Onyx Graphics White Paper

Maximizing RIP Speed

Last Revised April 1, 2005
PosterShop Version 6.0

Onyx Graphics Tech Support

6915 S. High Tech Drive
Midvale, UT 84047
Phone: 801.984.5353
Toll Free: 800.295.8324
[email protected]
www.onyxgfx.com

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 Maximizing RIP Speed
Many factors influence RIP Speed within Onyx Worfklow products. Following is a list of settings you can
modify and the effects these changes may have:

Options to Increase RIP Speed How These Changes May Affect You
Print Settings Print Settings
Lower Print Resolution – Lowering your print resolu- Lower Print Resolution – Higher resolutions typically
tion (for example, from 1440 dpi to 700 dpi) requires create smoother output and finer detail while lower
fewer calculations and therefore increases RIP speed. resolutions tend to be slightly grainier.

Dot-Pattern – Using a Stochastic dot-pattern (as op- Dot-Pattern – Using a Stochastic dot-pattern can cause
posed to an FDRP or Error Diffusion dot-pattern) some patterning in certain images (although this is very
does not require real-time calculations to determine rare). Using an FDRP or Error Diffusion dot-pattern
dot placement. Again, fewer calculations may increase prevents this by calculating random dot placement
RIP speed. real-time.

Fixed Dot vs. VarDot – Many printers have Variable Fixed Dot vs. VarDot – VarDot printing provides
Dot capability. Using Fixed Dot instead of Variable increased smoothness and saturation in your output.
Dot requires a much simpler calculation and therefore However, this requires a great deal of calculation and
increases RIP speed. can slow RIP speed.

Number of Color Channels – Using light inks or ex- Number of Color Channels – Using light inks reduces
tended gamut colors such as orange or green require peppering in highlight areas and provides a softer
additional calculations to determine the use of green transition from highlights to shadows. Extended gamut
vs. a combination of C and Y vs. a combination of all colors provide a slightly increased gamut.
three.

Virtual Pixels - Using virtual pixels (e.g. 600@1200) Virtual Pixels - Using virtual pixels may raise issues
allows RIP-Queue to process the image at a lower with crisp text or vector components. Most often there
resolution and print with a higher resolution. This can will not be any issues when printing with virtual pixels
significantly lower your RIP time. when working with Raster components.

Image Type Image Type

PostScript File Complexity – More complex files such PostScript File Complexity – Using those files which are
as those containing multiple raster images, multiple simpler in content, such as a single layer with a solid
layers, complex vectors (e.g. maps), drop shadows, fill background, requires significantly fewer calculations
gradients, or transparencies require a greater number to render the file. However, this severely limits the im-
of calculations to render the file. This can increase RIP age design. To make a complex file less complex, you
speed significantly. can flatten the image (merge the layers); however, this
may introduce other issues.

General Settings General Settings

Web Portal (Enable HTTP Access) – Disabling this Web Portal (Enable HTTP Access) – Enabling this op-
option within the General Settings dialog allows RIP- tion allows you to send prints to RIP-Queue without
Queue to utilize system resources which otherwise are having to physically sit at the RIP-Queue machine.
tasked to additional processes. Disabling this option will prevent you from printing
through the Web Portal.

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 Options to Increase RIP Speed How These Changes May Affect You
Quick Set Settings Quick Set Settings
Color Matching Table – Turning off the color matching Color Matching Table – The color matching table al-
table prevents the product from comparing all colors in lows you to utilize a specific L*a*b* “formula” to obtain
an image against each color listed in the table. Thereby the closest match your printer is capable of hitting to a
reducing the amount of time it takes to RIP the image. spot color.

Make Copy of Image – Turning off this option allows Make Copy of Image – Turning off this option removes
the system to forego making a copy of the original im- a safety-net and requires that you manually backup the
age to store with the job files. As this happens just prior original image.
to RIP time, it doesn’t effectively reduce RIP time, but
reduces the time it takes for an image to go from open
to print.

Halftone Settings – Custom halftone screen settings Halftone Settings – If you wish to simulate screen dot
increases the number of calculations required to RIP patterns, this option is necessary to do that. Turning
the image. this off will prevent the screen simulation.

Color Correction (Filters) – Reducing the number of Color Correction (Filters) – Reducing or removing
color corrections applied to your image (via filters) all color corrections can prevent you from achieving
reduces the number of calculations required to modify the desired final output of the image. To maintain rip
the pixels in the original image, thereby reducing RIP speed and reduce the need for filters, apply color cor-
time. rections in the design application.

Compositing Separation Files – By processing your Compositing Separation Files – Compositing separa-
image as a whole (not as separations), you remove the tion files (putting separations back together) requires
need to composite these separations and process in two-stage processing (first-stage composite; second-
two-stages. This significantly increases RIP speed. This stage dot pattern, color correction, etc.). Compositing
is the only workflow in which two-stage processing separation files is typically used for press proofing and
should be used. should not be used in a typical workflow situation.
An alternative is not to compile the separations and to
process the separations as a multi-page document.

Separation Files (as a multi-page doc) – Processing Separation Files (as a multi-page document) – Process-
your image as a whole (not as separations) removes the ing separation files without compositing removes the
need to create a multi-page document and therefore need for two-stage processing, but requires that the im-
increases RIP speed. age be processed as a multi-page document. This is the
only alternative if you must use a separation file and do
not wish to composite it.

Two-Stage Processing – This option is not to be used Two Stage Processing – There is no benefit to using
unless you are compositing a separation file. Disabling this option and it is not recommended unless you are
this option removes the need for the RIP to process the compositing a separation file.
image twice and significantly increases RIP speed.

Anti-Aliasing –Turning off this option reduces the Anti-Aliasing – This option is designed to help re-
number of calculations RIP-Queue must perform to duce pixelization in some vector components (e.g.
resample the image. Therefore, your RIP speed in- text) when printing to a contone device at a very low
creases. resolution. Disabling this option may decrease output
quality.

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 Options to Increase RIP Speed How These Changes May Affect You
Interpolation – Disabling this option prevents the soft- Interpolation – Interpolation is typically used to in-
ware from trying to calculate a possible “neighbor” for crease the size of a very low resolution image beyond
each pixel to give the appearance of increased resolu- its normal limits (e.g. printing a 72 dpi image at 3x
tion. Removing this calculation greatly increases RIP magnification). Disabling this option may cause output
speed. problems is if you are attempting to print an extremely
low resolution image at greater than 1x magnification.

Cut Contour - This option should only be used when Cut Contour - Disabling this option will prevent you
creating a cut file for use with a cutting device. If you from creating a cut file for use with a cutting device.
are not creating a cut file, disabling this option reduces The more complex the cut paths in the image file, the
the number of calculations required for RIP-Queue more calculations RIP-Queue must perform and the
to process the image, and therefore increases your RIP longer it will take to RIP the image.
speed.

PostScript RIP Options PostScript RIP Options

Bandhome Location – Specifying the Bandhome loca- Bandhome Location – This may require the purchase of
tion and providing a large, empty hard drive allows additional hardware. There are no other drawbacks to
RIP-Queue to utilize the space and the read/write this configuration.
heads for temporary postscript processing. This pre-
vents competition with OS and other processes.

CCADL (Color Correction After Display List) – Dis- CCADL (Color Correction After Display List) – This
abling this option allows PosterShop to do all color option may be necessary to correctly RIP certain Post-
correction while interpreting a PostScript file. This Script or PDF effects (such as transparencies or drop-
removes the need for another step in the rendering shadows).
phase, thereby increasing RIP speed.

VM Size – This option is used to dedicate memory to VM Size - You may go as high as 256000000 (256 Mb)
the RIP process. The optimal setting for this option is but the RIP does not take advantage of the additional
128000000 (128 Mb). 128 Mb. There are no known drawbacks to setting
your VM size to this value.

Optimal System Settings Optimal System Settings

Hard Drive Hardware – Using a faster hard drive - such Hard Drive Hardware – This may require the purchase
as SATA or SCSI – provides optimum I/O to the drive of additional hardware. There are no other drawbacks
and allows RIP-Queue to utilize the maximum hard to this setup.
drive potential

Hard Drive Space – RIP-Queue requires a large Hard Drive Space - If you have less than 200 Mb of
amount of drive space for processing postscript files; free space on your Bandhome (scratch) drive, the rip
therefore, you should keep a minimum of 10 + gig free will slow down as it removes old jobs to make room for
on the Bandhome drive. This ensures a greater RIP new. This may require the purchase of an additional
speed as the program does not need to use processor hard drive.
time to make room for new jobs.

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 Options to Increase RIP Speed How These Changes May Affect You
Optimal Drive Settings – Configuring separate hard Optimal Drive Settings – Having separate hard drives
drives (never partitions) as follows allows the Onyx may require the purchase of additional hardware. There
Workflow product to utilize the maximum potential are no other drawbacks to this setup.
your computer can provide: C: O/S and ONYX; D:
scratch drive (system temp variables, and postscript
Bandhome); E: Printer #1 input / work folder (job
file storage and work area); F: Printer #2 input/ work
folder (job file storage and work area).

RAM – Maintaining a minimum of 1 gig of RAM per RAM – This may require the purchase of additional
CPU provides the optimal amount of memory for the hardware. There are no other drawbacks to this setup.
RIP process, thereby ensuring top RIP speed.

CPU Speed – Because Ripping is a linear process, you CPU Speed – This may require the purchase of addi-
will notice a marked improvement in RIP speed if you tional hardware. There are no other drawbacks to this
use a high speed processor. It is recommended to have setup.
the highest speed processors available.

Dual Processors – RIP-Queue can take advantage of a Dual Processors – This may require the purchase of
dual-processor machine if it is configured with more additional hardware. There are no other drawbacks to
than one RIP. Dual processors allow you to RIP two this setup.
images at the same time.

Anti-Virus or Firewall Apps – Disabling your anti-virus, Anti-Virus or Firewall Apps – Warning: It is not advisable
firewall, or spy ware application can prevent system to disable security applications as this practice may
resources from being tasked elsewhere. This allows expose your computer to harmful programs.
RIP-Queue to access these resources and therefore
increases RIP speed.
Other Applications – Removing other applications Other Applications – Place additional applications on
(especially resource intensive applications) can allow a separate computer and access the Onyx Workflow
RIP-Queue to access the necessary resources to RIP product via your network. This may require the pur-
images. chase of additional hardware.