PUBLICATION CENTER

A: The short answer to this month’s question is “yes”. But do you need a RIP? The short answer here is, “It depends.” The problem with providing a blanket answer in the first place is simply that just as every photographer is different, so is each photographer’s workflow and output needs.

That said, it’s probably best to begin with the bad news about a RIP; then we’ll hit the high points. First, the initial investment is relatively high. Second, the learning curve can be steep.

If you’re just starting with a new printer it’s not a bad idea to learn all the ins and outs of the printer and its driver before launching into a RIP software. With new generations appearing on the scene, such as the latest offerings from Epson and Canon, the drivers are more sophisticated and offer more functionality.

Once you’re comfortable with the printer, and you understand the driver’s color-management and workflow strengths and weaknesses, analyze your workflow and the image fidelity you’re hoping to hit.

If you print infrequently with limited media, and you’re getting what you need out of the final output, a RIP may not be necessary. Plus, as mentioned, once you know your printer and what its driver can and cannot do, the more likely you’ll be able to gauge where potential process problems lie in the workflow and whether or not RIP functionality will correct those problems.

The most important criteria to consider when evaluating whether or not to buy a RIP, beyond price and learning curve, is how much you’re printing, how crucial color management and control is from monitor to output, plus how many different types of media you typically use.

However, even if you don’t print very often, but color gamut and tonal accuracy has to be dead on, a RIP is an invaluable tool.

A RIP typically offers a wider color gamut, more consistency between prints across different media, more detail in shadows and highlights, neutrality in black-and-white (if the driver is unable to), nesting, tiling, templates, visual layout of the job, faster printing (especially with bigger files), the ability to reprint a previous job for the RIP’s job history, and more.

Simply put, a RIP can be invaluable in saving time and material waste, while saving you from color-management headaches. Your best bet is to match the tools and benefits of a RIP with your particular needs and workflow. Contact the vendors and check their checklist against yours.

When you’re researching RIPs, make sure to ask about unique features. For instance, ImagePrint allows you to apply a color profile to the color section and a black-and-white profile to the black-and-white section of a colorized black-and-white photo. It also allows split tone black-and-whites, where you can apply one tone to a shadow area, and another to a highlight area.

Here’s a list of some popular RIPs for digital photographers:

ImagePrint by ColorByte

Available at LexJet

Onyx

Available at LexJet

Wasatch SoftRIP

Available at LexJet

ColorBurst Systems

44710 Cape Court #142
Ashburn, VA 20147

703-723-8580

cse@colorburstrip.com

www.colorburstrip.com

ErgoSoft US LLC
34 Technology Way
Nashua NH 03060, USA

603-882-0248

info@ergosoftus.com

www.ergosoftus.com

Analyze your current printing, and what you expect and want to do in the future. Then, give your LexJet account specialist a call for further help and direction.