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QUESTION: What is "print optimization"?
ANSWER:
The term "print optimization" is often used when discussing
software and printers/RIPs that are
designed specifically for variable-data printing.
It refers to a
paradign that is based on:
- isolating the text & graphics that
will be the same on each document in a print run
from the text & graphics
that will be different on each document in that print run
and
-
allowing the RIP to process the code for the text & graphics
that will be the same on each document ONLY ONCE — as opposed
to forcing the RIP to process that code over and over, once for
each document in the print run.
Why is print optimization important?
To understand why print optimization is important,
you first need to understand that variable-data print jobs are
likely to compose more slowly and print more slowly than non-variable-data print jobs.
To put it another way: we are saying that in most situations,
100 variable-data documents cannot be produced as quickly as
100 exact copies of the same document.
This degradation in production speed is one of the major challenges
faced by printing companies that want to participate in
the variable-data-printing marketplace.
Depending upon the types of documents that you are printing, and depending
upon the printing equipment that you're using, this
can be a mild problem, a moderate problem, or a very severe problem.
In some situations, variable-data print jobs print so slowly
that it might not even be profitable for a printing company to
take on such jobs. If your company is experiencing this problem,
it's probably because you don't have a print-optimized workflow.
The idea behind print optimization is simple: by using print-optimization
technology, you can produc variable-data documents
faster than you could if you were not using print-optimization technology.
How it works
As stated above, the key concept behind print optimization for
variable-data printing is separation of the static text & graphics
from the variable text & graphics.
Typically, the static text & graphics (the text & graphics
that are repeated from document to document) are referred to as the
"master document."
Software that supports print-optimization technology sends the
code for the master document's text & graphics to the printer/RIP
only one time. Along with this code. the software sends to the printer/RIP
other code that instructs the printer/RIP to
store the master document's text & graphics for the duration of the
print run. The software then sends to the printer/RIP the code for
the variable text & graphics on each document, and it also sends to
the printer/RIP instructions that tell the printer/RIP to pull in the
master document's text & graphics each time they are needed
on one of the variable-data documents that's being printed.
The graphic below shows how it all fits together. As you can see, the
master document contains the elements that show on each and every
variable-data document that is printed. Each of the variable-data
documents contains the text & graphics that are on the master document
and also contains text & graphics that rely on the database
record that was used for that particular variable-data document.
The variable-data-printing
application that generated these documents
(PrintShop Mail)
is capable of separating the text & graphics in the master document
from the text & graphics that vary from document to document. Using
any of several supported
print-optimization technologies,
PrintShop Mail can
generate a print stream that contains only one copy of the page-description
code for the text & graphics in the master document; the print stream
also contains code for the variable text and variable graphics in that
document.
Producer and consumer
As variable-data-printing technology has matured, a handful of
companies and organizations have developed various
print-optimization technologies. At the heart of each of these technologies
is the same basic concept:
separate the text & graphics for the master document
from the variable text & graphics, and send the text & graphics
for the master document to the RIP only once.
However, the
way that this is accomplished varies quite a bit among the various print-optimization
technologies — in other words: the code in the print stream
for one particular print-optimization technology can be quite differente than the code
in the print stream for the other print-optimization technologies.
Because of this, all of the
print-optimization technologies
rely on compatibility between the software that is generating the
print stream and the RIP that is receiving that
print stream (that is, the RIP that's attached to the
printer or digital press that is printing the documents).
To put it another way: the RIP that is receiving the print stream must be capable
of understanding the print steam that's being sent to it.
In this scenario, the software that's generating the print stream
can be referred to as the producer, and the RIP that receives
and interprets the print stream can be referred to as the
consumer.
Most producers (variable-data-printing solutions) are capable of
generating several different kinds of print streams. That is, they
support several different print-optimization technologies.
Many consumers (RIPs) are capable of understanding several different
kinds of print streams.
Based on PostScript
The print-optimization technologies that are used in the
graphic-arts arena
are all based on the PostScript page-description language.
To put it another way: for each of these print-optimization technologies,
the consumer is a RIP that understands PostScript.
There are other print-optimization technologies — not based on
PostScript — that are used to print text-intensive documents, mostly in
high-speed, high-volume printing environments. Some of these other
print-optimization
technologies are based on the PCL page-description language
that is supported by many printers sold by Hewlett-Packard (HP); some are
based on IBM technology, and others are based on technology from companies
other than HP and IBM.
The print-optimization technologies that we are focusing on here are
the PostScript-based ones that are used in
the graphic arts.
The origins of the various print-optimization technologies
that are used in the graphic arts
can be divided into these three categories:
- Print-optimization technologies that were invented by a
company that makes RIPs and/or printing devices
(for some print technologies, this was a collaboration
between the company that makes the RIPs/printing devices
and a company that develops
variable-data-printing software).
- Print-optimization technologies that were invented by
industry organizations that strive for more standardization
of the way that things are done in graphic-arts print-production
environments.
- Print-optimization technologies that are designed to
work with almost any PostScript printer/RIP and were invented by
companies that develop variable-data-printing software.
The print-optimization technologies in the first two categories
rely on a PostScript RIP that has special capabilities that were
developed for the specific purpose of supporting one or more of
those print-optimization technologies. The print-optimization
technologies in the third category will work with many but not all
PostScript RIPs (see "Caveat!" below).
Caveat!
When purchasing software for variable-data printing, and when purchasing
a RIP and printer or digital press for variable-data printing, you should
try out the software that you plan to buy with the particular printer/RIP
that you're planning to use — even if the specifications for the
sofware and RIP seem to indicate compatibility.
Why?
Because technology isn't perfect. Here are some examples:
- Some RIPs that understand PostScript don't conform 100% to
the Adobe Systems PostScript Reference, and because
of this these RIPs sometimes don't work properly for
variable-data printing. In particular, this can be a
problem if the RIP doesn't handle PostScript forms-caching
exactly as specified in the Adobe Systems PostScript Reference.
- Some print-optimization technologies that were intended to be
standard formats actually are not — in the case of
PPML, for example, different variable-data-printing
software generates different "flavors" of PPML. Some of the
flavors work with particular RIPS, and other flavors don't.
- With some RIPs and some print-optimization technologies, it is
difficult or impossible to use finishing options such as folding or
stapling when doing variable-data printing.
So again — if at all possible, try out the RIP and software that
you plan to use for variable-data printing before making an investment.
At Citation Software, we offer free trial versions of virtually all of the
software products that we sell. Most of the free-trial software for
variable-data-printing can be downloaded from the following page
on our Web site:
www.citationsoftware.com/SolutionFinder_VarDataPandP.htm
Call us at 508-436-2543 for more details.
Names of print-optimization technologies in widespread use
Here is a list of some of the well-known print-optimization technologies
that are in use today in graphic-arts environments.
People sometimes refer to these as "output formats" or
"print streams" or "printer languages" or
"print technologies."
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AHT Vite
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This was developed jointly by
two European companies: AHT (Advanced High-tech Corporation),
a maker of printing devices; and Atlas Software, a maker
of variable-data-printing software. It works with RIPs made
by AHT.
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Fiery FreeForm
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This was developed by EPI and
works with RIPs sold by EFI.
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Fiery FreeForm 2
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This is an improved version of Fiery FreeForm; it was developed by
EFI, and it works with RIPs sold by EFI.
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JLYT
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This works with some RIPS sold by HP — most
notably the RIP for the HP Indigo Press.
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PPML
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This was developed
by a consortium of industry experts that represent companies
that make and sell RIPs, printing devices, and software for
printing & publishing.
This consortium is named "The Digital Printing Initiative,"
and is known by the abbreviation "PODi."
PPML works with many RIPs and printing devices
that are sold by HP, and it also works with
RIPs that are sold by some other companies.
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PPML/VDX
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This was developed by a
committee that came together under the auspices of an organization
called "The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologie"
(this organization is known as "NPES") It works with
some RIPs and digital presses that are made by Kodak, and it also works
with some RIPs and digital presses that are sold by a few other companies.
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PrintStreamer
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This was developed by
Barco; it works with RIPs and printing devices that are made by
Barco.
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VIPP
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This was developed by Xerox and works with some
RIPs and printing devices that are sold by Xerox.
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VPS
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This works
with RIPs that are sold by Kodak Versamark. It was
invented by a company called Scitex Digital Printing, which
was acquired by Kodak in 2004.
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The DesignMerge Optimized PostScript technology
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This was developed by Meadows Publishing, the company that makes the
DesignMerge Pro
variable-data-printing software. It works with RIPs that support
PostScript that adheres to the Adobe Systems PostScript Reference.
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The PlanetPress variable-data-printing technology
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This was developed by Objectif Lune, the company that makes
the PlanetPress
variable-data-printing software. It works with RIPs that support
PostScript that adheres to the Adobe Systems PostScript Reference.
The PlanetPress print-optimization technology stands apart from
the other print-optimization technologies listed here because the
PlanetPress technology relies on the RIP for document composition
much more heavily than the other print-optimization technlogies
we're discussing here.
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The PrintShop Mail Optimized PostScript technology
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This was developed by Atlas Software, the company that created the
PrintShop Mail
variable-data-printing software. It works with RIPs that support
PostScript that adheres to the Adobe Systems PostScript Reference.
Atlas Software was acquired by Objectif Lune in 2004, so
the PrintShop Mail technology and PrintShop Mail's Optimized
PostScript technology are now owned by Objectif Lune.
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Copyright © 2010 Citation Software Inc.
info@CitationSoftware.com
508-436-2543
www.CitationSoftware.com
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