz Focus V4 (also available in Solo or Server editions), for fine art and photographic output, offers a host of innovative features for printing even complex gallery wraps with ease. Users now have the ability to split and visualise an image over any number of rows and columns for complex, triptych-style presentation ideas, and can also use the unique Ruby Gallery Wrap feature to arrange images for canvas wraps in an eye-catching diamond formation.

Also included in V8 release are the latest printer drivers for all the leading manufacturers such as HP Latex L26500 & L28500, Epson R3000, Seiko H2 series, Mutoh ValueJet 1324/1624 and Mimaki UJF3042, as well as many others.

"Many of the improvements we have made across the whole Shiraz V8 suite came from talking to our customers and finding out what they wanted, taking into account the work they are producing and working out how we can make it easier for them," says Ramin Shahbazi, business development director, Shiraz Software.  "That's how we know that Focus V4 and Signature and Server V8 are offering what users really need: a clean, intuitive and fast interface with the powerful underlying architecture which delivers perfect prints every time."

The next generation of Shiraz's RIP solution suite will be commercially available in January 2012.

For more information, please visit www.shiraz-software.com

Tech8, the technical support and spares provider for the wide format printing industry, has today announced the availability of Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9.  The new version includes major improvements to the speed of processing large queues and useful new features for dye sublimation transfer and inkjet film separations.

As well as the improvements detailed above, Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9 now offers a new Output column in the Print Queue for keeping track of how many copies of a job have been printed; enhancements to the barcode-driven print-and-cut workflow; the option for users to mirror and rotate their images directly in the Print Setup screen; and the ability to add centre register marks.

Justin Atkinson, business development manager at Tech8, comments, “This latest version of SoftRIP provides a drastic increase in speed for users who maintain a lot of entries in their RIP and Print Queues. For users with a few hundred such entries, many operations are two to five times faster and some operations are a hundred times faster.”

He adds, “Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9 also allows users to utilise the barcode system of their roll cutter to automate their print-and-cut production process.  This innovative feature allows for a whole roll of media to be cut with minimal user intervention – thereby saving time and money and improving workflow.”

The new Output column in the Print Queue keeps track of how many copies of a job have been printed. The Output column is updated when physical output of a copy is completed. If multiple copies are output via a layout, the column is updated each time a copy is completed so that if a layout is interrupted, users have an indication of what was printed and what remains to be finished.

The Output column can also be viewed through Wasatch ImageNET. By configuring this through a server proxy, users can check the status of all their output from anywhere they have access to the Internet.

The Mirror option has been added to the Print Setup screen in Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9. This addresses common issues facing users in the dye sublimation market. With this type of printing, the image must be printed as a mirror image so it will be correct after the additional mirroring that results from the transfer process.

Since the printer has to be configured for transfer materials in the first place, the ideal time to select the Mirror option is in the Print Setup window so the user doesn't have to worry about selecting this option later in the printing process and the user sees the finished work and not the transfer step. After selecting the Mirror option in the Print Setup screen, the user doesn't have to keep selecting this option in the Job screen, which helps reduce errors and minimises waste of expensive consumables.

Users also now have the ability to select the Rotation 180 option directly in the Print Setup window. This option prints jobs upside down relative to the preview on the Job screen. This enables users to print output the right side up which is ideal for users who are displaying at trade shows or on showroom floors.

Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9 allows users to add centre register marks to their print jobs. These marks are useful when stripping inkjet separation films on a light table and for other hand registration issues.

Pricing and availability

Wasatch SoftRIP Version 6.9 is available immediately from Tech8 with free upgrades available for customers who have bought the previous version of SoftRIP within the last 6 months.  For more information, please visit www.tech8.eu 

Inca Digital Printers announces the immediate availability of the Caldera GrandRIP+ for use with its range of UV wide-format, flat-bed printers, including the Inca Spyder and Onset ranges as well as older Inca products such as the Turbo.

The Caldera GrandRIP+ is a fast, flexible and powerful production workflow exclusively designed to drive wide and extra-wide format printers and print-to-cut equipment. It supports the latest advances in colour management, spot colour matching, screening techniques and a host of finishing-orientated features such as tiling, nesting, eyelet positioning and the addition of stitching and folding marks.

“We continually evaluate and approve a variety of software solutions in order to give Inca users’ maximum choice and the flexibility to optimise the performance of their Inca printers,” says Heather Kendle, Inca sales and marketing director. “Caldera has a strong and established reputation as a RIP supplier to the wide-format sector and one of the decision factors was the ability to run the software on a Mac or Linux operating system. We have worked closely with them to develop drivers specifically for our range of Inca printers in order to ensure the seamless compatibility, reliability and maximum productivity that Inca customers expect.”

“Inca is a leading wide-format manufacturer and we are very pleased that they recognise the power of our production solutions,” says Valery de March, Caldera OEM director. “GrandRIP+, featuring our unique APPE (Adobe PDF Print Engine) implementation in a wide format production RIP, is now fully operational and optimised for every Inca printer model to provide significant productivity and quality benefits.”

The Caldera GrandRIP+ supports a wide range of input file formats including PostScript and PDF, in addition to standard image file formats. Support for ICC profiles together with sophisticated pre-flight and preview of jobs enables accurate ‘no surprises’ printing, including automatic detection and simulation of spot colours based on media profiles. Advanced layout, tiling, step-and-repeat and nesting features optimise output of very large, mixed or repeating jobs while minimising processing time and use of ink and media. For sign-making applications these features, enable rapid and efficient assembly and installation.

In addition to the Caldera GrandRIP+ the Inca portfolio of RIP solutions also includes the Wasatch SoftRIP and ColorGATE PRODUCTIONSERVER6 RIP. For more details about the Inca-compatible RIPs designed to meet a variety of budgets and production requirements, and the regional suppliers of these RIPs, please contact the Inca Applications Team or visit www.incadigital.com.

Graphic Printing Technologies (GPT) has added the Wasatch SoftRIP to its portfolio of software solutions. As an authorised Wasatch Reseller, GPT can now supply, install and fully support the Wasatch SoftRIP range.
 
GPT is also an authorised reseller for Agfa’s range of Anapurna printers, which ship as standard with the Wasatch RIP.  Stuart Cole, General Manager of GPT, comments, “Becoming a reseller for Wasatch makes great sense for us and our customers. We can deliver full support, not just for our Agfa customers, but also for companies using Wasatch on other machines.  New and existing Wasatch customers can benefit from GPT’s extensive experience in technical support and profiling. We can provide a level of customer-focused service that they haven’t really enjoyed in the past.”
 
Wasatch SoftRIP offers simple setup, intuitive workflow and powerful print controls, to help print production companies save time and money while producing excellent quality colour. The software provides a combination of easy operation and sophisticated features that are suitable for new users as well as more experienced printing professionals.
 
Stuart Cole concludes, “We now have a broad range of RIP software that we can offer our customers. This means we can always give them the best solution based on our detailed analysis of their requirements. Wasatch offers a great value product that is both easy to use and very powerful. It fits very well into our product portfolio and strengthens GPT’s overall position as one of the UK’s most comprehensive solution providers to the wide format print market.”

Wasatch has released a powerful new print-and-cut workflow feature for its SoftRIP Contour Cutting Option add-on.  Available for select Summagraphics and Mutoh models, the new workflow allows users to utilise the barcode system of their roll cutter to automate their print-and-cut production process. This workflow saves user time and helps to eliminate costly user errors.

With this workflow, each job, whether it is a single image, a complex layout, or a whole roll of jobs, is printed by SoftRIP with a unique barcode. This barcode corresponds to the cut path that is defined in the print job.

Once the cutter reads the printed barcode, the barcode is sent to SoftRIP and the corresponding cut job is sent to the cutter. After the cutter cuts the contour path, it scans for the next barcode and repeats the process. This innovative feature allows for a whole roll of media to be cut with minimal user intervention.

Increase Productivity

This dynamic print-and-cut workflow allows users to boost productivity because they can quickly load a printed roll and let their cutter's barcode function take over.

By removing steps from their existing print-and-cut production process, SoftRIP helps users save time and resources, making this workflow a less expensive and more functional solution than a traditional print-and-cut method. And, since SoftRIP provides unparalleled support for the industry's most popular printers, users can seamlessly integrate their existing printers into this simplified workflow.

Automate Your Print-and-Cut Workflow

Because the cutter reads the barcodes and processes the contour cut paths automatically, there is no need for users to manually scan barcodes or search the RIP for the correct contour cut path.

The roll can even be mounted on the cutter backwards, directly from the printer, and the barcode recognition system will ensure the cut paths are properly flipped. This allows users to automate their print-and-cut workflow, increase production, and minimise mistakes.

Further information on Wasatch SoftRIP RIP software is available from Distributor Tech8

 

Tech8 has announced that the Wasatch SoftRIP HP Exclusive Edition now includes support for the HP DesignJet L25500 latex printer free of charge.  This latest edition of SoftRIP is fully-certified for the L25500 printer under HP’s RIP Certification programme.  Certification is only awarded to products that have undergone rigorous testing by HP and met the necessary performance requirements.

The fully-featured SoftRIP solution also includes support for older HP printers at no extra cost.  Other features include RIP-while-print, Cost Estimator, the Wasatch Tracer, unmatched image quality (with 16-bit rendering) and much more.

One happy customer is US-based Global Imaging.  According to Josh Marten, West Coast Territory Manager, “Our installs Wasatch have been with HP DesignJet L25500 printers in multiple Alphagraphics sites throughout the country and with Agfa Anapurna printers that we've placed in several independent shops.  Wasatch SoftRIP is extremely easy to use and is designed to cater to all markets - from entry level to the more experienced.”

Tech8, the technical support and spares provider for the wide format printing industry, is authorised to supply and support Wasatch SoftRIP products globally.  Justin Atkinson, Business Development Manager at Tech8, comments, “The new Wasatch version with inclusive support for HP latex printers offers users a powerful and cost-effective way to drive up to four HP DesignJet printers with a single RIP.” 

Wasatch SoftRIP HP Exclusive Edition is available immediately from Tech8 at a cost of £1100.  Please visit www.tech8ripsoftware.com for more information.