Harlequin 12 allows simple “VDP” applications like serialised security printing to be carried out in the RIP.
Global Graphics has launched version 12 of its Harlequin RIP software which as well as offering new features for wide-format and envelope printing, is the first “major” PDF RIP for production printing to support the new PDF 2.0 standard.
Used by HP Indigo in the HP Production Pro for Indigo Labels and Packaging as well as by Durst and Roland DG for their wide-format RIPs, the new version of Harlequin supports all the features of the 2017 PDF 2.0 standard that are relevant for production printing. This includes in-RIP barcode generation for a variety of applications from postal coding to QR codes and industrial types.
It also supports dynamic overlays for packaging, labels, envelopes and industrial print in which a simple form of VDP is required to print variable text over a static background image. Improved inkjet quality output, particularly applicable to wide-format print devices, is offered via the inclusion of Advanced Inkjet Screens which compensate for uneven ink coverage effects on particular substrates.
Explaining the need to upgrade to PDF 2.0 support, Global Graphics CTO Martin Bailey said: ‘The safest approach to the adoption of PDF 2.0 for press manufacturers is to ensure that all applications that consume PDF, such as the Digital Front End for your press, are upgraded to support PDF 2.0. Your DFE is the best place to start because if your customer sends files for processing that contain some of the new features in PDF 2.0 they will usually be silently ignored by an older reader, with unexpected results in output.”
