Automated Prepress Solutions

Workflow ESP • Direct to Plate • Harlequin RIPs • ROOM Workflows • Post-RIP Imposition • Dynamic Job Routing

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Fusion RIP

The Fusion RIP for Mac OS X and Linux delivers outstanding performance, reliability, flexibility -- not to mention excellent color reproduction quality -- through a comprehensive Graphical User Interface (GUI). Based on Global Graphics' Harlequin RIP, it offers an expansive feature set that includes enhanced font support and the ability to handle a wide range of file formats.

Modular by design, the Fusion RIP features an impressive line-up of advanced layered options (plugins) all designed to to enhance the quality and performance of your prepress system. In addition to the Fusion DigiPage ROOM workflow plugin and the Fusion FTIFF Workflow accelerator, options include those for Precision Screening, Dispersed (Stochastic) Screening, Micro Screening, Automated In-RIP Trapping, CIP3, TIFF/IT-P1, Color Management, and a broad range of proofer drivers and imagesetter and CtP hardware interfaces.

The Fusion RIP is fully compatible with the PostScript Language Level 3 specification and the JDF 1.2 specification. (For more informtion about JDF, see CIP4 Organization

See our Documentation page for Users Manuals, Release Notes, and Quick Start Guides of our various products and plugins. See a remote demonstration of this solution.

Release 7.2 Key Features

Mac OS X: Enhancement. Mac Intel Support (OS X), Universal Binary.
Mac OS X: Enhancement. Support for Print Production Manager version 1.2 (OS X).
Linux: Enhancement. Support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES version 3.0 (Linux).

For more information, see the Fusion RIP Version 7.2 Release Notes document.

Release 7.1 Key Features

All Platforms: Enhancement. PDF 1.6 support.
Mac OS X: Enhancement. Native support for Mac OS X Version 1.4 (Tiger).
All Platforms: Enhancement. Support for four-page imposition schemes, in addition to the previously released two-up support. Simple In-RIP imposition (for example, as provided by Simple Imposition version 2.0) provides an easy-to-use and automatic imposition feature that is selected from within the RIP and which enables increased productivity and efficiency on the part of users. The in-RIP imposition is aimed at meeting the needs of simple imposition environments but the tiling, scaling and step and repeat options within the in-RIP imposition option will also ensure fast and high-quality results in wide-format printing and flexography work. For environments needing more sophisticated imposition layout capabilities, the Version 7.1 RIP continues to provide interoperability with dedicated imposition applications. Included is Version 2.0 of Global Graphics' JDF Enabler, which is designed to be compliant with the published JDF 1.2 specification and with level 2 of CIP4's Base Interoperability Conformance Specification (ICS). This continued JDF development is aimed at the needs of customers looking to improve efficiency by enhancing or adopting JDF workflows.
Mac OS X: Enhancement. Print Production Manager (PPM) support.
All Platforms: Enhancement. Significant performance improvements in several areas, including: Flate stream interpretation (most PDF jobs contain streams compressed by Flate); Color management; Rotated images; Transparent patterns; Non-color managed RGB images sent to CMYK output
All Platforms: Enhancement. New version of Harlequin License Server (HLS), version 3.6.1.

For more information, see the Fusion RIP Version 7.1 Release Notes document.

Version 7.0 Key Features

All Platforms: Enhancement. PDF 1.5, PDF/X-1a:2003, and PDF/X-3:2003 Support. In addition to handling all popular file formats, the new RIP provides full support for PDF 1.5. In line with Global Graphics' committment to open standards, we are one of the first RIP vendors to offer support for PDF/X-1a:2003 and PDF/X-3:2003.
All Platforms: Enhancement. Native PDF Processing. The Version 7.0 RIP can now process PDF files natively, that is to say, without needing to convert first to PostScript®. The result is a faster and more accurate rendering.
All Platforms: Enhancement. Font Emulation. Version 7.0 introduces sophisticated font emulation for time critical applications, such as Print on Demand (digital production print), newspapers, magazines, jobs where artwork or advertising is supplied independently of the paying customer, and other applications where output must leave on time. This revolutionary font emulation capability will make a typographically acceptable match to missing fonts with no text overflow and with appropriate character spacing, weight and width.
All Platforms: Enhancement. Simple In-RIP Imposition. For environments requiring only simple imposition the 7.0 release introduces an easy-to-use and automatic imposition feature that is selected within the RIP's page setup. It is designed for RIP users who do not require complex imposition, and is initially targeted at two-up conventional printing (mainly but not exclusively CTP for offset litho) and the digital print market.
All Platforms: Enhancement. Improved Color Management. Version 7.0 introduces greatly improved color rendition in overprinting regions and blending. Color management can be applied at the end of the process, after composition, for greater fidelity.
All Platforms: Enhancement. JDF 1.2 Support. Version 2.0 of Global Graphics' JDF Enabler for the Harlequin RIP is designed to be compliant with the published JDF 1.2 specification and with level 2 of CIP4's Base Interoperability Conformance Specification. Global Graphics JDF development continues to be focused on meeting the needs of both large customers with formal JDF workflow requirements and those that are looking to improve efficiency by adopting ad-hoc JDF workflows.

The JDF Enabler Version 2.0 now allows for the handling of TIFF files either as an input file format in its own right or as a reference file format within JDF to support TIFF shooter workflows. TIFF split workflows are supported where the bulk of the processing overhead for a job takes place on a separate machine to that feeding the final output device.

Release 6.4.1 Key Features

All Platforms: Selectable Separations. Separations can be output to any PostScript language printing system, even low-end monochrome devices, or soft proofed on screen.
All Platforms: Extra Grey Levels. More than 4000 shades of gray can be selected for maximum quality at almost any resolutions.
All Platforms: Compressed Fonts Support. Compressed fonts save space and downloading time.
All Platforms: Improved RGB to CMYK In-RIP Conversion.
All Platforms: N-Color and Gray ICC Profiles Support.
All Platforms: Improved Product Installer.
All Platforms: Recombine of Pre-Separated Files. This version of the RIP has the ability to recombine pre-separated files, including CMYK and spot color, into a composite file for output to color proofers.

Release 6.4.0 Key Features

Platform-Independent Screen Cache Format. This version of the RIP now supports a platform-independent screen cache format.
LZW Compression Support. Added support for LZW compressed images with more than 4 samples per pixel.
OverPrint Specifications Compliancy. Changed Overprint Process to match specifications
Improved Recombine and Color Management Performance. This version of the RIP has improved performance when recombining images & using color management.
Improved TrueType Font Support. A fix for badly formed TrueType fonts has been implemented.
Improved QuarkXPress 5 & 6 Blend Handling. Blends produced by Quark 5 & 6 are now subject to replacement with shaded fills when the 'Replace XPress graduated fills with smooth shading' Quark extra option is selected.
Improved ICC Profile Handling Support. Correct handling of ICC profiles with carriage returns and new lines in the copyright field when generating color-spaces and CRDs, and with special characters in the file name.
Corrected the color management of DeviceN colorspaces that include both process and spot colors where the process colors are not in the usual order.
Fixed a memory leak which could happen when a PDF job which is invoked using pdfopen and pdfexecid (as opposed to pdfexec) does not run to completion and a corresponding pdfclose call is not made.
File name length on distributions is limited to 31 characters.
Recombines DCS2 files correctly now.
The instructions in the FontSubstitution file have been clarified to cover the case of hex encoded font names in PDF files and how to substitute them correctly.
The "Value out of range..." message in the Calibration Manager is now fixed when saving a new calset.
Fixed an application error which occurs when using recombine on a preseparated files.
Added TIFF-Media Width and TIFF-Media Height fields to the Media Savings dialog.
Problems where a PDF file renders text in the wrong font in SP2 has been corrected.

Release 6.3.0 Key Features

Improved Migrate Utility. The Migrate Utility has been enhanced to preserve RIP settings (such as Color Management, trap settings, page setups and so on) from prior RIP versions. Prior to this, the settings had to be reset in the new RIP manually.
Improved Recombine Feature. Recombine Version 2, which is included in this version of the Fusion RIP, supports the recombine of patterns which previously resulted in a rangecheck error. Other complex objects, such as free-form vignettes, are now recombined where previously incorrect output may have resulted if one or more separations were converted to process.
Improved Rendering of Low-Resolution Fonts. Version 6.3.0 has improved rendering of low resolution fonts.
Enfocus Preflight Checking of PDF Files.
Additional Media Savings Options. The following options are added to the Media Saving section: a) Switch Roam Color to Black. b) Name Flat after and Tracking of media width to aid automatic cassette selection.
RIP executables are supplied with associated shared library files.
The addition of a control for the handling of features found in jobs from Adobe InDesign.
New options provided under Delete on error and a new Suppress on Startup option in the Spool Folder Configuration dialog box.
Extra information on PDF/X standards is provided in the Printing PDF files section.
Addition of a control strip.

Changes to Layered Options with Release 6.3.0 of the RIP

Simplified Printer Setup. When HP DesignJet and Epson StylusPro plugins are used on Mac OS X versions of the RIP, a pull-down menu is available that lists all the printers in the /etc/printcap file. This simplifies setup/configuration of the RIP.
Monochrome Separations Support for Composite Printing. The HP DesignJet and Epson StylusPro plugins now support monochrome separations from composite printing.

Release 6.1 Key Features

AppleTalk Input. This version of the RIP includes an implementation of AppleTalk input for Mac OS X.
Relocation of the MediaSaving directory.
The addition of the Minimum shaded fill levels option.

Version 6.0 Key Features

PDF 1.4, PDF/X-1:1999, PDF/X-1a:2001, and PDF/X-3:2002 Support. Version 6.0 has full compatibility with applications that generate PDF 1.4 files, including support for Transparency, Referenced PDF, JBIG2, 128-bit encryption, and output intents. Because of this support, the InFlight checker has been removed.
Fusion ColorPro™ with new enhanced user interface.
Support for N-color and Gray Profile ICC profiles
Press/Proof simulation added to color products (RGB proofing workflow).
Black threshold parameter added to custom rendering intent GUI.
ProofReady Plugin support on Mac OS X for plug-n-play accurate color.
Fusion 1-bit and 2-bit Error Diffusion Screening plugins for high quality ink-jet printing.
SetGold™ v1.2 and SetGoldPro™ on OS X only.
TrapPro™ high quality automated in-RIP trapping.
Trap Zone support for PDF files.
Support for Palette color (Index Color) TIFF files.
Enhanced Migrate Utility