Harlequin RIP Debuts Ground Breaking Features At Drupa

CAMBRIDGE UK—1 April, 2008—The latest version of the Harlequin RIP® – the Harlequin PLUS Server RIP (v.8.0) will be given its international debut at drupa (Hall 7, Stand 7.0D). It brings a new level of functionality and performance to a wide variety of pre-press, digital printing, newspaper and workflow applications: notably the ability to process XPS files natively in addition to native PDF and PostScript processing; even faster processing speeds than its predecessors and a new feature that speeds up variable data processing of PDF files.

The Harlequin PLUS Server RIP was released to Global Graphics’ OEMs last September. It is the first commercially available graphic arts RIP to natively process files in the new XPS print format (XML Paper Specification) available with Windows® Vista™. The XPS format is set to have ramifications for the entire print industry, initially amongst print service providers who already process Microsoft files as well as in-plants and print shops who undertake corporate printing, but ultimately across most segments of the print industry given the ubiquity of the Windows operating system. Native processing of file formats renders files more accurately and speedily because there is no conversion to an intermediary format.

The Harlequin PLUS Server RIP also introduces support for PDF 1.7 and the PDF/X-4 standard as well as JDF 1.3. There is support for the HD Photo format, a new file format for continuous tone still images that surpasses the limitations of existing image formats with superior compression capabilities and extended dynamic range. There is also support for PANTONE® Goe™ and platform support has been extended to include Windows Vista and MAC OS X 10.5 (Leopard).

About XPS
The XPS (XML Paper Specification) Document format is a paginated, fixed-format, representation of electronic documents and is based on XML and the new graphics architecture that Microsoft has developed alongside Windows Vista. As an open, cross-platform document format, XPS allows users to create, share, print and archive documents. When combined with the new print subsystem, its capabilities as a new page description language mean that it will offer significant improvements in fidelity and increased performance in rich graphics content that users increasingly demand. Given the ubiquity of the Windows platform, more and more print vendors are wondering what impact this format will have on their business. Read Global Graphics’ White Paper “Analysis: XPS and the Graph Arts” at www.globalgraphics.com/xps/graphic_arts_wp.pdf