What is RIP and why do you need one?

Computers and printers communicate in different languages and requires translation to a language the printer can understand and execute. RIP or Raster Image Processing is a software that is used in a printing system workflow. RIP is a process for translating an existing file type such as a PDF, postscript, etc., into a file type that the printer can read and understand. This is done using RIP software that produces a raster image also known as a bitmap. Through this process, the file’s contents are mapped to the bits or pixels on the screen and are then translated to the pattern of ink dots seen on the paper. The term ‘raster’ itself refers to the patterning of the image of the file, such as a grid pattern. Once translated or ripped, the printer can finally read the file. 

RIP software is essential to maximize the quality of the image. UV printers enable digital printing on a wide variety of materials in an eco-friendly manner. This makes installing a good RIP software very important. Regardless of what UV printer your enterprise has, RIP software is extremely critical to attaining precise print quality. Using RIP software in UV Printing allows for a white ink layer support, automatic under-base choking (shrinking the size of the white ink layer with regard to the CMYK colour layer), capability to pre-set multiple queues and multi-pass printing, pre-set colour profiles for white, black and coloured substrates, and support of a multi-layer texture printing option for 3D effects. 

Installing a good RIP will enable automatic tiling, scaling, nesting, calculation of cost per print, image placement, job calculation, variable data, and cropping functions. Simplifying the printing process of multiple jobs, thereby reducing waste, RIP allows enterprises to streamline their production and become more cost-effective and efficient. Further, RIP also helps to preserve and maximize colour output and matching across two or more printers of the same model with the same ink type, configuration, and file settings.

4 things to consider 

• Speed
  If you’re an enterprise that deals with digital printing regularly, you want to choose the most efficient and cost-effective RIP software available. Today, customization and personalization are very prominent and printing them requires very high speed and scalability of the RIP software to ensure profitability is enhanced. This requires understanding the data rate i.e., the rate of speed at which you will need to understand the data required to print.
• Contain editor/layout to simplify the job:
  When installing RIP software on a UV Printer, the settings can be set to a neutral default that ensures a precise print each time. This makes using the printer to mass produce easier. A good RIP software makes printing easy and makes sure that the colours look right with every single print. With a job control layout option, the user can monitor and control the print job while printing. 
• Good Colour Management
  A good RIP software that has control over the white ink base generation can save you a lot of money in the long run. Being able to colour profile, although a lengthy process enables the software to be able to provide the best colour output. This software lets you create your own ICC profiles by connecting a Spectrophotometer device, without the need for any additional software. Further, a good RIP software should be able to understand the input of colour mode and print out the same colour, to reduce ink wastage as well as bring down the printing costs marginally without sacrificing the quality of the print. A good RIP software coupled with the right UV Printer allows the prints to be vibrant, precise and colour consistent on various objects.
• Ability to use on multiply printers if you have bigger production centre.
  With RIP software, you can run multiple printers in a print queue simultaneously without any stoppages from the same computer. This linearization of the software also allows you to process, print, and prepare files for each individual printer so you can maximize production smoothly. Using a RIP, you get the ability to calibrate and profile each printer so you can maximize the output capacity and ensure its colour accuracy and consistency between all the connected printers. This becomes super helpful when operating using multiple printers that output the same media with similar colours.

While choosing a printer make sure the RIP is compatible with the printer. To make this process simple for new buyers, Apache has bundled Print Factory RIP with its printers. Print Factory provides a faster RIP for a smarter workflow, their technology supports a large number of drivers and cutters to avoid any issues during the workflow. They provide unlimited RIPs and simultaneous jobs making large work orders extremely efficient. Apache printers provide the best possible printers and bundles to help grow your business in a smart and efficient way. To know more about our printers, click here to get in contact with one of our specialists.