Torrent User Guide 6.0

Torrent ™
User’s Guide
for Windows NT / 2000 / XP

and Mac OS Classic / OS X
Version 6.0
November 2002
Copyright and Trademarks
Torrent User’s Guide (for Windows NT / 2000 / XP and Mac OS Classic / OS X)
Version 6.0r0
November 2002
Part number: HK–6.0–OEMNMX–ECLIPSE
Copyright © 1992–2002 Global Graphics Software Limited.
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission
of Global Graphics Software Limited.
The information in this publication is provided for information only and is subject to change without notice. Global Graph-
ics Software Limited and its affiliates assume no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage that may arise from the
use of any information in this publication. The software described in this book is furnished under license and may only be
used or copied in accordance with the terms of that license.
ScriptWorks is a registered trademark and Harlequin, the Global Graphics Software logo, Harlequin RIP, ColourPro,
EasyTrap, FireWorks, FlatOut, Harlequin Colour Management System, HCMS, Harlequin Colour Production Solutions,
HCPS, Harlequin Colour Proofing, HCP, Harlequin Error Diffusion Screening plugins 1 bit and 2 bit, HEDS1 and HEDS2,
Harlequin Full Colour System, HFCS, Harlequin ICC Profile Processor, HIPP, Harlequin Standard Colour System, HSCS,
Harlequin Chain Screening, HCS, Harlequin Dispersed Screening, HDS, Harlequin Micro Screening, HMS, Harlequin Pre-
cision Screening, HPS, HQcrypt, Harlequin Screening Library, HSL, Harpoon, RipFlow, ScriptWorks MicroRIP, ScriptProof,
ProofReady, Scalable Open Architecture RIP, SOAR, SetGold, SetGoldPro, TrapMaster, TrapPro, TrapProLite, TrapWorks,
PDF Creator and RIPFlow are all trademarks of Global Graphics Software Limited.
Torrent is a registered trademark of HighWater Designs Limited.
Portions licensed under U.S. Patents: Nos. 4,500,919, 4,941,038 and 5,212,546. EasyTrap is licensed under one or more of the
following U.S. Patents: Nos. 5,113,249, 5,323,248, 5,420,702, 5,481,379.
Adobe, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Type Manager, Acrobat, Display PostScript, Adobe Illustrator, PostScript, Distiller and
PostScript 3 are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or
other countries which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.
®
Global Graphics Software Limited is a licensee of Pantone, Inc. PANTONE Colours generated by the Harlequin RIP are
four-colour process simulations and may not match PANTONE-identified solid colour standards. Consult current PAN-
TONE Colour Publications for accurate colour. PANTONE , Hexachrome , and PANTONE CALIBRATED™ are trademarks
® ®
of Pantone, Inc. © Pantone, Inc., 1991.

Other brand or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.
US Government Use
The ScriptWorks software is a computer software program developed at private expense and is subject to the following Restricted Rights
Legend: “Use, duplication, or disclosure by the United States Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in (i) FAR 52.227–14 Alt III or
(ii) FAR 52.227-19, as applicable. Use by agencies of the Department of Defense (DOD) is subject to Global Graphics Software’s customary
commercial license as contained in the accompanying license agreement, in accordance with DFAR 227.7202-1(a). For purposes of the FAR,
the Software shall be deemed to be ùnpublished’ and licensed with disclosure prohibitions, rights reserved under the copyright laws of the
United States. Global Graphics Software Incorporated, 95 Sawyer Road, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453.”
http://www.highwater.co.uk
HighWater Designs Limited

1-6 St. George’s Business Park
Alstone Lane
Cheltenham, GL51 8HF
UK
Telephone: +44 1242 542100
Fax: +44 1242 251600
Contents
Preface i
1 Introduction to the Torrent RIP 1

1.1 What is the Torrent RIP? 1
1.2 Why use the Torrent RIP? 2
1.3 The Torrent RIP in depth 4
2 Running the Torrent RIP 27

2.1 Machine requirements 28
2.2 Installing printer interface cards 34
2.3 Torrent RIP folder structure 34
2.4 Starting up the Torrent RIP 40
2.5 Menus affected by optional features 47
2.6 Stopping the Torrent RIP 49
3 Getting Started with the Torrent RIP 51

3.1 A simple Torrent RIP session 51
3.2 A more complex use of the Torrent RIP 63
3.3 Using the Torrent RIP with a spool folder 66
3.4 Monitoring the Torrent RIP 68
4 Torrent RIP Output Methods 71

4.1 Historical overview 71
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4.2 Page buffering modes 72
4.3 The throughput system 75
4.4 Advanced details of page buffering modes 90
4.5 Page buffering modes: a summary 96
5 Configuring Output Formats 97

5.1 Creating and managing page setups 97
5.2 Page Setup Manager dialog box 99
5.3 Edit Page Setup dialog box 101
5.4 Selecting different devices 104
5.5 Sending output to the screen 109
5.6 Output to Preview 116
5.7 Output to None 117
5.8 Output to TIFF 117
5.9 Sending output to a printer 127
5.10 ProofReady plugins 128
5.11 Multiple device output plugins 130
5.12 Output plugin dialog boxes 134
5.13 Separations, Screening and Colour 134
5.14 Media saving option 136
5.15 Media and time saving using optimization 144
5.16 Default page size 145
5.17 Margins 146
5.18 Printing effects 147
5.19 Scaling the image 148
5.20 Features 148
5.21 Cassette management 152
5.22 Page Setup Options 152
5.23 Page Setup Option Extras 157
5.24 PDF Options 163
5.25 Calibration 163
5.26 Other page setup options 166
6 Screening 167
6.1 Managing separations styles 168
6.2 Separations Manager dialog box 168
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6.3 Edit Style dialog box 169
6.4 Halftoning 170
6.5 Screen angles 177
6.6 Dot shapes 179
6.7 Halftone frequency 183
6.8 Screening options and number of gray levels 184
6.9 Job settings and Torrent RIP settings 190
6.10 Harlequin Precision Screening 191
6.11 Harlequin Screening Library 200
6.12 Automatic detection of colour separations 209
7 Configuring the RIP 211

7.1 Configure RIP dialog box 212
7.2 How the Torrent RIP controls files 212
7.3 Control of page buffering modes 214
7.4 Job timeout 217
7.5 Threads and parallel processing 218
7.6 Network buffer size 218
7.7 Printer buffer size 219
7.8 Extras 220
7.9 Specifying prep files 222
7.10 Torrent RIP memory allocation 222
7.11 Minimum free disk space 224
7.12 Disable sounds 224
7.13 Resetting the Torrent RIP to default values 225
7.14 Choosing the user interface language 225
8 Configuring Input 229

8.1 Input management 230
8.2 Managing input plugins 232
8.3 Using the AppleTalk input plugin (except Mac OS X users) 237
8.4 Using the NT Print input (Windows users only) 238
8.5 Using the NT Pipe input (Windows users only) 243
8.6 Using the Spool Folder input folder 248
8.7 Using the Socket input plugin 254
8.8 Using the Asynchronous Socket plugin (except OS X users) 262
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8.9 Using the Asynchronous Socket Quit plugin (except OS X
users) 264
8.10 Using the Serial input plugin (except Mac users) 264
8.11 Using more than one method 271
8.12 Using the Print File command 271
8.13 Printing PostScript-language files 275
8.14 Printing PDF files 275
8.15 Printing JPEG and JFIF files 287
8.16 Printing GIF files 288
8.17 Printing TIFF/IT files 288
8.18 Printing TIFF 6.0 files 293
8.19 Printing page buffer files 296
8.20 Entering PostScript-language code by hand 298
9 Media Management 301

9.1 Why manage your media? 301
9.2 Advancing and cutting media interactively 304
9.3 Advancing and cutting media automatically 306
9.4 Monitoring media 312
10 Fonts 323
10.1 Supplied fonts 324
10.2 Types of font 324
10.3 The DLD1 format 325
10.4 Installing fonts in the Torrent RIP 326
10.5 Pre-loading fonts 331
10.6 Producing a list of installed fonts 331
10.7 Proofing fonts 332
10.8 Removing fonts 334
10.9 Composite fonts 335
10.10 Font substitution 336
11 Calibration 339
11.1 Why calibration is needed 339
11.2 Calibration and linearization 341
11.3 Calibration in the Torrent RIP 343
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11.4 Example procedure 344
11.5 Editing calibration sets 356
11.6 Consistency of calibration 361
11.7 Tone curves 363
11.8 Press calibration 364
11.9 Using a combination of calibration sets 368
11.10 Print Calibration dialog box 369
11.11 Calibration Manager dialog box 372
11.12 Edit Calibration dialog box 378
12 Colour Separation 389

12.1 Introduction 390
12.2 What colour separations are 394
12.3 Producing colour images from separations 398
12.4 How colour separations are produced 400
12.5 Creating and managing separations 402
12.6 Separations Manager dialog box 403
12.7 Edit Style dialog box 407
12.8 Colour Setup 416
12.9 Colour separation angles in job 428
12.10 Trapping features 429
12.11 Pages in the Output Controller 430
Appendix A Troubleshooting 435
Appendix B Jobs Containing Colour Management Data 463
Appendix C Using Genlin 467
Glossary 477
Index 495
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viii Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002
Preface
WELCOME to the Torrent PostScript-language compatible interpreter. This

manual is a complete guide to using the Torrent RIP, and provides technical
details when necessary. For details of how to install the RIP, see the separate
installation guide.
This manual is intended for anyone using or evaluating the graphical user
interface version of the Torrent RIP for PC (running Microsoft Windows NT,
2000 and XP) or for Mac (running Mac Classic OS or Mac OS X). The guide
covers the features of the Torrent RIP in a structured way, giving examples
that show you how to perform a wide variety of useful tasks in the RIP.
This manual is based on the Harlequin OEM Manual provided by Global
Graphics Software, and it provides detailed descriptions of the full range of
facilities provided by the Torrent RIP. However, it does not contain the specific
information needed to set up and run Torrent with other HighWater products.
Please refer to our other manuals for this information.
Contents of this manual

This manual discusses basic concepts at an early stage, leaving more complex
issues for the later chapters. In addition, each chapter starts with a basic
description of the relevant features before describing in detail the more techni-
cal issues involved.
Changes to the v6.0 Release of the RIP include:
• Torrent ColourPro™ with new enhanced user interface.
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Preface
• Support for N-colour and Gray Profile ICC profiles.

• Press/Proof simulation added to colour products (RGB proofing
workflow).
• Black threshold parameter added to custom rendering intent GUI.
• ProofReady Plugin support on Mac OS X.
• Harlequin 1 bit and 2 bit EDS plugins.
• SetGold™ v1.2 and SetGoldPro™ on Windows NT only.
• TrapPro™ trapping.
• Trap Zone support for PDF files.
• PDF/X-1a and PDF/X-3:2002 support.
• PDF 1.4 including: transparency, JBIG2, 128 bit encryption, output
intents, and referenced PDF. Because of this, the InFlight checker has
been removed.
• Support for Palette colour (Index colour) TIFF files.
Items which have been relocated in this version include:
• The Colour Options button is removed from the Page Setup dialog box
and is replaced by a Colour Setup Manager and Colour Setup dialog box.
• Trapping controls appear in the Trapping section of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box.
• Ink set options have been removed from the Edit Separations dialog and
placed within their own Ink Set Manager. See the TrapPro User Manual for
more information.
• Honor Colour Management (PDF and PS) options were previously in
the Page Setup > PDF Options dialog and Page Setup Options > Extras dia-
log. The option is now called Override colour management in job and is
available in the Colour Setup dialog.
Note: The AppleTalk plugin is not available for this release of the RIP on
Mac OS X. However, it is envisaged that this plugins will be available for
the full release version.
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Preface
The first three chapters contain information about what the Torrent RIP does,
and how to get it up and running on your machine.
Chapter 1, “Introduction to the Torrent RIP”, gives a description of what
the RIP does and the kind of tasks for which you can use it.
Chapter 2, “Running the Torrent RIP”, describes your machine require-
ments, and how to start up the Torrent RIP once it is installed.
Chapter 3, “Getting Started with the Torrent RIP”, describes the most
fundamental elements of the system. It shows you how to do useful
work without learning a large number of new skills.
The next four chapters form a more comprehensive account of the software.
Chapter 4, “Torrent RIP Output Methods”, introduces the different
ways in which the RIP can operate, and how you can get the best perfor-
mance out of the software for the jobs you are running. The chapter
moves from general principles to more specific examples of the best way
to use the RIP.
Chapter 5, “Configuring Output Formats”, describes the flexibility the
Torrent RIP provides for configuring the appearance of any printed
page. The tools described in this chapter will be used on a regular basis,
and are important for anyone who will make extensive use of the
product.
Chapter 6, “Screening”, explains the control the Torrent RIP gives you
over screening techniques. This chapter includes a complete description
of using Harlequin Precision Screening.
Chapter 7, “Configuring the RIP”, shows you how you can configure
the Torrent RIP to give the best performance in your environment. You
will probably want to experiment with the options described in this
chapter, but once you are satisfied that the RIP is running as you want it,
you will not need to alter them on a regular basis.
The later chapters of the manual deal with specific facilities that the Torrent
RIP offers, and may be used as reference.
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Preface
Chapter 8, “Configuring Input”, describes the different ways in which

you can send PostScript-language code and other forms of job as input
to the Torrent RIP, either working on a stand-alone machine, or as part of
a network.
Chapter 9, “Media Management”, gives you complete details of the
media management facilities available in the Torrent RIP.
Chapter 10, “Fonts”, describes the use that the Torrent RIP makes of
fonts, the different font formats that are available, and the special built-
in facilities that the RIP has to make handling fonts easy and more
efficient.
Chapter 11, “Calibration”, discusses the ways in which the Torrent RIP
can help you ensure accurate calibration of your output.
Chapter 12, “Colour Separation”, describes the facilities the Torrent RIP
provides for controlling the printing of individual colourants in both
composite and separated output.
Appendix A, “Troubleshooting”, provides solutions to common prob-
lems that occur when running the Torrent RIP.
Appendix B, “Jobs Containing Colour Management Data”, describes
how jobs and images with attached colour management data interact
with related settings in the Torrent RIP.
Appendix C, “Using Genlin”, describes a utility program providing
semi-automatic measurement of calibration targets generated by the Tor-
rent RIP.
Finally, the “Glossary”, explains terminology used throughout the
manual.
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Preface
Assumptions
PC Users
The Torrent RIP runs in the Microsoft Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Win-
dows XP environment. It is important that you are familiar with the appropri-
ate operating system, at least to the level of using the file Explorer and a
simple text editor or word processor such as Notepad or WordPad. If you are
not, please refer to the Microsoft Help or manuals.
Mac Users
The Torrent RIP runs in the Classic Mac OS and OS X environment. It is
important that you are familiar with your version of Mac OS, at least to the
level of using the Finder and a simple text editor or word processor such as
SimpleText. If you are not, please refer to the appropriate Apple manuals,
online Guides, or Help systems.
All Users
In complex installations, you may wish to send jobs between PCs, Macintosh
computers, and computers running the UNIX operating system. This manual
describes the details special to the Torrent RIP, but not the fundamentals of
networking connections and services. You are likely to require assistance from
technical support staff for initial configuration and occasional maintenance of
such installations.
Conventions
This manual uses some conventions to make it clear where you give keyboard
commands or choose from the menus and dialog boxes, as described in the
following sections.
The keyboard
You can execute many of the commands available in the Torrent RIP either by
using the mouse or by using a keyboard shortcut. This is a combination or
sequence of key presses that executes a command without you having to
choose a menu option with the mouse. Keyboard shortcuts for individual
commands are discussed, in context, throughout the manual.
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Preface
Shift
The Shift key is often used when selecting a group of objects from a list. For
example, when selecting a group of files to print. It is also used in keyboard
shortcuts and in some mouse actions.
Ctrl
The Command (Mac) / Control (PC) key is used in keyboard shortcuts and in
some mouse actions. For example, you can often hold down Control /
Command while pressing another key or a mouse button. Whenever this
manual describes one of these actions, the text shows which key or mouse
button to use: for example, when you can use the Control / Command key
and the letter key K in combination, the text shows Ctrl+K / Command-K.
The Command / Control key is also used when selecting several objects from
a list that do not form a contiguous block. For example, you can use this key
when selecting a number of files to print.
Some keyboard shortcuts are specific to a particular window and only operate
when that window is active. When using a windowing system, ensure that the
relevant window is active before using one of these keyboard shortcuts.
Fonts and formats

The following fonts and styles are used throughout this documentation.
1. Paragraphs that are numbered and use this font contain instructions
which you should follow in the shown order.
Text written in this sans-serif bold face represents a menu title, a menu item, or
a control item in a RIP dialog box. Text including an angle bracket ( > ) indi-
cates both a menu and the option in that menu. For example: “choose the Tor-
rent RIP / File > Start Inputs option” is a shorthand method of referring to the
Start Inputs menu option in the Torrent RIP / File menu.
Text written in this typewriter face represents a piece of PostScript-language

code, a file name, or text displayed by the Torrent RIP.
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Preface
If a term is written in italic, it is the first mention of an important concept. This

concept is explained in the text immediately following, in the glossary, or
both.
Note: Text indicated by starting with a bold word in the left margin is impor-
tant and should be read carefully. A Note, like this one, is often a suggestion
that may save you work, improve performance, or improve the quality of
output.
Warning: Like a Note, a Warning is important and often indicates the need for
care to avoid loss of files or settings.
Information intended for Windows and Mac users

Some of the information in this manual is specific only to Windows
(NT/2000/XP) users or Mac (Classic and OS X) users, or subsets of these
users. How this information is identified is described in the following sec-
tions.
Shortcut keys
The shortcut key for Windows is the Control key, and on a Mac is the Com-
mand key:
Ctrl
Instructions for using shortcut keys for both platforms are given as follows:
“To start receiving jobs from the configured and enabled inputs, type
Ctrl+I / Command-I.”
Selecting menu options

Where Torrent menu names differ between platforms a slash is used to show
the options for Mac and PC, for example:
“Display the Input Controller dialog box by choosing the Torrent RIP / File >
Input Controller menu option.”
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Preface
Dialog boxes
Instead of showing dialog boxes for all platforms, only one platform’s dialog
box is shown (usually for Windows), unless the dialog boxes differ signifi-
cantly across platforms. Also, where dialog boxes or windows have different
names, both names are given as follows:
“The Roam / Preview Options dialog box contains a list of the separations
shown in the Roam window and the Reduced Roam window.“
Platform-specific information
Examples of platform-specific information are shown below:
• Where information is not relevant to all platforms it is shown with an
appropriate label, for example:
“(Except Mac OS X users) If the input came from an AppleTalk network,
then the value of %ip:atalkname% will be used.”
• Where platform-specific information is indented, it is indented for all
appropriate paragraphs. When the text becomes outdented again, the
text is then relevant for all users again (or the users that have previously
been specified), for example:
“Windows users: Use the Look in drop-down list to use other fold-
ers or drives.
Note: To select all files in the list, click anywhere in the central list
of files and type Ctrl+A.
While any file is being processed, an additional Print File menu appears
on the menu bar of the main RIP window.”
The ‘Note’ is applicable to Windows users because it is indented, but the
“While any file...” text is applicable to all users.
• Where whole sections are intended for specific users, this is shown in
the title, for example:
“8.3 Using the AppleTalk input plugin (except Mac OS X
users)”
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Preface
Menus and lists

Where there are pop-up menus on the Mac, Windows can have drop-down
lists instead. For simplicity, both are referred to simply as ‘menus’.
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1
Introduction to the Torrent

1
RIP
This chapter provides an introduction to the capabilities of the Torrent RIP.

• Section 1.1 on page 1 defines the Torrent RIP.
• Section 1.2 on page 2 describes the advantages of using the Torrent RIP.
• Section 1.3 on page 4 describes various features of the Torrent RIP.
1.1 What is the Torrent RIP?

The Torrent RIP is an application that takes a document or job describing
images or pages and produces output from that job on an output device—
which can be a printer, imagesetter, computer screen, or a file on disk. The
term output device is used throughout this manual, except where the nature of
the device is important.
In general, a software application or hardware device that performs this task
is known as a Raster Image Processor (RIP) or, where the PostScript language
®
is involved, a PostScript-language compatible interpreter.
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1 Introduction to the Torrent RIP
The Torrent RIP is a software RIP management system. It contains both a soft-
ware RIP and a collection of supporting functions that help the RIP perform
its task efficiently. For example, the RIP accepts jobs from various sources,
handles previewing and output of processed pages, and performs the associ-
ated file handling.
1.1.1 Input and output formats

The Torrent RIP accepts jobs and produces output in several formats, with the
exact options depending on your configuration of the RIP.
The range of input formats includes: PostScript-language and Encapsulated
PostScript (EPS) files, Portable Document Format (PDF) files, TIFF/IT-P1 files,
TIFF 6.0 baseline files, and JPEG and JFIF files. The Torrent RIP supports
modern versions of these files including PostScript LanguageLevel 3, PDF
version 1.4, and derived standards such as PDF/X. The RIP also has controls
for special handling of older versions of these files if necessary.
The Torrent RIP can produce output in a variety of formats, to suit various
physical output devices and file formats. The ability to produce TIFF 6.0 files
is a standard feature but it is easy to add output options for other formats such
as TIFF/IT-P1 files and CIP3 PPF files. Similarly, there are options for output
to many proofing printers and final output devices.
1.2 Why use the Torrent RIP?

The Torrent RIP has proven itself to be a fast, versatile, and powerful
PostScript-language compatible interpreter, and more. There are many rea-
sons for choosing it above other similar interpreters, the most important of
which are discussed here.
The Torrent RIP is effective, compatible, and robust; and shows real benefits in
everyday use.
• The Torrent RIP is effective because it processes jobs quickly, is able to
process jobs of virtually any size, and can re-output selected pages or a
complete job without re-interpretation.
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1.2 Why use the Torrent RIP?
• The Torrent RIP is compatible because it is kept up to date with:

PostScript, PDF, and font specifications; image file formats; and relevant
standards from independent bodies.
Note: The Torrent RIP is able to use proprietary extensions internally for
quality of output, speed, and efficiency without losing compatibility.
• The Torrent RIP is also compatible because it supports several network-
ing protocols for use in many kinds of networks, whether or not all the
computers are of the same type.
• Robustness comes from experience with many real jobs. You can config-
ure the Torrent RIP to override poor settings in incoming jobs (and
avoid office printer quality screening on expensive media), use its abil-
ity to detect poorly labeled colour separations, and so on.
• The Torrent RIP is flexible enough to support many workflows, includ-
ing: composite or preseparated colour; PostScript, PDF, or TIFF/IT-P1.
Some of these input formats require the Torrent RIP options.
A system using the Torrent RIP is easy to extend and to upgrade when neces-
sary because the Torrent RIP is a software-based RIP.
• You can add options, such as advanced screening, colour management,
and trapping. In many cases you can do this by entering passwords and
in other cases with software-only procedures.
• You can add more output options with software plugins to support
imagesetters, platesetters, proofing and display printers, and workflow
integration.
• A PostScript-language programmer can add simple fragments of
PostScript code to provide features such as marking pages with draft or
similar overprint and colour bars.
• It is possible to upgrade hardware and software independently. The
Torrent RIP is very similar on all platforms so there is little or no need
for retraining if you need to add another type of computer.
• When you upgrade the Torrent RIP you can transfer your existing set-
tings to the new version of the RIP and most optional output plugins.
Section 1.3 discusses many of these features in more depth.

1.3 The Torrent RIP in depth

Section 1.2 on page 2 described some of the advantages of using the Torrent
RIP. This section describes the features that contribute to those advantages.
• Characteristics of a software RIP. See page 4.
• File format and version support. See page 5.
• Extended colour capabilities. See page 7.
• Screening options. See page 14.
• Torrent ColourPro. See page 15.
• Graphics formats. See page 17.
• Input and output methods. See page 17.
• Complex jobs. See page 20.
• Throughput control. See page 20.
• Previewing. See page 21.
• Page buffer compression. See page 22.
• Fonts and font handling, including composite fonts. See page 23.
• Convenience features. See page 24.
1.3.1 Software RIPs compared to hardware RIPs

Many PostScript-language-compatible interpreters are based on hardware
rather than software. That is, most PostScript-language printers come sup-
plied with a RIP that runs on its own special hardware. Sometimes a RIP may
run on only one type of printer.
The Torrent RIP contains a software RIP, carefully written to support a
number of computing platforms and output systems.
There are a number of advantages to using a software RIP:
• If you have a hardware RIP and wish to take advantage of new hard-
ware, you must either pay for an upgrade of the old hardware or stop
using it. With a software RIP such as the Torrent RIP, you can use your

old hardware for other purposes—you still have a usable computer.

Thus, taking advantage of new technology in the hardware industry is
much more cost effective if you have a software RIP.
• You can easily take advantage of new features if you have a software
RIP. If new features are added to a hardware RIP, the only way to take
advantage of those features is to buy the new version of the hardware,
or to have a firmware upgrade. Both of these options incur considerable
time and expense. Doing the same thing for a software RIP is much sim-
pler and cheaper—improved versions of the Torrent RIP can be run on
the same hardware as older versions, and can be sent to you on disk.
• When you buy a hardware RIP, you buy a dedicated machine which is
specialized for performing one task: interpreting the PostScript lan-
guage. With a software RIP, the non-dedicated hardware you buy is a
computer, which can be used for many purposes other than running the
Torrent RIP.
• It is much more expensive to customize a hardware RIP to individual
requirements than it is to customize a software RIP.
Even if, despite these points, you feel that a hardware RIP is still the best solu-
tion for your particular case, it need not be traditional, dedicated hardware. It
is possible to use hardware accelerators to assist a software RIP such as the
Torrent RIP.
1.3.2 File format and version support

The Torrent RIP supports several file formats and maintains this support
across the widely-used versions of these formats, as well as the latest versions.
Note: The Torrent RIP limits all user created names or file names to 31 bytes.
This is equivalent to 31 characters when using standard ASCII text, and 15
characters when using double-byte character sets, such as Kanji.
For example, the Torrent RIP is a PostScript LanguageLevel 3-compatible RIP
®
management system but still supports features of PostScript Level 2 and ear-
lier. The RIP also recognizes uses of PostScript code specific to common image
creation and page layout applications.

The reason for supporting older versions of files and applications is that
almost all PostScript-language and PDF page descriptions are created auto-
matically by applications. Those applications can only use the features of the
page description language as they existed at the time of writing the applica-
tion, and those features are subject to change.
The PostScript language was first created and used in the mid-1980s and since
that time it has undergone many improvements and changes. Throughout this
period, people have been trying to create PostScript language page descrip-
tions that, above all, work—despite any bugs in the interpreters which may
have existed at the time.
To cope with this situation, the Torrent RIP is compatible not only with the
PostScript-language jobs of today, but with the jobs of yesterday. There are
two aspects to dealing with older jobs: dealing efficiently with features that
are now better supported by more modern versions of the page description
language; dealing with work-around methods for bugs in older versions of
the page description language. The Torrent RIP does both.
It might not be immediately obvious why it is necessary to deal with bugs and
work-around methods, but consider this example.
What happens if a bug is fixed in a widely-used PostScript language inter-
preter? Newer RIPs and applications no longer have to cope with that bug,
but problems arise if you wish to interpret old PostScript language page
descriptions (generated with an application written before the bug was fixed)
with your new RIP. The old page descriptions take the bug into account, but
the new RIP does not, so the hard copy produced with your new RIP is wrong.
If your RIP cannot accommodate this, as the Torrent RIP can, your old
PostScript language files (and indeed your application if you still use it) are
useless.
The input file formats that the Torrent RIP supports are:
• PostScript LanguageLevel 3, Level 2, and Level 1.
• PDF versions up to and including PDF 1.4 files.
• PDF/X-1a:2001 and PDF/X-3:2002.
• JPEG and JFIF.
• TIFF 6.0 and optionally TIFF/IT-P1.

• GIF.
• PCL4.
See Section 5.22 on page 152 and Chapter 8, “Configuring Input” on page 229
for more details.
Note: RIP versions 5.3 and 5.5 included support for PDF/X-1:1999, this has
been dropped in the version 6.0 release of the Torrent RIP, and replaced with
support for PDF/X-1a:2001 and PDF/X-3:2002.
The Torrent RIP can also enable substitution of high resolution images for
PostScript-language jobs, using an in-RIP implementation of the Open Pre-
press Interface (OPI), versions 1.3 and 2.0, and Desktop Colour Separation
(DCS), versions 1.0 and 2.0. See Section 5.20 on page 148 for details.
Additionally, the Torrent RIP can be configured to support special features—
colour management, font substitution, duotones, and vignettes—of jobs pro-
duced by several image creation and page layout applications. These applica-
tions include:
• Adobe Photoshop
®
• Adobe Illustrator
®
• QuarkXPress
®
• Macromedia FreeHand
® ®
See Section 5.23 on page 157 for more details.
1.3.3 Extended colour capabilities

The Torrent RIP supports the use of colour capabilities introduced with
PostScript LanguageLevel 3. This support includes use of N-colour or HiFi
colour systems using varying number of colourants, whether those colourants
mimic CMYK systems (photo-ink systems) or use obviously different colou-
rants.
The RIP provides separations management, preview, screening, calibration,
and plugin support for the popular N-colour systems.

The RIP also has the ability to calibrate and screen spot colours separately
from process colours. This feature greatly simplifies the management of spot
colours in the RIP.
1.3.3.1 /DeviceN and N-colour

The /DeviceN colour space allows better control of PostScript-language code
in environments where the number of separations is no longer dominated by
the CMYK, RGB, and monochrome colour models. “N” represents the number
of process colour separations. Using the /DeviceN colour space, CMYK corre-
sponds to N=4, RGB to N=3, and monochrome to N=1. This colour space
allows the Torrent RIP to access separations where N=2 (duotones) or greater
than 4 (N-colour).
The /DeviceN colour space provides the functionality to support HiFi colour
or N-colour systems where colourants in addition to CMYK enhance the
attainable gamut of an output process. It also provides solutions for minimiz-
ing the number of spot colours required by an output device.
The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later uses this colour space to extend separa-
tions management, Roam, and plugin capabilities. Depending on your spe-
cific device and workflow, additional plugin development may be required to
make use of the expanded number of colour channels.
1.3.3.2 Duotones, tritones, and quadtones

Some applications (for example, Photoshop versions 2.5 through 4) convert
duotones involving spot colours to CMYK colours when producing composite
PostScript-language jobs. While the composite output is correct, when such
jobs are submitted to a RIP that uses in-RIP separation, the duotones are
drawn on the process colour separations and not on spot colour separations as
expected.
Photoshop 5.0 has the ability to produce spot colour separations when in-RIP
separation is selected for a LanguageLevel 3 RIP. This eliminates the problem
just described for output generated by Photoshop 5.0 when sent to any
LanguageLevel 3 RIP.

In addition to producing correct output from Photoshop 5.0 jobs, the Torrent
RIP correctly handles jobs from Photoshop versions 2.5 through 4 as well. The
Torrent RIP detects this construct in Photoshop jobs and correctly diverts the
duotone to spot colour separations. Note that you must configure the Torrent
RIP to generate these spot colour separations for this to work.
For more information see Section 5.23.1, “Adobe Photoshop features”.
1.3.3.3 Patterns and Smooth Shades

LanguageLevel 3 implements new features that improve the quality of
PostScript-language fills. In addition, it allows shades to be output smoothly
at the resolution of the output device target. The RIP extends this capability by
allowing for vignette replacement, in which existing vignettes in PostScript-
language and PDF jobs are replaced.
This functionality greatly improves the quality of gradients and shades on
output.
1.3.3.4 Images
The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later supports type 3 and 4 image dictionaries
(for uses such as masks). This allows an application to produce masks using
multiple images in a more efficient fashion. This mask technique also
improves performance by eliminating the need for a detailed PostScript-lan-
guage clipping path. This feature is best suited to lower-resolution output
devices and workflows.
1.3.3.5 settrapparams
LanguageLevel 3 includes a new software interface that allows the description
of trap settings within a PostScript-language file.
The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later incorporates the settrapparams inter-
face and uses this for setting trapping parameters. settrapparams has been
extended to include those trapping parameters that are not covered by the
3010 specification.

1.3.3.6 Type16 halftones

The Torrent RIP 5.0 version and later supports type 16 halftones, which can
contain more than 256 shades of gray. Torrent has always supported an arbi-
trary number of gray levels, even in the PostScript Level 1 compatible RIPs. In
the Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later, this support for more shades of gray is
also accessible using the LanguageLevel 3 constructs.
1.3.3.7 Idiom recognition

The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later uses idiom recognition to detect
PostScript-language procedures and replace procedures that are bound when
defined. This extends to procedures some of the benefits that Torrent’s shad-
owop operator provides for operator redefinition. Once the PostScript-lan-
guage code is intercepted, the Torrent RIP replaces it with optimized code.
This operator has many potential uses that include detecting level 2 code in a
PostScript-language file and replacing it with LanguageLevel 3 code.
1.3.3.8 Type 32 fonts

RIP version 5.0 and later recognizes and supports Type 32 fonts.
1.3.3.9 Other operators

RIP version 5.0 and later supports the LanguageLevel 3 operators that are
defined in the 3010 LanguageLevel 3 specification. The Torrent RIP accepts
PostScript-language output from applications using these LanguageLevel 3
operators.
PostScript LanguageLevel 3—3015—operators setoverprintmode and
currentoverprintmode were included starting with 5.5r1a version RIPs.
1.3.3.10 File filters

The Torrent RIP supports the required file filter additions documented in the
3010 LanguageLevel 3 specification.

1.3.4 Colour, screening, and Roam functionality

The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later contains several new capabilities relating
to colour, screening, and roam. Where appropriate, care has been taken to
enable the end-user to control the underlying functionality from the user
interface.
Not all of the new functionality is applicable to all output devices or work-
flows. You will find some features more relevant than others for particular
output devices and workflow instances.
1.3.4.1 Colour API

Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later contains a programming interface (API) that
allows you to set the options for the Harlequin colour management modules
from PostScript-language code. This provides control over all colour options,
including the installation of ICC profiles, without a user interface.
1.3.4.2 Spot colour screening and calibration

The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later has the capability to calibrate and screen
spot colours as well as process colours. This feature greatly simplifies the
management of spot colours in the Torrent RIP.
1.3.4.3 UseCIEColor
This operator improves colour control in the PostScript-language code by
allowing device-dependent input data to be translated to a device-
independent CIE colour space. The input colours are mapped to the device-
independent colour space using an input profile. The colours may then be
transformed ready for printing on another output device.
Functionality has been provided for some time through the colour manage-
ment modules the latest being ColourPro. You can choose to use the colour
management specified in the job by UseCIEColor, or to override this and
instead use the more detailed controls provided with ColourPro.

1.3.4.4 Embedded ICC profiles

When ColourPro is enabled, the Torrent RIP can detect and use ICC profiles
embedded in Photoshop EPS, TIFF, or JPEG images. See the Torrent ColourPro
User’s Guide for details.
1.3.4.5 Colourimetric roam

Provided a system is using an sRGB display (monitor and display card) and
the monitor is properly calibrated, Roam approximates colourimetric output
on the display.
1.3.5 Memory management

There is a continuous program for improving the performance of the Torrent
RIP memory management. A new architecture has been put into place within
the Torrent RIP 5.0 and later for all platforms. This architecture not only pro-
vides the groundwork for future memory features and enhancements, but also
allows for a level of dynamic memory management within the Torrent RIP.
There are new GUI controls for setting memory. As in the past, it is possible to
specify the memory used by the Torrent RIP, but there is a significant differ-
ence.
• In previous versions, the Torrent RIP put a claim on the entire amount
of memory specified so that the operating system and other applica-
tions could not use this memory even if the Torrent RIP did not require
it at a particular time. (The Macintosh implementation, because of oper-
ating system differences, varied slightly with respect to this functional-
ity.)
• With the new implementation, the specified memory is not held exclu-
sively for the Torrent RIP. Instead, the Torrent RIP takes only the
amount of memory it requires at the time. This amount rises while pro-
cessing a job but once the job is processed the memory is returned to the
system. This allows the Torrent RIP to co-exist better on a system with
the operating system and other applications.

The new implementation also makes it possible to specify a reserve amount of

memory, available for short-term use by the Torrent RIP. For example, the Tor-
rent RIP may use this reserve in time-critical operations, where the alternative
would be to use disk storage, as long as the reserve is large enough to keep the
operation in memory.
1.3.5.1 Garbage collection

With the version 6.0 Release of the Torrent RIP, garbage collection has been
implemented. Garbage collection is performed when memory is low and
reclaims the memory occupied by composite objects that are no longer accessi-
ble to the PostScript program.
This helps some jobs that allocate a lot of memory, but not all. Some jobs that
could not partial paint will now need significantly less memory than before.
When garbage collection starts a message is displayed on the console window.
Garbage collection is controlled using the PostScript Language operator
vmreclaim.
For more information on garbage collection see section 3.7.4 of the The
PostScript® Language Reference (3rd Edition).
1.3.6 FlatOut
RIP version 5.0 and all subsequent Torrent RIP 5 releases are capable of stitch-
ing single-page PGB files into a predefined flat. This feature enables the devel-
opment of page-based workflows around the Torrent RIP.
Three components are required to produce a stitched flat:
1. A background PGB file. You can create a background in a page layout
application and then convert the PostScript-language code to a PGB
using the Torrent RIP. This flat background contains a slot for each page.
This background may contain sluglines, crop marks, and so on.
2. Single-page PGB file(s). For example, to produce an eight-page flat, eight
single-page PGB files must be generated.

3. A flat description file. This file describes the location of the background
and single-page PGB files on disk. The flat description file also indicates
the positioning of pages on the flat.
The flat description file is presented as an input to the Torrent RIP and the
PGB files are stitched into a single flat for output to the specified output
device.
The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later accepts PGB files from Torrent RIP’s ver-
sion 4.5. It also accepts PGB files from any other Torrent RIP platform. This
extends the ability to interchange PGB files between Windows platforms,
which was introduced in the Torrent RIP 4.5.
1.3.7 Screening options

The Torrent RIP has several screening features and options, designed to pro-
duce high quality output on devices ranging from imagesetters to inkjet
proofing printers. There is generalized screening support for colour systems
that go beyond straightforward CMYK process colours, but you need an
output plugin and device able to support these colour systems.
The Torrent RIP is able to create extra gray levels (with HPS) and to control the
number of extra levels, even with PostScript Level 1 jobs. This feature helps to
eliminate stepping in vignettes and to avoid posterization, while enabling you
to set a limit on the number of levels that is appropriate to the required image
quality. The RIP also supports more than 256 shades of gray when they are
specified using PostScript LanguageLevel 3 constructs.
1.3.7.1 Harlequin Precision Screening

For very high quality output, Harlequin Precision Screening (HPS) has been
produced. This is a proprietary feature that eliminates objectionable moiré
patterning when producing colour separations.
Once correctly set up, and with sufficient memory available, the Torrent RIP
can produce output with HPS at speeds comparable to those obtained when
using traditional lower-quality rational tangent screening.

HPS has been designed for automatic operation, without the need to refer to
complex tables of magic numbers, and you can choose to override any bad
settings in the job. This is especially useful for print bureaus, who often
receive PostScript-language code that is not set up for high quality screening.
1.3.7.2 Harlequin Screening Library

Global Graphics has developed a number of special screening strategies for
very high quality press work, particularly when printing in colour. They are
included in the Harlequin Screening Library (HSL), and require separate pass-
words to become enabled.
HSL includes Harlequin Dispersed Screening (HDS), Global Graphics’s pat-
ented Frequency Modulation (FM) screening technology. Moiré patterning is
impossible with HDS, and it gives finer detail for a given device resolution.
Also included are Harlequin Chain Screening (HCS), which is particularly
good at creating smooth flat tints and at holding detail in continuous tone
regions, and Harlequin Micro Screening (HMS) which allows a greater range
of tones to be used even at high screen rulings.
1.3.7.3 Screening for extended colour systems

Several colour systems require more than the four screens used for CMYK
work. The Torrent RIP contains screens suitable for use with HiFi colour sys-
tems such as the PANTONE Hexachrome Colour Selector system or the vari-
®
ous photo-ink technologies using different densities (light and dark versions)
of one or more colourants.
1.3.8 Torrent ColourPro™

It is possible to add and use the advanced colour management facilities pro-
vided by Torrent ColourPro which as an optional extra provided with the Tor-
rent RIP and requires a password for it to be enabled

ColourPro is a comprehensive colour management system which replaces all

the previous offerings such as HIPP, HCMS, HFCS and HCPS.
ColourPro together with SetGoldPro profile making software is a colour
™
science solution for insuring colour quality and accuracy for proofing and
emulation. ColourPro provides the largest realizable colour gamuts for the
final print market and allows greater accuracy than would be possible using
standard profiles.
Torrent ColourPro embraces open systems, industry standards and device-
independent colour science, and is able to make full use of them. If you have
ICC profiles with which you already achieve good results you can use these
profiles with ColourPro. You should however be aware that ColourPro con-
tains colour science that is optimized for the Torrent RIP and is easily utilized
with the introduction of SetGoldPro.
ColourPro allows you to specify different gamut-mapping algorithms in the
reproduction of a page. For example, you can simultaneously specify Absolute
colorimetric to reproduce some elements of the page and yet specify Perceptual
to reproduce the photographs. The end result is that, on a single page, the
colour for photographs are each calculated without affecting other elements
on the page.
Torrent ColourPro allows processing of colours in page data using ICC
profiles produced by OEMs, third parties, or end-users using third party char-
acterization and profiling tools. ICC profiles specify a translation between two
colour spaces. Each profile is prepared for a specific set of imaging conditions.
One device may have more than one profile. The profiles may correspond to
running the device with different combinations of resolutions, inks, and
paper.
New profiles can be easily added to ColourPro, and previously installed
profiles can be selected without the need to reinstall each time a profile is
used.
An option to uninstall ICC profiles is also provided.
When ColourPro is enabled, the Torrent RIP can detect and use any ICC pro-
files that Photoshop has embedded in EPS, TIFF, or JPEG images.

This manual describes the Torrent RIP without ColourPro, but mentions areas
where ColourPro would modify your use of the Torrent RIP. The extra facili-
ties are described in the separate manual Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide.
For information on colour facilities provided in the Torrent RIP as standard
see Section 12.8 on page 416.
1.3.9 Graphics formats

The Torrent RIP can produce halftone output, 8-bit grayscale output, 8- and
10-bit run-length encoded (RLE) output, and colour contone (continuous tone)
output in N-colour, CMYK and RGB formats. This allows the RIP to be used
for driving contone colour printers as well as imagesetters.
This output is passed to an output plugin (described in Section 1.3.10), and
from there to the output device controlled by that plugin. Output devices are
often physical printers producing images on paper or film; but devices can
also be files on disk, storing the images in a specific graphics format.
An output plugin that creates disk files provides a simple method of translat-
ing from the input format to another graphics format. Using such an output
plugin extends your ability to transfer graphics defined in the PostScript lan-
guage or PDF to other software applications or systems. For example, you can
produce a graphics image without dependencies on external fonts or colour
management. Also, you may wish to send a page description to someone who
does not have access to PostScript-language tools but who can use files in the
Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). TIFF is a commonly-used graphics format
and a TIFF output device is supplied with the RIP.
1.3.10 Input and output methods

The Torrent RIP performs most of its input and output using plugins, small
auxiliary programs that the RIP loads when it starts up.
You can install new plugins into an existing installation of the Torrent RIP to
add new input and output capabilities. Several optional plugins are supplied
with an installer program, and it is always better to use an installer if it exists,
but the basic operation is file copying.

1.3.10.1 Output plugins

The RIP sends all output to printers and other output devices through output
plugins, thereby allowing the quick and straightforward addition of support
for new output devices.
Typical output plugins support single output devices or families of similar
devices and may be supplied with special screens, calibration and colour man-
agement, and other features appropriate to the device, such as control of expo-
sure or cutting media.
Optional output plugins support file formats useful in workflow systems,
advertising distribution, and setting up printing presses. These formats
include TIFF/IT-P1 and the CIP3 Print Production Format (PPF).
1.3.10.2 Input plugins

Note:The AppleTalk plugin is not available for this release of the RIP on
Mac OS X. However, it is envisaged that this plugin will be available for the
full release version.
Input plugins provide communication between the Torrent RIP and other sys-
tems, primarily as sources of input.
The standard input plugins provided with the Torrent RIP include:
• AppleTalk
An AppleTalk network connects together a mixture of Apple and other
computers and printers in order to share disk resources and printing ser-
vices. AppleTalk runs on LocalTalk and Ethernet and is a widely sup-
ported network protocol.
AppleTalk networks often include multiple printers, available to
Macintosh OS 8/9 users through a list in the Chooser desk accessory.
Because the Torrent RIP behaves as any other printer on AppleTalk, you
can send print jobs to the RIP running on a machine connected to the
AppleTalk network, in the same way as any other printer. (The Torrent
RIP can emulate several, differently configured, printers if you wish.)

• Spool Folder
This plugin allows you to set up the Torrent RIP so that it continually
scans or polls a folder (directory)—for example, on a central server—for
input files. When these files appear and are complete, the RIP processes
them. The spool folder uses the network file access provided by your
machine. You can use multiple configurations (as described in “Multiple
inputs” on page 19), allowing you to have several scanned folders, each
with a different associated page setup.
• NT Print (Windows users only)
This publishes the Torrent RIP as a printer available to the Windows NT
print services.
• NT Pipe (Windows users only)
This provides a named pipe allowing high speed communication with
an application such as an Open Prepress Interface (OPI) server.
• Serial Port (Windows users only)
With this plugin, PCs and other computers can be connected using their
serial ports and communicate with one another. The data transfer speed,
however, is very slow. This plugin supports the Adobe Serial Lines
Protocol.
• Sockets
With this plugin, the Torrent RIP can accept input from a network socket
client program, which may be part of a larger workflow system. This
plugin supports TCP/IP and UNIX socket protocols.
1.3.10.3 Multiple inputs

For some input types, it is possible to have available several configurations or
page setups (where parameters such as resolution, output device, rotation, and
negation are given specific values). Using AppleTalk, several different virtual
printers can be made available on the network using a single running copy of
the Torrent RIP, each printer with a different page setup. When using the
Spool folder plugin, several spool folders can be made available, each with an
associated page setup.

You can enable multiple types of input allowing, for example, AppleTalk and
Spool folder inputs to operate at the same time.
1.3.11 Complex jobs

Given enough memory and disk space, the Torrent RIP can interpret arbi-
trarily complex jobs. The same is not true for many other high resolution RIPs.
This is achieved with a feature called partial page buffering (or “painting partial
pages” in some messages). Essentially, if a particular job is so large that it
cannot all be fitted into memory at once, the RIP interprets only as much of the
page description as does fit into memory, and places the interpreted image in
a partial page buffer. Having dealt with part of the image, the RIP gains
enough free memory to deal with the next part—the effect being that the page
description is divided into manageable sections, which are interpreted one at
a time. Disk space is used to hold what has been interpreted so far until the
whole image has been processed, and printing can commence.
1.3.12 Throughput control

In almost all circumstances, it is desirable to produce page images as quickly
as possible while maintaining high quality. All Torrent RIPs are written with
this aim in mind and can benefit from operating with fast hardware. Beyond
this, and especially when using high resolution imagesetters, special tech-
niques can help maximize the rate of producing useful output. The Torrent
RIP can use these techniques, collectively called throughput control, when
either of the multiple page buffering modes is selected. See Section 4.2 on
page 72 for more details of multiple and single page buffering modes.
The Torrent RIP increases job throughput in two ways:
Firstly, the RIP differs from other RIPs in the way bitmaps are produced and
sent to an output device. A traditional RIP must interpret a page and send the
bitmap directly to the output device before continuing with the next page.
Because of this, if you have to change cassettes or some fault occurs with the
output device, the current page cannot be output until the fault is cleared; pro-
ductive work stops until the situation is resolved.

The Torrent RIP can be operated in this way if desired, but it offers a powerful
alternative that overcomes these limitations—by saving bitmaps on disk in the
form of page buffers, before bitmaps go from the disk to the output device.
Many page buffers can be stored on disk (as many as will fit into the available
disk space), and the RIP can continue to produce and save page buffers, even
if the device is not ready to output. If a printer jam occurs in an overnight job,
the RIP is still able to process the job and the page buffers are ready for output
the next day. In a high volume environment, this ability can be invaluable.
Even when there are no problems with the output device, you can still save
time—if you need to produce more than one copy, you do not need to reinter-
pret the page description, because the bitmaps are still retained on disk. This
means, for example, that if a page gets damaged in the developer or there is a
problem with ink delivery then it is easy to print another copy.
Secondly, the Torrent RIP increases job throughput by allowing job interpreta-
tion and output to occur simultaneously. While some pages of a job are being
interpreted, other pages, which have already been interpreted, can be sent to
the output device. This can greatly increase throughput when outputting sev-
eral pages in succession. With a fast computer, it is possible to drive the imag-
esetter continuously for several pages. Even with fast output devices, time can
be used effectively, because the RIP can be interpreting data while the output
device starts up.
1.3.13 Previewing
The Torrent RIP allows you to preview pages, at their output resolution on
screen to check them for mistakes before they are output, at their full output
resolution. You can preview halftone, contone and grayscale images using the
full colour capabilities of the display system.
You can request a reduced view of the entire page in a separate window. This
provides a better idea of what the whole page looks like, and also acts as a
navigation aid to help you to display any part of the page at full resolution, to
check fine detail.
The remaining functionality depends on the page buffering mode. (Section 4.2
on page 72 describes page buffering modes.)

Using either of the multiple page buffer modes, you can view several separa-
tions or pages, overlaid or separately. This allows a good check of the page,
including checking image positioning, trapping, and so on. You can view sep-
arations in their natural colours, thus obtaining a realistic impression of final
output, or in false colours, to highlight differences between similar separa-
tions or composite pages.
In either of the single page buffer modes, you can view only individual sepa-
rations or a composite image, and only in the natural colours.
1.3.14 Page buffer compression

When producing jobs at high resolutions or on large format devices, large
amounts of disk space are often required if page buffers are used. The RIP
makes the most of the available disk space by compressing page buffers as
they are created and placed on disk, and then uncompressing them as they are
read from disk and printed or displayed.
Compression saves a great deal of disk space and often means that large jobs
can be printed without stopping the imagesetter, because compressed data
can be read from disk more quickly. Stopping an imagesetter part way
through a job can lead to a loss in output quality, so this facility can be of great
benefit. (See the description of data underrun on page 92, which explains one
problem that page buffer compression can help avoid.)
Page buffer compression always produces buffers of the same size as or
smaller than the original. For colour pages, it typically achieves a compression
ratio of 3:1, and for newspaper pages a typical ratio of 10:1. That is, the com-
pressed page buffer could be less than a third of the size of an uncompressed
one for colour pages, and a tenth of the size for newspaper pages. For colour
images, this can mean reducing disk requirements from 150 MB to only
50 MB.
Page buffer compression in the RIP is a completely lossless procedure. The
quality of your output is fully preserved when compressing and then uncom-
pressing the page buffers. For details of the amount of disk space you need to
reserve for page buffers, see “Ability to RIP a job” on page 30.

From version 5.5 files greater than 2 GB can be read and written. The most
likely use of this is the ability to generate page buffers greater than 2 GB. (For
Mac Classic users, this requires MacOS 9 or newer).
1.3.15 Fonts and font handling

To print text, the relevant fonts must be installed in a RIP before interpreting a
job, or the fonts must be supplied with that job.
If the interpreter sees that a Times-Roman font is needed for a particular job, it
must know what a Times-Roman font is. The Torrent RIP comes ready-sup-
plied with the 35 standard fonts found on most PostScript-language printers
and several additional fonts. (See page 324 for a description of the supplied
fonts.) Thousands of other fonts are commercially available, as is software to
help you design your own fonts from scratch. The RIP can load any PostScript
font into the RIP for use in interpretation (unless the font is encrypted using
some proprietary encryption mechanism).
The Torrent RIP enables you to download, list, and proof fonts easily and
quickly. You have complete control over which fonts are loaded when the RIP
is run, and can remove any unwanted fonts at any time.
The Torrent RIP can convert any Type 1 PostScript font into its own format,
DLD1. DLD1 fonts consume much less memory and disk space than normal
Type 1 descriptions, and so reduce processing time—but with no change in
output quality.
The 35 standard hinted fonts are provided with the Torrent RIP in DLD1 for-
mat. Font hinting is essential when previewing images or printing at low reso-
lution, where it greatly improves the quality of the output.
1.3.15.1 Composite fonts

The Torrent RIP supports composite fonts, in both Original Composite Format
(OCF) and Character Identifier (CID) formats, which allow you to use large or
complex fonts such as those for Chinese, Japanese, or Korean characters. Com-
posite fonts support large character sets and are especially important in the
Far East.

There are several features to allow easy composite font installation without
requiring complex structuring of the fonts. Also, because of the high value of
such complex fonts, the Torrent RIP provides a way of encrypting fonts, so
that they can only be used with a particular copy of the RIP.
1.3.16 Convenience features

The Torrent RIP provides some useful facilities for monitoring media on cas-
sette-loaded devices such as imagesetters and for using or testing fragments
of PostScript code. These fragments, page features, can do such things as label-
ling output or performing basic imposition and media saving.
Most of these facilities require little or no knowledge of the PostScript
language.
1.3.16.1 Media management

Output devices vary greatly in the type of output media they can use and the
amount of manual intervention required. Some devices use a single source of
roll-fed or sheet-fed material and the output is ready to use, while other
devices can accept media from a variety of sources or require processing of the
output. Equally, different users make very different demands on their images-
etters with respect to film and paper handling.
The Torrent RIP includes a sophisticated media manager.
For example, you can keep track of the media left on the rolls of up to sixteen
input cassettes; a variety of materials and media widths can be set, and the
system allows you specify automatic media cutting at predetermined places,
such as after a particular number of pages or before the take-up cassette gets
too full.
In addition, the Torrent RIP warns you when a cassette is nearly empty, and
allows you to define how much space should be left between pages, between
jobs, and between film cuts. It will even save media by automatically rotating
pages to use the minimum amount of film.
New for version 5.5 is a Media Saving feature. For more information see
Section 5.14 on page 136.

1.3.16.2 Page features

Sometimes you may want to apply a special effect to your jobs. For example,
you may want to have the word Draft overprinted on every page. Because
these can be one-off needs—you may want to produce a special copy of a doc-
ument while it is at draft stage—it is preferable not to alter the job if at all
possible.
The Torrent RIP provides this facility by allowing you to specify a fragment of
PostScript-language code, independent of your main job, to be processed in
conjunction with it. A fragment such as this is known as a page feature.
A page feature carries out some process on your job, leaving the original
untouched. Often, the effect of the process is to produce a desired printed
effects but some page features produce no printed output because their pur-
pose is to report some properties of the job.
A number of page features are provided with the Torrent RIP for immediate
use or as examples. You can choose any of those for immediate use from a
menu in a dialog box. See Section 5.20 on page 148 for details.
As with plugins, you can add new page features by placing them in a particu-
lar folder.
1.3.16.3 Interactive sessions

The Torrent RIP has a feature known as the executive, which allows you to run
an interactive PostScript-language session. This means that you can type frag-
ments of PostScript-language code and have them interpreted immediately.
This can be very useful when debugging and testing small parts of jobs.
The executive feature is available in the Torrent RIP on all supported
platforms.
1.3.16.4 Page imposition

Page imposition is the process of laying out several pages of a document on
one large sheet of paper or film. Using a combination of PostScript-language
operators and an extension to the language, it is possible to take several pages
and produce output on a large sheet of paper, each page being printed in an
orientation and position determined by you.

Page imposition can be useful both for saving media—pages can be orientated
so as to use the optimum amount of paper—and for printing pre-imposed
sheets of paper, for instance when printing a book where certain pages are
made out of the same piece of paper. Some understanding of the PostScript
language is useful here, but the Torrent RIP is supplied with several imposi-
tion templates which can be used immediately.

2
2Running the Torrent RIP
This chapter is a short guide to getting the Torrent RIP running on your
machine. It does not contain complete installation details because these differ
between different combinations of computer, operating system, and output
device. For full details, see the separate Torrent RIP installation guide for your
platform (combination of computer and operating system).
This chapter provides details for the following:
• Machine requirements, described in Section 2.1.
• Connecting your machine to an output device, described in Section 2.2
on page 34.
• The files and folders used by the RIP, described in Section 2.3 on
page 34.
• Starting up the Torrent RIP and an introduction to the standard menus
and dialog boxes, described in Section 2.4 on page 40.
• Some menus that appear only when options are enabled, described in
• Stopping the Torrent RIP, described in Section 2.6 on page 49.

2 Running the Torrent RIP
2.1 Machine requirements

This section covers the hardware requirements that you need to run the Tor-
rent RIP. Do not worry if you are not familiar with the RIP technical terms
used in this section. As you work through the manual, all of these terms will
be explained. The “Glossary” on page 477 explains many of these terms.
Hint: Follow the basics of this section on first reading to get a working instal-
lation of the RIP. When you are more familiar with the RIP, use this section for
reference, so that you can improve the RIP’s performance in your environ-
ment.
2.1.1 Performance
For a given processor type and speed, the most important things affecting the
performance of the Torrent RIP are the built-in or physical memory (RAM)
and the speed and size of disks.
Mac Classic users: It is recommended that you use at least a 350 MHZ
Power Macintosh with 256 MB or more of built-in RAM, with a floating
point unit (FPU) and a minimum of 4 GB of free disk space.
Mac OS X users: It is recommended that you use a PowerMac G3 or G4,
iMac or PowerBook with 256 MB or more of built-in RAM and a mini-
mum of 4 GB of free disk space.
Windows users: It is recommended that you use a 450 MHZ Pentium
based PC running Windows NT, Windows 2000 or Windows XP with
256 MB or more of random access memory (RAM) and a minimum of
4 GB of free disk space.
In addition all users should consider the following points:
• There must be sufficient space to hold page buffers on disk.
• There must be sufficient PostScript-language virtual memory available
for the job. This is especially important when using composite fonts.
• For some output devices, a disk with a certain minimum performance
may be required.

Important: The general rule is that the more memory, the better the perfor-
mance. Note especially that if you use the following features, we recommend
that you add extra RAM:
• Add an additional 8 MB RAM for each composite PostScript font used
in a single job.
• Add an additional 12 MB RAM for when using Harlequin Precision
Screening (HPS).
• Add an additional 64 MB RAM when using TrapPro or TrapProLite.
• Add an additional 32 MB RAM for EDS Screening in the output plugin.
• When using Torrent ColourPro, add extra RAM. The required amount
can vary according to the functions you use.
• There are some instances when the Torrent RIP cannot paint partial
page buffers to disk: for example, when recombining preseparated jobs
or using TrapPro. In such cases, the RIP will need extra memory and
must have enough memory to complete the job. See Section 7.10, “Tor-
rent RIP memory allocation”, the TrapPro User Manual and Torrent RIP
installation guide for details.
• For large format devices, more memory may be required.
In general, if a job uses more than one of these features, add together the extra
memory required by each feature. For example, if a job uses composite fonts
and you are using HPS add together the extra amounts of RAM. You will also
need enough extra RAM to accommodate any printer and network buffers
you want to set up.
For more details, see Chapter 6, “Screening”, Chapter 7, “Configuring the
RIP”, and Chapter 10, “Fonts”.
Note: This manual uses conventions of font and style to describe special key
combinations and to highlight the titles of programs, options in menus and
dialog boxes, and text that we suggest you type. For details, see the
“Conventions” on page v in the Preface.
Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP use disk space as virtual
memory.

For Windows NT Version 4.0, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, the defaults
suggested when you install Windows are satisfactory for use with the Torrent
RIP. If you later install more disk space or memory, you should update the vir-
tual memory setting. To do this, open the System control panel and display
the Performance tab. In the Virtual Memory section, click the Change button and
use the recommended figures.
For Mac users, the Torrent RIP and most output devices perform acceptably
with Macintosh virtual memory turned on. You may find problems with spe-
cific plugins; if this appears to be the case, try turning off Virtual Memory, in the
Memory control panel.
In summary, as well as the memory and disk allocations discussed here, the
performance of the RIP also depends on the following:
• The speed of the processor.
• The amount of additional RAM on your machine. (Additional RAM is
RAM above the basic requirement.)
• The disk speed of your machine.
• The interface used to send data to the output device, especially if it is a
high-performance device.
Performance issues are described throughout this manual, but see especially
Chapter 7, “Configuring the RIP”, and Appendix A, “Troubleshooting”, for
details about optimizing the performance of your hardware.
For further details on machine specifications you should consult the relevant
installation guide.
2.1.2 Ability to RIP a job

Depending on what page buffer mode you choose, the Torrent RIP will usu-
ally create one or more page buffers on disk when you process any job (see
Chapter 4, “Torrent RIP Output Methods”, for full details). This allows the
RIP to print any job on a machine of any performance, no matter how complex
the job is. The only requirement for your machine (apart from a minimum
requirement of RAM) is that it must have sufficient free disk space to hold
these page buffers.

By default, the Torrent RIP compresses page buffers as it creates them: the
compression is always lossless and does not affect the output quality in any
way. This compression can reduce the disk space required to anything from
half to a tenth of the uncompressed file, or even less. However, you do not
have to compress page buffers if you do not wish to. See Chapter 7, “Config-
uring the RIP”, for full details.
Note: Crop marks can greatly increase the actual size of the page (by adding
largely blank surrounds to the image) and hence create a need for more disk
space. If you ask the Torrent RIP to compress page buffers as they are created,
the extra space required by crop marks compresses well, as does the other
blank space between text and images.
Typical free disk requirements, for both compressed (C) and uncompressed
(U) page buffers, are shown in the following table, giving details for output at
different resolutions and for different page sizes. These figures are for halftone
page buffers holding a monochrome page or one separation of a separated
page. All figures are given in MB.
US Letter A4 Tabloid A3 Broadsheet

Resolution U C U C U C U C U C
300 dpi 1.00 0.20 1.00 0.20 2.00 0.40 2.10 0.41 4.60 0.93
400 dpi 1.70 0.36 1.80 0.37 3.60 0.71 3.70 0.74 8.20 1.60
600 dpi 4.00 0.80 4.10 0.83 8.00 1.60 8.30 1.70 19.00 3.70
800 dpi 7.10 1.40 7.40 1.50 14.00 2.90 15.00 3.00 33.00 6.60
900 dpi 9.00 1.80 9.30 1.90 18.00 3.60 19.00 3.70 42.00 8.30
1200 dpi 16.00 3.20 17.00 3.40 32.00 6.40 34.00 7.20 74.00 14.80
1524 dpi 26.00 5.20 27.00 5.40 52.00 10.40 54.00 10.80 120.00 24.00
2400 dpi 64.00 12.80 68.00 13.60 128.00 25.60 136.00 27.20 296.00 59.20
3048 dpi 104.00 20.80 108.00 21.60 208.00 41.60 216.00 43.20 480.00 96.00
Table 2.1 Typical free disk requirements for page buffers
Contone page buffers or composite colour page buffers are bigger than mono-
chrome page buffers when uncompressed, by a combined factor taking
account of the number of bits used per colour and the number of colours in
the page buffer. For example, when uncompressed, a four-colour page using 8
bits per colour (256 tonal values) would use 32 times more memory than the

figures given here. It is harder to predict the relative sizes of compressed page
buffers because the contents of the page have a large effect. For example, the
compression ratio achievable for a page filled with an unchanging back-
ground tint is likely to be better for a contone page buffer than for a halftone
page buffer.
In addition, you must ensure you have enough disk space to hold workspace
for processing the scanned images on any one page of your job. For example,
when printing the Seybold Musicians test job (a full-colour scanned image),
8 MB of extra disk workspace will sometimes be required in addition to the
figures shown above. (Whenever possible, the Torrent RIP uses RAM in pref-
erence to disk space.)
If you have spare memory after allocating memory for the considerations
described in “Performance” on page 28 and in the separate Torrent RIP instal-
lation guide, you may be able to use this surplus to create a RAM disk in
which to place page buffers. To be useful, the RAM disk must be at least large
enough to hold a single page buffer, and if you want to use throughput (using
either of the multiple page buffer modes), it should ideally be large enough to
hold at least two page buffers.
For 2540 dpi colour work, a RAM disk of around 100 MB is desirable. For
1016 dpi monochrome output, a RAM disk of around 30 MB may be enough.
2.1.3 Driving a printer effectively

The machine requirements discussed so far have concerned the production of
a page buffer. Meeting these requirements is sufficient for you to view the
page buffer on screen or for the Torrent RIP to convert it into a file in a useful
graphics format.
When you want to convert the page buffer to an image on physical media, you
must transfer the data to an output device. This transfer is another factor
determining overall performance and often imposes other requirements on
the computer system running the RIP.

Many output devices need data to reach them at a sustained high speed; in
general, this speed becomes higher and harder to achieve as the resolution of
the device increases. Table 2.2, page 33, shows examples of required data
transfer rates (in kilobytes per second) for typical output devices supported
by the various versions of the Torrent RIP.
Rate Resolution
Output device
(KB/s) (dpi)
200 300 Large format inkjet printer
2000 300 Dye-sublimation printer
750 2400 Slow imagesetter
1500 1270 Fast imagesetter
8000 4000 Large format drum recorder
Table 2.2 Required data rates for typical output devices
With simple jobs, these data rates can be achieved without using a page buffer
on disk. However, with complex jobs, a page buffer may be required, which
means that the disk on your computer must be fast enough to supply data at
these rates. If the disk is too slow and your printer is not capable of stop /
starting without abandoning the page, it is not possible to output the whole
page. If your printer can stop / start in the middle of a page, then achieving
the required data rate is less important, but the quality of the output may still
be affected, depending on the device.
When you look at the data rates in this table, note the following:
• The disk speed of your machine must be slightly faster than the data
rate of the output device in order to drive it successfully—the extra
speed allows for the overhead of transferring the output to the printer.
For example, a machine with a disk speed of 1.3 MB/s may be required
to drive a slow imagesetter at 750 KB/s.
• To smooth out peaks and troughs of disk performance and other system
and RIP functions, the Torrent RIP uses a printer buffer in memory. Typ-
ically, you should make this buffer large enough to hold between 5 and

10 seconds of output to the device: for example, 7.5 MB for a device that
outputs at 750 KB/second. You can set the size of the printer buffer in
the Configure RIP dialog box: see Chapter 7, “Configuring the RIP”.
We strongly recommend that you use compressed page buffers. If this is done,
the Torrent RIP can achieve higher data rates because less data has to be read
from disk. Compressing page buffers also lets you run the RIP on a slower
disk than would be required were page buffers not compressed. There are
very few situations where it is not desirable to compress page buffers.
2.2 Installing printer interface cards

If you want to produce output on a printer or imagesetter, there must be a
suitable way of connecting the output device to the computer running the Tor-
rent RIP. Many low or medium resolution devices can connect to standard
communications ports or printer ports on your computer. Using a high resolu-
tion or high speed output device may mean that you must install a special
printer interface card in the computer.
Refer to the relevant PCI installation guide for information about installing
HighWater’s PCI interface cards.
2.3 Torrent RIP folder structure

The folder in which the Torrent RIP is installed contains the Torrent RIP appli-
cation itself, and a folder called SW, as well as other support files. The SW folder
contains the files that the RIP needs in order to run, such as device driver files,
PostScript-language header files, and fonts. You can install new device driv-
ers, features, and so on—in many cases by placing the relevant folders or files
directly into the appropriate folder, but it is safer to use a supplied installation
program if there is one.
Warning: Do not delete any files from the SW folder, except in the limited cases
where this manual or the Torrent RIP support staff advise you to do so.
Note: Installing the Torrent RIP creates some of the following items immedi-
ately: other items are created later, as required by later reconfiguration of the
RIP or the use of particular options such as screening features or spooled
input.

The SW folder contains the following items:

• The caldata folder, which is created when you first use the Output >
Print Calibration menu option to print a calibration target, and is
updated as you print more targets. This folder holds files and folders
describing the printed targets. If you use the Genlin program to mea-
sure a printed target, it generates a file of results in this folder (Genlin is
not available for Mac OS X).
• The categories folder contains the categories resource.
• The charstrings folder contains the file StandardCharStrings, which
contains the standard name-to-character mappings used by most fonts.
Other mapping files may also be stored here.
• The CIDFont folder contains fonts defined in the CID (character identi-
fier) format.
• The CMap folder contains information for use with CID fonts.
• The colorrenderings folder contains colour rendering resources.
• The colorspaces folder contains resources for the colour spaces defined
in the Torrent RIP.
• The Complete folder is provided as a default location for the spool
folder input to place files that it has successfully processed.
• The Config folder contains all the configuration files for the Torrent RIP.
These include files detailing such things as the current page setup and
Configure RIP settings, as well as folders for information including the
configuration for available devices, default colour profiles, and target
definitions.
In the Config folder, the Factory Settings subfolder contains the
default configuration for the Torrent RIP when it is shipped. This is
essentially a copy of the Config folder itself.
In the Config folder, the Page Setups subfolder contains all the page
setups you have saved within the Torrent RIP.
• The Crdgen folder contains the colour rendering dictionary (CRD) gen-
erator plugin executables. You can only manipulate CRDs in the Torrent
RIP with the ColourPro option enabled.

• The Devices folder contains all the output plugin files (possibly within
subfolders) for the various output devices.
• The encodings folder contains the font encodings for the fonts installed
in the RIP.
• The Error folder is provided as a default location for the spool folder
input to place files that it cannot process.
• The Extensions folder can contain folders or files used to implement
extensions to the RIP.
• The FlatPgbDir folder provides space for the page buffer files used by
FlatOut. The FlatOut User Guide contains details about this—please con-
tact HighWater Designs if you would like a copy.
• The fonts folder contains fonts used by the Torrent RIP (including the
fonts installed with the RIP).
• The FontSet folder is used for PostScript LanguageLevel 3 font sets,
often used with CFF fonts. It may be empty.
• The forms folder contains resources for bitmap forms.
• The halftones folder contains halftone resources.
Note: The comments in these halftone resources files show how you can
define custom dot shapes in capable graphics and layout applications,
and have these dot shapes linked to Harlequin screens in the generated
PostScript-language files.
• The icccrd folder contains the colour rendering dictionaries (CRDs)
produced from ICC profiles.
• The IdiomSet folder contains idiom set resources. Each idiom set in this
folder is loaded when the RIP starts.
• The Inputs folder contains all input plugin files (AppleTalk, Spool, and
any others).
• The Messages folder contains localized message files. The appropriate
file is selected the first time the RIP is started
• The MediaSavingDir contains page buffers that are marked for media
saving.

• The NamedColor folder is the location of files defining a resource type

/NamedColor, which stores colour values referred to by name. It is
accessed by the Install ICC Profile dialog box present when using
ColourPro, as well as by the Torrent core RIP.
• The NamedColorOrder folder contains files defining the orders in which
resources of type /NamedColor, are searched when the Torrent RIP is
looking for the definition of a named colour.
• The Page Features folder contains all the PostScript-language header
files that are available in the Enable Feature menu of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. This menu is generated dynamically from the files available
in this folder. If a feature is turned on in the relevant page setup, the
appropriate file is run at the beginning of the job. Additional example
page features are available in the folder called Examples within this
folder. The example files supplied with the RIP show you how to do
such things as produce draft copies, perform page imposition, resubmit
page buffers, and use image replacement with DCS files. You can add
your own files if you wish.
• The PageBuffers folder provides space for rendered pages that are
written to disk.
• The Passwords folder may be empty but is available for files used to
install passwords for optional parts of the Torrent RIP. The RIP installs
all new passwords automatically, as it starts. Files with extension .pwd
are files to be used by the RIP, files with numeric extensions (.001, .002,
and so on) have been installed, and files with extension .pwx are files
that the Torrent RIP has failed to install.
• The patterns folder contains resources for PostScript-language
patterns.
• The PrepFiles folder contains all the prep files used by the Torrent RIP.
• The procsets folder contains various patches to the PostScript lan-
guage, as well as other functionality that is not built directly into the
Torrent RIP. Patches for specific applications are held here, as well as
calibration test jobs.

• The ReproductionCriteria folder is the location of files defining a

resource type /ReproductionCriteria. This is used to link colour ren-
dering dictionaries (CRDs) to the criteria which created them. This
allows the Torrent RIP to test whether a CRD needs to be regenerated or
whether one already exists.
• The Screenin folder contains screening plugins for use by the Torrent
RIP. In many installations, there are no screening plugins.
• The Screens folder is used when halftone screens are cached (saved to
disk for later use). There is a subfolder here for each dot shape cache
known to the Torrent RIP, either as supplied or as created during use.
• The Separation Features folder performs a similar task to Page Fea-
tures but applies only when separating jobs in the Torrent RIP.
• The Spool folder is a default location used by the Spool folder input
plugin for receiving jobs.
• The Sys folder includes HqnStart, the Torrent-specific startup file, and
Bootlist, a list of files to be executed upon booting (starting) the Tor-
rent RIP. This folder also contains HqnProduct, which contains
PostScript-language startup code specific to that product, and HqnOEM,
which may contain additional startup PostScript-language startup code.
• The targeteps folder contains any EPS files that are incorporated in
custom calibration targets (and potentially other targets). This folder is
referred to from target definitions while interpreting a target file, espe-
cially in response to the Print Calibration dialog box.
• The tmp folder is used as a location for temporary files.
• The TrapParams folder is used for PostScript LanguageLevel 3 trapping
parameters. It may be empty.
• The Usr folder contains several files needed by the Torrent RIP.

• The Utilities folder contains files, each of which can perform a useful
function when run as a job (using the Print File menu option):
• BackupConfiguration.ps
This file enables you to make a backup file containing all your con-
figuration settings for an installation of the Torrent RIP.
• BackupFonts.ps
This file enables you to make a backup file containing all your fonts,
both the standard set and any additional fonts that you have
installed.
You can store such a backup file elsewhere for security and, for example,
use it as a simple way to restore a complex configuration if you need to
reinstall the same version of the Torrent RIP. (You can restore backed-up
fonts to a newer version of the RIP but you can only restore configura-
tion settings to the same version of the RIP.)
• The WorkSpace folder provides space for any temporary workspace files
created by the RIP.
• The LOGFILE file contains a record of all transactions with the Torrent
RIP monitor. This file can be saved and its size restricted. For more
information see Section 3.4, “Monitoring the Torrent RIP”.
• The files FILERED.PS and FILEMAP.DAT (replacing FILEMAP.PS, which is
still present for short-term compatibility) contain important information
for use in file name mapping. The RIP manages these files automati-
cally: you must not change these files manually.
File name mapping is necessary because PostScript-language file names
can be very long, can contain characters that have special meanings for
file systems on the computer running the Torrent RIP, and are case sensi-
tive. For each PostScript-language file name that could be a problem, the
RIP creates a unique and acceptable file name in the file system and
records both file names together as a mapping in FILEMAP.DAT.

You may find it useful to inspect FILEMAP.DAT, if you need to associate a

particular file name with the other name in its mapping. For example,
this is a typical mapping (between Press and PRESS):
(Press)(PRESS)M
Note for Windows users: The file names are all uppercase, exactly as
shown in this manual. It is possible for Explorer in Microsoft Windows
to display these names with only a leading capital letter.
• The version file contains text describing the version of the Torrent RIP,
for use by some RIP utilities. Do not edit or remove it.
2.4 Starting up the Torrent RIP

You should refer to the installation guide for your platform for details on how
to install and configure the Torrent RIP.
Windows users: To start up the Torrent RIP application, choose the Tor-
rent RIP entry from the Start menu, or double-click the Torrent RIP icon
in the install folder:
<company>.exe
Mac users: To start up the Torrent RIP application, double-click the Tor-
rent RIP icon at the top level of the installation folder.
An initial dialog box is always displayed while the program starts up. Some
extra things happen in special circumstances:
• When you are starting up the RIP for the first time after installation, you
see a dialog box asking you to choose the language to be used in dialog
boxes, menus, and messages. The dialog box shows you which lan-
guages are available. (A language is available if the entries after its
name are all Present or Yes.) If you are in doubt, choose English
(United States) initially; you can switch to another language later,
using the Torrent RIP / File > Language menu option, as described in
Section 7.14 on page 225. Select your chosen language and click OK.

• When you have installed a plugin or other option, that option may
require enabling with a password. The RIP can read the password from
a file if the installation process for the plugin supplied one. If the RIP
reads a password file, it displays a dialog box with a message similar to
this but with differences to the italic text.
Imported password file Passwords/1234-56-variable-string.pwd
Click OK to dismiss this dialog box.

• If you have chosen to reset the Torrent RIP to its factory settings, you
see a series of dialog boxes asking you which settings you wish to reset.
See Section 7.13 on page 225 for details of how to do this.
Mac users: When the RIP has finished loading, the desktop (Finder)
menus are replaced by those shown below:
Figure 2.1 The Torrent RIP menus
Windows users: When the RIP has finished loading, a window contain-
ing the following menu items appears:
Figure 2.2 The Torrent RIP menus
Some windows appear, as described in Chapter 3, “Getting Started with the

Torrent RIP”. That chapter describes some basic procedures that you can use
to familiarize yourself with the Torrent RIP. The remainder of this chapter
introduces the menus, tool bar, and status bar; and describes how to stop the
RIP.

2.4.1 The menus

There are several menus:
• Mac classic users: The Torrent RIP menu contains commands for config-
uring and operating the RIP, as well as for producing output. There is
also a command to exit the Torrent RIP, whose use is described in “Stop-
ping the Torrent RIP” on page 49.
• Mac OS X users: The Torrent RIP menu contains standard Mac OS X
commands for hiding the program and for quitting the RIP. For more
information see “Stopping the Torrent RIP” on page 49. The File menu
contains commands for configuring and operating the RIP, as well as for
producing output.
• The Edit menu contains the common window-based edit facilities of Cut,
Copy, Paste, and Clear.
• The next menu changes name to indicate which device it is controlling.

This menu contains commands for controlling output and cutting the
media being used on any printers connected to the computer. Because
the displayed name can change, this documentation refers to it as the
Device menu. (Figure 2.1, page 41, shows Preview in this position.)
The device does not necessarily have to be a physical output device con-
nected to your machine. The RIP is equally capable of saving an image to
a file in a particular format, such as TIFF. You can find out more about
these options in “Selecting different devices” on page 104.
• The Colour menu contains commands for starting the Separations
Manager and for colour management. The colour management com-
mands depend on optional parts of the Torrent RIP. See Section 2.5.1.
• The Output menu contains commands for controlling calibration, media
management, and output.
• The Fonts menu contains commands for installing, deleting, and proof-
ing fonts within the RIP.
• When required, the RIP can display other menus to the right of the per-
manent menus mentioned so far. For example, the Print File menu
appears when you have used the Print File command to print a file, and
contains commands allowing you to control printing of that file.

All standard commands in these menus are described in later chapters of this
book together with the situations and operations that require you to use them.
See Section 2.5 on page 47 for details of menus affected by optional features in
the Torrent RIP.
2.4.2 The tool bar

All versions of the Torrent RIP have a tool bar containing icon buttons and a
status area. The buttons provide rapid access to frequently used menu options
and dialog boxes, as described in Section 2.4.2.1 on page 44. The status area
shows what the RIP is doing, as described in Section 2.4.2.2 on page 46.
In Windows, the tool bar is part of the main window.
On the Mac, the tool bar is a free-floating window, which you can display or
hide using the Torrent RIP / File > Tool Bar menu option.

2.4.2.1 Tool bar buttons

These tool bar buttons have the following uses:
Print File Displays the Print File dialog box, where you can
choose a file to print. This is equivalent to the Torrent
RIP / File > Print File command.
Print Calibration Displays the Print Calibration dialog box, where you
can print various patterns of calibration target for
use in calibrating output devices, including printing
presses. This is equivalent to the Output > Print
Calibration command.
Start Inputs Starts any enabled inputs. This is equivalent to the

Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs command when the
inputs are stopped.
Stop Inputs Stops any enabled inputs. This is equivalent to the

Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs command when the
inputs are enabled.
Page Setup Manager Displays the Page Setup Manager dialog box, where
you can create and edit page setups. This is equiva-
lent to the Torrent RIP / File > Page Setup Manager
command.
Device Manager Displays the Device Manager dialog box, where you
can create and configure devices driven from a mul-
tiple device driver. This is equivalent to the Torrent
RIP / File > Device Manager command.

Separations Manager Displays the Separations Manager dialog box, where

you can create and edit separation styles for the
selected device. This is equivalent to the Colour >
Separations Manager command.
Colour Setup Manager Displays the Colour Setup Manager dialog box,
which allows you to create and edit colour setups
with or without colour management depending on
whether the password-enabled ColourPro option is
activated. See the Section 12.8 on page 416 and Torrent
ColourPro User’s Guide for details. This is equivalent
to the Colour > Colour Setup Manager command.
Calibration Manager Displays the Calibration (Dot Gain) Manager dialog

box, where you can create and edit calibration sets.
This is equivalent to the Output > Calibration Manager
command.
Cassette Manager Displays the Cassette Manager dialog box, where

you can create cassettes and edit their information.
This is equivalent to the Output > Cassette Manager
command.
Input Controller Displays the Input Controller dialog box. Also, this
button hides the controller if it is already displayed.
This is equivalent to the Torrent RIP / File > Input Con-
troller command.
Media Manager Displays the Media Manager dialog box, where you
can set up automatic media management. This is
equivalent to the Output > Media Manager command.

Note: The Device Manager, Separations Manager, Colour Setup Manager,

Calibration Manager, and Cassette Manager buttons are also available from the
Edit Page Setup dialog box.
2.4.2.2 Status area

The status area has three sub-areas: one shows what the input system and
interpreter are doing, one shows what the output system is doing, and a final
one shows the most recently used output device.
Figure 2.3 shows some typical contents of the status area.
Figure 2.3 The status area of the tool bar
The meanings of these example status bars are:
1 Idle The RIP is not looking for jobs on its inputs.
2 Scanning The RIP is looking for input but none is arriving.
3 Interpreting The RIP is interpreting a job.
4 Printing The RIP is sending a job to an output device.

2.5 Menus affected by optional features
In all these examples, the output device is the Preview device. The text can
change to show other types of output, including output to graphics files and
real printers and imagesetters.
This completes a brief description of the controls and status indicators in the
Torrent RIP. If you want to try using the RIP, see Chapter 3, “Getting Started
with the Torrent RIP” on page 51. If you want to stop the RIP, see “Stopping
the Torrent RIP” on page 49.
2.5 Menus affected by optional features

A number of commands and options in dialog boxes appear only if your copy
of the Torrent RIP has been supplied with certain optional features and these
are enabled.
The major features that have this effect are:
• Torrent ColourPro. See Section 2.5.1.
• Harlequin Screening Library (HSL). The visible changes are limited to
new dot shapes in the screening part of the Edit Style dialog box, as
described in Chapter 6, “Screening”.
• TrapPro and TrapProLite. See Section 2.5.2.
• Media Saving. See Section 5.14.
2.5.1 ColourPro™ menus

ColourPro is a colour management system that can work as an integrated part
of the Torrent RIP. If relevant options within ColourPro are present and
enabled, the following commands appear. See the separate manual entitled
Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for full details.
In the Colour menu:
Colour Rendering Intent Manager

This command allows you to create and edit custom
colour reproduction strategies in ColourPro. It appears
only when the ColourPro option is enabled.

Colour Setup Manager

A standard set of options is available with the Colour
Setup Manager without ColourPro including Black gen-
eration and UCR control and colour management over-
ride options. When ColourPro is activated an extended
set of options is available. You can create and edit
colour setups including the selection of input and
output profiles, rendering intents and press emulation.
Install ICC Profile

This command supports the use of industry-standard
colour profile files which enable portable definitions of
the characteristics of printers, printing processes,
presses, scanners, and other equipment. It appears
when Torrent ColourPro is enabled.
Uninstall ICC Profile

This command uninstalls ICC profiles and appears
when Torrent ColourPro is enabled.
2.5.2 TrapPro™ and TrapProLite™

TrapPro is an option for the Torrent RIP that can be set up to perform trap-
ping. If TrapPro is present and enabled, the following command appears in
the Output menu. See the separate TrapPro User Manual for full details.
TrapPro Manager
This command displays a dialog box where you can inspect and create
different sets of rules for trapping. These rules become available in the
Trapping section of the Page Setup dialog box. See Section 12.10, “Trap-
ping features” for details.
Ink Set Manager
This command displays a dialog box where you can configure various
types of ink including normal, opaque and transparent.

2.6 Stopping the Torrent RIP
2.5.3 Media Saving

Media Saving is a layered option for the Torrent RIP which is enabled using a
password. If Media Saving is present and enabled, the Media Saving option
appears in the Output menu.
Media Saving
This option displays a dialog box where you can view the various flats
being created and view, roam or delete the various pages used to make
up the flats. See Section 5.14, “Media saving option” for details.
2.6 Stopping the Torrent RIP

You can stop the RIP whenever you wish but you should keep it running as
much as possible whenever you expect jobs to be input. There are very few
cases where you must stop the RIP: for example, you must stop the RIP when
you shut down the computer running the RIP or when you update your copy
of the RIP.
The state of the RIP when you stop it is also the state that the RIP assumes
when you next start it. For example, if you quit the RIP when inputs are active
then the RIP restarts with the same inputs enabled.
2.6.1 Quitting the Torrent RIP

If you are the only user of the RIP, all you must do is ensure that no jobs are in
progress and choose the Quit command in the Torrent RIP / File menu. Take
more care if there are other users, as described here.
If the RIP is providing a network service, warn the other users that there will
be an interruption of service.
Disable output, by selecting the check box labeled Disable output in the Output
Controller, if you are operating in either of the multiple modes. This shuts
down the output cleanly, by allowing the current job to complete but not start-
ing any other jobs. (When you restart the RIP, output is re-enabled automati-
cally, though you will have to answer a question if there are any jobs waiting
to be output in the Active Queue.)
Wait for any active jobs to complete.

Leave the RIP settings in their usual state, unless you know that you will be
making significant changes to the RIP, the computer, the network, or con-
nected output devices.
• If you leave settings unchanged, you need only restart the RIP to have it
start responding to all its previous inputs.
• If you are making changes, you may prefer to disable inputs from other
computers until you have restarted the RIP and proved that there are no
resultant problems.
From the Torrent RIP / File menu, choose Quit (or press Command-Q / Ctrl+Q)
to exit the RIP.
2.6.2 Stopping the computer

If you are also stopping the computer, exit any other applications and follow
the usual procedure described in the manual for your computer or operating
system.
Windows users: Once you have followed the procedure, wait until you
see a message saying that you can remove power. Switch off the com-
puter.

3
Getting Started with the

3
Torrent RIP
Chapter 1 gave a broad overview of the kinds of tasks the Torrent RIP can
perform. In this chapter you will learn how to process simple jobs, and how to
switch between different configurations.
3.1 A simple Torrent RIP session

Once the Torrent RIP is installed and running on your machine, you can start
to use it. “Starting up the Torrent RIP” on page 40 describes how to start the
RIP and gives an overview of the menus and tool bar.
It is a good idea to start with a short test job and to view it on screen so that
you avoid wasting materials. (Even when you are familiar with the RIP you
should consider using such an on-screen test when processing a new kind of
job for the first time.)
Note: This manual uses some conventions of font and style to describe special
key combinations and to highlight the titles of programs and dialog boxes,
options in menus and dialog boxes, and text that we suggest you type. For
details, see “Conventions” on page v in the Preface.

3 Getting Started with the Torrent RIP
3.1.1 Creating a page setup

First, you need to create a convenient page setup—a collection of settings that
the RIP uses to process the jobs submitted to it:
1. Choose the Page Setup Manager option from the Torrent RIP / File menu. If
you cannot choose this option, stop inputs to the RIP. To do this, click the
tool bar button that shows a red arrow and traffic light, or choose the
Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs menu option.
2. In the Page Setup Manager, as shown in Figure 3.1, select a page setup.
Default Page Setup is a safe choice: select it and click Edit to display the
Edit Page Setup dialog box. If you want to create a new page setup, the
easiest way is to copy the Default Page Setup. Select Default Page
Setup and click Copy to display the New Page Setup dialog box:
Figure 3.1 Page Setup Manager dialog box
3. In the Edit Page Setup dialog box, shown in Figure 3.2, set the Device to
None and the Vertical and Horizontal resolutions to something small, say
72 dpi. If you change the Device, you must choose a separations style
listed in the Style menu and, for some devices, a cassette name from the
Cassette menu.
For the purposes of this example, you can select any option from these
lists. For more information about the options in this dialog box, see
Section 5.3, “Edit Page Setup dialog box” on page 101.
The None device does not produce any printed output, but does perform
all the necessary processing for the job, including producing page buff-
ers—as defined on page 487 in the “Glossary”. This device can be used

for testing and timing jobs, and is especially useful for previewing the
job on screen.
Figure 3.2 Edit Page Setup dialog box
4. Click OK. (Click Save As if you are working in the New Page Setup
dialog box, and save the page setup as Default Page Setup; this
changes the original page setup but it is convenient for use this name
during this session.)
5. Click OK again to close the Page Setup Manager dialog box.
The Output Controller/Monitor window must be displayed for you to see the
processed output for the None device. If you cannot see this window: first
choose the Configure RIP option from the Torrent RIP / File menu and check that

the option shown against Page buffering is Multiple (Parallel); then display
the Output menu and look at (but do not choose) the option Output Controller.
If there is a check mark next to the menu option, the RIP is displaying the
window but it may be hidden behind another window. The Output > Output
Controller menu option can be used to toggle between opening and closing the
Output Controller/Monitor. Each time that you open the Output Control-
ler/Monitor it opens in front of all other RIP windows.
Note: The Output Controller is only available in either of the multiple page
buffer modes. You can also view a page in one of the single modes by setting
the output device to Preview instead of None. In the following description we
assume that you are working in Multiple (Parallel) mode. If you are using
one of the single modes, see “Sending output to the screen” on page 109 for
more details about previewing pages.
For the example job described next, make sure that you have deselected the
Disable output check box in the Output Controller/Monitor. This box is
selected by default, so that you can hold pages for on-screen viewing before
sending the pages to real output devices.
3.1.2 Creating a simple job

You also need to set up a sample job. Usually, jobs are files created by another
application, but you can create a simple job within the RIP, as follows:
1. From the Fonts menu, choose Proof Fonts. A window appears with a list
of the available fonts, which the Torrent RIP can use with any of its pos-
sible output devices. (See Figure 3.3.)

Figure 3.3 Proof Highlighted Fonts dialog box
2. Select between one and six fonts. To select a range of fonts, click on the
first font of that range and then hold down the Shift key when you click
to select the last font.
3. From the Page Setup menu, select Default Page Setup.
4. Click the Proof button. Several things happen on screen, with some items
appearing and quickly disappearing again:
• A Print File menu appears alongside the other RIP menu titles. This
menu disappears when the job is complete.
• The status area on the right of the tool bar in the Torrent RIP
window shows an animated picture of a hand writing a page.
“None” appears in the status area on the right. (When you use other
output devices, you see other animations and names.)
Note to Mac users: If you cannot see the tool bar, use the Torrent RIP
/ File > Tool Bar menu option to display it. If you cannot see the RIP
Monitor, use the Torrent RIP / File > RIP Monitor menu option.
• Text reporting the progress of the job appears in the scrolling text
area of the RIP Monitor (Mac users) or Torrent RIP window (PC
users) as the RIP starts the job and reads the necessary fonts.
• At least one progress dial window also appears and shows what is
happening. For example, the Read Dial shows how much of the job
the RIP has read and disappears when the RIP has processed the
complete job. With a small job like this proof and a fast computer,

the Read Dial may not appear; Figure 3.4 shows the dial. Other dials
can appear, depending on the size of the job and the settings in your
copy of the RIP.
Figure 3.4 Read Dial
Notice what happens in the Output Controller/Monitor window. A job called

1. fontlist appears in the list on the left, the Active Queue. After a few
moments its name moves into the box at upper center of the window, to show
that the RIP is processing it, and then to the Held Queue on the right. (The job is
called 1. fontlist, to show that it is the first page of the fontlist job. This job
is probably only one page long, unless you chose several fonts.)
3.1.3 Previewing the image on screen

This job has now been processed by the Torrent RIP and sent to an output
device. The output device you chose was None, a dummy device provided for
test runs like this one and for previewing, so no physical printing has hap-
pened. However, you can look at an on-screen view of the page you have
created:
1. Select the job in the Held Queue (by clicking), and then click the Roam
button. A Roam window appears. Note that you can preview any page
in the Output Controller.
The Roam window displays samples of the fonts you selected. (See
Figure 3.5.) This window also displays the title of the page, 1.fontlist, the
colour of the page, and the resolution. (On a Mac, the Roam menu appears to
the right of the Fonts menu.)
For most sizes of page, there are also horizontal and vertical scroll bars at the
edges of the Roam window. (The scroll bars appear only when the window is
too small to display the whole page at one time.) When there are scroll bars,
you can use them to move your view to different parts of the page image.
Alternatively, you can drag the page image around by holding down the left

mouse button when the cursor is over the image and moving the mouse. (On a
Mac, while you are dragging the image, the shape of the mouse cursor
changes to a gripping hand.) For more information about navigating in the
Roam window, see Section 5.5.3 on page 111.
Figure 3.5 Roam window
Note: When viewing a higher resolution image, the Roam > Reduced Roam
menu option is probably available. It allows you to see more of the image in
one view.
When you have finished inspecting the page preview, close the window. To do
this:
Mac users: click the close box or choose the Close option from the Roam
menu.
Windows users: choose the Close option in the window control menu.
Alternatively, you can use the standard methods for your operating system.
Note: You must close the Roam window (and the Reduced Roam window if
you opened it) before you can roam another page.

3.1.3.1 Other pages in the job

If there are other pages in the job, the RIP has probably processed them in the
time you spent inspecting the first page: if so, there are appropriate messages
in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window and new entries in the Held Queue
on the right of the Output Controller/Monitor. Any following pages are called
2. fontlist, 3. fontlist, and so on. You can:
• View one of the processed pages by selecting it and clicking the Roam
button.
• Stop processing any remaining pages by using the Kill Current Job
option in the Print File menu. Any pages already processed stay in the
Held Queue until deleted.
3.1.3.2 Killing jobs and error messages

After killing a job and depending on what stage the job had reached, you may
see a PostScript-language error message in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP win-
dow. Error messages look similar to the following:
%%[Error: interrupt; OffendingCommand: interrupt;File: %disk0%tmp/fontlist]%%
Job Not Completed: fontlist
Such error messages are harmless if you stopped the job: they simply report
that the job stopped before it was complete.
In other circumstances, an error message alerts you to a possible problem with
a job. The details of the message may help a PostScript-language programmer
or your support organization to diagnose the cause of that problem.
3.1.4 Outputting to a real device

Your installation of the Torrent RIP has probably been set up to be able to talk
to a real printer or imagesetter and, if this is so, you can try sending some
output to it. (If you do not have a suitable physical output device, try using
None again but vary the screen resolution to a value in the range 300 through
600 dpi, so that you can see more detail. Run another job proofing fonts, then
move to the next section, “Sending a job to the Torrent RIP” on page 61.)

To send output to a physical device:

1. First display the Torrent RIP / File menu and choose the Page Setup Man-
ager option (which this manual often describes as choosing the Torrent
RIP / File > Page Setup Manager option).
2. In the Page Setup Manager dialog box, select Default Page Setup and
click Copy to display the New Page Setup dialog box. The New Page
Setup dialog box is very similar to the Edit Page Setup dialog box,
shown in Figure 3.2 on page 53.
3. Select your preferred physical device from the Device menu.
Note: If the device is not listed in the Device menu, you may need to con-
figure it using the Device Manager, available from the button next to the
Device list and described in Chapter 5, “Configuring Output Formats”.
It is probably easier to use the None device to do another screen preview.
4. Assuming that you have successfully chosen a physical device, set the
resolution and any other required options in this New Page Setup dialog
box. Note that if you change the Device, you have to choose a separations
style from the Style menu and, for some devices, a cassette name from
the Cassette menu.
5. Click Save As; the RIP displays the Save Setup dialog box. In the Save As
text field type a name: Default to Printer is suitably descriptive, so
type that name then click Save.
6. Click OK to close the Page Setup Manager.
7. Choose Media Manager from the Output menu and select the Disable media
management box. (You need to configure the media management before
using it—that topic is covered in Chapter 9, “Media Management”.)
8. Now create a new sample job as before, by choosing the Fonts > Proof
Fonts command and choosing some fonts from the Proof Highlighted
Fonts dialog box.
9. From the Page Setup list, select Default to Printer and click Proof.
The RIP displays the same indicators of activity: text in the RIP Monitor /
Torrent RIP window, an animated picture, and one or more progress dials.
Another fontlist job appears in the Active Queue and a large, empty rectan-

gle appears just above the center of the Output Controller/Monitor and starts
to fill with gray. This rectangle is known as the progress box. Note that in either
of the single modes, the progress box appears in a separate window.
This time, when the job is being processed, watch the two gray bars that suc-
cessively fill the progress box, a light gray and a dark gray spreading from the
top. The light gray bar represents the amount of data the RIP has processed;
the dark gray bar represents the amount that has been sent to the output
device (printer).
Note: The bottom edge of the light gray bar should always be ahead of
(below) the dark gray. If the dark gray catches up, the page may not be output
properly—it depends how the printer reacts to having to wait for data. In this
case the RIP printer buffer has probably been set too small, and you should
increase its size. You can do this in the Configure RIP dialog box available
from the Torrent RIP / File > Configure RIP menu command. Typical sizes are in
the range 4 MB through to 12 MB.
When the dark gray has reached the bottom of the progress box, the RIP has
finished the job and the progress box clears. If the job was processed success-
fully, you can now pick it up from your output device. If the job does not out-
put, or stops and starts while outputting, you may need to reconfigure the RIP
or the host machine. (To help you identify a problem, the RIP Monitor / text
window in the Torrent RIP window displays and records any error messages.)
The Output Controller/Monitor provides another two useful facilities:
• If you want to reprint a page once it is in the Held Queue, you can do so
easily: just drag it with the mouse back into the Active Queue. Try that
with the top fontlist job now: it is sent again to the same device,
which should be None. If you did the same to the other fontlist job
(which was sent to your imagesetter or printer), the RIP would produce
another hard copy.
It is very quick to output a page like this again, because it has already
been processed once; the RIP stores the raster data, and just sends this
data again to the relevant output device. By default, the RIP deletes pro-
cessed jobs from the Held Queue only when it is necessary to free up disk
space for new jobs.

• If you select a job and click on the Info button (or just double-click on
the job), the RIP brings up the Throughput Info dialog box, which con-
tains the settings for that particular job. You can change some of these
settings before reprinting the job.
Note: If you are roaming a page, there are fewer available options in the
Output Controller. For example, you must close the Roam window (and the
Reduced Roam window if you opened it) before you can roam another page.
3.1.5 Sending a job to the Torrent RIP

You have seen how the Torrent RIP processes a simple job, created within the
RIP. Now it is time to see how to send a real job.
If you want to print a file, you can do so directly by choosing Print File from
the Torrent RIP / File menu and specifying that file. Try printing a file now, if
you have a small file available: for example, a PostScript-language file. The
RIP interprets the file and sends it to the printer or on-screen preview, accord-
ing to the page setup that you choose in the Print File dialog box.
Section 8.12 on page 271 describes this method and the following sections
describe other types of files that the Torrent RIP can print.
(Except for Mac OS X) Usually, however, you will want to let the RIP accept
input directly from other applications. We shall see how to do this using
AppleTalk, and publish a printer visible to Macintosh computers on your net-
work. For more details on supplying jobs to the RIP, see Chapter 8, “Configur-
ing Input”.
3.1.5.1 Publishing a setup with AppleTalk (not for OS X users)

Note for Windows users: AppleTalk is not always enabled in the Win-
dows operating system. The Torrent RIP installation guide describes
how to install and enable AppleTalk. If AppleTalk is not already enabled
or you do not have a suitable Macintosh computer, you can create the
page setup described here but use a spool folder input as described in

First, if you are outputting to an imagesetter and want to produce colour sep-
arations, you should turn on HPS, Global Graphic’s proprietary high-quality
screening system. To do this:
1. In the Page Setup Manager select the page setup that uses this output
device—we suggested Default to Printer—and click Edit.
2. Click the Separations Manager button (next to the Style list) in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box to open the Separations Manager.
3. In the Separations Manager select an appropriate style from the list, for
example CMYK Separations (Halftone), and click Edit to open the Edit
Style dialog box.
4. In the Edit Style dialog box, select the check box marked Use Harlequin
Precision Screening—this enables a high-quality screening method
(HPS). Click OK to save your change and close the Edit Style dialog box,
and then click Select to close the Separations Manager. The name of the
style that you just edited appears in the Style list.
5. Click OK twice more to exit the Edit Page Setup and Page Setup Manager
dialog boxes.
Because this may be the first time you have used this screening method, HPS
has to cache (save) information on disk; this may take a few minutes. This
happens with each new resolution, dot shape, and screen frequency you use:
the RIP displays a suitable progress dial as it caches each screen. For more
information about the options in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, see
To publish a printer on the network:
1. Choose Input Controller from the Torrent RIP menu (or bring that window
to the front if there is already a check mark against that menu option).
2. When the Input Controller dialog box appears, click New to display the
Input Channel Edit dialog box.
3. In the Input Channel Edit dialog box, choose a Name for the printer you
are about to publish, say Brill-O-Print, and type it in. Select AppleTalk
from the Type menu list and select Default to Printer from the Page
Setup menu list. Make sure that the Enabled box is selected and click OK.

3.2 A more complex use of the Torrent RIP
Note for Windows users: The RIP may fail to publish an AppleTalk
input. If so the relevant entry in the Status column of the Input Control-
ler dialog box shows Stopped.
You can leave the Input Controller dialog box displayed or close it. See if there
is a check mark in front of the Start Inputs option in the Torrent RIP menu; if
there is no check mark, choose this menu option. You will see a progress dial
appear as the new setup is published.
Now go to a Macintosh computer elsewhere on your network, and try to print
a document. Among the available printers shown by the Chooser, you should
now see Brill-O-Print. If you send a job to this printer, the RIP again dis-
plays the progress box filling with light and dark gray bars to show the job
being processed in the usual way. The progress box is part of the Output Con-
troller in either of the multiple modes, or a separate window in either of the
single modes.
To disable a single AppleTalk input or other input temporarily, select it in the
Input Controller and click Off. To remove an input permanently from the
Input Controller, select the entry and click Delete.
See “Using the AppleTalk input plugin (except Mac OS X users)” on page 237
for more information.

You have seen how the Edit Page Setup dialog box lets you choose the output
device and a variety of effects that control the appearance of the pages you
display.
Many publishing environments deal with more than one kind of document.
For example, suppose that you need to print a product manual in draft and
final versions: draft documents need not be printed at a high resolution, but
final versions should exploit the full printing quality of the output device.
The Torrent RIP processes documents according to page setups. Each page
setup specifies a complete page format in terms of the orientation, resolution,
size, and so on; and provides a way to recall that page format, easily and
exactly. For full details, see Chapter 5, “Configuring Output Formats”.

3.2.1 Saving a page setup

To make and save a new page setup:
1. Stop inputs to the Torrent RIP if necessary. In the Torrent RIP / File menu,
make sure that there is no check mark in front of the Start Inputs option.
Choose the Start Inputs option if there is a check mark: this stops inputs.
Alternatively, click the Stop Inputs button in the tool bar.
2. Choose Page Setup Manager from the Torrent RIP/ File menu or click the
Page Setup Manager button in the tool bar. The Page Setup Manager
dialog box appears, where you have two choices. If there is already a
similar page setup, select it and click Copy to display the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. (If there is no similar page setup, click New to display the
very similar New Page Setup dialog box.)
3. Edit the settings in the New Page Setup dialog box to give the configura-
tion you want. Click Save As.
4. The Save Setup dialog box appears, and you can specify a name for your
new page setup in the Save As text field. (See Figure 3.6.) Click Save to
save the setup and return to the Page Setup Manager dialog box.
You can verify that the setup was saved under this name by looking at
the entries in the Page Setup Manager dialog box. Whenever you want
to output a job manually you can use this setup by selecting its name in
the Page Setup menu in the relevant dialog box: for example: the Print
File or Proof Highlighted Fonts dialog box. You can also configure the
Torrent RIP to make named page setups available to jobs submitted by
other users and applications, as described next.
Note: You can reorder the entries in the Page Setup Manager dialog box
by selecting one or more entries and dragging with the mouse. The order
in the Page Setup Manager is the order of appearance in menus where

you choose a page setup—typically when configuring a managed input

(described in Section 8.2 on page 232) or interactively printing a file
(described in Section 8.12 on page 271).
Mac users: The order of page setups in the list is important in one other
circumstance. From the Macintosh Finder, you can drag a file and drop it
onto the Torrent RIP icon to make the RIP print the file. When printing a
dropped file, the RIP always uses the page setup at the top of the list in
the Page Setup Manager.
Figure 3.6 Save Setup dialog box

3.2.2 Associating a page setup with an input

Creating and saving page setups also allows you to make a published printer
use a specific page setup: this allows all users of the RIP to choose a suitable
page setup for a particular job by choosing the associated printer. Try the fol-
lowing to see how this works with just two published printers on the network:
1. Display the Page Setup Manager. Copy the page setup Default to
Printer—select it and click Copy. In the New Page Setup dialog box,
make no changes, just click Save As. Give this page setup the name Pos.
2. In the Page Setup Manager, select Pos and click Copy to make a copy and
start editing that copy. In the Effects section of the New Page Setup
dialog box, select the Negative check box and click Save As.
3. Save the new page setup with the name Neg. Click OK to close the Page
Setup Manager.
4. Display the Input Controller and create two new AppleTalk devices, as
before, called Pos-O-Print and Neg-O-Print. While using the Input
Channel Edit dialog box, select the page setup Pos for Pos-O-Print and
Neg for Neg-O-Print.
Once you have enabled the new inputs, and used Torrent RIP / File > Start
Inputs, the RIP publishes the two new printers on the network. Sending a job
to Pos-O-Print causes it to be output as normal, while jobs sent to Neg-O-
Print are output in negative.
You can publish several more inputs to the Torrent RIP, each with different
page setups. As well as changing the Negative setting, you can change the
output device, output resolution, rotation, screening strategies, and many
other settings.
3.3 Using the Torrent RIP with a spool folder

Using a Spool Folder input, you can configure the Torrent RIP to print files
placed into a common folder, usually one accessible from other computers on
your network. This means that various users or applications can write files
into a spool folder. The RIP repeatedly checks this folder, and when it finds a

3.3 Using the Torrent RIP with a spool folder
new file, it processes the file. The RIP deletes each file from the spool folder
after printing it but, using the Spool Folder Configuration options, you can
instruct the RIP to save the file in another folder after printing.
The RIP associates each spool folder with a page setup, giving the benefits
described in Section 3.2, “A more complex use of the Torrent RIP”, when the
RIP was published as a network printer. In particular, you can define several
spool folder inputs, each with a different page setup, to match the needs of
different users or applications. (If you find it convenient, you can use the same
page setup with a spool folder and other types of input.)
To define a spool folder, follow these steps:
1. Choose Input Controller from the Torrent RIP / File menu (or bring that
window to the front if there is already a check mark against that menu
option). When the Input Controller dialog box appears, click New. In the
Input Channel Edit dialog box, choose a Name for the output device you
are about to publish, say SpoolPrint, and type it in. Choose
SpoolFolder from the Type menu and for Page Setup choose an appro-
priate page setup.
Click Configure to specify the folder. The default folder is called Spool in
the SW folder. You can use any other folder that the RIP can access. See
“Using the Spool Folder input folder” on page 248 for more information.
Exit the Spool Folder Configuration dialog box by clicking OK.
2. In the Input Channel Edit dialog box, select the Enabled box and click OK
to exit. If necessary, choose Start Inputs from the Torrent RIP/ File menu.
You will see a dial appear as the new setup is published.
This starts the spool folder and any other enabled inputs. If there are
files already in the spool folder, the RIP asks if you want to start by
printing them. Files that are put into the folder after this input is enabled
are rendered and printed in order of arrival in the folder.
Note: The RIP may fail to publish a spool folder input. If so the relevant
entry in the Status column of the Input Controller dialog box shows
Stopped. The most likely reason is that you have tried to use a folder
already in use by another spool folder input: return to the Spool Folder
Configuration dialog box and choose a new folder.

3. When you want to stop running the spool folder (and all other enabled
inputs), choose Start Inputs in the Torrent RIP / File menu again.
To disable a spool folder temporarily, select it in the Input Controller and click
Off. To remove a spool folder’s entry in the Input Controller, select the entry
and click Delete. (Removing the entry does not remove the associated folder
on disk, nor any contents of that folder.)
3.4 Monitoring the Torrent RIP

The RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window shows the progress of jobs through
the Torrent RIP. The text displays information about timing, errors, job com-
pletion, fonts, and other messages.
Mac users: To see this window if it is not visible, select RIP Monitor from
the Torrent RIP / File menu. Alternatively, hold down the Command key
and press M: that is, type Command-M. Repeat this command to hide or
redisplay the RIP Monitor window.
Figure 3.7 shows some example messages in the RIP Monitor Torrent RIP win-
dow.
Figure 3.7 RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window messages
The RIP Monitor window displays only messages since the start of the RIP
session and can display the last 32,000 characters of these messages. (Within
this limit, you can scroll back to inspect the messages for old jobs: the window
scrolls back to the end when new text appears.)

3.4 Monitoring the Torrent RIP
In Multiple (Parallel) mode—the default page buffer mode—timings require

careful interpretation, because the RIP may be outputting and interpreting
jobs at the same time. Also, if the RIP has to pause (for example, to wait for
disk space to be freed), the timings may be misleading because of the variable
time spent freeing space.
The RIP adds a copy of all the messages appearing in the RIP Monitor / text
window to a file, called LOGFILE, in the SW folder.
The size of the log file can be restricted by editing the GeneralPreferences
text file found within the Config folder in the SW folder.
By changing the value of /MaxLogfileSize to any value other than 0 will
specify the maximum size of the file in bytes. When this maximum value is
reached LOGFILE will be changed to LOGFILE.OLD.
The size of the file is checked when the RIP is started and each time a message
is written to the file. Only one LOGFILE.OLD is retained. Therefore, you must be
aware of the size of the log files and rename them to keep all messages.
Note: You will only see messages that have been added to the log file since
you started the current RIP session. To view the entire contents of the log file
including messages from any earlier sessions, you must use a text editor (such
as SimpleText supplied by Apple, or Notepad or WordPad, provided with
Windows).
Mac Classic users: If the log file is larger than about 64,000 characters,
you may need to use a more powerful application than SimpleText; try
Microsoft Word if you have it available or a shareware application such
®
as BBEdit or Alpha.
The log file is an important source of information when difficulties arise. Refer
to it if you have any problems.


4
4Torrent RIP Output Methods
This manual uses the term throughput to mean the productivity of your RIP
workflow— how much work you are completing in a given time. The Torrent
RIP provides a comprehensive set of tools that allow you to maximize your
throughput.
4.1 Historical overview

The Torrent RIP is able to overcome many of the problems which have beset
traditional PostScript-language compatible RIPs.
RIPs have traditionally operated in a serial fashion—that is, the RIP processes
a page of PostScript language and then outputs it, then processes the next
page and outputs it, and so on.
The Torrent RIP can operate in this manner. This approach to processing
(which includes both interpreting and rendering) and output is usually ade-
quate with low to medium resolution devices.
However, with higher resolution devices this approach becomes wasteful,
because periods are spent with the output unit idle while the RIP is working,
and then with the RIP idle while the output unit is working. The RIP allows
you to overlap processing and output for greater throughput.

4 Torrent RIP Output Methods
Also, if you need to change cassettes or deal with a printer fault or media jam,
most RIPs must wait until the fault is cleared before they can output the cur-
rent page and continue. If you are processing a long job and a fault occurs, it
must be reinterpreted once the fault has been detected. For an overnight job,
the fault will probably not be detected until the morning, in which case a lot of
time will have been wasted.
4.2 Page buffering modes

The Torrent RIP overcomes these limitations by allowing you to choose one of
four different modes of operation. Depending on the job involved, and the
configuration of your hardware, you can choose whichever mode is most suit-
able and overcome many of the problems described above.
There are two general methods of operation in the RIP—multiple and single.
Multiple modes allow you to write each interpreted page to disk, ready for
later printing and reprinting. Single modes only interpret one page before
printing must occur (and hence make the RIP operate in a more traditional
manner).
The four specific modes are: Single, Single (if required), Multiple, and Multiple
(Parallel). Table 4.1 introduces and compares these modes.
Mode Behavior
Single (if required) Only buffers a page to disk if the page is too com-
plex to process in working memory—deletes this
buffer after printing.
Otherwise, sends output directly to the output
device.
Single Always buffers a page to disk before printing it.

Deletes the page after printing.
Multiple Always buffers a page to disk before printing it.

Retains on disk all pages created for a job, for ease
of reprinting.

4.2 Page buffering modes
Mode Behavior
Multiple (Parallel) Always buffers a page to disk before printing it

Retains on disk all pages created for a job, for ease
of reprinting.
Sends interpreted pages to the output device while
interpreting other pages at the same time.
Table 4.1 Comparison of page buffer modes
Note: For normal use, you should use Multiple (Parallel) mode. This gives the
best overall performance from the RIP and the best control over every page
processed. The RIP uses this mode by default.
Refer to Chapter 7, “Configuring the RIP”, for details of how to select differ-
ent page buffering modes in the RIP.
4.2.1 Operating modes

Figure 4.1 presents an overview of the behavior of the Torrent RIP in the single
and multiple modes.

When the RIP is in either of the single modes, it sends each page straight to the
output device once it has been interpreted. If the RIP buffers a page to disk,
that page buffer is deleted once the page has been printed.
Single Modes Multiple Modes
Interpreter Interpreter
....../manualfeed ....../manualfeed
exch def exch def
/paperheight /paperheight
exch def exch def
Jobs Jobs
Page buffer
file
Page
buffer files
Output device Output device
Figure 4.1 How the Torrent RIP behaves in Single and Multiple Modes
When in one of the multiple modes, pages are always buffered, and they are
not usually deleted (until disk space is required for new pages) so they can be
reprinted at a later point. The throughput system tools can be used to oversee
printing—allowing a range of benefits, which are described below. See
Section 4.3, “The throughput system”.
Note also that when in Multiple (Parallel) mode, interpretation can take place
at the same time as outputting an earlier page to a printer or imagesetter, but
this is not true of either of the single modes. This is not illustrated in the
diagram.

4.3 The throughput system
Even though the increase in job throughput is significant when in Multiple

(Parallel) mode, there may be cases—usually because of hardware limita-
tions—when you will need to use one of the other modes provided. For exam-
ple, you may not have enough disk space to store any page buffers, or the
combination of a slow disk and an output device with a high data rate may
mean that working in Multiple (Parallel) mode becomes impractical. See
Section 4.3 for more details.

This section describes the Output Controller, which is the central part of the
throughput system, and discusses how it can be used to increase throughput.
The Output Controller is available when either of the multiple modes is
selected (see Section 7.3, “Control of page buffering modes”, for details on
how to change the page buffer mode).
The Output Controller gives you powerful facilities for controlling any jobs
output by the RIP. These include:
• Reprinting without reinterpreting the original page description.
• Changing the order of the pages to be printed.
• Control over a variety of page characteristics without reinterpreting the
page description.
• Aborting any page before it is completely printed.

4.3.1 Output Controller

To display the Output Controller (if it is not already displayed), select Output
Controller from the Output menu, or type Ctrl+O / Command-O. It will appear
as a separate window on your screen, as shown in Figure 4.2. If you want to
remove it, choose the menu option again. By default, the Output Controller is
displayed when you start up the RIP.
Figure 4.2 Output Controller / Monitor dialog box
4.3.1.1 The Active Queue and Held Queue

The Active Queue and Held Queue in the Output Controller can contain a
number of items, each representing a page of output.
The Active Queue contains pages which are currently queued for printing.
Pages listed at the top of the Active Queue will be printed first.
The Held Queue contains pages which are being held on your hard disk. They
may have already been printed, or you may have moved them there yourself.
(See Section 4.3.1.3).
The number of items in a queue, together with the amount of disk space they
use, is displayed below each queue.
If a page is currently being printed, it is shown in the box at the top of the
Output Controller between the Active Queue and Held Queue.

As pages are printed, there is a constant flow from the Active Queue to the Held
Queue. After a page has been interpreted, it will be placed at the end of the
Active Queue, printed in its turn, and then transferred to the Held Queue where
it will be retained until disk space is needed for new pages, when it will be
automatically deleted. This is illustrated in Figure 4.3.
4. Print page buffer
3. Place page buffer in 5. Retain page buffer in

Active Queue Held Queue
2. Interpret job
1. Issue print command
Figure 4.3 Flow of a page buffer between the active and held queues
4.3.1.2 Interrupting output

The Disable output check box can be used at any time to stop printing. When it
is selected, pages will remain in the Active Queue until you clear the check box
to resume the printing.
Disable output does not stop the current page printing, if there is one. To stop a
page while it is printing, drag the page name from the top box into the Held
Queue or Active Queue.
If pages are interpreted while output is disabled, the new pages created are
added to the Active Queue as normal. Disabling output does not prevent you
from processing jobs.
You will find Disable output useful if you need to renew the media in an output
device, or if there is a fault on a device, but you wish to continue interpreting
and preparing more pages for output.

The RIP automatically disables output when certain errors occur, for example
if a device determines that the wrong cassette is mounted.
4.3.1.3 Moving page buffers

You can move any of the pages shown in the Output Controller between the
Active Queue and Held Queue by selecting and moving them with the mouse.
To move a page buffer, do the following:

1. Select the desired file.
2. Holding down the (left) mouse button, drag the file between the queues.
The selected page will move with the mouse pointer and enter the list at the
position where you release the mouse button.
Shift
If you wish, you can move a block of several pages at once. To select a block,
select the first one, then hold down the Shift key and select the last one.
Ctrl
Windows users: You can also select several page buffers which do not
form a contiguous block. Hold down the Control key while selecting the
page buffers.
Mac users: You can also select several page buffers which do not form a
contiguous block. Hold down the Command key while selecting the
page buffers.
You can reprint or abort a job, or reorder the pages in the queue, easily and
quickly, by moving the pages between the queues, as follows:
• To reprint a page, move it from the Held Queue to the Active Queue.
• To stop a page before it is printed, move it from the Active Queue to the
Held Queue.
• To abort the page that is currently being printed, move it from the box
between the queues to the Held Queue.

• To change the order of the pages in a queue, move them within the
queue.
• If you are moving a lot of pages at once, disable output first to ensure
that none of them are inadvertently printed before you are able to move
them.
4.3.1.4 Page buffer information

Information about each page is displayed in the Active Queue and Held Queue.
Refer to Figure 4.2 on page 76 to see examples of this. The following items of
information are displayed:
• The delete permission for each page.
• Whether or not the page was created by an older version of the RIP.
• The page number of the original job.
• The original job name.
• The colour for printing the page.
The delete permission for (or origin of) each page
You can configure the RIP so that it automatically deletes pages once they
have been printed, or when space on the hard disk is low. However, you can
still retain an important page by changing its delete permission. See “Deleting
buffered pages” on page 82, for details on deleting pages automatically, and
“Operations on buffered pages” on page 84, for details on retaining important
pages.
The mark, if any, to the left of each page in the Active Queue and Held Queue
indicates its delete permission (see table below).
Note: The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later can read page buffers created by
version 4.5, and you can roam or print these buffers. The mark ( < ) in front of
the name of an older buffer is there to remind you that there are some limita-
tions on what you can do with earlier versions of page buffers: see
Section 4.3.3 on page 89 for details.

Windows users Mac users

x The page is locked and ♦ The page is locked and
cannot be deleted automati- cannot be deleted automati-
cally cally
(none) The page is unlocked and can ◊ The page is unlocked and can
be deleted automatically be deleted automatically
< The page was created in an < The page was created in an
earlier version of the Torrent earlier version of the Torrent
RIP RIP
The page number of the original job

The page number of the original job from which the page buffer comes is dis-
played on the right of the delete permission.
For example, if you are producing separated CMYK colour, the RIP produces
four monochrome pages for each original page of the job. The first four pages
represent the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black separations for the original
page 1. The next four represent the CMYK separations for the original page 2,
and so on. Separated pages produce pages with the original number labeled
by colour. Thus the four separations for page 1 are called 1. Jobname (C),
1. Jobname (M), and so on.
If you only print a range of pages from a document, they are labeled in the
original job from 1 upwards, rather than with the true page number in the
document. For example, pages 3 through 7 of a document are labeled from 1
through 5 in the job.
The original job name
The name to the right of the page number is the job name. This is not necessar-
ily the same as the file name of the job.
If the job name for a PostScript-language job is not specified in the page
description, then one of the following will apply:
• If the input came from a file, the file name will be used.
• If the input came from the Executive, then the value of %exec% will be
used.

• (Except Mac OS X) If the input came from an AppleTalk network, then

the value of %ip:atalkname% will be used. The atalkname is the
AppleTalk printer it came from.
For other types of jobs, the file name will be used.
The colour for printing the page
Colour separation pages in the Output Controller are labeled with their sepa-
ration name (for example: C, M, Y, or K; or the spot colour name), or Composite
if there are several colours on one page, for example when using the PackDrum
page feature. (PackDrum is intended for use with drum imagesetters, and it is
an example so you must add it before use, as described in “Features” on page
148.)
4.3.1.5 Monitoring progress

The Output Controller can be used to monitor the progress of each page as it is
printed: the large box between the two queues gives you an indication of the
progress of the job. As soon as a buffer begins to print, the shape of this
progress box changes to reflect the aspect ratio of the page. For instance, if it is
a portrait page, the box will have greater height than width, and if it is a land-
scape page, it will be wider than it is high.
As the page is printed, the box starts to fill from the top with a light gray pat-
tern, followed by dark gray. Figure 4.2, page 76, shows this happening.
• The amount of dark gray in the progress box indicates the proportion of
the job that has already been printed.
• The amount of light gray in the progress box indicates the proportion of
data currently in the printer buffer, waiting to be printed.
• The amount of white space in the progress box indicates the proportion
of data not yet printed and not yet buffered.
• When the progress box is completely filled with dark gray, the page has
finished printing, though margins and extra feeds may require a few
more seconds.
In addition, the time taken for the current page buffer is displayed in the mes-
sage area below the progress box.

Some printers may also buffer the data internally, so they may not start print-
ing until some or all of the data has been received.
The message area and the progress box are both used to display additional
information when problems arise. For example, if your printer becomes low
on media, an icon will be displayed in the progress box, together with an
appropriate status message. See Appendix A, “Troubleshooting”, for a full
description of these error messages.
Note: In either of the single modes, the Output Controller is not available and
the progress box appears in a separate window.
4.3.2 Job management

The Output Controller gives you control over a variety of page attributes.
Using the Output Controller you can for example:
• Ensure that certain pages will never be automatically deleted.
• Specify the number of copies of any page to print.
• Change individual page characteristics without having to interpret the
job again.
There are two general methods of controlling these attributes: configuring the
RIP so that it carries out certain tasks automatically, and changing them
yourself.
4.3.2.1 Deleting buffered pages

When the RIP is in either of the multiple page buffering modes, pages are kept
buffered on disk. When the hard disk fills up, however, there is no room for
new pages, and so the RIP cannot interpret any further jobs. To proceed, the
RIP deletes some existing pages to make room for new ones.
The Delete menu in the Output Controller lets you specify one of three strate-
gies to follow. Choose whichever option you prefer.
• The default strategy is When necessary. As disk space is required for
new page buffers, the oldest ones will automatically be deleted from the
Held Queue. Pages which have been locked will not be deleted. (See
Section 4.3.2.4, “Locking important pages”, for details of how to lock

pages.) The amount of hard disk space currently available is displayed

at the bottom of the Output Controller, so you can tell when old page
buffers are likely to be deleted. (The number displayed does not include
any space you have reserved for the system—see Chapter 7, “Configur-
ing the RIP”).
• Choosing Always will cause pages to be deleted immediately after they
have been output. This means that page buffers will never be retained
for reprinting, unless they have been locked before printing was com-
pleted. (See Section 4.3.2.4, “Locking important pages”, for details of
how to lock pages.) When switching to Always from another strategy,
any unlocked pages in the Held Queue will be automatically deleted if
you answer yes to a prompt.
• Choosing Never will cause pages to be locked as soon as they have been
output, which means that they will never be deleted automatically. If
this strategy is used for long periods of time, the hard disk will eventu-
ally fill up, and no more jobs will be processed until you manually
remove pages or otherwise create more disk space.
Note: The option When necessary offers a good way to retain newer page
buffers and manage disk space automatically. If you choose Never or Always
for some special purpose, we strongly suggest that you return the setting to
When necessary as soon as possible—the RIP remembers and uses the option
you choose for Delete, even between RIP sessions.
In When necessary and Always modes, it is possible for the RIP to get so far
ahead of the output device that the disk becomes filled with pages in the
Active Queue. In this case, the RIP will temporarily suspend creating more
pages until some of the existing ones are output and can be deleted to allow it
to continue. The RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window displays a message warn-
ing that the system has temporarily run out of disk space.
If disk space runs out when there are no pages that can be removed and no
pages still to be output, the RIP will continue anyway, and if the disk reserve
is used up then it will abort the job.

4.3.2.2 Operations on buffered pages

There are a number of useful tasks that you can perform on buffered pages, as
listed below. Some of the options are only available for pages which are not
currently being output or when no pages are being output.
Using the lists of page buffers, and the Roam button, you can:
• View pages on the screen.
• Select several colour separations and view them on the screen.
Using the Info button and the Info dialog box, you can:
• Lock and delete page buffers.
• Print multiple copies of page buffers.
• Change a page to print in negative or vice versa.
• Change the exposure with which page buffers are printed.
• Trim excess white space from the output.
• Select the output device and cassette for page buffers (when
appropriate).
• Set margins and center the page on the media (when appropriate).
• Change the colours used to Roam page buffers.
You can apply these changes to the selected page only, or to all the pages of
a job.
These options are available in the Info dialog box. (Some options can be
unavailable: either temporarily while you are Roaming a related page buffer
or permanently because the output plugin requires particular settings.)
Display the Info dialog box by selecting a page and pressing the Info button, or
by double-clicking on the page.
Note: The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later can read page buffers created by
version 4.5. The mark ( < ) in front of the name of an older buffer is there to
remind you that there are some limitations on what you can do with earlier
versions of page buffers: see Section 4.3.3 on page 89 for details.

4.3.2.3 Viewing pages with the Roam function

You can view one page or several pages or separations at the same time.
By selecting one page buffer and clicking Roam, you can preview the selected
page. This prevents wasted film and time by letting you check that an image
has processed correctly before it is printed. While roaming a page, the RIP is
still able to process other jobs, but not to output them. You cannot roam a page
while the RIP is outputting, so you should disable output when using Roam.
To roam more than one page at once, select all the pages you wish to view and
click Roam; the selected pages will be overlaid in the Roam window. For
example, this allows you to preview all separations of a colour image together.
Remember, you can select several buffers using the Shift and Command /
Control keys.
When viewing a higher resolution image, the Roam > Reduced Roam menu
option is probably available. It allows you to see more of the image in one
view. You must close the Roam window (and the Reduced Roam window if
you opened it) before you can roam another page.
For more details about the Roam function see “Roam and Preview windows”
on page 111.
4.3.2.4 Locking important pages

To lock a page buffer so that it is not deleted by the RIP when disk space is
low, select the Don’t delete page check box in the Info dialog box. Page buffers

which have been locked in this way are displayed in the Output Controller
with a mark on the left of the job name, as described on page 79.
Figure 4.4 Info dialog box
You can delete any buffers from the hard disk—whether locked or not—by
selecting them and clicking on the Remove button in the Output Controller. A
warning dialog box appears which lets you cancel the operation if necessary.
4.3.2.5 Printing multiple copies

Multiple copies of any page buffer can be printed by specifying the number of
copies required in the Copies to print text box of the Info dialog box for the
appropriate page buffer. The next time that buffer is printed, the specified
number of copies will be produced, with the number in the Copies to print text
box reducing with each copy until the value is 1. The Copies printed value
keeps count of how many pages have been printed in total.
4.3.2.6 Printing in negative

You can produce a negative copy of a positive page buffer or a positive copy
of a negative page buffer by selecting the Negative check box in the Info dialog
box. The default value taken by this option is the one specified in the page
setup for the selected job; for instance, if the page setup specifies negative
printing, you can use this option to produce a positive copy. See Chapter 5,
“Configuring Output Formats”, for details of page setups and how they are
defined.

Note: If you have calibrated your output device, selecting this option from the
Info dialog box may produce incorrectly calibrated output. If so, select the
Negative option in the Edit Page Setup dialog box instead, and output the job
again.
4.3.2.7 Getting rid of blank space

You can trim white space from the top and bottom of a page by selecting the
Trim page check box in the Info dialog box. The default value is specified in the
page setup for the selected job. See Chapter 5, “Configuring Output For-
mats”, for details.
4.3.2.8 Changing the output device or cassette

You can change the selected output device or cassette for a page by choosing
the one you want in the Output device or Cassette menus of the Info dialog
box. Next time the page is printed, the new output device or cassette will be
used. The default value taken by these options is the one specified in the page
setup for the selected job. See Chapter 5, “Configuring Output Formats”, for
details.
Only output devices suitable for the page buffer are shown in the Info dialog
box.
4.3.2.9 Changing the exposure

If an appropriate output device is selected, you can change the exposure for
the selected page. Type in the new value in the Exposure text box of the Info
dialog box. Next time the buffer is printed, the new exposure value will be
used. You should consult the documentation for your output device to find
appropriate exposure values, and also see Chapter 11, “Calibration”.
4.3.2.10 Changing the colour

You can specify the colour of a job separation to roam from the Info dialog
box. Click the Change roam colour button to use the Change Roam Colour
dialog box, as described in Section 12.11.3 on page 432.

When roaming colour images, this lets you assign different colours to different
separations and view the resulting image without having to interpret the job
again.
4.3.2.11 Specifying page layout

You can change a variety of margin settings for a page buffer by clicking Page
layout in the Info dialog box. The Page Layout dialog box will then be dis-
played, as shown in Figure 4.5. It is the same as the Page Layout dialog box
that you can display by clicking Page layout in the Edit Page Setup dialog box,
as described in “Default page size” on page 145.
Figure 4.5 Page Layout dialog box
This dialog box allows you to change the margins for the selected page buffer.
Type the margin size you want into the appropriate text boxes. You can choose
the units of measurement you require from the Select units menu. In addition,
you can center the selected page on the media by clicking on the Center page
on Media Width and Center page on Media Length check boxes. The default value
for each option is taken from the page setup for the selected page buffer. If you
override any of these values, they will take effect next time you print the page
buffer.

Some of the fields in the Info dialog box may not be editable, depending on
the type of device.
4.3.2.12 Changing attributes for the whole job

Each of the options described above only affects the selected page buffer.
However, many jobs consist of more than one page, and very often you will
want to make the same changes to all of the page buffers produced by the job,
not just one. Making changes to each buffer individually can be tedious, if not
impractical, so an option is available which allows you to change all the page
buffers produced by a job at once.
To propagate changes in the current page to all other pages produced by the
job, make your changes for one page buffer then select the Change all pages in
job check box in the Info dialog box before clicking OK to close the dialog box.
This change affects pages in both queues. If the current page is from a job cur-
rently being processed and pages are still being created, the new pages will
get the new attributes if this option is selected.
4.3.3 Page buffers produced by older versions of the Torrent RIP

The Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later can read and print page buffers created
by version 4.5. The newer installation of the RIP must have an output device
that matches the output device used to create the page buffers. There are some
limitations on what you can do with earlier versions of page buffers, depend-
ing on the way in which you access the older page buffers.
There are several ways to use older page buffers with a newer version of the
RIP:
• You can copy the older page buffers into a special transfer folder used
only for that purpose by the newer version of the RIP. This is the safest
method because it avoids any interaction between the two versions of
the RIP, but it uses more disk space and requires you to manage two
page buffer folders in the newer version. Choose Torrent RIP / File >
Configure RIP, then click Change to change the folder used to hold page
buffers.

• You can copy the older page buffers directly into the page buffer folder
used by the newer version of the RIP. You may need to restart that ver-
sion of the RIP before the RIP displays the page buffers.
Warning: Take care not to copy page buffers with the same file names as
ones already in the destination folder.
• You can leave the page buffers in the page buffers folder of the older
version of the RIP. In the newer RIP version, choose Torrent RIP / File >
Configure RIP, then click Change to change the folder used to hold page
buffers.
Note: If you use Reduced Roam on a page first in the newer version of
the RIP, this prevents you using Reduced Roam on that page in the same
folder when using the older version of the RIP.
You can inspect the information displayed in the Info or Page Layout dialog
boxes for an older page buffer but you cannot change anything. The main con-
sequences are that you cannot change the number of copies to be printed and
you cannot change the permission for automatic deletion.
You can Roam older page buffers without any problems beyond a small
colour change, which is most pronounced in continuous tone, unscreened
page buffers.
4.4 Advanced details of page buffering modes

This section gives more details about each page buffer mode. As mentioned
earlier, you should use Multiple (Parallel) mode whenever possible, but if this
proves difficult, you can specify a different mode in the Configure RIP dialog
box, described in Chapter 7, “Configuring the RIP”.
Recall that a page is buffered to disk into a file of rasterized data, produced as
the RIP interprets the data on the page. When the page has been interpreted,
the data in the buffer file is sent to the output device and printed.
Using buffers on disk means that complex pages can be interpreted without
requiring large amounts of working memory.
This section provides more specific details than the brief description in
Section 4.2 on page 72. You may find this section useful if you wish to experi-
ment with running the RIP in different modes.

4.4.1 Multiple (Parallel) mode

Multiple (Parallel) mode is a highly efficient way of increasing throughput,
utilizing your computer to the full, and is the recommended mode for most
cases. However, if you have an output device that can stop / start, you may
want to use the Single (if required) mode, especially if the data rate of the
printer is high.
Interpretation of pages can proceed while other, already interpreted, pages are
being output. In addition, multiple page buffers are created and saved on disk
in this mode. These are not deleted after the pages have been output, allowing
pages to be reprinted whenever necessary. This is extremely useful if a prob-
lem such as a developer jam occurs with the output device.
All the available processor time on your machine is used in this mode—prior-
ity goes to the task of sending bitmap data to the output device, and any pro-
cessor time not used in that way can be used to interpret the next page of data.
It is possible for several pages to have been written to disk, but not yet sent to
the output device. This may occur if there are pages which are quick to inter-
pret, or if the printer is relatively slow or is not ready.
Eventually, of course, this will fill up the hard disk. When this happens, inter-
pretation is suspended until enough pages have been output and deleted, or
disk space has been freed up by another application. When the disk fills up,
the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window displays this message:
System warning: Insufficient Disk Space
In Multiple (Parallel) mode, you can customize the RIP so that when disk
space runs out, it automatically deletes pages which have been output. See
Section 4.3.2.1 on page 82 for details.
4.4.2 Multiple mode

In Multiple mode, like Multiple (Parallel) mode, page buffers are kept on disk.
(This is in contrast to the single modes, where only one page can be held on
disk at a time.) Before reprinting, the Output Controller can be used to change
many characteristics of the interpreted pages, meaning that time is not wasted
in interpreting jobs again.

As in Multiple (Parallel) mode, it is possible that the hard disk will become
full—you should ensure that page buffers are deleted when necessary to free
up disk space. You can let the RIP delete pages for you, preserving important
pages which you do not want deleted, or you can delete page buffers yourself
whenever you want.
The main difference between this Multiple mode and Multiple (Parallel) mode
is that interpreted pages cannot be output while other pages are being
interpreted.
In Multiple mode, when a page is ready, interpretation is suspended until it
has been output, in a similar fashion to the way the single modes operate. The
advantage of Multiple mode over either of the single modes is that, because
multiple page buffers can be written to disk, interpretation can continue even
if the output device is not ready to accept data (for instance, if there is a media
jam or if it has been turned off).
Multiple mode should be used if you experience a lot of data underrun in
Multiple (Parallel) mode. This is only likely to happen with very complex jobs
or an output device that requires data to be supplied at a very high speed.
Note: Data underrun occurs when an output device does not receive data to
print at a fast enough rate. Some devices will signal an error and stop when
this occurs. Others may continue to feed through media—with the conse-
quence that large bands will appear in the output. Still others will attempt to
stop and restart. This may result in a loss in quality of the image, and in any
case is likely to be slower. For more information about using the Torrent RIP
with such printers, see “Using a printer that can stop / start” on page 214. See
also “Printer buffer size” on page 219.
4.4.3 Single mode

When running in this mode, the RIP interprets a page of a job and sends it to
the output device, then interprets the next page and sends it, and so on, until
all the jobs specified have been printed.
Note: To run successfully in Single mode, as in Multiple mode, it is important
that the RIP can send data to the output device as quickly as the output device
requires it.

In this mode, the RIP always creates a single page buffer, sends the data in it to
the output device, and then deletes the page buffer to make room for the next
one. This means that you cannot use the throughput system tools.
By default, if a data underrun occurs and data cannot be read from the page
buffer fast enough to keep up with the printer, the RIP tries once more to
output the page and, if it still fails, aborts the job.
Note: The RIP does not display the Output Controller/Monitor in Single
mode and Single (if required) mode.
In this mode, the Output menu contains a Hold and Reprint option. (You can
also select this option by pressing Ctrl+H / Command-H.) Selecting this
option allows you to choose whether or not to reprint each following page
without having to reinterpret it. This can be used to print more copies of a
page.
When you have selected the Hold and Reprint option, the RIP displays a dialog
box at the end of processing each page—asking if you want to reprint the
page. You can answer: Yes, in which case the RIP reprints the page and redis-
plays the dialog box; or No, in which case the RIP deletes the page buffer and
interprets the next page.
Note: As a side effect of using Hold and Reprint, the RIP displays a harmless
error message in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window:
%%[PrinterError: re-print for hold and re-print]%%
4.4.4 Single (if required) mode

This mode is similar to Single mode, except that a single page buffer will be
created only when it is necessary. The RIP will attempt to output a page to the
printer without using a page buffer at all, but will create one in either of the
following cases:
• It is not possible to interpret the page quickly enough to keep up with
the printer, and the printer does not have a stop and restart function.
• All the available working memory on your computer has been filled by
interpreted data before the page has been completed.

In the second case, the interpreted data is placed in a page buffer, thus freeing
memory. More data is interpreted, and when memory is exhausted again the
data is merged into the original page buffer, and memory is again available to
continue the job. This process continues until all the data for the page has been
interpreted, at which point the data in the page buffer is sent to the chosen
output device, as for Single mode.
This mode is very productive but robust where there is an unpredictable mix
of simple and complex jobs, and is especially useful when most jobs are rela-
tively simple. It is productive because the RIP processes the simple jobs with-
out creating disk buffers and achieves maximum throughput for these jobs. It
is robust because, when a job is complex enough to require buffering, the RIP
creates and then sends the page buffer: this takes some extra time but the time
is taken only when required.
In some cases, Single (if required) mode provides the quickest way to output a
job.
The Output menu, contains a Hold and Reprint option, as described for Single
mode.
4.4.5 Multiple (Parallel) compared to Single (if required) mode

The preferred mode for maximum performance and convenience is Multiple
(Parallel) mode. The Single and Multiple modes will always be slower than
Multiple (Parallel) mode: they are available only to help you cope with very
demanding output devices that are not able to stop/start, when there is very
little memory to use as a printer buffer.
However, in some circumstances, it is possible that the Single (if required)
mode will be faster than Multiple (Parallel) mode. This is because the bitmap
of an output page does not need to be compressed, written to disk, read back
from disk and decompressed again, before being printed. If you run in
Multiple (Parallel) mode, and the page buffer folder is on a RAM disk, the
disk time required is minimal, but you still have to compress and decompress
the page. It is a question of speed versus convenience. Multiple (Parallel)
mode offers much greater convenience, and will usually also offer the best
performance.

However, you should use Single (if required) mode if you are either only out-
putting a single page, (so there can be no benefit from the overlapping of out-
putting and interpreting) or if the time to compress and decompress the page
to and from disk is large. This is true, for example, of the Seybold Rainbow
®
Islands test job, where 30% time savings are possible if Single (if required)
mode is used at 2400 dpi.
The main problem with Single (if required) mode is that if the job is too com-
plex, then the printer will catch up, a paint to disk will be necessary, and the
page output again: wasting the time spent on the failed page and some media.
Another potential inefficiency of Single (if required) mode is that if the page is
relatively simple, a lot of processing time is wasted when the page is output-
ting, which could be used to get the next page ready (as happens in Multiple
(Parallel) mode).

4.5 Page buffering modes: a summary

The table below provides a summary of the major capabilities of each page
buffering mode.
Single (if Multiple

Will the Torrent RIP… Single Multiple
required) (Parallel)
Ever create a page buffer? 3 3 3 3
Always create a page buffer? 7 3 3 3
Ever create more than one 7 7 3 3

page buffer?
Retain any page buffers on 7 7 3 3
disk?
Always output as soon as a 3 3 3 3
page is ready?
Always stop interpreting while 3 3 3 7
outputting?
Interpret pages while 7 7 7 3
outputting other pages?
Allow pages to be output 3 3 3 3
again?
Allow modification of page 7 7 3 3
buffer settings without
reinterpretation?
Allow previewing the page? 7 7 3 3
Table 4.2 Summary of the capabilities of each page buffering mode

5
5Configuring Output Formats
Chapter 3, “Getting Started with the Torrent RIP”, presented some of the
basic ways of getting output from the RIP. That chapter introduced the Page
Setup Manager and Edit Page Setup dialog box and showed how you can use
page setups to choose the output device and many output options.
This chapter describes the details of these dialog boxes and discusses likely
output devices.
5.1 Creating and managing page setups

Every job that you supply to the RIP takes its imaging options from a named
page setup. This is true both for jobs arriving through a managed network
input defined in the Input Controller, and for jobs that are the result of you
choosing a menu option in the RIP, for example: Proof Fonts or Print File.
(These menu options can be a useful way to test new page setups.)
You can keep a number of different page setups which you use regularly—
perhaps one that has Harlequin Precision Screening (HPS) turned on, and one
that does not, one that previews images, and one that sends output to a partic-
ular printer. You can save as many configurations as you wish.

5 Configuring Output Formats
Page setups are such an important part of the RIP that you must name each
one as you create and save it. You can use up to 30 characters in a name. It is
useful to give each page setup a meaningful name, without being too specific
about its contents.
• Choose a meaningful name because the page setup name appears in
several menus where you have to choose a page setup. Also, for each
job, the RIP displays a message in the RIP Monitor saying which page
setup it used.
Choose a form of name that suits the variety of jobs and output devices
that you work with. Consider making the name contain parts indicating
the output device, and settings such as resolution. Another tactic might
be to label a page setup with its general purpose, for example: proofing
or final output.
• Try not to be too specific because you can change the settings within a
page setup without changing its name.
For example, this can be useful if you change the device you use for
proofing. If you have several networked inputs that each use the same
page setup, it is easier to edit just one page setup than to create a new
page setup and then change all the inputs to use the new page setup.
You can give an experimental page setup a less carefully chosen name, but try
to make it clear that it is not for routine use.

5.2 Page Setup Manager dialog box
5.2 Page Setup Manager dialog box

The Page Setup Manager dialog box appears when you choose Page Setup
Manager from the Torrent RIP / File menu, or when you type Command-S /
Ctrl+S. (You must stop inputs before you can display the Page Setup Manager:
if necessary, choose the Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs menu option or click the
tool bar button that shows a red arrow and traffic lights.)
Figure 5.1 Page Setup Manager dialog
The Page Setup Manager contains a list of all existing page setups, showing
the name of each page setup, the corresponding output device and some
important settings: the output resolution, the calibration set in use, and the
separations style.
In a new installation of the RIP, there is always one page setup called Default
Page Setup. This page setup uses a set of options that can be expected to work
with any installation of the RIP, producing a low-resolution on-screen pre-
view. You can delete or redefine this page setup to suit your installation.
5.2.1 Controls and actions

The controls below the list allow you to create new page setups, and to edit,
copy, or delete existing page setups. You can also choose the units in which to
view the resolution of output listed for each page setup.

Edit Select a page setup and click this button to edit it in the
Edit Page Setup dialog box. A shortcut is to double-
click a page setup. See Section 5.3 on page 101 for
details of using this dialog box.
Note: To rename a page setup, copy it and save the
copy with the desired name, before deleting the
original.
New Click this button to create a new page setup and edit it
in the New Page Setup dialog box. See Section 5.3 on
page 101 for details of using this dialog box.
Copy Select a page setup and click this button to edit a copy
in the New Page Setup dialog box.
Delete Select one or more page setups and click this button to
delete them.
If any of the page setups are in use by a managed input,
the RIP displays a warning dialog box for each used
page setup. Click Yes if you are certain that you want to
delete the page setup.
5.2.2 Reordering page setups

You can also select page setups and reorder them by dragging them to new
positions in the list. The order in the Page Setup Manager is the order of the
page setups listed in the Print File, Proof Fonts, and Print Calibration dialog
boxes and in the Select Page Setup dialog box shown before entry to the
Executive window.
Note to Mac users: The order of page setups in the list is important in
one other circumstance. From the Macintosh Finder, you can drag a file
and drop it onto the Torrent RIP icon to print that file. When printing a
dropped file, the RIP always uses the page setup at the top of the list in
the Page Setup Manager dialog box.

5.3 Edit Page Setup dialog box
5.2.3 Selecting several page setups

You can select multiple page setups when you want to delete or reorder them.
Use the following keys:
Shift
To select a block of setups that appear together in the list, select the first setup
in the block, then, while holding down the Shift key, select the last setup in the
block.
Mac users: To select several setups, regardless of whether they form a

continuous range, hold down the Command key while selecting the set-
ups.
Ctrl
Windows users: To select several setups, regardless of whether they
form a continuous range, hold down the Control key while selecting the
setups you wish to delete.
5.2.4 Closing the Page Setup Manager

You must close the Page Setup Manager before you can use any tool bar but-
tons or menu options in the RIP: for example, to start inputs.
You have these choices:
• Click OK to confirm all the changes you have made in the Page Setup
Manager or in the Edit Page Setup or New Page Setup dialog boxes.
• Click Cancel to discard all changes.

The Edit Page Setup dialog box (shown again in Figure 5.2) appears when you
click Edit in the Page Setup Manager. The New Page Setup dialog box appears
when you click New or Copy. The New Page Setup dialog box is the same as
the Edit Page Setup dialog box, except that the OK button is labeled Save As.

See Section 5.3.2, “Closing the New Page Setup dialog box” for details. Refer-
ences to the Edit Page Setup dialog box throughout this manual also apply to
the New Page Setup dialog box.
Figure 5.2 Edit Page Setup dialog box
The options you can configure from the Edit Page Setup dialog box include:
• The device to which the RIP sends output.
• The separations to be created from each job, together with the output
format.
• The halftone screening to be used with each job.
• The calibration to be applied to each job.

• The colour setup for the job.

• The effects to be applied to input jobs.
Section 5.4 on page 104 through Section 5.26 on page 166 describe the options
within these categories. Many options involve subsidiary dialog boxes.
All the information that you need to create a page setup is available from the
Edit Page Setup dialog box. You can call the Device Manager, Separations
Manager, Colour Setup Manager, Calibration Manager, and the Cassette
Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
The changes you make in these managers are independent of the page setup
you are creating. For example, you can use the Separations Manager to create
a separations style, even if you do not want to use that separations style in the
page setup.
5.3.1 Closing the Edit Page Setup dialog box

You must close the Edit Page Setup dialog box to save your changes. You must
also close the Page Setup Manager before you can use any tool bar buttons or
menu options in the RIP: for example, to start inputs.
Click OK to confirm all the changes you have made in the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. This confirmation is provisional: you must also click OK in the
Page Setup Manager to finally save your changes.
Alternatively, click Cancel to discard your changes immediately.
Note: If you open one of the other managers from the Edit Page Setup dialog
box, changes that you make in that manager are independent of the Edit Page
Setup dialog box. For example, if you open the Separations Manager and
create a separations style, as long as you close the Edit Style and Separations
Manager dialog boxes with OK or Select, the new style will remain even if you
click Cancel in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
5.3.2 Closing the New Page Setup dialog box

You must close the New Page Setup dialog box to save your changes. You
must also close the Page Setup Manager before you can use any tool bar but-
tons or menu options in the RIP: for example, to start inputs.

If you click Save As in the New Page Setup dialog box, a dialog box appears,
requesting that you enter a name for the new page setup. Figure 5.3 shows
this dialog box.
Figure 5.3 Save Setup dialog box
The dialog box shows a list of existing page setups. You have these options:
• Type a name in the Save As text box and click Save. The new page setup
is added to the list in the Page Setup Manager.
• Select a name from the list of the page setups to transfer it to the Save As
text box. You can edit the name first or click Save immediately to over-
write the existing setup.
• Click Cancel to return to the New Page Setup dialog box.
If you attempt to save a setup using an existing name, the RIP asks you to con-
firm the action before overwriting the existing setup. If you answer No, you
return to the Save Setup dialog box where you can choose another name.
Once you have saved the page setup, you must also click OK in the Page Setup
Manager to finally save your changes.
5.4 Selecting different devices

The Device menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box allows you to specify
where your output is to be sent once the job has been interpreted.

You can send output to a physical printer, write it to a file in a specified for-
mat, or preview the file on your screen. Although the precise configuration of
available devices may vary, the following output devices are always shipped
with the evaluation copy of the RIP:
• Preview—enables you to preview on your monitor any jobs processed.
This output device is available in both single and multiple modes.
• None—does not produce any printed output, but does perform all the
necessary processing for the job, including the production of page buff-
ers. This can be used for testing and timing jobs, and is especially useful
for previewing on screen when you want to jump between pages or
overlay separations using the Output Controller. The Output Controller
is available in either of the multiple modes.
• TIFF—produces TIFF (Tag Image File Format) files. Most desktop pub-
lishing applications can import this format of file.
And, depending on which physical output devices are available:
• Plugin devices, for example, Ultre, PelBox and Hewlett Packard HP650.
Note that if you change the Device, you may have to choose a separations style
from the Style menu and a cassette name from the Cassette menu before you
can save the page setup.
5.4.1 Setting the resolution

Under Resolution, there are two options that allow you to specify the resolution
of the image to be printed. The resolution defines the detail with which an
image is printed or displayed, and is given in terms of dots per inch (dpi).
The list of available resolutions varies between output devices. Most physical
output devices support a limited number of resolutions and you must choose
from the values shown in the menus. For some devices (such as TIFF) you can
either type in a resolution or choose one of the values.
Normally the vertical and horizontal resolutions should be the same value:
this is your only option when the screening method is HDS or when the
chosen output device requires the same vertical and horizontal resolution. For
other screening methods and with other output devices you can set the resolu-
tions to different values—if you need to.

• Set both resolutions at once by defining just the vertical resolution—the

horizontal resolution is automatically set to the same value.
• Set different vertical and horizontal resolutions by setting first the verti-
cal and then the horizontal resolution.
Note: The resolutions shown in this dialog box always take effect for jobs that
do not specify a resolution. If the job attempts to specify the resolution, you
must select the Override resolution in job check box if you want to produce the
resolution shown here.
5.4.2 Image interpolation

When an image is at a different resolution to the device on which it is to be
imaged, artifacts can be introduced with various degrading visual effects.
Image Interpolation attempts to eliminate these effects, using extra processing
to effectively recreate the image specifically for the device.
Image Interpolation works both ways: reducing the resolution of the image to
match an output device with a lower resolution and increasing the resolution
of an image to match an output device with a higher resolution.
5.4.2.1 Increasing image resolution

If you input an image that has a resolution which is slightly lower (between
50%-100%) than the resolution of the output device, the resulting image
appears with “jaggies”. Image interpolation will generally eliminate this type
of problem, with very little (if any) perceptible loss of image quality.
If you input an image that has a resolution which is significantly lower (50%
or less) than the resolution of the output device, the resulting image appears
“blocky”. Image interpolation will smooth such images giving a blurry look. If
the resolution of the original image is reduced more when compared to the
output device, the output becomes more blurry.
In practice, you can still get jaggies when the image has a resolution that is sig-
nificantly lower in resolution, but their effects are not as pronounced as in the
slightly lower case.
It is a good idea to run some tests and decide whether or not to use image
interpolation.

Image interpolation works by producing a smooth transition between adja-

cent sample values rather than painting all pixels covered by a source sample
with the same colour.
There is a performance penalty when interpolation takes place, and this pen-
alty is related to the area of the output image, and to whatever colour manage-
ment is taking place.
Because it may increase the time required to render the image, image interpo-
lation is disabled by default; and is only enabled when the width or height (or
both) of an image on the device is larger than the corresponding dimension of
the source. If either dimension of the image on the device is less than that of
the source, the filter will be deactivated.
Image interpolation only ever takes place if the Interpolate flag in an image or
mask dictionary is set to “true” and this is set by the generating application.
Note: Interpolation (image and mask) is not supported for type 4 images.
Image interpolation increases the resolution of the image to the device resolu-
tion by increasing the bit depth of the image. For example, a 1 bit grayscale
image will interpolate to, say, an 8 bit image, with a smooth gray scale transi-
tion between each black and white pixel.
Image mask interpolation produces output that is 4 times higher in resolution
than the input, but it can run up to three times in a row, providing at most 64
(4 x 4 x 4) times higher resolution output. The mask interpolator uses two cri-
teria to choose if higher resolution output is needed:
• If the source mask width and height are both higher than the device res-
olution, stop.
• If either the source mask width or height are more than 150% of device
resolution, stop.
• Otherwise, interpolate again.
The second check is concerned with images whose source data is not square,
but they have been transformed so that on the device they are close to becom-
ing square. This is to avoid the larger side of the image becoming very large as
the smaller side tries to achieve the device resolution.

5.4.2.2 Reducing image resolution

When an image is reduced on an output device, rows and columns of the
source image are discarded to make the image fit in the desired area.
Some images are generally unaffected by this process—photographs for
example. However, some images, such as technical drawings can become
badly affected. When an image contains many fine horizontal and vertical
lines they can become badly distorted or even lost completely by the process
naively discarding whole columns and rows.
The image reduction filter eliminates this kind of problem by resampling the
whole image to the device resolution, ensuring that all pixels in source image
are represented on the output. Thin lines on a white background would
become more faint as the image is reduced, rather than be discarded com-
pletely.
Any reduced image may benefit from the reduction filter—however images
containing fine line detail will show the most benefit.
Although some processing time is required, the reduction filter can, in some
cases, speed up processing as it reduces the amount of information the RIP
has to work with. In particular, large, high-resolution images being output on
a relatively low-resolution device (1200 dpi image on a 300 dpi device) may
notice a speed improvement, particularly if the job is using colour
management.
The image reduction filter only becomes active when the width or height (or
both) of an image on the device is smaller than the corresponding dimension
of the source. If either dimension of the image on the device is greater than
that of the source, the filter will be deactivated.
5.4.2.3 Alphamask and Interpolation

When specifying an alphamasked image, any interpolation setting in the
mask dictionary is ignored; instead the interpolation setting in the image data
dictionary is applied to both the image and mask.
Since alphamasks are contone, they are interpolated in the same way as image
data. Image and mask data (that is, contone and binary data) are normally
interpolated differently.

5.5 Sending output to the screen

There are two output devices that are provided for sending output to the
screen: Preview and None. None is the more flexible choice if you are running
the RIP in the Multiple or Multiple (Parallel) page buffer mode.
None is a dummy device provided for test runs and for previewing, so no
physical printing takes place. You can preview the pages sent to the None
device using the Roam command from the Output Controller in the same way
as you can preview the pages sent to an actual device. You can roam several
pages at once if they are the same size, which allows you to view selected sep-
arations of a colour image together or to compare buffers for the same page
when processed with different page setups. You can also hide one or more
separations when previewing a composite image. The Output Controller is
only available in either of the multiple page buffer modes.
Preview is also a dummy device, and it enables you to preview individual
separations, a composite image, or selected colours of a composite image in all
page buffer modes. The Preview device does not allow you to combine pages
or separations for viewing, and jobs sent to Preview do not appear in the
Output Controller.
5.5.1 Using the Preview device

By setting the output device to Preview, you can preview any jobs processed
on your monitor. As a separate output device, Preview is most useful when
running in Single or Single (if required) modes, when the Output Controller is
not available. The RIP pauses all job processing while you are viewing a page
and resumes only when you close the Preview window.

When you print a file to the Preview device, a new window appears contain-
ing the image processed, as shown in Figure 5.4.
Figure 5.4 Preview window
You have already seen an example of screen roam in Chapter 3, “Getting

Started with the Torrent RIP”. Using screen preview as a device gives you the
same options as screen roam. You can preview up to 24-bit RGB or 32-bit
CMYK raster images, as long as you have sufficient memory. If you have
installed an N-colour device, you can also roam N-colour images.
Navigation in the Preview window is the same as in the Roam window. For
details see “Roam and Preview windows” on page 111. You can hide one or
more separations when previewing a composite image. See Section 5.5.3.1,
“Roam Options and Preview Options dialog boxes” for details.
5.5.2 Using the None device

When running in a multiple page buffering mode, you can preview pages
from within the Output Controller by clicking the Roam button. (See “Job
management” on page 82.) By setting the output device to None, you can carry
out test runs, and preview pages and separations.
You have already seen an example of screen roam in Section 3.1, “A simple
Torrent RIP session” on page 51. As you saw in that example, when you print
to the None device, you can select a page in the Held Queue of the Output
Controller and click Roam. The Roam window appears. The title bar of the

Roam window contains the name of the file, the resolution and the colour of
the page or pages. You can view any page in any queue of the Output Control-
ler, not just the pages you printed to the None device.
To roam more than one page at once, select all the pages you wish to preview
and click Roam; the selected pages will be overlaid in the Roam window. For
example, this allows you to preview some or all separations of a colour image
together. Remember, you can select several page buffers using the Shift and
Command / Control keys.
If you roam the separations of a colour image or if you are roaming a compos-
ite image then the combined image may become difficult to interpret, particu-
larly if any of the separations have similar colours. There are ways to reduce
the complexity:
• You can hide one or more separations as you are roaming the separa-
tions until all but one separations are hidden. See Section 5.5.3.1 on
page 113 for details.
• You can choose to display a separation in any colour (in the Info dialog
for that separation) before starting to roam it. See Section 12.11.3 on
page 432 for details.
The Roam and Preview windows are described in detail in the following
sections.
5.5.3 Roam and Preview windows

Note: This description applies to both Roam and Preview windows. For ease
of description, this section refers to the Roam and Reduced Roam windows
only: the same description applies to the Preview and Reduced Preview win-
dows except that the word Roam in menus becomes Preview.
When previewing pages, the size of the image is proportional to the resolution
chosen in Edit Page Setup: the higher the resolution, the larger the image
appears. Choose a high resolution if you want to look at a processed image in
fine detail; choose a lower resolution to see the whole image at once.

When you are viewing a higher resolution image, the Roam > Reduced Roam
menu option is probably available in the Roam window. It allows you to see
more of the image in one view. You must close the Roam window (and the
For most sizes of page, there are horizontal and vertical scroll bars at the edges
of the Roam window. (The scroll bars appear only when the window is too
small to display the whole page at one time.) When there are scroll bars, you
can use them to move your view to different parts of the page image. Alterna-
tively, you can drag the page image around by holding down the left mouse
button when the cursor is over the image and moving the mouse. While you
are dragging the image, the shape of the mouse cursor changes to a hand. The
hand speed determines how quickly the image moves when you move the
mouse. You can set the hand speed, together with other options, in the Roam
Options dialog box. See Section 5.5.3.1 for details.
Mac users: For an accurate indication of what part of the page is visible
hold down the Command key (sometimes called the Apple or Cloverleaf
key): a rectangle appears. This rectangle shows you how much of the
page is visible in the Roam window and which portion of the page you
are looking at. For example, if the rectangle is shown in the bottom right
of the window, the bottom-right portion of the page is visible in the win-
dow. Hold down the Command key and click the mouse (Command-
click) to jump to another part of the page. For example, if you Com-

mand-click on the middle of the window, the window scrolls to show

the middle of the page. g g
Figure 5.5 Command key held down in Roam window
Arrows are drawn from the edges of the window: this is a reminder that
the rectangle is proportional to the dimensions of the window. Typically,
the shape of the window does not match the proportions of the entire
page so the scaling for height and width is not the same.
Shift
Windows users: Hold down the Shift key to see cross hairs marking the
location of the view, in proportion to the size of the Roam window. For
example, if the cross hairs are shown in the bottom right of the window,
the window contains the bottom right portion of the page. Hold down
the Shift key and click the mouse (Shift-click) to jump to another part of
the page. For example, if you Shift-click on the middle of the window,
the window scrolls to show the middle of the page.
5.5.3.1 Roam Options and Preview Options dialog boxes

Note: This description applies to the options for both the Roam windows and
the Preview windows. For ease of description, this section refers to the Roam
and Reduced Roam windows only: the same description applies to the Pre-
view and Reduced Preview windows.

Display this dialog box by choosing the Options command from the Roam
menu in either the Roam window or the Reduced Roam window.
Figure 5.6 Roam / Preview Options dialog box
The Roam / Preview Options dialog box contains a list of the separations
shown in the Roam window and the Reduced Roam window.
You can use this dialog box to choose the separations that are displayed. Select
a separation, or use the Shift or Control / Command keys to select multiple
separation names, then click one of these buttons:
On Displays the selected separation or separations.
Off Hides the selected separation or separations. You

cannot use this button if using it would hide all
separations.
The other controls do not require a selected separation.
colour display By default, the RIP displays the page image as quickly
as possible. If you prefer a more accurate (but slower)
display of colours, select Accurate from the colour dis-
play menu. (This control may be unavailable if there are
restricted display colours because of hardware limita-
tions or display modes chosen in the operating system.)
Hand speed The hand speed determines how quickly the image
moves when you move the mouse. If you find that the
page image moves too quickly, you can slow down the
hand speed by selecting Medium or Slow from the Hand
speed menu.

You can close the Roam Options dialog box using the Roam > Options menu
option again. Alternatively, closing the Roam window will also close the
Roam Options dialog box. If you do not close the Roam Options dialog box
explicitly, it will be displayed the next time you preview pages.
5.5.3.2 Reduced Roam and Reduced Preview windows

When viewing a large or high resolution image, the Roam > Reduced Roam
menu option is probably available in the Roam window. It allows you to see
more of the image in one view. You must close the Roam window (and the
Mac users: When the Reduced Roam window is displayed in front, hold
down the Command key. A rectangle is drawn on the image in the
Reduced Roam window, marking the part of the page which is being
shown in the (full-size) Roam window. (If only a little of the rectangle is vis-
ible, a circle is drawn around it to make it easier to see. Also, if part of
the rectangle lies outside the Reduced Roam window, the edge of the
rectangle is marked with an arrow head pointing in the appropriate
direction.)
If you Command-click at a particular point in the Reduced Roam win-
dow, the view in the Roam window scrolls to center on that point on the
page.
Shift
Windows users: If you Shift-click at a particular point in the Reduced
Roam window, the view in the Roam window scrolls to center on that
point on the page.

Mac users: If you Command-drag with the mouse (hold down Com-
mand key, then press and hold the mouse button), you can range over
the part of the page which is visible in the Reduced Roam window.
Reduced Roam Roam
abcdefghijklmn
ABCDEFGHIJKLM
1234567890-=
Figure 5.7 Command-click in Reduced Roam window
Shift
Windows users: If you Shift-drag with the mouse (hold down Shift key,
then press and hold the mouse button), you can range over the part of
the page which is visible in the Reduced Roam window.
5.6 Output to Preview

By setting the output device to Preview in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, you
can preview any jobs processed on your monitor. Using screen preview as a
device gives you the same options as screen roam. As well as navigating a pre-
view of an image, you can display a reduced preview window, which shows
the same image reduced in size.

5.7 Output to None
If you are running the RIP in one of the multiple modes and wish to preview
jobs, you may find it useful to process those documents using None, and then
preview each page buffer separately from within the Output Controller by
clicking the Roam button.
Under Separations, Screening & Colour, the Style menu contains all the separa-
tions styles created for the Preview device. The choice of separations style
determines the colour space and format of the output.
See “Sending output to the screen” on page 109 for further information about
the Preview and None devices.
5.7 Output to None

The None device option available in the Edit Page Setup dialog box does not
produce any printed output, but it does perform all the required processing
for the job, including the production of page buffers in the appropriate modes.
This can be used for testing and timing jobs, and is especially useful for pre-
viewing on screen when you want to jump between pages or overlay separa-
tions using the Output Controller.
tions styles created for the None device. The choice of separations style deter-
mines the colour space and format of the output.
Note: The Output Controller is only available in either of the multiple modes.
You can preview a page in one of the single modes by setting the output
device to Preview instead of None.
See “Sending output to the screen” on page 109 for further information about
the Preview and None devices.
5.8 Output to TIFF

The Torrent RIP can produce TIFF (Tag Image File Format) files, which you
can choose by selecting the TIFF output device in the Edit Page Setup dialog
box. Most desktop publishing applications can import this format of file.

The Torrent RIP produces TIFF files which are compatible with TIFF 5.0,
Classes B (bilevel), G (gray scale), and R (RGB colour). CMYK colour separa-
tions are also supported as defined in the published TIFF 6.0 specification,
Appendix K.
tions styles created for the TIFF device. The choice of separations style deter-
mines the colour space and format of the output.
Note: The TIFF file is complete when it appears in the file system with the
name requested by the user, primarily to ease any subsequent, automatic pro-
cessing of the file. (To make this possible, the RIP produces, and then removes,
an intermediate file with the suffix .TMP , or the suffix .TEM if the requested
name has extension .TMP .)
You can configure how the RIP produces and names TIFF files by clicking
Configure Device in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, when the selected output
device is TIFF. Alternatively, if you are running the RIP in one of the multiple
modes, the device of any page buffer in the Output Controller can be config-
ured by clicking Configure Device in the Info dialog box of that page buffer.

5.8 Output to TIFF
Figure 5.8 shows the TIFF Configuration dialog box.
Figure 5.8 TIFF Configuration dialog box
The options in this dialog box fall into categories—location and naming, file
format, and, for Windows users, post processing—as described in the follow-
ing subsections.
5.8.1 TIFF file location and naming options

Choose the folder in which the Torrent RIP places files by clicking the Folder
button and choosing a folder from the dialog box—select / open the folder in
the list and then click Select / OK. The TIFF Configuration dialog box then
shows the path to the folder that you chose (on a Mac, the colon ( : ) character
separates the name of each folder from that of the containing folder).
If Path includes resolution is selected, the RIP places any TIFF files created in a
subfolder of your chosen folder with the name of that subfolder set to the res-
olution of the job: for example, 300 or 2400.

In general, the RIP names each file within a folder uniquely by combining
characters from some of the following character strings:
• The page number of the job.
• A stem—fixed or variable.
• The name of the separation.
• A sequentially increasing number.
• A suffix.
If the combined length of these character strings is sufficiently long, the RIP
truncates the stem to stay within the maximum length of a file name on the
computer running the RIP or an optional tighter limit providing greater porta-
bility between different types of computers.
To impose the limit for portability, select the box Enforce DOS filename limits
(Mac users) or Use 8.3 Filenames (Windows users). This specifies a maximum
length of 8 character names with 3 character extensions: for example,
TIFF3001.tif. This limit is necessary if you wish to move the TIFF files to a
PC running some older versions of MS-DOS or Windows.
Specify the suffix of the file name (that is, the file extension) by typing a string
into the Suffix text box. By convention, many applications expect the suffix of a
TIFF file to be .tif or .TIF.
The stem of the name can be a fixed stem or a variable stem based on the job-
name.
You can specify the fixed stem of the file name produced (that is, the first part
of the file name) by typing it into the Stem text box. For example: TIFF.
The RIP creates a simple file name based on the stem, a sequentially increasing
number, and the suffix. For example, for a stem of TIFF the sequence is:
TIFF00.tif, TIFF01.tif, TIFF02.tif, and so on. If any of these files already
exists, the RIP creates the lowest numbered file that does not clash and
increases the numbers from that starting point, avoiding any other existing
files.
Alternatively, the RIP can use the jobname itself as the variable stem of the file
name if you select Use jobname as stem. The job name is truncated if necessary
to keep within the allowed length of file name.

5.8 Output to TIFF
In this case, the RIP creates a file name based on the page number of the job,
the job name, the colour of the separation, a number, and the suffix. For exam-
ple, when separating a colour job called jobname.ps, you might see:
1jobnamepsC00.tif, 1jobnamepsM00.tif, 1jobnamepsY00.tif,
1jobnamepsK00.tif, 2jobnamepsC00.tif, 2jobnamepsM00.tif,
2jobnamepsY00.tif, 2jobnamepsK00.tif.
If a file already exists, the RIP creates the next file in the sequence.
If you do not want the page numbers to appear at the start of the file name,
select the Remove page number prefix (Mac users), or Del page num prefix (Win-
dows users) check box. In this case, the RIP creates file names such as
jobnamepsC01.tif. This option is only relevant if you select Use jobname as
stem.
The Use jobname unchanged option is designed to support jobs arriving with
names that include double-byte characters, as used in several Oriental lan-
guages and other extended alphabets. In earlier versions, the plugin con-
structed the output file name after testing characters byte by byte, and
discarding characters that were potentially illegal in file names. This is still the
safe, and strongly recommended, option but when there are illegal characters
it can produce files with unpredictable names, which may be difficult to use in
complex workflows.
To retain the old, safe behavior, leave the check box Use jobname unchanged
unselected.
To enable the new option, select the check box Use jobname unchanged. (For
this option to work, you must also select Use jobname as stem.) The result is
that each TIFF file has a predictable name but that name may be illegal
because of length or characters used in the name. It is very dangerous to use
this option where the form of incoming job names is not known before sub-
mission to the RIP.
Warning: Using this option can produce TIFF files whose names are illegal
to the operating system, especially if the RIP installation is running in a dif-
ferent locale or on a different platform from the locale and platform used to
create the job. In some circumstances, these illegal names can cause the

operating system to crash or cause loss of data on disk. HighWater Designs

Limited does not accept any responsibility for the consequences of using
this option.
To recap, the full path and name of a TIFF file can be as complex as the follow-
ing example:
(Mac users) McBit:RIP:TIFF_Folder/300/1jobnamepsM00.tif
(Windows users) D:\RIP\TIFF_Folder\300\1jobnamepsM00.tif
In this example, 300 is the resolution of the TIFF file. The preceding text is the
path to the selected folder and the following text is the file name.
5.8.2 TIFF file format options

All the remaining options in the dialog, with the exception of Anti-Aliasing
(and the Post Processing section for Windows users), provide different ways of
storing the data in the file but do not affect the viewed image. These different
ways of storing the data may be required by the specific application that will
read the TIFF files or may improve the portability or speed of access of the
files.
You can choose the basic internal format used for the file from the TIFF Format
/ Format menu. TIFF files can either contain the image data in a Single strip
(all in one chunk) or Multiple strips (several chunks).
Use the Style menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box to choose the colour
space and interleaving style.
To produce TIFF files with reverse bit ordering, select the Reverse bit ordering
check box. This reverses the order of bits in a byte in the raster data of a half-
toned TIFF file (monochrome), so if the byte was 11010001 it becomes
10001011.
Select the Pad to 32 bit alignment box to make each line of the TIFF file data end
on a multiple of 32 bits. This is an efficiency setting, for monochrome output
only, that may make the file faster to read in some applications.
You can choose between Macintosh and IBM PC byte ordering from the Byte
ordering menu. This option lets you select the byte ordering to be that used by
Intel (IBM PC) machines (little endian machines), or Motorola (Macintosh)

5.8 Output to TIFF
machines (big endian machines). This is the order of bytes in a word, needed
by the TIFF reader to correctly interpret the TIFF header. Most TIFF readers
can read both sorts of header.
You can choose the compression format used for the file from the Compression
menu. The choices are: None, CCITT Huffman, CCITT Group 3, CCITT Group 4,
LZW, or Packbits.
Note: The CCITT compression formats are only suitable for monochrome
output.
Finally, for all except monochrome files, you can choose a level of anti-aliasing
in which intermediate colours are used to visually smooth boundaries. (Anti-
aliasing is most useful at low or medium resolutions.) Select the desired
option from the Anti-Aliasing menu / box. None is the fastest option but pro-
vides no anti-aliasing. Of the other options, the higher numbers provide more
smoothing, but also require more time to prepare a given image.
5.8.3 TIFF file post processing (Windows users only)

You can use this section of the dialog box to define extra actions after the RIP
has created each TIFF file. These actions depend on commands supplied with
Microsoft Windows.
To do this, you type text specifying a command and its options in a way simi-
lar to typing in a Windows command prompt window. The command can be a
simple batch file or a complex application, provided that you can give the
command all necessary options and information on the command line; a com-
mand needing operator interaction is likely to cause problems.
You can use such post-processing commands to convert the file to a different
format or to send the data to a destination that is not directly supported by
TIFF output from the RIP. There are several other possibilities, such as extract-
ing information for use in reports, limited only by your ability to obtain or
create a suitable application and to supply information to it.
The controls in this section of the dialog box are:
Enable Select this check box to enable a post-processing com-

mand, as entered in the Command text field. Leave it
unselected to disable post-processing.

Create Window Check this box to display a Windows command prompt

window: for example, to display any messages pro-
duced by the post-processing command. The command
window closes at the end of the command so, to read
any messages, you may need a timed delay before the
command finishes. (A wait for a key-press may be
useful for testing but becomes unworkable with many
output files.)
Command The entry in this text field is a string specifying a post-

processing application, which must be available on the
computer running the RIP. Optionally, you can supply
options understood by the application, and data such as
the name of the relevant input or output files. The com-
mand string can contain substitution codes. The RIP
expands the codes and runs the command at the end of
each output file.
Section 5.8.3.1 lists the recognized substitution codes.
The string should normally include the file extension
and the full path name of the application file. However,
you can type just the file name if the command file has
extension .EXE and is in one of the folders specified by
the PATH variable. File names passed to the application
as data are assumed to be in the folder receiving the
TIFF files, unless you type a different path name.

5.8 Output to TIFF
5.8.3.1 Post processing substitution codes (Windows users only)

The Torrent RIP recognizes the substitution codes shown in Table 5.1. You can
insert an integer between the percent character and the letter code, to restrict
the maximum number of characters used in the result string. For example: %6j
represents the first six characters of the job name.
Code Meaning
%c The current separation colour, represented by a string of default

length one character. Typical separation names are Cyan, Magenta,
Yellow, and Black. Examples for length one are: C, Y, M, and B.
%d The current date in the format YYMMDD, with a default string length
of 6. For example: 26 October 1998 becomes 981026.
%e The job exposure, as entered in the Page Setup dialog box. For
example: 221.
%f The output TIFF file name, not including the full path. For example,
based on jobname and not suppressing the page number:
1ColdfacepsC05.TIF.
%j The current page buffer name, as shown in the Output

Controller/Monitor. For example: 1. Coldface.ps (C).
%n The current job number, an integer that the Torrent RIP increments
each time it processes a new job. For example: 115.
%o The full output directory path set by the Folder button (but not the res-
olution, if the check box to include resolution has been checked; nor
the file name). For example: C:\S\TIFF\.
%p The current page number within the job. For example: 13.
%r The job resolution, in dots per inch. For example: 72.
%s The current jobname, after removal of characters that would be illegal

in a file name. For example: Coldfaceps.
%t The current time in the format HHMMSS, using the 24 hour clock.
The default length is 6. For example, a time just after 7:30 pm would
be shown: 193211.
Table 5.1 Post processing substitution codes

Code Meaning
%x The current file name suffix. For example: TIF.
%z The current file name stem, taken from the Stem text field or from the
jobname if Use jobname as stem is selected. For example: if Stem is
set to TIFF, %z can produce TIFF00, TIFF01, and so on.
Table 5.1 Post processing substitution codes
5.8.3.2 Checking the command string (Windows users only)

The RIP reports each command and the working folder (directory) in the main
window, in the following form. Italics show which text can vary with different
jobs and page setups.
Running post-job command
"C:\RIP\myproc.bat C:\S\TIFF\Coldfaceps.TIF" in directory C:\S\TIFF\
For a more thorough test of how the command behaves when used at the com-
mand prompt of the operating system, select the Create window box and try
creating a batch (.BAT) file with these contents and using the name of the
batch file as the application in your command string.
echo %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
pause
Note: If you have problems with a command, also test it outside the RIP by
opening a command window and running the command manually. If you
think that you have used any substitution code from which the RIP might
generate an element containing characters with a special meaning to Win-
dows, try surrounding that code with double quotes. For example, use "%f" in
the Command field rather than just %f. If there are no special characters
involved, look at the number of substitution codes that you are using and the
length of the command string both before and after expansion of the substitu-
tion codes. The limit on the length of the expanded command string varies
with the Microsoft Windows environment but you should have no problems
with up to 125 characters in the string after expansion.

5.9 Sending output to a printer
5.9 Sending output to a printer

You can use the Torrent RIP to produce output on a variety of different image-
setters and printers. The options available depend on the device drivers that
have been installed with your copy of the RIP.
If any device drivers have been installed, you can select one of these drivers in
the Edit Page Setup dialog box from the Device menu. Selecting Ultre, PelBox,
or HP650, for example, sends output to the corresponding printer, provided
that somebody has done any necessary configuration to suit the way that the
printer is connected and configured.
You can gain the ability to send output to many other types of device by
adding other output plugins. A simple plugin may add a single device driver,
and this manual usually talks about the device that the driver supports. Com-
plex output plugins can support several device drivers and provide pre-
configured page setups, screening, or colour management. Such complex
plugins can require several steps during installation: hardware installation,
system software modifications, software installation in the Torrent RIP, and
enabling specific devices or RIP options with passwords. There is likely to be a
separate installation or operator’s manual for such plugins and, perhaps, a
special installation program.
Note: It is often dangerous to attempt to re-install or update an installed
plugin in the same copy of the Torrent RIP, because of file name mapping
(described briefly on page 39) and other issues. It is much safer to make a
fresh installation of the RIP, install the new plugin, and then transfer your set-
ting to the fresh installation. The separate Migrate program can help you
make this transfer.
Where a plugin supplies a single device type, the device type becomes ready
for use as soon as it has been installed and, if necessary, enabled with a pass-
word. Multiple device output plugins appear first as one of the options in the
Device Manager, where you can choose which device you want to use. See
“Multiple device output plugins” on page 130.
Once installed, the name of a device added with a new output plugin appears
as one of the device options in the Edit Page Setup dialog box and you can
select it just like any other device.

tions styles created for the current device. The choice of separations style
determines the colour space and format of the output.
Note: Some output plugins allow you to select the colour generation mode
using the Configure Device button. When this is the case, the Style menu con-
tains only the separations styles corresponding to the selected colour genera-
tion mode.
For certain types of output device, a text box labeled Exposure becomes active
in Edit Page Setup. By specifying a number in the text box, you can change the
exposure of the chosen output device: this varies the power of the laser used
to create the image, which in turn makes the image lighter or darker. Refer to
the documentation for your output device to see if it has an exposure control.
Choosing the correct exposure is described in Chapter 11, “Calibration”.
Media and cassette monitoring and management facilities are available for all
continuous feed printers supported by the Torrent RIP. For details of how to
use these facilities, see Chapter 9, “Media Management”, and “Cassette man-
agement” on page 152.
5.10 ProofReady plugins

ProofReady plugins allow the RIP to provide page images to a supported
printer and work in a different way to other plugins.
When you create a Page setup for a ProofReady device, a default Colour Setup
is applied, using input and output profiles, and rendering intents defined
within the plugin. You must have ColourPro enabled to use this automatic
colour management feature. You can also create your own Colour Setup if you
do not wish to use the default settings.
ProofReady plugins have the following capabilities:
• Instant colour management using supplied profiles
• A choice of resolution for the output page image for all media sizes and
types supported by the model of printer in use
• User choice of output quality
• Availability of Harlequin screening techniques

5.10 ProofReady plugins
• Preview of the screened output

Using the ProofReady plugin is straightforward. You select the required
device, configure it, select a profile from the ProofReady menu and then print.
If you would like to improve colour accuracy and you have a measurement
device available, you can print an uncalibrated target, measure it with Genlin
and then import the data and make a new calibration set.
You then go back to the Page Setup and select this calibration with the
ProofReady Setup unchanged and proof using the calibration and the
ProofReady setup combined.
5.10.1 Using ProofReady plugins

Each ProofReady plugin is supplied ready to use with preconfigured colour
management for several types of media.
With a ProofReady plugin, the way that you apply colour management is
simpler than with ColourPro because the setups are ready to use. The special
colour setups appear in the ProofReady menu in the Output Device section of
the Page Setup dialog box, each named for a particular combination of media
and resolution. Choosing one of the entries from the ProofReady menu, gives
you a default colour setup that produces good results for most jobs.
When an option is selected from the ProofReady menu, the options in the Sepa-
rations, Screening and Colour section of the Page Setup dialog are enabled. This
allows you to create and edit ProofReady colour setups or separation styles.
However, non-compatible separation styles and colour setups cannot be
selected or created.
If you want to create a calibration set for your printer rather than using the
reference calibration profile, you can print an uncalibrated target and import
the data using Genlin. Once you have created a calibration set, you must
choose it from the Calibration menu.
You can also expand the capabilities of a ProofReady plugin, by creating and
using custom colour setups built upon the same profiles used to create the
default colour setups.
For more details of ProofReady plugins, see the user guide for the relevant
ProofReady plugin.

5.11 Multiple device output plugins

The Torrent RIP lets you install multiple device output plugins, which allow you
to drive a number of different devices without needing a separate output
plugin for each one.
Note: Many output plugins intended for use with a range of similar output
devices, such as inkjet printers, are multiple output plugins but are supplied
with preconfigured devices ready for use in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
You should only need to use the description given here if the installation pro-
cedure for a plugin fails to install a device of the type you want.
This discussion uses the following terms:
Device A device is often a physical piece of equipment which

produces output. It can also be a way of producing a
graphics file in a format like TIFF. A device can be
selected by name from the Device menu in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box.
Device type Any particular device is of a certain type. For instance,

some printers are of type Ultre, and some are of type
ExxtraSetter. Distinguishing different device types is
like distinguishing different models of computer. Some
options (for example, the resolutions or media types
available) depend on the device type.
Output plugin The output plugin is the software you install into the
RIP to make it drive a particular device. It tells the RIP
the name and type of the devices it drives, as well as the
address of the device (that is, where to find the device—
in terms of the computer rather than physical location).
With ordinary output plugins, one plugin can drive only one device. If you
want to install a large number of devices, you need many different output plu-
gins. This can make configuration of the system cumbersome.
Multiple device output plugins allow you to drive a number of different
devices using just one plugin. You can have any number of devices of a partic-
ular type.

Figure 5.9 shows you the configuration of an imaginary system using both
single and multiple device drivers.
Device Driver Multiple Device

Driver
U U U E E
Device1 Device2 Device3 Device4 Device5
Ultre Devices (marked U) ExxtraSetter Devices (marked E)
Figure 5.9 The use of multiple device drivers in the Torrent RIP
Five devices are shown, driven by two output plugins. Device1 is of type
Ultre, and is driven by an ordinary output plugin.
However, the remaining four devices are all driven by one multiple device
output plugin. Two of these devices are of type Ultre, and two are of type
ExxtraSetter, so this driver must know about at least two device types—it
may well know about others.
5.11.1 Installing and using multiple device plugins

Install a multiple device output plugin, just as you would for an ordinary
output plugin and as described in Section 5.9 on page 127. The plugin then
appears as one of the options in the Device Manager dialog box, shown in
Figure 5.10.

You create and configure devices driven from a multiple device driver using
the Device Manager. To open the Device Manager click the Device Manager
button, which is the icon button under Output Device in Edit Page Setup. The
Device Manager is also available from the Torrent RIP / File menu.
Figure 5.10 Device Manager dialog box
The Plugin menu shows the multiple device output plugins currently installed
in the RIP. You can install several multiple device plugins, and this menu lets
you choose between them. The devices driven by the selected plugin appear
in the table listing: each line displays the name, type, and address of one
device.
For instance, in Figure 5.10 the dialog box lists devices linked to the MultiDev
(ENCAD for OS X users) multiple device plugin.
Note: Both the name MultiDev and the values entered for each device are ficti-
tious and used here for illustration only. There are several multiple device plu-
gins but their names and the acceptable values vary greatly, so they are
documented separately. A typical real multiple device plugin is HQMulDev
(Windows users) or GPVI (Mac Classic users).
The Device Manager has the following uses:
• To change the configuration of a device, select its entry in the list and
click Edit then use the Device Manager Edit dialog box.
• To add a new device, click New then use the Device Manager Edit dialog
box.

• To add a device that is similar to an existing device, select its entry in

the list and click Copy then use the Device Manager Edit dialog box. You
must give the copy a new name.
• To delete a device from the current multiple device driver, select it in
the Device Manager and click Delete. This removes the driver immedi-
ately.
When you click the New, Edit, or Copy button, the RIP displays the Device
Manager Edit dialog box shown in Figure 5.11.
Figure 5.11 Device Manager Edit dialog box
This dialog box has three fields that you can edit:
• Specify a name for the device in the Name text box. This is the name that
appears in the Device menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, and else-
where.
• Choose the device type from the Type menu—a list of all the device
types that the selected multiple device output plugin supports. The
device types are preset during the manufacture of a plugin and are not
subsequently configurable. You cannot tell a multiple device driver to
look for a device with a type not listed here.
• Use the Address text box to type in the address of the device you are
adding or editing. This text box provides device information such as a
multiplex address, a SCSI port, or a file name; all highly dependent on
the type of device. For details of what to enter here, refer to the
documentation that came with your multiple device output plugin.
Click OK when all values in the Device Manager Edit dialog box are as you
want them. This confirmation is provisional: you must also click OK in the
Device Manager to finally save your changes. If you opened the Device
Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, you can also save the changes

by clicking the Select button. In addition to saving the changes, the Select
button displays the selected device in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. Click
Cancel to discard all changes.
5.12 Output plugin dialog boxes

Many devices have features which only apply to that device. For example, a
certain printer may be able to print on both sides of the paper, a feature called
duplexing. Such features may be controllable, in which case the device driver
offers a dialog box unique to that driver containing, for example, a check box
to turn duplexing on or off. For example, the device TIFF can have its output
file name and format configured (as shown in Figure 5.8, page 119). If the
driver does not have any configurable options, the Configure Device button is
disabled.
Some output plugins allow you to set the colour generation mode using the
Configure Device button. In these cases, the Style menu contains only the sepa-
rations styles corresponding to the selected colour generation mode. Other-
wise, the choice of separations style determines the colour space and format of
the output.
5.13 Separations, Screening and Colour

The options under Separations, Screening & Colour allow you to choose the
separations style and colour setup for the current page setup.
Style The Style menu allows you to choose a separations style

for the currently selected device. A separations style
contains information on separations and screening

5.13 Separations, Screening and Colour
(where appropriate), which you can use in one or more

page setups. The choice of separations style determines
the colour space and format of the output.
Note: Some output plugins allow you to set the colour
generation mode using the Configure Device button. In
this case, the Style menu contains only the separations
styles corresponding to the selected colour generation
mode.
If you change the Device, you may have to select a cor-
responding separations style for the new device before
you can save the page setup.
Click the Separations Manager button to create or edit a
separations style.
Separations Manager
This icon button is next to the Style menu. It opens the
Separations Manager dialog box, from which you can
create or edit a separations style. See Chapter 12, “Col-
our Separation” for details.
The Separations Manager is independent of the Edit
Page Setup dialog box. You can create or edit a style in
the Separations Manager, even if you do not want to
use it in the current page setup. If you do want to use a
new or changed style for this page setup, select the style
in the Separations Manager and click the Select button.
Colour The Colour menu allows you to choose a colour setup

for the currently selected device and colour space. The
choice of separations style determines the colour space.
Click the Colour Setup Manager button to create or edit a
colour setup. See Section 12.8 on page 416 or the sepa-
rate manual Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide.

Colour Setup Manager

This icon button is next to the Colour menu. It opens the
Colour Setup Manager dialog box, from which you can
create or edit a colour setup. See the separate manual
Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide.
The Colour Setup Manager is independent of the Edit
Page Setup dialog box. You can create or edit a colour
setup in the Colour Setup Manager, even if you do not
want to use it in the current page setup. If you do want
to use a new or changed colour setup, select the colour
setup in the Colour Setup Manager and click the Select
button.
5.14 Media saving option

Media saving is provided as an extra layered option that allows you to
instruct the Torrent RIP to automatically fit pages onto the output media in a
way that makes the most efficient use of the media. For example, when imag-
ing A4 pages they would normally be placed one above the other on the
output media. With media saving enabled, the A4 pages could be placed side-
by-side thus utilizing more of the media width.
This option is especially useful with Capstan and Drum devices. For more
information on how to select the extra features supplied with the RIP see
Section 7.8, “Extras”.
Media saving is enabled for each page setup by clicking the Media Saving
option situated in the lower left section of the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
With the media saving option selected, jobs processed in the RIP are automat-
ically grouped together with other jobs according to resolution, bit depth,
paper type and output device. The jobs are only output to the device when the
page is full. A collection of jobs on a page is known as a ‘flat’.
For example, you may have a 32 inch roll installed in the output device and a
queue of three A4 sized jobs waiting to be output. Instead of printing a single
job along the width of the roll, the RIP will fit all three jobs along the width of
the roll—ultimately saving media.

The Media saver works by receiving page buffers from the RIP. In the page-
buffer header there are fields specifying the media width and media height,
page width and page height. The Media saver uses the media width and
media height values as the size of the flat and page width and page height
value as the size of the page.
If the device supports cassettes, the media width and media height values are
defined in the Cassette manager. If the device is a roll, media height in the
page buffer is the same as the page height and is ignored by the media saver.
If the device does not support cassettes, the media width and media height
values are those entered by the user in the Page Layout dialog box. Again the
roll device rule applies.
Mac Classic users: When using the media saving features and output-
ting large, high resolution flats, you should allocate substantially more
than the default memory to the RIP. For information on how to do this
see “Torrent RIP memory allocation” on page 222.
Note: If the page features “Fill Film” or “2 Across”, are selected while using
Media saving, sending single page files results in blank output (multi-page
files produce correct output).

When enabled, the RIP Output menu contains the Media Saving option, which
on selection displays the Media Saving dialog.
Figure 5.12 Media Saving dialog box
5.14.1 The Media Saving dialog box

The Media Saving dialog box displays all the information required for you to
keep track of which jobs are being combined into flats. Jobs will only be added
to a flat if the resolution, bit depth, paper type and device are all the same—if
any of these are different a new flat will be created.
As soon as a flat is full it will be output to the device. A flat is deemed ‘full’
when it reaches that stage where any new page of the same specification will
not fit in the flat.
You can send a flat to the output device before it is completed by highlighting
the flat to be output followed by clicking the Print Flat button.

You can ensure enough space is placed around each job by specifying a value
in the Margin between pages option. The Media saver ensures that there is the
same given margin between the edges of the paper and the pages of jobs—it
achieves this by absolute positioning of the pages on the flat. Shown below is
a diagram illustrating how pages are position on the flat.
Margin between
pages value
Cut mark
between flats
Figure 5.13 Margin media saving control
Note: If when using media saving you get output that is clipped, you should
make the Margin between jobs value greater than the value of the unprintable
margin for the device.
If you want to avoid the possibility of a flat never being output, because there
may never be enough page buffers of the same type, you can click the Time to
wait between pages option and enter either a number of minutes or hours.
When an incomplete flat has been displayed in the Media Saving dialog box
for the defined time out period, it will automatically be output to the selected
device. When Time to wait between pages is not checked, partially filled flats
will always wait for new pages of the same specification to arrive.
You can Roam individual pages displayed in the Media Saving dialog by
selecting them and clicking the Roam button. Similarly, you can delete individ-
ual pages by selecting them and clicking the Delete button.
When a flat is printed, the page buffers that the flat references are deleted
from the disk. Because of this, the Print Flat button is disabled when a Roam
window is open.

If a flat is going to be printed because the time out period has expired and a
Roam window is open, the flat is placed in a queue and is printed as soon as
all Roam windows are closed.
From version 5.5r1 an extra media saving option is provided called Order of
pages on flat. The Order of pages on flat option provides a drop-down list with
the following options:
none Page buffers are placed on flats if they fit, regardless of

colour in the same way media saving worked in version
5.5 of the Torrent RIP.
by separation Each flat is dedicated to a particular separation name,

therefore page buffers with different separation names
cannot appear on the same flat. For example, cyan sepa-
rations can only appear on cyan flats. However, once
allocated to its flat, a page buffer may be positioned
anywhere on that flat.
by separation, page position

Each flat is dedicated to a particular separation name,
in the same way as described in the by separation
option above. The page buffers for a given job must all
be at the same position on their respective flats. But no
consideration is given to what other separations may be
on these flats. Therefore, it is not guaranteed that the
group of flats that contains all the page buffers for any
one job also contains all the page buffers for the other
separations on the flat.
Note: This option will not work for preseparated jobs,
because the RIP treats each separation as a different job.
by separation, page position, job

Each flat is dedicated to a particular separation name.
The page buffers for a given page must all be at the
same position on their respective flats. It is additionally
guaranteed that the group of flats that contains all the
page buffers for any one job also contains all the page

buffers for the other pages on the flat. Empty spaces

will be left for separations that are not available or
missing.
Note: This option will not work for preseparated jobs,
because the RIP treats each separation as a different job.
The following examples illustrate the difference between the by separation,
page position and by separation, page position, job options.
Incoming Job by separation, page by separation, page Flat

position position, job No.
position 1 position 2 position 1 position 2
—, —, —, K1 K1 K4 K1 — Flat 1
C2, M2, Y2, — C2 C4 C2 — Flat 2
—, M3, Y3, — M2 M3 M2 M3 Flat 3
C4, —, Y4, K4 Y2 Y3 Y2 Y3 Flat 4
— Y4 C4 — Flat 5
— — Y4 — Flat 6
— — K4 — Flat 7
Table 5.2 Media saving—example 1
Table 5.2 shows an example where four incoming jobs are placed on flats dif-
ferently according to the selection of either; by separation, page position
or by separation, page position, job.
With by separation, page position selected, the first incoming job contains
only a black separation (K1) which is placed on the first flat in position 1. The
second job (C2, M2, Y2) contains no black separation and therefore creates
three new flats (2, 3, and 4). The third job contains only magenta and yellow
separations (M3, Y3).There is space on existing flats for this job, magenta flat 3,
position 2 and also yellow flat 4, position 2. The fourth job contains cyan,
yellow and black separations, (C4, Y4, K4). There is space on black flat 1, posi-

tion 2 for K4, and also space on cyan flat 2, position 2 for C4. However, yellow
flat 4 already contains a separation, therefore a new flat (5) is created and the
yellow separation is placed in position 2.
It can be seen from this that each flat contains separations in no particular
order. A single job can appear on earlier or later flats as long as there is space.
With by separation, page position, job selected, the first three incoming
jobs are treated as before. The black separation in the first job (K1) is placed on
the first flat in position 1. The second job (C2, M2, Y2) creates three new flats (2,
3, and 4). And the third job (M3, Y3) finds space on existing flats on, magenta
flat 3, position 2 and also yellow flat 4, position 2.
The fourth job contains cyan, yellow and black separations, (C4, Y4, K4). Even
though there is space on black flat 1, position 2 for K4, there is no correspond-
ing space in position 2 of flat 3 and flat 4 for the magenta and yellow plates.
This is because this option keeps the separations for each job together. There-
fore, new flats 5, 6 and 7 are created o accommodate (in position 1) the cyan,
yellow and black separations from incoming job 4.
This illustrates that using this option, jobs stay together and appear on consec-
utive flats.
Incoming Job by separation, page by separation, page Flat

position position, job No.
position 1 position 2 position 1 position 2
C1, M1, —, — C1 C3 C1 — Flat 1
—, M2, Y2, — M1 M2 M1 M2 Flat 2
C3, M3, Y3, — — Y3 — Y2 Flat 3
— M3 Y3 — Flat 4
— Y4 M3 — Flat 5
— — Y3 — Flat 6
Table 5.3 Media saving—example 2

Table 5.3 shows an example where three incoming jobs are placed on flats dif-
ferently according to the selection of either; by separation, page position
or by separation, page position, job.
With by separation, page position selected, the first incoming job contains
a cyan and magenta separation (C1, M1) which are placed on flat 1 and 2, posi-
tion 1. The second job, (M2, Y2) can use the second position in flat 2 for the
magenta and creates a new flat (3) for the yellow. The third job contains cyan,
magenta and yellow separations (C3, M3, Y3).There is space on flat 1 for the
cyan separation, but no space on flats 2 and 3, position 2 for the magenta and
yellow. (The yellow cannot go onto flat 3, position 1 because it would not be in
the correct position for registration). Therefore, new flats (4 and 5) are used
and the cyan and magenta separations are placed into position 2.
Again, each flat can contain separations in no particular order. A single job can
appear on earlier or later flats as long as there is space.
With by separation, page position, job selected, the first two jobs behave
as before. The first incoming job contains a cyan and magenta separation (C1,
M1) which are placed on flat 1 and 2, position 1. The second job, (M2, Y2) can
use the second position in flat 2 for the magenta and creates a new flat (3) for
the yellow.
The third job contains cyan, magenta and yellow separations (C3, M3,
Y3).There is space on flat 1 for the cyan separation, on flat 1, position 2 but it is
not used because the next flats do not have space. Therefore, new flats (4, 5
and 6) are created and the cyan, magenta and yellow separations are placed
into position 1 on those flats 2.
This illustrates that using this option, jobs stay together and appear on consec-
utive flats.

5.14.2 Media Saving dialog box example

The following example of the Media saving dialog box shows a number of
flats in various stages of construction:
Figure 5.14 Example flats
In this example there are three flats in construction: Flat 10 is destined to be

output on a Capstan device and has two jobs called Box.ps and Box1.ps using
67% of the flat. Flat 11 is destined for output on a Drum device and has three
jobs using 20% of the flat. Flat 12 is also destined for output on a Capstan
device but at a different resolution to Flat 10.
5.15 Media and time saving using optimization

The Torrent RIP provides media and time saving options in the Optimization
menu in the Processing section of the Page setup dialog box. These options are
only available if your output device supports them. If your output device does
not support these features, the options will not appear in the list.
The media saving described in this section is different to the Media saving
option described under Section 5.14 and does a different job. Using the two
options together may give unpredictable results.
The Optimization menu allows you to instruct the RIP to rotate pages automat-
ically if doing so saves time or media. For capstan and drum type devices you
can choose Media Saving. For drum type devices you can also choose Time
Saving.
If you choose Media Saving in the Optimization menu, the RIP rotates the
image if it calculates that media can be saved by doing so. You should ensure
that the media width is correctly set within the Cassette Manager to make this

5.16 Default page size
option work effectively. (See Chapter 9, “Media Management”.) If the current

device is a drum recorder, you can choose Time Saving, which rotates the
page in whichever direction takes the least time to output.
Note: Some applications, such as QuarkXPress, generate a page size for the
job which is dependent on the media width set in the application. Media
saving often cannot work when processing jobs generated by these applica-
tions. To avoid this problem, make the media width in the application the
same as the width of the page being created (including any crop marks which
are to be printed).
5.15.1 Other options that save media

Selecting the Trim page check box in the Effects section causes the RIP to trim
any white space off the top and bottom of each page.
Note: If you are sending output to a device fed with fixed size sheets, such as
a typical laser printer, using Trim page does not save media and is very likely
to alter the registration between pages: for example, when the content of those
pages has a variable outline or bounding box.
Several features listed in the Enable Feature menu of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box instruct the RIP to use media as economically as possible. In gen-
eral, these features pack pages together so that, for example, more than one
page is imaged side by side in the length of media that would otherwise be
used by one page. See “Features” on page 148 for a fuller description.
5.16 Default page size

Normally a job sets its own page size, and overrides the default page size.
However, in some cases (such as when using the Proof Fonts command), the
RIP uses the default page size.
You can specify the default page size by clicking Page layout (in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box) to display the Page Layout dialog box. You can specify
either a standard page size by name, or the absolute page width and height.

If you do not want to use a standard page size using Page size, specify your
preferred values in the Page width and Page height text boxes. Sizes can be in
inches, millimeters, picas, or points, depending on the current selection in the
Select units menu to the right of the Page width box. When you have specified
a nonstandard size, the RIP displays Other in the Paper size menu.
5.17 Margins
You can specify margins for a job by clicking Page layout to display the Page
Layout dialog box. This dialog box varies slightly, depending on the type of
device. The example in Figure 5.15 is for a sheet fed device.
You can set the margins by typing values into the appropriate text boxes. Any
margins you specify are added to values set within the job.
Choose the units to use from the Select units menu. When you specify the left
margin, the right margin is calculated automatically, based on the total width
of the media and the size of the image. If you wish, you can specify a negative
value for any margin. For example a -1.0 inch left margin would clip 1 inch off
the left hand side of the page.
Figure 5.15 A typical Page Layout dialog box

5.18 Printing effects
You can center the page on the media by selecting the relevant option. Note
that the page is always centered if you choose this option, even if the job itself
explicitly sets the page width.
If you are using one of the multiple modes, the Page Layout dialog box is also
available from the Info dialog box. This dialog box is displayed when you
click Info in the Output Controller (see “Operations on buffered pages” on
page 84). When chosen from the Output Controller, the page layout options
are specific to the selected page or, optionally, to all pages in the same job.
When chosen from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, the options are applied to
all jobs subsequently interpreted with that setup.
The output device dimensions are built into the driver for the current device,
and cannot be changed. You can set the media width in the Cassette Manager.
For details of how to use the Cassette Manager and other media management
facilities, see Chapter 9, “Media Management”.
5.18 Printing effects

The Effects options in the Edit Page Setup dialog box allow you to produce
output using assorted effects.
The dialog box displays a representation of a page (near the Effects label), in
which the letters AB are written. You can either click the Rotate, Negative, and
Mirrorprint options to select the effects, or you can click the Effects page to cycle
through all the possible combinations of effects.
The Effects page changes as you select any of the options, illustrating the
effects of using the selected combination.
The Rotate menu allows you to select 90, 180, and 270 degree
rotations. The image itself remains unchanged. If the job was
already set to rotate in the opposite direction, the two rota-
tions cancel, giving non-rotated output. Similarly, if the job
rotates in the same direction, the two rotations add.

If Negative is selected, the page produced is in negative. If the

job was already in negative (that is, a negative image is
defined in the page description), the two negatives cancel
each other out, giving positive output.
Using this option may affect the proper choice of calibration
set—see Chapter 11, “Calibration”.
If Mirrorprint is selected, the RIP produces a mirrored image

which is reflected about the vertical axis. However, if the job
being sent was already reflected, selecting the Mirrorprint
option cancels this out, giving a non-mirrored image.
5.19 Scaling the image

You may not always want to print your job at its original size. The horizontal
and vertical scaling boxes in the Edit Page Setup dialog box allow you to print
out any job at a specified scale. This changes the page size.
All scales are expressed as a percentage of the original size. Thus, to print out
a copy of a job at half the linear size, specify 50 in both the horizontal and ver-
tical scaling text boxes. To print it out at twice the size, specify 200.
You can specify different horizontal and vertical scales if you wish. Note that
the aspect ratio of the image changes unless the values in the horizontal and
vertical scaling boxes are the same.
Screen ruling is not affected by the scale at which a job is output.
5.20 Features
You may sometimes want to apply a special effect to your jobs that is not oth-
erwise available from the Edit Page Setup dialog box. You can do this in the
Torrent RIP by using features. These are both powerful and easy to use.

5.20 Features
For instance, you can use a feature to perform a simple page imposition that
prints two pages side by side (and at reduced-scale if required) on one normal
sized page to reduce media consumption when in the draft stages of docu-
ment production. Another feature scans PostScript-language jobs for the use
of spot colours and reports the colours on screen before you print.
You can use features by choosing one from a menu, without knowing how
they work, but with a little knowledge you can add new features. A Torrent
RIP feature is a fragment of PostScript-language code which is executed just
before a job is run. The fragment specifies the changes to be made to the inter-
pretation of that job, but is completely independent of it.
5.20.1 Using features

Several page features are supplied with the RIP, ready for immediate use. To
use one of these features, select the Enable Feature check box and select a fea-
ture from the menu. Make any other settings you wish and save the page
setup. The feature is applied to all jobs using that page setup until you clear
the check box.
Many of the features enable you to save media by packing pages on large
format devices, or to get more information about jobs and any errors arising
from jobs. In addition, one feature (Image replacement) enables substitution
of high resolution images for PostScript-language jobs, using Open Prepress
Interface (OPI) and Desktop Colour Separation (DCS) schemes.
The page features currently supplied and supported are:
2 across This imposes two pages side by side on the film. By

default no space is left between the pages—the
OptimalGutter value below may be edited to change
this effect.
2 up This imposes two pages one above the other on the

film. By default no space is left between the pages—the
OptimalGutter value below may be edited to change
this effect.

Bounding Box This will read BoundingBox and PageBoundingBox com-

ments in PostScript files interpreted through the RIP
and will use the page size and origin position set in
these comments as long as no page size has already
been explicitly set by the job. This is useful for process-
ing EPS files which should not explicitly set page sizes,
but which may have an origin at some distance from
the lower left corner of the image.
Crop Marks This will add crop marks and gray wedges to a page
output through the RIP. If the page is monochrome, reg-
ister marks, crop marks, file name, time & date of pro-
cessing and a single gray wedge will be added.
If the page is a composite page being auto-separated by
the RIP, register marks, crop marks, file name, time &
date will be added, along with a step-wedge for each of
CMYK, and a set of progressive patches for ink-trap-
ping and neutral density tests.
If the job is preseparated, the RIP will also detect the
colour of each plate and add the appropriate marks.
If the page is being auto-separated and also includes
spot separations, crop and register marks will be added
to each spot separation plate, and a note of the plate
name included.
Error Handler (Long and Short)

Error messages generated by the RIP are generally
fairly concise. These page features make the RIP gener-
ate longer and shorter (but longer than normal) error
messages.
Fill Film This puts as many pages of a multi-page job onto the
output media as will fit. The size of the input pages is
determined by the setpagedevice or setpageparams
call, or the first BoundingBox or PageBoundingBox com-
ments if there is no setpagedevice, and as Letter if

5.20 Features
there is no indication at all. The output page size is

taken as it stands on entry, typically from the page
setup.
Image Replacement
This will load both OPI and DCS image replacement
code.
List Spot ColoursThis lists to the system monitor / console the names of
all the spot colours accessible in the current job. Also
loads the level 1 separator so all level 1 spot colours are
also displayed.
Print info on error

Use this to add additional information related to
PostScript errors to the output, and to image the page
interpreted so far.
Print page on error

Use this file as a page feature (or a boot option in
HqnOEM) to print partial pages when a PostScript error
other than interrupt or timeout occurs.
Note: Each page feature is a simple text file and contains a similar description,
sometimes with more detail, as a comment.
5.20.2 Adding other features

The Enable Feature list provides a number of commonly useful features, but
there are other supplied examples that you can add to the list and a
PostScript-language programmer can create many more. One of the supplied
examples (Draft) prints the word Draft on each page. Another one (Pack
Drum) saves film by packing images on a drum recorder in the way that Fill
Film does on a sheet-fed device and Pack Capstan does on a capstan recorder.
Finally, PGB hot folder enables you to resubmit page buffers to the version of
the RIP that produced them.

Note: All page features in the Examples folder are supplied as an illustration
of what is possible with the Torrent RIP. The page features are believed to
work as described but they are not supported as a part of the Torrent RIP. Page
features that appear in the Enable Feature list are supported but are docu-
mented only in the PostScript-language files.
A feature appears in the Enable Feature list only if there is a corresponding
PostScript-language file in the Page Features folder in the SW folder where
you have installed the RIP. The name of the feature in the dialog box is the
same as the file name.
All the other supplied examples are files in an Examples folder in the
Page Features folder. There is also a file called Read Me that describes the
example features and how to create others. To make an example feature avail-
able, copy the file from Examples into the enclosing Page Features folder and
display the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
Similarly, to remove a feature, move it from the Page Features folder into the
Examples folder.
You can add other, new, features by creating appropriate PostScript-language

files and placing them in the Page Features folder.
5.21 Cassette management

If you are using the media management facilities to keep track of the amount
of media you have left in your output devices, or if you are using media opti-
mization, you must specify the cassette which is to be used with the page
setup. Do this using the Cassette menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
Note that if you change the Device, you have to choose a cassette name from
the Cassette list, unless media management is disabled for that device.
See Chapter 9, “Media Management”, for more details.
5.22 Page Setup Options

The Page Setup Options dialog box, shown in Figure 5.16, provides several
options that affect the way the RIP processes jobs. Display this dialog box by
clicking the Options button in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.

Several options provide compatibility with jobs using PostScript

LanguageLevel 2 or LanguageLevel 1. Other options deal with more general
fault conditions or are convenience features. (Click the Extras button in this
dialog box to see options specific to job-creating applications: see Section 5.23
on page 157 for details.) This section describes each option in the dialog box.
Figure 5.16 Page Setup Options dialog box
5.22.1 PostScript Language compatibility level

This option allows you to choose the level of PostScript-language compatibil-
ity for jobs submitted to this page setup. You can choose PostScript
LanguageLevel 1, 2, or 3.
By default, this option is set to 3, because most jobs run correctly and this set-
ting allows the RIP to use the maximum number of PostScript-language fea-
tures and Torrent RIP extensions. The result is often faster operation or
increased output quality.
You may need to set the value to 1 or 2 for a small number of older jobs to run
correctly. For example: if you set this option to 2, the RIP interprets jobs using
the Level 2 PostScript-language conventions, together with any non-conflict-
ing Torrent extensions. This means that level 2 jobs run in exactly the expected
environment. Well-constructed level 3 jobs also run but are likely to operate
more slowly if they use features better supported in LanguageLevel 3.

5.22.2 Run prep at start of job

Prep files are libraries of PostScript-language routines that can be downloaded
into a RIP and used whenever necessary. Many LaserWriter drivers require
certain libraries to be loaded before they can be used. See “Automatic prep
loading” on page 222, for details.
If the box for this option is selected, and a prep file chosen from the menu, the
chosen prep file is run at the start of every job that is interpreted with the rele-
vant page setup.
By default, this option is not selected.
5.22.3 Remove colour operators

This option also provides compatibility. There are two cases where you should
consider using it.
• One case occurs because of a bug in LaserWriter Driver 6.0. If you are
using this driver and get a PostScript-language error, especially if the
sending application is Freehand (formerly from Aldus, now
Macromedia), then select this option and output the job again.
• Some applications use PostScript Level 1 extended colour operators
incorrectly, producing incorrect (for example, blank) output. If you
select this option, the RIP uses basic colour operators instead, and
output appears correctly.
Note: This option is available only when the PostScript Language compatibility
level option is set to 1. Colour operators are always available in PostScript
LanguageLevel 2 and 3.
5.22.4 Fast patterns

This option enables Level 1 PostScript patterns defined as halftone screens to
be processed more quickly, but at a lower resolution than normal. You should
not use this option if you require high quality images, since the option makes
the output of any user defined patterns have a more grainy texture than
normal at resolutions above 300 dpi.

5.22.5 Emulate old imagemask behavior

This option is used to overcome a now rarely seen bug in a previous version of
the Adobe interpreter. The effects of this bug may still be present in some
older files of PostScript-language code.
By selecting the Emulate old imagemask behavior check box, you can print these
old jobs correctly.
Consider the case where a page of PostScript-

language code contains a negative image
mask. If the page is itself printed in negative,
the image mask appears normal, as illus-
trated on the left.
In older jobs, negative image masks are still

printed in negative, producing the error illus-
trated on the left. This is because the
PostScript-language code in the job is
attempting to rectify a bug that is no longer
present.
5.22.6 Add showpage at end of job if necessary

Certain PostScript-language file formats, such as EPS, EPSF, or EPSI (all forms
of encapsulated PostScript), do not necessarily include a showpage operator at
the end of the job. To print these files directly from a RIP, a showpage may need
to be added. If this option is selected, the RIP automatically appends a
showpage to jobs when necessary.
Note: If a job containing a PostScript-language error is aborted, any partially

complete page is processed and output.

5.22.7 Abort if calibration on, and the selected cal set does not match job
If you require job calibration, select this option to prevent the RIP printing jobs
with an inappropriate calibration set. The calibration set is specified in the
page setup. See Chapter 11, “Calibration” for details.
5.22.8 Abort the job if any fonts are missing

Select this option to ensure that a job is aborted if any font it uses is not avail-
able. If you leave this option unselected, the RIP attempts to use a suitable
replacement for any missing font.
You are able to specify Default fonts in the SW/Config/FontSubstitution file.
See “Font substitution” on page 336 for more details.
Note: For PDF jobs, the RIP ignores the setting of this option.
5.22.9 Preserve monochrome and preseparated jobs

Select this option only if it is important to emulate the behavior of a traditional
separating workflow when a monochrome or preseparated job is submitted to
the RIP using a page setup that is intended for automatic separation of com-
posite colour jobs.
This option helps you avoid the extra non-useful, sometimes blank, separa-
tions that can be produced when a monochrome or preseparated job is acci-
dentally submitted using a page setup that is intended for automatic
separation of composite colour jobs.
Selecting this option ensures that the RIP generates correctly labeled separa-
tions. Select this option to make monochrome jobs produce a single black sep-
aration, and to make preseparated colour jobs produce correctly labeled
separations. (Even though correctly labeled, the separations may also be
blank.)
Note: You can avoid blank separations by selecting Not Blank in the Print
column of the Edit Style dialog box, as described in Section 12.7.1 on page 409.
That option is slightly different because if it is used alone on preseparated jobs

5.23 Page Setup Option Extras
in a separating workflow then the resultant separation may have the wrong
label: for example, a preseparated job for CMYK may produce only four K
(black) separations. It can be useful to use both options together.
5.22.10 Number of copies to print

This text box contains the number of copies of a job that are to be printed. You
can type a new value into the box to specify a particular number of copies.
By default, this option is set to 1 (one).

The Page Setup Option Extras dialog box, shown in Figure 5.17, enables you
to alter the way the RIP processes jobs produced by specific applications. The
topics include colour management, font substitution, and vignettes in spot
colours.
Note: The treatment of embedded colour management and spot colour
vignettes is the same whether the job submitted to the RIP is: a file produced
directly by the named application; or a file produced by a page make-up
application and referencing or containing a file from the named application.
There are differences in what is possible with different file formats from some
applications, as noted for each option: typically, an EPS file is handled better
than a PostScript-language file printed directly from the named application.

Display this dialog box by clicking the Extras button in the Page Setup
Options dialog box. This section describes each option in the dialog box.
Figure 5.17 Page Setup Option Extras dialog box
5.23.1 Adobe Photoshop features

These options control handling of features found in jobs from Adobe Pho-
toshop.
Note: The Honor ‘PostScript Colour Management’ check box has been
removed. The option is now called Override colour management in job and
is part of the Input Document Controls within the Colour Setup Manager.
To make fullest use of jobs containing device-independent colour defini-
tions, enable a colour option in the Configure RIP Extras dialog box.
Separate spot colour duotones, tritones & quadtones to spot colour plates
This option enables the interception of Photoshop duo-
tones, tritones, and quadtones when encountered in

EPS files. Select this box if you want to separate spot

colour duotones, tritones, and quadtones to spot colour
separations.
For this option to take effect, select a RIP separations
style that creates separations and that enables the rele-
vant spot colour separations. The separations style
must either specify a separation for each spot colour or
have (Other colours in job) set to Yes. See
Section 12.7.1, “Producing separations” on page 409 for
details.
Note: This option is available only when the PostScript
Language compatibility level option is set to 3. It is only
relevant for Photoshop versions 2.5 through 4; Pho-
toshop version 5 does this automatically if imaged in
LanguageLevel 3.
For more information see Section 1.3.3.2, “Duotones,
tritones, and quadtones”
By default, this option is selected.
Note: Photoshop images saved to EPS always include the input profile from
Photoshop, which a job may not want to actually have applied when colour
managing.
5.23.2 Adobe Illustrator features

These options control handling of features found in jobs from Adobe
Illustrator.
Don’t let files silently substitute Courier for missing fonts

Illustrator 7 checks for font availability and replaces
any unavailable fonts with Courier. This means that

changing the default font or selecting the Abort the job if

any fonts are missing option in the RIP would have no
effect.
If you select this option, the RIP ignores the font substi-
tution in the Illustrator PostScript-language code. You
can then change the default font or select the Abort the
job if any fonts are missing option. This options applies
to both PostScript and EPS files from Illustrator.
Separate spot colour vignettes to the spot colour plate

For both Illustrator 6 and 7 files: if you select this option,
the RIP places the spot colour vignettes on the appro-
priate spot colour separations, if available.
There are limitations: all vignettes appear in process
separations when the job submitted to the RIP is a
PostScript file printed directly from Illustrator; and
vignettes from a spot colour to a process colour appear
in process separations even when the job is in EPS for-
mat.
For this option to take effect, select a RIP separations
style that creates separations and that enables the rele-
vant spot colour separations. The separations style
must either specify a separation for each spot colour or
have (Other colours in job) set to Yes. See
Section 12.7.1 on page 409 for details.
For Illustrator 6 files: if you do not select this option, the
RIP honors the information in the job and places spot
colour vignettes on the process colour separations
rather than the spot colour separations.
For Illustrator 7 files: if you do not select this option, the
result depends on the separations style and on the
information in the job.
If the separations style generates a separation for a par-
ticular spot colour, the RIP places a vignette in that spot

colour on the spot colour separation.

However, if (Other colours in job) is set to Yes the
RIP will generate a separation for a spot colour if it
encounters a flat tint in that colour, but not if it encoun-
ters a vignette in that colour. Once the spot colour sepa-
ration exists, the RIP will add a vignette in that colour
to the separation. If the spot colour separation does not
already exist, the RIP places the spot colour vignette on
the process colour separations.
Language compatibility level option is set to 3.
5.23.3 QuarkXPress features

This option controls handling of features found in jobs from QuarkXPress.

The PostScript-language code generated by
QuarkXPress places spot colour vignettes on the pro-
cess colour separations rather than the spot colour sep-
arations.
If you select this option, the RIP places the spot colour
vignettes on the appropriate spot colour separations, if
available. (This option applies fully to PostScript files
printed from QuarkXPress.) For this option to take
effect, select a RIP separations style that creates separa-
tions and that enables the relevant spot colour separa-
tions. The separations style must either specify a
separation for each spot colour or have (Other colours
in job) set to Yes. See Section 12.7.1 for details.

Act on XPress page comments when recombining...

Select this option if you wish to recombine presepa-
rated jobs submitted directly from QuarkXPress, where
there may be missing separations. When you select this
option, the RIP is able to recombine QuarkXPress jobs
by analyzing comments in the job. For example, the RIP
can detect which separations to recombine into a page
when given a sequence of separations such as MYKC-
MYK…
Leave this option unselected if you are processing jobs
that do not come directly from a file created by
QuarkXPress, for example after being assembled in an
imposition package after output from QuarkXPress.
Replace XPress graduated fills with smooth shading

Select this check box to replace graduated fills pro-
duced by QuarkXPress with LanguageLevel 3 smooth
shading (shaded fills). Shaded fills generally produce
better visual quality and may be faster to generate. You
can use this selection if you are using the TrapPro trap-
ping option. This is because TrapPro can handle shaded
fills.
5.23.4 Macromedia FreeHand features

This option controls handling of features found in jobs from Macromedia
FreeHand.

The PostScript-language code generated by FreeHand
places spot colour vignettes on the process colour sepa-
rations rather than the spot colour separations. If you

5.24 PDF Options
select this option, the RIP places the spot colour

vignettes on the appropriate spot colour separations, if
available.
There is one limitation: all vignettes appear in process
colour separations when the job submitted to the RIP is
a PostScript file printed directly from FreeHand. Use
the EPS file format to enable this option to work cor-
rectly.
For this option to take effect, select a separations style
that creates separations and that enables the relevant
spot colour separations. The separations style must
either specify a separation for each spot colour or have
(Other colours in job) set to Yes. See Section 12.7.1
on page 409 for details.
5.24 PDF Options

This button displays the PDF Options dialog box, in which you can set the
options for printing PDF files. Using these options you can, for example, print
a range of pages rather than the whole file or specify which versions of PDF
file to accept. You can also supply a user password, to enable the RIP to print
password-encrypted files.
See Section 8.14, “Printing PDF files” on page 275 for details.
5.25 Calibration
The Torrent RIP can apply one or more calibration sets to a job. If you are
printing to a direct output device, the page setup can include a calibration for
the output device and a tone curve calibration.

If you are preparing a job for a printing press, the page setup can include an
imagesetter calibration, a tone curve calibration, and calibrations for the
intended and actual presses. If the page setup uses an ColourPro colour setup,
the intended press calibration is disabled.
Calibration sets are created for a particular device and colour space. You can
only select a calibration set for the currently selected device and colour space.
The choice of separations style determines the colour space. Note that, while
an imagesetter is not a multi-colour device, you can create a calibration curve
for each colour in the separations style, to take account of the different screen
angles likely to be used for the colours.
To create or edit a calibration set, click the Calibration Manager button, which is
the icon button in the Calibration & Dot Gain section of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. See Chapter 11, “Calibration”, for more information.
5.25.1 Device calibration

The Calibration menu contains a list of all calibration sets for the currently
selected device and colour space. Select (None) for no device calibration.
Typically, you select a calibration set that has been prepared for the resolution,
screen frequency, dot shape, positive/negative setting, and exposure of the
page setup that you are editing. The dot shape and screening details are set in
the separations style.
Some output plugins—for example, ProofReady plugins—are supplied with
reference calibration profiles, typically named in this form: (Media_name Res-
olution), where Media_name and Resolution represent values suitable for
the output device. These profiles appear in the list of calibration sets and you
can use these profiles in the same way as any other calibration set. The addi-
tional feature of these profiles is that selecting a reference calibration profile,
or a calibration set that you have based upon one, is enough to apply a default
colour management setup provided that you have enabled an colour manage-
ment option. See the manual for the relevant output plugin or the Torrent
ColourPro User’s Guide for details.

5.25 Calibration
5.25.2 Press calibration

The Actual Press menu contains a list of all calibration sets created for the
Printing Press device in the current colour space. Select (None) for no press
calibration. There is default entry supplied for (SWOP (CGATS TR001)), and
there may be others.
Note: Some of the press calibration sets may be derived from profiles when
you are using ColourPro. See the Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for details. You
can add other entries, as described in Chapter 11, “Calibration”.
5.25.3 Use of a different printing press

If you are not using ColourPro, you can retarget a job from its intended print-
ing press to another printing press, using the Intended Press option.
This is a complex topic in the general case, discussed more fully with reference
to calibration in “Press calibration” on page 364.
In summary, the overall effect of press calibration in the output path is to first
apply any primary calibration (for example, as required for an imagesetter), to
remove compensation for the gain of the Intended Press, and then to compen-
sate for the gain of the Actual Press.
The Intended Press calibration is not available when ColourPro is enabled.
Instead, several options are provided for processing colour data ahead of the
transfer to press: these options include emulating the output of one press on
another type of press. For details, see the separate Torrent ColourPro User’s
Guide. The calibration set specified in Actual Press is always used.
The Intended Press menu contains a list of all calibration sets created for the
Printing Press device in the current colour space. If you have a scanned
image that was not aimed at a specific press, select (None) for no intended
press calibration. There is a default entry supplied for (SWOP (CGATS TR001)),
and there may be others.
Note: Some of the press calibration sets may be derived from profiles when
you are using ColourPro. See the Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for details. You
can add other entries, as described in Chapter 11, “Calibration”.

5.25.4 Tone curves

Tone Curves allow you to make another set of colour adjustments, in addition
to the device calibration and the press calibration. The Tone Curves menu con-
tains a list of all calibration sets created for the Tone Curves device in the cur-
rent colour space. Select None for no tone curves calibration.
5.26 Other page setup options

Accelerate The Accelerate button displays a dialog box to control
the optional Harpoon PCI screening accelerator—this
function is not available in Torrent.

6
6Screening
This chapter describes halftone screening in monochrome and colour work,

and the different types of screening offered by the RIP. You use the screening
options in the RIP in combination with the options that control colour separa-
tions, to create a combined colour separations style.
The RIP does not restrict the concept of colour separation to producing sepa-
rated output. When processing any job, the RIP creates a separation for each
process colourant and also, where appropriate, for spot colourants. The
output format determines whether the separations are printed together as a
composite, or separated. By configuring these separations you can control the
printing of individual colourants in the job. Although there is only one separa-
tion in the monochrome colour space, the RIP provides the same options for
configuring that separation.
Separations information is saved together with screening information in a
separations style, which can be used in several page setups. You can keep a
number of separations styles that you use regularly, for example to define dif-
ferent screening options.

6 Screening
6.1 Managing separations styles

Separations styles are created and managed in the Separations Manager, as
shown in Figure 6.1. You can open the Separations Manager by clicking the
Separations Manager icon button next to the Style menu in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box, or by choosing the Colour > Separations Manager command.
6.2 Separations Manager dialog box
Figure 6.1 Separations Manager dialog box
The Separations Manager displays a list of all existing separations styles for
the current device, showing the name of each separations style, the corre-
sponding colour space, and the output format.
From the Separations Manager you can create separations styles, and edit,
copy, or delete existing separations styles. This chapter describes how to set
the screening options for an existing separations style. For details about creat-
ing separations styles, see Chapter 12, “Colour Separation”.
Select a separations style from the list and click Edit. The Edit Style dialog box
appears. If the output format of the separations style supports screening, the
Edit Style dialog box contains screening options, as shown in Figure 6.2. For
example, if you choose a separation style with an output format of halftone
separations, the Edit Style dialog box contains screening options.
The screening options do not appear if the output plugin for the selected
output device does not support screening. This usually means that the output
device supports continuous tone (contone) output or that the device accepts

6.3 Edit Style dialog box
contone data and performs its own screening. For devices that can be config-
ured to support either contone or screened output, the screening options in
the Edit Style dialog box do not appear when you select a contone separations
style, unless you are using external screening.
Some proofing output plugins list two entries (for Device in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box) for each model of printer that the plugin supports. One
entry is for a device that uses the screening options in the RIP, which appear in
the Edit Style dialog box for that device. The second device performs its own
screening, such as error diffusion screening (EDS), and does not have screen-
ing options in the Edit Style dialog box.

The Edit Style dialog box (shown in Figure 6.2) appears when you select a sep-
arations style and click Edit in the Separations Manager.
Figure 6.2 Edit Style dialog box with screening options

6 Screening
The screening options in the Edit Style dialog box include some familiar to
anyone who has used screening and some that are specific to the Torrent RIP.
• Section 6.4, “Halftoning”, is a quick introduction to concepts if you are
unfamiliar with screening and halftoning.
• Section 6.5, “Screen angles”, on page 177, Section 6.6, “Dot shapes”, on
page 179, and Section 6.7, “Halftone frequency”, explain how to use
three basic screening functions.
• Section 6.8, “Screening options and number of gray levels” on page 184
describes an area where the Torrent RIP technology provides some
unconventional and valuable functionality.
The remaining sections in this chapter describe more subtle controls and some
optional features of the Torrent RIP.
6.4 Halftoning
Halftoning is the process of approximating gray levels or colour shades with a
pattern of dots. In many halftoning systems, the dots can have only one colour
value but can vary in size to alter the ratio of dot colour to background colour.
The simplest use of this technique is approximating gray levels with a pattern
of black dots against a white background, as illustrated in Figure 6.3.
Here, the size of the dots varies to represent different shades of gray. You see
an area of small dots as a light gray, while an area of larger dots (each nearly
filling its allowed space in the pattern of dots) is seen as dark gray. More
strictly, it is not the size of the dots but the resultant ratio of black area to white
area that represents the gray value.

6.4 Halftoning
Figure 6.3 An example of halftoning
Colour shades are approximated with three patterns of dots, each in a primary
colour—cyan, magenta, and yellow—used with or without a fourth pattern of
black dots. (This description of halftoning assumes three patterns—in fact, the
fourth pattern of black dots is almost always used, for technical reasons that
do not affect the principles of halftoning.)
Within each colour separation, the size of the dots (in relation to their back-
ground) is proportional to the amount of the primary colour in the composite
shade. When the separations are combined, typically by overprinting in regis-
tration, they create the illusion of shades of colour. The cyan, magenta, and
yellow dots cannot be distinguished when viewed from a distance—instead,
the pattern of colour dots appears to be an area of a shade of colour.
6.4.1 Dots, halftone cells, and screens

The dots that this section has discussed are the visible part of halftoning and
most halftoning can be described in terms of patterns of these dots. The
industry-standard terms used to describe the organization of these dots into
manageable structures are halftone cells and screens.

6 Screening
Each dot is considered to occupy a halftone cell. (Figure 6.4 shows two groups
of four halftone cells.) Every halftone cell is used to represent a gray level or
colour intensity. A dot can have any area in the range 0% of the area of the
halftone cell (a completely white cell) through 100% of the area of the halftone
cell (a completely black cell). Dots of intermediate areas create the illusion of
gray levels. The number of pixels in the halftone cell defines how many inter-
mediate areas of dot are possible and, in most systems, this defines the
number of reproducible grays.
Cell spacing
(related to screen
frequency)
Figure 6.4 Halftone cells, screen frequency, and dot shapes
A screen is an invisible grid that is superimposed on the image—each square

in the grid is a halftone cell. For a particular dot shape, the important charac-
teristics of a screen are its spatial resolution, referred to as screen frequency, and
the screen angle (as shown in Figure 6.5).
Screen frequency
is the number of halftone cells per inch or centimeter.
The corresponding units are lines per inch (lpi), lines
per centimeter (lpcm), or lines per millimeter (lpmm).
For example, a screen frequency of 100 lpi means half-
tone cells spaced every hundredth of an inch.
Screen angle is the angle between one side of the halftone cell and an
axis on the output device (not a fixed axis on the page):
the reference axis is usually the direction of the slow
scan. The screen angle becomes important when you
are combining the separate patterns of dots used for

6.4 Halftoning
colour reproduction. The most important consideration

is the angular separation of the different screens, not
their absolute angles relative to the device axes.
Note: For most screens, you can use the box Rotate
screens according to page rotation in the Edit Style
dialog box to maintain screen angles relative to the
page axes. This may help you diagnose the cause of
problems with patterning in the output.
°
0
Screen angle
×° ×°
90 270
×°
180
Figure 6.5 Halftone cells and screen angle
6.4.2 Dot shape

The choice of the shape of each dot that is generated in a halftoned image is
essential to the quality of the eventual image. Figure 6.4 shows circular and
elliptical dots, but dots can have other shapes and need not even form a con-
nected shape within the halftone cell. Indeed, there are screens where the
black pixels are distributed (dispersed) around the halftone cell without being
joined into one dot. The way in which pixels are produced physically makes it
difficult to manage dispersed pixels, though Harlequin Dispersed Screening
(HDS) exploits this effectively to produce a less prominent pattern in the
output.
There are two common ways of producing dot shapes: spot function screens
and threshold screens. Both kinds of halftone work by telling the RIP which
pixel within a screen cell to mark next to obtain the next darker gray level.

6 Screening
The Torrent RIP supports all the screen types defined by The PostScript Lan-
®
guage Reference Manual (2nd Ed) and the non-proprietary types added in The
PostScript® Language Reference (3rd Edition). This means support for
HalftoneType values of 1 through 6, 10, and 16.
6.4.3 Spot function screens

Spot functions describe the dot shape using a mathematical function which,
given the position of a pixel within a halftone cell, produces a number which
says where in the sequence of pixels that pixel should be marked. This tech-
nique is very flexible, because it allows a single function to define a halftone
cell at any size or angle.
In the Torrent RIP the common dot shapes are provided by spot function
screens. This means that all the screening options in the Edit Style dialog box
are available, including the benefits of using Harlequin Precision Screening
(HPS).
6.4.4 Threshold screens

As an alternative to a spot function screen, a threshold screen describes a half-
tone to the Torrent RIP by providing the order in which to mark pixels explic-
itly in a table. The table has as many entries as there are pixels in the halftone
cell.
A consequence of this is that a threshold screen is always defined in terms of a
fixed cell size in pixels, whereas a spot function can be applied to arbitrary
sizes of screen dot. This means that the screen cell for a spot function will
occupy more pixels, but the same physical area on the output, if either the res-
olution is increased or the frequency (number of halftone cells per device
independent unit distance) decreased, but a threshold screen will get physi-
cally smaller and its frequency increase if the resolution is increased.
A further consequence is that HPS and other techniques which vary the actual
pixels of a screen cell cannot be applied to threshold screens. On the other
hand, threshold screens can be controlled very precisely, pixel for pixel, and
are therefore suitable for describing Frequency Modulated (FM) screens if the
cell is large enough. While threshold screens can be used to describe conven-
tional “clumped” dots, they are less flexible because of their resolution depen-

6.4 Halftoning
dence and absence of rotation to a specified angle (at least in their simplest
form). Neither kind of screen is suitable for describing non-tessellating screen-
ing techniques, such as error diffusion.
The PostScript language offers several variations on threshold screens, which
allow greater or lesser control over the sizes of the tables involved and the tes-
sellation of the tiles (equivalent to the “angle”) in a spot function.
There are no threshold screens in the standard set supplied with the RIP but it
is possible to use threshold screens embedded in a job, or installed in the RIP
by HighWater.
6.4.4.1 Using threshold screens

In the Edit Style dialog box, when you have selected a threshold screen in the
Dot shape list and Override dot shape in job is selected, the following options
are not available:
• Frequency
• Override frequency in job
• Angles (for all process and spot colours)
• Override angles in job
• Use Harlequin Precision Screening
• Rotate screens according to page rotation
Note: If you clear the Override dot shape in job check box, these options are
enabled, so that you can override some parameters of spot function screens
supplied in the job.
For more details of these options, see Section 6.5 through Section 6.7, and
Section 6.10.

6 Screening
6.4.5 Halftone options

The Torrent RIP provides a number of options to control halftone generation.
Using them appropriately can improve the quality of your image, depending
on the output device, media, and resolution used. You can also override any
screening parameters that might be specified within the page description
itself.
These are the three main features that are affected by the halftone strategy you
choose:
• The shape of the dots created. See Section 6.6, “Dot shapes”, for the
relevant controls.
• The frequency and angle of the dot pattern created. See Section 6.7,
“Halftone frequency”, on page 183, for the relevant controls.
• The accuracy of the screens generated. There is no general way of con-
trolling accuracy. One way of getting good accuracy is to use Harlequin
Precision Screening (HPS), described in Section 6.10, “Harlequin Preci-
sion Screening”, on page 191.
6.4.6 Dot gain

When a halftone image is printed, the ink used to create each dot tends to flow
outwards as it is absorbed by the paper. This phenomenon is known as dot
gain. Similarly, dots printed on a laser printer tend to spread outward when
the toner is bonded to the paper. As a result, any printed dot tends to be larger
than the calculated dot size.
Dot gain can affect the quality of printed images. For example, if there is a sig-
nificant amount of dot gain, images tend to appear too dark. For more details,
see Chapter 11, “Calibration”.
6.4.7 Suggested background reading

If you do not have a reasonable grounding in halftoning systems then you
may find the following books helpful. This is by no means an exhaustive list
and you can probably find alternatives in a good book store or technical
library.

6.5 Screen angles
Real World Scanning and Halftones (David Blatner & Steve Roth, Pub: Peachpit
Press, Inc., ISBN: 1-56609-093-8)
If you ignore the fact that the authors are very insistent that the
PostScript language can only produce 256 gray levels, then this is an
excellent introductory text for PostScript halftoning.
PostScript™ Screening: Adobe Accurate Screens (Peter Fink, Pub: Adobe Press,
ISBN: 0–672–48544–3)
A very good introduction to digital halftoning, which then continues
into discussion of process work and advanced screening techniques.
Some of the book is specific to Adobe Accurate Screens™, but many of
the concepts are common to HPS as well. This book also has an interest-
ing section on factors affecting device calibration and other causes of
poor film and press output.
An Introduction to Digital Colour Prepress (AGFA Corporation)
This booklet was produced to sell Agfa imagesetters, but many of the
ideas discussed are common to all digital halftoning systems.
Electronic Colour Separation (Dr. R.K. Molla, Pub: R.K. Printing and Publishing,
ISBN: 0–9620453–0–6)
This book refers to analog colour scanners and does not discuss digital
halftoning. The example scanning systems are somewhat dated, but the
halftone concept has not changed since the book was written.
6.5 Screen angles

The Torrent RIP offers you complete control of screen angles for both process
and spot colours. There are a number of reasons for choosing screen angles
carefully:
• A long-established reason for choosing the screening angles (and fre-
quencies) of colour separations has been to pick a set of values that min-
imize inaccuracies in the screens and consequent moiré patterning when
they are superimposed.
This reason is becoming less important as the accuracy of screen genera-
tion increases. For example, the RIP includes Harlequin Precision

6 Screening
Screening (HPS), a technology that provides more accurate screening

and reduces moiré without unduly limiting the choice of screen angle
and frequency. See “Harlequin Precision Screening” on page 191 for
details.
• You may wish to override a set of angles requested in a job. This is espe-
cially useful if the job has requested a set of angles that optimize the
output quality for a particular output device, such as a laser printer, but
that may diminish the quality on other devices, such as an imagesetter.
• You may want consistency: for example, on all pages of a single publica-
tion when the jobs come from different sources. Enforcing settings in the
RIP is the simplest way of getting such consistency.
A good choice of angles for general use with colour separations in offset litho
work is a set in which the colours are separated by 30°, for example: 15°, 75°,
0°, and 45° respectively for CMYK (and related sets using these angles plus or
minus multiples of 90°). For use with elliptical dots, a separation of 60° is rec-
ommended, leading to angles of 15°, 75°, 0°, and 135° for CMYK.
Note: The angles shown in the Edit Style dialog box (shown in Figure 6.2,
page 169) always take effect for jobs that contain no screening requests. If the
job attempts to set screening, you must select the Override angles in job check
box if you want to use these values.
6.5.1 Changing angles for separations

The list of separations shows all colourants (including the standard process
colours and any spot colours) and their screen angles.
The boxes below the list of separations allow you to control the printing of
process colour separations, and change the screen angles.
Note: From the version 6.0 release of the Torrent RIP, ink types are decided
using the Ink Set Manager which is only available when one of the TrapPro
options are enabled. See the documentation supplied with TrapPro for more
information.
If the chosen output format supports additional colourants, you can also con-
trol the printing of spot colour separations. Any spot colour not explicitly
listed is controlled by the (Other colors in job) settings. With the default

6.6 Dot shapes
settings, if a job calls for spot colours not named in the list of separations, the
RIP converts those spot colours to the appropriate combination of process col-
ours.
To change the settings for a particular colourant, select the colourant from the
list and edit the values in the boxes below. To change the screen angle, type the
new value in the Angle text box. For details of the other options, see
Section 12.7, “Edit Style dialog box” on page 407.
Note: The Angle column and text box are both blank when the selected Dot
shape does not have a controllable angle. Typically, this is because the dot
shape belongs to a threshold screen (which does not have a conventional
angle) or because the screening is being done in an output plugin or hardware
device.
Each colourant has its own screening angle, which allows you to avoid moiré
problems when a job has several spot colours used in duotone combinations
with each other or with the standard process colours.
The angles shown in the Edit Style dialog box always take effect for jobs that
contain no screening requests. If the job attempts to set screening, you must
select the Override angles in job check box if you want to use the values shown
in this dialog box.
6.6 Dot shapes

Manipulating the dot shape generated can greatly influence the amount of dot
gain in an image.
The Torrent RIP offers a variety of dot shapes; your choice between them
might depend on the output device, resolution and media used, and the type
of image. Dot shapes are controlled from the Dot shape menu, which is one of
the screening options in the Edit Style dialog box.
Depending on the output device that you choose, you may see different
entries in the Dot shape list. Output plugins can modify the contents of this
list, either to add screens suitable for the output device or to remove the
names of inappropriate dot shapes.

6 Screening
Note: The PostScript language allows you to specify an arbitrary dot shape by
defining a spot function. This offers great flexibility but there are some possi-
ble problems as outlined in the The PostScript Language Reference Manual (2nd
®
Ed). One probable consequence of having a spot function defined in the

PostScript language is slower rendering of jobs using that spot function: it is
almost always preferable to use a dot shape provided by a RIP in place of one
implemented in the PostScript language. The RIP includes efficient implemen-
tations of many commonly used dot shapes to offer both speed and choice.
Jobs often specify their own dot shape. To force the RIP to use your chosen dot
shape instead, select the Override dot shape in job check box.
A Euclidean dot-shape strategy produces better saturated grays at gray values
above 50%, especially at finer (higher) screen frequencies. Euclidean strategies
increase the fill of halftone cells from the corners, instead of the centers, when
the gray value exceeds 50%. That is, when the gray value is less than 50%, the
dots are black, the background is white, and the dot size increases as the gray
value increases; when the gray value reaches 50%, the dots become white, the
background becomes black, and dot size decreases as the gray value increases.
6.6.1 Common dot shapes

Sections 6.6.1.1 through 6.6.1.4 describe a number of commonly used dot
shapes.
6.6.1.1 Round
This is a commonly used dot shape, but dot gain can be a problem in the
shadow areas, since the white diamond at the center of four adjoining circles
can easily become filled with black as the dot size grows. However, round
dots give a smooth appearance in the highlights and middle tones.
To use round dots, choose Round from the Dot shape menu.

6.6 Dot shapes
6.6.1.2 Round Euclidean

This dot shape reduces dot gain in the shadow areas and is good for general-
purpose use. (It is common in newspaper production, for example.) To use
round Euclidean dots, choose Euclidean from the Dot shape menu.
6.6.1.3 Elliptical Euclidean

This dot shape is used to avoid a fairly sharp transition at around 50% that can
occur with the round Euclidean dot shape with some imagesetters. To use it,
choose EllipticalP from the Dot shape menu. This is an excellent dot shape
for general use.
A variant of EllipticalP is Elliptical1.

Note: The CMYK screen angles used for all elliptical dot shapes must be 60
degrees apart, instead of the normal 30 degrees. This is because of the asym-
metry of the elliptical dot.
6.6.1.4 HDS, HMS, and HCS

Global Graphics has developed a number of special screening strategies to
provide better quality, control, and performance than standard forms of
screening. These are not supplied with the Torrent RIP by default, but may be
purchased separately. For details of Harlequin Dispersed Screening (HDS),
Harlequin Micro Screening (HMS) and Harlequin Chain Screening (HCS), see
Section 6.11 on page 200 describing the Harlequin Screening Library.

6 Screening
6.6.2 Other dot shapes

The dot shapes in this section are mostly used only for special effects or pur-
poses; for general purpose use, the shapes in “Common dot shapes” on page
180 tend to be better.
6.6.2.1 Elliptical
Elliptical dots generally produce a smoother transition than round dots,
because the ellipses initially intersect only along one axis, though this can pro-
duce a lined effect. To use an elliptical dot shape, choose Elliptical1,
Elliptical2, EllipticalQ1, or EllipticalQ2 from the Dot shape menu.
Note: As mentioned for Elliptical Euclidean, the screen angles used for all
elliptical dot shapes must be 60 degrees apart, instead of the normal 30
degrees. This is because of the asymmetry of the elliptical dot.
6.6.2.2 Square
Square dots are rarely used, except for particular effects. Images produced
with square dots tend to have dot gain problems, particularly in the shadow
areas. To use the square dot shape, choose Square2 from the Dot shape menu.

6.7 Halftone frequency
6.6.2.3 Square Euclidean

Another form of square dot shape. To use square Euclidean dots, choose
Square1 from the Dot shape menu.
6.6.2.4 Rhomboid
This dot shape is very similar to the square Euclidean shape, but generally
gives a somewhat smoother result. You should consider using it instead of the
square dot shape. To use this dot shape, choose Rhomboid from the Dot shape
menu.
6.6.2.5 Line
Line-shaped dots are generally used only to produce special effects, since
there tends to be a lot of dot gain. To use the line dot shape, choose Line or
Line90 from the Dot shape menu.
6.7 Halftone frequency

Another way to improve the quality of halftoning is to increase the halftone
frequency, the density with which the image is covered by halftone cells.
Increasing the frequency is rather like increasing the resolution of an image:
more dots are produced and each dot is smaller. However, the more you
increase the frequency, the fewer gray levels you can print. Section 6.8,
“Screening options and number of gray levels”, discusses how many gray

6 Screening
levels you can obtain and how many are required for various types of graphic
elements. See also Section 6.10.1, “Controlling extra grays in HPS”, on the
extra grays feature available when using Harlequin Precision Screening
(HPS).
6.7.1 Changing the halftone frequencies

In the Edit Style dialog box there is a list of halftone frequencies: one for each
device resolution, or for a range of resolutions. The list of available resolutions
depends on the chosen output device. The RIP uses the frequency that corre-
sponds to the resolution selected in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. The con-
trols below the list allow you to change the frequency for the selected row, and
to change the frequency and resolution units.
To change the halftone frequency for a particular resolution, or range of reso-
lutions, select the row in the list and type the desired frequency into the text
box below. You can change the units for the resolution to dots per inch (dpi),
dots per centimeter (dpcm), or dots per millimeter (dpmm). You can change
the units for the frequency to lines per inch (lpi), lines per centimeter (lpcm),
or lines per millimeter (lpmm).
Sometimes the job itself specifies a screen frequency to use when rendering. If
this is the case, the halftone frequency you specify in the Edit Style dialog box
is ignored. To force the RIP to use your screen frequency instead, select the
Override frequency in job check box. Always consider selecting this box if you
use HPS. (See Section 6.10, “Harlequin Precision Screening” on page 191.)
6.8 Screening options and number of gray levels

It is an occasional requirement to know, and possibly control, the number of
gray levels produced on a rendered page.
6.8.1 How many gray levels can you see?

Many studies have been published explaining just how many gray levels the
human eye can distinguish, or how many levels a printing press can produce
from halftones. The results vary from around a hundred to over a thousand
depending on defined viewing conditions and the exact definition of what
constitutes a distinguishable difference. The most worrying aspect of these

studies is that most of them are correct—under the circumstances in which

they were carried out, they determined the right result. The only thing to do at
this stage is to throw away such studies and build on observations of real-
world printing.
6.8.2 How many gray levels do you get?

Conventional screens can produce a maximum number of gray levels linked
to the resolution of the output device and the screening frequency.
If you do not enable extra grays you get as many gray levels as the number of
laser spots in a halftone cell (plus one for all spots off—that is, white). This
number is given by the expression:
resolution  2
 ----------------------------------------
 screen frequency + 1
Thus at 100 lines per inch (lpi) and 2540 dots per inch (dpi) you get 646 gray
levels …
2
 2540
------------ + 1 = 646
 100 
… but at 175 lpi and 1270 dpi you get only 53 gray levels:
2
 1270
------------ + 1 = 53
 175 
If you switch on Generate extra gray levels in the Edit Style dialog box then you
get as many gray levels as you define with the Limit number of distinct gray
levels menu. It is a feature of HPS that the number of levels can exceed the
maximum defined in this expression.
Some RIP screening options do not follow this expression:
• Harlequin Precision Screening (HPS) is able to produce more gray levels
than predicted by the conventional expression.
• HDS does not have a conventional frequency to apply in the expres-
sion—though it is possible to establish a rough correspondence between
each HDS setting and a conventional screen of a particular frequency at
a particular resolution.

6 Screening
6.8.3 How many gray levels do you need?

The number of grays you need depends on what you are trying to produce.
Some types of images with varying needs for number of gray levels are:
• Flat tints
• Contone scans
• Graduated tints and blends
Images vary within these categories, but the following discussion of each
category should show you the principles to apply in judging how many grays
are needed.
6.8.3.1 Flat tints

If you are using a few flat tints behind text or in a simple diagram then you
may not need more than a dozen gray levels. Do not enable extra grays in the
RIP solely to reproduce flat tints.
6.8.3.2 Contone scans

If you are using a small desktop flat-bed scanner that is producing contone
images for output then you are usually able to work with output producing as
few as 64 gray levels. A few scans may benefit from up to 128 gray levels—
and the distinction is usually as much to do with which desktop scanner you
are using as with the image content. In general, images with very gentle tonal
or colour graduations (for example: a cloudy, but not stormy, sky) need the
most gray levels, but even in these cases the best 6-bit (64 gray levels) scanner
can produce better output than many 8-bit (256 gray levels) competitors.
For scans made on a drum scanner or a high-quality flat-bed scanner, you can
usually obtain adequate output with this low number of gray levels, but the
quality of the output normally increases with up to 256 gray levels. Several
scanners are available which produce 10, 12, or even 16-bits-per-channel
image data, and it is possible that you can increase the output quality of these
images by allowing more gray levels on output—PostScript LanguageLevel 3
includes the facility for 12-bit-per-channel images to be output (4096 gray lev-
els), and this is supported in the Torrent RIP. The increased number of gray

levels from the scanner is intended more to allow input noise to be removed,
and to reduce the information loss inherent in tonal adjustment, than for pass-
ing on to the final output device.
Finally, any image manipulation software that produces some of its tonal
alteration effects by means of the PostScript-language operator settransfer
(or any similar mechanism) and which therefore ends up requesting a nonlin-
ear gray scale from the RIP may require an increased number of grays to
reflect these changes adequately. Although applications such as Adobe Pho-
toshop allow transfer functions to be saved in EPS files, they apparently
intend this for device linearization rather than for tone curve control.
Note: Adjusting tonal data in image manipulation software often benefits
from an original scan with as many levels of gray as possible to reduce quanti-
zation effects when changing brightness or contrast, but this does not directly
affect the number of gray levels that are required from the output device.
6.8.3.3 Graduated tints and blends

It is in these areas that the requirement for extra gray levels really shows. To
avoid confusion, the word vignettes is used here to cover both graduated tints
and blends.
The minimum number of gray levels required is 256, but some long vignettes,
or those over a relatively short range of tints, may require more. The rule of
thumb is that no single step in a vignette should be more than 0.03 inches
(0.75 mm) wide.
Thus a vignette from 20% to 70% tint that is 6 inches long requires at least 400
gray levels:
100 6
---------------------- × ---------- = 400
( 70 – 20 ) 0.03
This rule varies with the screen frequency that you are using, with the particu-
lar tint range (because steps are most obvious in dark graduations), with the
hardness of the dots produced by the output device and with the size of the
difference in gray levels between steps, but it serves very well as a basic start-

6 Screening
ing point. Because of the variation with the size of the difference in gray levels
between steps it is very unlikely that you should ever require more than 1024
gray levels, and in many instances 512 or 256 levels are sufficient.
®
If you are producing blends in applications such as Adobe Illustrator or
®
FreeHand (formerly from Aldus, now Macromedia) then you should make
sure that you create blends with enough steps—the RIP cannot add more
steps into the blend. You may also need to use switch on extra grays and use
Harlequin Precision Screening with its ability to exceed the conventional limit
of gray levels in order to display all the requested gray levels.
Graduated tints from many older applications do not produce more than 256
gray levels:
• Some applications always produce 256 grays for a 0 to 100% graduation.
®
Examples are FreeHand and QuarkXPress (version 3.11 and later)
when printing to a PostScript LanguageLevel 2 compatible device.
• Some always produce 256 gray levels in a single blend, even a short one
such as 10% to 30%. An example is QuarkXPress version 3.1.
• Some calculate the number of gray levels which the current resolution
and screen frequency could produce on a RIP that does not support
extra gray level functionality and use that. Examples are FreeHand and
QuarkXPress (version 3.11 and later) when printing to a PostScript
LanguageLevel 1 compatible device.
In the first two cases it may be worth switching on extra gray levels in the RIP
if you are using a low resolution or a fine (high frequency) screen. In the last
case you gain no benefit by switching on extra grays.
6.8.4 Gray level controls

There are two screening options in the Edit Style dialog box shown in
Figure 6.2, page 169, that affect the number of gray levels.
These options are applicable to any screen, especially HDS, to limit the
number of available gray levels. (For HPS only, the number of levels can also
be increased to more than the natural number of levels for the screen.)

Limit number of distinct gray levels

When you have selected the accompanying check box Generate extra gray
levels, described next, you can choose an entry from list to control the
number of gray levels that the RIP produces. There are several different
cases.
With this menu enabled:
• When using HPS, the RIP produces the exact number of gray levels
set here.
• When not using HPS, the RIP treats the value chosen here as an
absolute upper limit and uses the natural value of the screen or this
limit, whichever is lower.
This menu is disabled when Generate extra gray levels is not selected.
With this menu disabled out:
• When using HPS, the RIP produces the number of gray levels
required to attain the specified accuracy of screening, as set in the
HPS Options dialog box, shown in Figure 6.6, page 192.
• When not using HPS, the RIP produces the natural number of gray
levels for the screen. (For HDS, the natural number can be very large
and using HDS unlimited can have a performance penalty.)
Generate extra gray levels
There are two possible reasons for selecting this box:
• With all Torrent RIP screening options, it enables the use of the Limit
number of distinct gray levels to restrict the number of gray levels
produced on the output page.
• With HPS only, it enables the use of more screening levels than
needed to get the required accuracy of screen angle and frequency.
Generating a large number of screening levels can reduce undesired
patterning, even if the number of levels actually used is restricted by
the value chosen for Limit number of distinct gray levels. See
Section 6.10.1 on page 192 for the control of extra screening levels in
HPS.

6 Screening
6.9 Job settings and Torrent RIP settings

The details of how you can choose settings for dot shape, frequency, and angle
are given in, respectively, Section 6.6 on page 179, Section 6.7 on page 183, and
Section 6.5 on page 177. These sections also describe how to override any con-
flicting settings made in a job.
The following summary of what happens when the Torrent RIP processes a
job may be useful.
The RIP determines the screen or screens it will use for a job using the values
in the Edit Style dialog box, and the colour of the pages being processed:
• Monochrome jobs use the gray settings.
• The colour of pages in preseparated jobs is deduced by a variety of
means, as described in Section 6.12 on page 209.
Note: Some jobs which have preseparated spot colour pages do not con-
tain any information about the name of the spot colour they represent. In
these circumstances, the RIP uses the screening angle that corresponds
to the (Other colors in job) entry.
• Colours of pages are determined from settings in the Edit Style dialog
box.
When a job supplies any screens of its own (using the setscreen, setcolor-
screen, or sethalftone operators) then if the override check boxes in the Edit
Style dialog box are all cleared, the RIP uses the frequency, angle, and dot
shape of the supplied screen until the job provides another screen or cancels
any screens it has supplied.
However, if the Override frequency in job check box is selected in the Edit Style
dialog box the RIP continues to use the frequency given in the dialog box
instead of the one supplied by the job. Similarly, if Override dot shape in job is
selected, the RIP ignores the dot shape supplied by the job and uses the one
given in the dialog box instead, and if Override angles in job is selected, the RIP
ignores any angles given by the job in favor of those in the dialog box.
If all three boxes are selected, all screens given by the job are effectively
ignored.

6.10 Harlequin Precision Screening
If you are using HPS, the frequency and angle values are also subject to slight
adjustment to achieve accurate screening. See Section 6.10.2 on page 192 for
details of how to limit any adjustment.
Note: HDS screens do not have a conventional screening frequency or angle
and ignore the frequency and angle settings. HCS uses a fixed set of angles, so
it also ignores the angle setting.

When placing colour separations on top of one another, the angles and fre-
quencies at which those separations are produced should be calculated very
accurately so as to reduce moiré patterns. Historically, this required the use of
specially selected screens that minimize the patterning effect.
Harlequin Precision Screening (HPS) is a colour screening technology that
ensures high-quality reproduction with any screening option in the RIP
(defined using a spot function). You can enable HPS for a separations style by
selecting the Use Harlequin Precision Screening check box in the Edit Style
dialog box. Once enabled, HPS is a property of the page setup which uses this
separations style, and the RIP uses HPS for all pages printed with that page
setup.
HPS allows you to select any screen frequency and to use the usual CMYK
screen angles of 0°, 15°, 45°, and 75° (plus multiples of 90°). To reduce moiré
patterning, HPS uses an adaptive screening technique that can adjust each
halftone dot so that it is placed within one half pixel of its ideal location.
HPS also allows you to choose how rosettes are formed in the image, and to
generate extra gray levels, allowing the use of higher screen frequencies than
the resolution would normally allow.
The default HPS settings supplied with the RIP have been carefully chosen to
provide good output on most, if not all, output devices. We strongly recom-
mend that you test output using the default settings (in the HPS Options
dialog box) before adjusting anything at all. The information in Section 6.10.3,
“Possible problems with output” on page 196, is intended to help in adjusting
values if you think that it is necessary.

6 Screening
6.10.1 Controlling extra grays in HPS

The ability to generate extra gray levels is a very powerful feature of HPS. It
allows you to use more gray levels in your job than are normally available
with conventional screening. This has particular benefits in eliminating step-
ping in vignettes and avoiding posterizing.
“Gray level controls” on page 188 describes the use of the gray level controls
in the Edit Style dialog box, including the effect of switching on or off HPS.
There is one extra option within HPS.
The extra option, Limit screen levels, in the HPS Options dialog box allows you
to separate pattern-reduction adjustments from extra gray generation—set the
Limit screen levels value to a high value and Limit number of distinct gray levels,
in the Edit Style dialog box, to the number of gray levels that you actually
require. If you see patterning on individual films, try increasing the Limit
screen levels value: if you believe that there is a shortage of memory, then
reduce the value.
6.10.2 Using the HPS controls
Figure 6.6 Harlequin Precision Screening Options dialog box
Section 6.9 on page 190 describes how the RIP arrives at a set of screening
values for a job.

When using HPS, for each screen in a job, the RIP calculates the best set of
screen angles and frequencies to use for the set requested. The process starts
with the requested frequency—the frequency set in the job or, when Override
frequency in job is selected, the value in the Edit Style dialog box. The Edit
Style dialog box contains a list of halftone frequencies: one for each device res-
olution. The requested frequency is the one that corresponds to the resolution
selected in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
Some requested frequencies may require a lot of memory or make it difficult
to achieve the desired angle accuracy, while a nearby frequency does not have
these problems. If there is a problem with the requested frequency, the RIP can
select one of these nearby frequencies as the deviated frequency.
The Maximum frequency deviation specifies the greatest deviation from the
requested frequency that is allowed. The RIP selects the individual frequen-
cies for the Cyan, Magenta, and Black screens such that they are within the
specified Frequency accuracy away from the deviated frequency.
The angle is snapped to the nearest 7.5° if you select Snap angles to nearest 7.5
degrees.
The angles of the selected screen set are then within the specified angle accu-
racy of the requested angles.
The following subsections describe some individual options in more detail.
6.10.2.1 Zero degrees frequency adjustment

Once the RIP has calculated a screen set for the Cyan, Magenta, and Black
plates (as separations or composite channels within the RIP), it determines the
frequency of the Yellow plate using the value specified for Zero degrees fre-
quency adjustment. The identity of the Yellow angle is determined either from
the colour halftone dictionary supplied to the setscreen or sethalftone
PostScript-language operator, or is taken as the third entry in Optimize for
angle set.
The default value of 7% means that the frequency of the Yellow plate is 107%
(100% + 7%) of the deviated frequency used for Cyan, Magenta, and Black
plates.

6 Screening
A number of printers have discovered that increasing the frequency of the

Yellow plate can reduce the residual moiré that is inevitable when using four
process plates with halftoning systems. Values typically used are 5% to 11%
greater than the frequency of the other plates. The effect is very similar if the
frequency of the Yellow plate is reduced rather than increased, and that this
allows the more noticeable Cyan, Magenta, and Black plates to be imaged at a
higher frequency when the capability of the plate-maker/paper/ink/press
combination is the limiting factor on halftones.
Enter a negative number to reduce the frequency used for the Yellow plate.
6.10.2.2 Maximum frequency deviation

Increasing the value in the Maximum frequency deviation box gives the RIP
more freedom in finding an optimal screen set and can reduce patterning or
moiré, at the expense of possibly giving final output at a screen frequency fur-
ther from that originally requested. A value of between 5% and 10% is nor-
mally acceptable.
Increasing the Angle accuracy or Frequency accuracy settings (that is, increas-
ing allowable variations from the deviated frequency and angle) also gives the
RIP more freedom in selecting a screen, and may reduce patterning on indi-
vidual films, but this may also increase the likelihood of moiré effects between
plates. If you are using HPS to produce extra grays on mono or non-overlap-
ping spot colour work then you can safely increase these numbers and may
obtain slightly better output. If you are producing process separated work
then you should probably not change the default numbers.
If Abort job if accuracy not achieved is selected and it is not possible to deter-
mine a screening set within the angle accuracy or frequency accuracy
requested, then the RIP cancels the job currently being output.
6.10.2.3 Enable HPS 2.0

Select the Enable HPS 2.0 box to use features added to HPS. These features can
improve the quality of output when using the Generate extra gray levels option.
Flat tints and vignettes are smoother, particularly in highlights and shadows,
because the mottling effects which can be caused by generating the extra gray
levels are reduced. (Even without HPS 2.0, these effects are unlikely to be sig-

nificant until the ratio of resolution to screen frequency is less than 12: for
example, you might see mottling with a resolution of 1270 dpi and a screen
frequency of 150 lpi, where the ratio is about 8.5.)
6.10.2.4 Generate clear centered rosettes
Figure 6.7 Clear-centered and spot-centered rosettes
Generate clear centered rosettes is one of the few controls which you might
expect to change in the HPS Options dialog box. When colour separations are
combined, the dots form one of two rosette patterns as shown in Figure 6.7.
Clear-centered rosettes are less likely than spot-centered rosettes to show a
significant colour shift if separations are printed slightly out of register, but
the output produced is normally less saturated, lighter, and has a more notice-
able rosette structure. In general, output at high frequencies, or where the
output may be run on presses with poor registration, should use clear-cen-
tered rosettes, while output at low screen frequencies or on well registered
devices (including most colour printers) should use spot-centered rosettes.
If you find that you are not getting consistent clear-centered or spot-centered
rosettes across the full width of a page: try varying the requested frequency
slightly; or increase Maximum frequency deviation, to allow the RIP to find a
screen set with better angle and frequency accuracies.
6.10.2.5 Optimize for angle set

It is possible to reduce the amount of memory required by HPS if you can give
some guidance to the software about which screen angle sets are to be used in
PostScript-language jobs, in the Optimize for angle set text box. The default set
(15, 75, 0, 45) is used for most offset litho work, while settings are also pro-
vided for other screening systems.

6 Screening
To decide which entry you should use:

1. Convert all the screen angles your job uses to numbers in the range 0°
through 90°. Do this by repeatedly adding 90° to any values less than 0°
or subtracting 90° from any values of 90° or greater.
2. Compare the converted numbers with angles in the menu entries. There
are three possibilities:
• If you reach a set of values where all of the numbers are in a single
entry in the menu then use that entry.
• If the values do not match an entry exactly then select the closest
match.
• If there is no close match then select the default (15, 75, 0, 45).
6.10.3 Possible problems with output

There are two main kinds of problem to avoid with HPS output:
• Patterning on individual films.
• Patterning caused by the interaction of two or more films from sepa-
rated output (often called moiré).
In addition there are practical considerations. You usually want your output
to be produced as rapidly as possible, and you do not want to have to install
excessively large amounts of RAM in the computer running the RIP.
The following subsections describe how to address these problems.
6.10.3.1 Patterning on individual screens

This can be caused either by the hardware or the software. If you see stripes or
bands parallel to the output engine’s scan lines (across the film on a capstan
device, along it in a drum device), then try these cures:
• Rotate the page by 90 degrees.
• Select the check box Rotate screens according to page rotation in the Edit
Style dialog box. (This check box does not affect HDS.)
• Output the page again.

If the bands rotate with the page, the problem can probably be corrected by
adjusting settings in the RIP; if they do not, your hardware may be at fault.
If you are seeing patterning on individual films there are two techniques that
you can try which may help to reduce the effect:
• Increase the number of screen levels generated. In the HPS Options
dialog box, set a high number for Limit screen levels. The default value is
65536, which is the maximum value.
• Try slightly different screen frequencies—often a change of only a
couple of lines per inch can make a considerable difference to the
patterning.
6.10.3.2 Moiré between two or more films

Many people make the mistake of placing four process separated films on top
of each other on a light table, and being horrified by the moiré displayed. Moiré
is always visible if you view all four plates in this way. If you want a quick
assessment of the moiré on a final print job, view just the Cyan, Magenta, and
Black films. Adding the Yellow film as well can be useful in assessing varia-
tions in the marginal moiré added by the Yellow plate, but should not be
included in your standard viewing.
Eliminate two other sources of moiré before attempting to tune HPS:
• If you are using a dot shape which is not symmetrical when rotated in
90° steps (that is, virtually all dot shapes apart from square and round)
then all the screen angles used for cyan, magenta and black plates may
need to be 60° apart rather than the traditional 30° apart. Yellow should
then be at 30° from two of the screens. Suggested angles are 15°, 75°, 0°,
and 135° for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black respectively. Whether
you need to follow this suggestion or not depends on the content of the
image (because flat tints in certain colours show moiré most clearly) and
on how extreme the asymmetry of the dot shape is.
• Many older process separating applications (and newer ones using
PPDs, PDFs, and so on to optimize for older imagers) include individ-
ual screen frequencies and angles for the four process colours which are
designed to optimize output on older PostScript language compatible
RIPs that are not capable of producing halftone screens at accurate

6 Screening
angles and frequencies. Using these frequencies and angles means that
the output from the RIP with HPS is no better than without HPS, and
indeed may be far more prone to moiré.
The best route is to switch off such features in the sending application if
possible, or to set up a PPD (or other configuration file) which uses the
same screen frequency for all separations, and a standard set of angles:
for example, 0°, 15°, 45°, and 75°.
If modifying the input file is not possible then, in the HPS Options
dialog box, select Snap angles to nearest 7.5 degrees and, in the Edit Style
dialog box, select Override frequency in job. You cannot use this second
method if you want several different screen frequencies on a page: for
example, for special effects.
6.10.4 HPS and pattern screens

Some applications use the PostScript-language halftoning mechanism to pro-
duce patterns rather than halftones. However, devices which do not require
screens would then reproduce the pattern as a shade of gray. Some applica-
tions which do this produce poor PostScript-language files, in such a way that
they only produce the desired result at resolutions which are multiples of
75 dpi, presumably because they were designed for output at 300 dpi on a
laser printer and not for high-resolution imagesetters.
To avoid these problems, the RIP detects such screens and replaces them
either with a special screen which does not suffer from resolution problems, or
with an equivalent PostScript-language pattern, depending on whether the
output is halftone or continuous tone.
HPS does not alter these pattern screens in any way—angles, frequencies, and
dot shapes are left unchanged and no extra gray technology is used with
them.
6.10.5 Increasing HPS performance

The first time a RIP installation uses a particular HPS screen, the RIP must
generate it. This can take a few minutes. However, HPS screen sets are cached
to disk, which means that there is very little performance difference from
using HPS if the RIP has a large enough memory allocation (and apart from

the first time that a particular screen set is used, which is when the RIP builds
the disk cache). There may be some performance increase when using screen
caches generated during previous jobs.
The RIP caches screen sets with PostScript-defined spot functions as well as
those with recognized functions. These spot functions are not processed quite
as rapidly as the built-in functions the first time that they are used but when
previously cached screens are used there is no difference in performance
between built-in screen functions and spot functions supplied in PostScript.
High performance screening with HPS in the RIP requires a reasonably large
amount of RAM. As a guide, you should assume that extra memory in the
range 8 through 12 MB RAM is required to use HPS effectively.
If messages are produced in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window saying
that insufficient memory is available and that performance is being affected
then you should increase the amount of RAM available to the RIP to obtain
significant speed increases.
If you are not using extra grays then increasing the freedom of HPS to select
from a wider range of screen sets by increasing the Maximum frequency
deviation, Angle accuracy, or Frequency accuracy settings reduces the memory
requirement. If extra grays are switched on, you can also reduce memory
usage by using lower values for Limit number of distinct gray levels and Limit
screen levels.
Ensure that the Optimize for angle set value defined in the HPS Options dialog
box is correct for the angles that you are using. If the value is set incorrectly
then processing a job may require significantly more memory.
If you are imposing several separations onto one output film, the relative posi-
tions of the plates which do not use 0 and 45 degree angles (usually Cyan and
Magenta) can make significant differences to memory requirements and ren-
dering times. If at all possible, ensure that these two plates do not occur side
by side: that is, avoid the case where a single fast scan line on the final film can
pass through both a Cyan plate and a Magenta plate. If all four CMYK separa-
tions are to be produced on a single film then the best default configuration is
a two by two square with Cyan and Magenta in diagonally opposite corners,
because film rotation cannot then cause these plates to appear on the same
scan line.

6 Screening
6.11 Harlequin Screening Library

Several other screen sets can be supplied for use in the Torrent RIP. They com-
prise the Harlequin Screening Library (HSL).
The code to handle all of the screen sets is present in all shipped copies of the
RIP, but individual screen sets must be enabled using key numbers (pass-
words). Each password is tied to both a specific screening style and to the
serial number of the RIP for which the option is required. Please contact
HighWater for details of pricing on each screen set or bundle of sets (and other
options enabled by passwords).
Where the RIP itself is secured with a hardware security dongle the security
number of the dongle is used as the Torrent RIP serial number. Please note: the
number printed on the dongle itself and marked as serial number is the dongle
hardware serial number and not the same as the Torrent RIP serial number.
While the RIP is starting up, it reports the serial number and its checksum (a
check to reveal errors in copying the digits of the serial number) in the RIP
Monitor / Torrent RIP window. This example report is for a fictitious serial
number:
Serial number: 1234-56
6.11.1 Switching on HSL

You enter the passwords in a dialog box accessed from the Configure RIP
dialog box. Click Extras in the Configure RIP dialog box to display the
Configure RIP Extras dialog box.
There is one entry in the list within the Configure RIP Extras dialog box for
each of the HSL screen sets. (There is a second entry for HDS, titled HDS-
Light: this entry provides a limited use of HDS, restricted to lower resolution
output devices such as proofing printers.)
There may also be entries which refer to options in other areas of the RIP: for
example, ColourPro for the Torrent RIP colour management system. These
entries are described elsewhere in this manual: see Section 7.8 on page 220 for
a summary of other entries.

The word Yes after a name indicates that the screen set or option is enabled. To
enable a new set or option, select it in the list and click Add. In the Enable Fea-
ture dialog box that appears, enter the password supplied to you for that set,
then click on OK to return to the Configure RIP Extras dialog box and OK again
to return to the Configure RIP dialog box.
You can change a password already entered by selecting the appropriate entry
in the list on the Configure RIP Extras dialog box and clicking on Add.
Note: To disable a feature that you have already enabled with a valid pass-
word, enter a password of 0 (zero).
The RIP may reject a password when you type it into the Enable Feature
dialog box. The main reasons for rejection are:
• The password is wrong, probably because of incorrect transmission or a
typing mistake.
• The password is for the wrong option. For example, if you enter an
HDS password after selecting HCS then the password is not accepted.
The fact that the Enable Feature dialog box accepts a password does not neces-
sarily imply that the password is correct for that particular screen set on that
particular copy of the RIP. (Remember that the serial number of the Torrent
RIP is set by the dongle.) If you get errors when using an HSL screen, please
check that the entered password is correct.
6.11.2 Selecting an HSL screen set

Once enabled, each screen set adds one or more entries to the Dot shape menu
in the Edit Style dialog box. Select the entry for the screen you want to use.
Note: You can select a screen set in the Edit Style dialog box so long as the RIP
has accepted a non-zero password entered in the Password dialog box. All
attempts to use the screen will fail if the password entered is invalid for the
Torrent RIP serial number currently in use.

6 Screening
6.11.3 Harlequin Chain Screening (HCS)

Harlequin Chain Screening uses a long ratio elliptical dot. When used for pro-
cess colour separations the angles used are 60° apart, rather than the more
common 30° apart used for most offset litho work. This gives an overall trian-
gular pattern and produces a very fine rosette structure. The angles used are -
45°, 45°, -15°, and -75° for yellow, magenta, cyan, and black respectively.
When used at high frequencies, this screening set is extremely good at holding
detail in continuous tone areas (for example, scanned images), but can suffer
from worse object moiré than, for example, Euclidean dots if the subject of the
image contains fine patterns.
HCS is also very good at creating smooth, flat looking tints in process colour
work even at low screen rulings, although you must take care at the edges of
such tints, where patterns can occur unless the tints are bounded: for example,
edged with a black rule.
For HCS screens, the RIP uses the screen frequency entered into the Edit Style
dialog box, but ignores the entered angle. Instead, the RIP selects an angle
automatically based on the colour separation being processed, from the set (-
45°, 45°, -15°, and -75°).
We recommend that you turn on Harlequin Precision Screening while using
HCS—at higher frequencies, also use the extra grays functionality of HPS.
6.11.4 Harlequin Dispersed Screening (HDS)

Harlequin Dispersed Screening is the Torrent RIP Frequency Modulation (FM)
screening technology. The main advantages of using HDS are that it produces
no moiré, it has better definition than conventional screening, and registration
is less critical. HDS also has a visually pleasing screen structure and is gener-
ally more printable than other FM screens. Finally, it should be noted that
HDS is intended for use with a wide range of printing processes.

Instead of using a fixed shaped dot structure, HDS uses irregular clusters of
pixels to form an irregular HDS dot. The distribution of these dots or clusters
through the screen is what gives HDS its characteristics.
Five varieties of HDS are supplied with HSL, called HDS Super Fine, HDS
Fine, HDS Medium, HDS Coarse, and HDS Super Coarse. (There are also
closely related HDS screens for use with output devices supporting the alter-
native process colour systems discussed in Section 12.1.1 on page 391. For
example, you may see Hex HDS Super F as well as HDS Super F in the Dot
shape menu of the Edit Style dialog box.)
Warning: Do not use Hex HDS Super F or other screens whose names start
with Hex when your output device is operating in a conventional (CMYK or
RGB) output space. Several output plugins remove the names of inappropri-
ate dot shapes from the Dot shape list to help prevent mistaken choices.
These varieties differ in the size and distribution of the HDS dots (clusters)
used to create tints. The selection of which to use should be based on the phys-
ical characteristics of the imagesetter being used, together with details of the
plate making, press, ink, paper, and press environment.
In general, the higher the quality of the entire printing process the smaller the
HDS dot that can be used. The finer HDS screens are best used with high qual-
ity imagesetters capable of holding single laser spots. The coarser HDS screens
are best selected on presses which cannot hold very fine detail, such as high
speed web-offset presses. The physical size of the HDS dot created with each
of these options varies both with the imagesetter laser spot size, and with the
resolution at which it is driven. HDS Super Coarse (HDS Super C) is designed
to be suitable for use in newsprint applications on imagesetters at mid-range
resolutions, that is 1000 through 1600 dots per inch (dpi). HDS Super Fine (HDS
Super F) is designed for output devices where final copy is produced directly:
for example, laser or inkjet printers.

6 Screening
HDS Super Fine:
HDS Fine:
HDS Medium:
HDS Coarse:
HDS Super Coarse:
Below is a table with the spot sizes in microns for the different HDS models
and different output resolutions for 20% HDS screen.
Imagesetter/platesetter 1016 1200 1800 2400 3600

resolutions dpi
HDS Super Fine 1x1 pixel 25 21 14 11 7
HDS Fine 2x1 pixels 35 30 20 15 10
HDS Medium 2x2 pixels 50 42 28 21 14
HDS Coarse 2x3 pixels 61 51 34 26 17
HDS Super Coarse 4x4 pixels 100 84 56 42 28
Table 6.1 Spot sizes in microns of a 20% HDS screen

Both the frequency and the angle supplied in the Edit Style dialog box are
ignored when using HDS screens, except for calibration.
As with any high definition screening technology, accurate calibration is
important for good quality output using HDS, and it may be necessary to
create several calibration sets for use with different presses or different paper
stocks on a given press. In most circumstances however, a single calibration
set is sufficient and you should therefore specify a range of frequencies likely
to cover any line frequency which might be set in the screening dialog boxes
or requested by a PostScript-language job. The HDS screens are symmetric,
that is, you may use a single calibration set for both positive and negative
output.
Though HDS screens do not have the same lines per inch (lpi) characteristic as
conventional screening the following rough comparisons may be useful. If we
take the case of an imagesetter working at 1524 dpi with a relatively small dot
size (less than 20 µm), then HDS Coarse has a dot gain on film only slightly
higher than a conventional 150 lpi screen in the midtones, and holds up better
than the conventional screen in the highlights and the shadows. HDS
Medium has a similar correspondence to a 200 lpi screen at 1524 dpi. Finally,
HDS Fine has characteristics similar to a 300 lpi screen, and needs similar
careful handling to obtain good results. It should be noted that the lpi corre-
spondence changes more or less in proportion to changes in the imagesetter
resolution. For example, a rough correspondence to a 100 lpi screen is given
by HDS Coarse at 1016 dpi, though if the final press has high dot gain this still
has to be taken into account in the calibration.
As can be seen from the above comparison with conventional screening, many
people using HDS screens may become aware of the issues required to print
very fine detail on film for the first time. The following hints and suggestions
are useful when working with HDS screens, particularly HDS Fine, and also
apply to conventional and other screens at very high line frequencies. These
hints are not a definitive guide, but do provide a starting point for producing
good HDS output.
Consider every stage of the process, including:
• While scanning, choose an appropriate unsharp masking setting. You
may need to use unsharp masking settings different from those used for
conventionally screened output.

6 Screening
• When producing film positives, try using different laser spot sizes. We
have found that the best results are produced if a relatively small laser
spot size is used in conjunction with exposures sufficient to give solids
with densities in the range 3.5 through 4.0. However, this may not be
applicable to every imagesetter.
• When making plates and proofs, take great care to ensure that the film
is clean and dust free and make any other adjustments that help to
ensure intimate contact between the film and the proof or plate
medium. For example, increase the vacuum pump-down time from, say,
20 seconds to 60 seconds or more.
• When printing on a press with relatively high dot gain, consider com-
pensating for this gain. On such presses, particularly on web-offset, you
may have to make an adjustment for the higher dot gain in the high-
lights and midtones due to the finer detail in the screen. Various
schemes are possible and have been used for this; one approach is to
calibrate the screen for the press directly, but be aware that images are
normally scanned with a modest press compensation already in place
and take this into account.
HDS screens have no angle as such, but are rotationally isotropic (they have the
same characteristics in every direction). Even though the screen angle is
ignored, different patterns are used for each process separation. This does not
depend on the screen angle originally selected, but uses the automatic colour
separation detection, described in “Automatic detection of colour separa-
tions” on page 209.
The screen caches used by HDS mean that HDS output is produced at virtu-
ally identical rates to that using other screening systems within the RIP. The
caches are reasonably large, although not significantly greater than those used
for many combinations of screen frequency, resolution, and angle. Do not
select very large values for Limit screen levels in the HPS Options dialog box,
unless you have very large amounts of RAM available to your copy of the RIP.
Unlike HPS, HCS, or HMS, the screen caches used by HDS cannot be created
by the RIP if they are not present when a screen is selected. Each of the vari-
ants of HDS requires cache files to be installed into the Screens subfolder of
the SW folder. These are saved in folders named in the pattern HDS-<set>-gen,
where <set> is replaced by particular values. The <set> part of the name is a

for super fine, b for fine, c for medium, d for coarse, or e for super coarse.
Each folder has subfolders, named: A, Ai, B, Bi, C, D, Default, E, and F. These
folders allow for up to six independent output colourants, including light and
dark versions of two inks, and spot colours. For example, with a conventional
four-colour device, the mapping is that Cyan uses A, Magenta uses B, Yellow
uses C, and Black uses D. Installer applications supplied by HighWater Designs
for use with the RIP automatically install all appropriate cache files.
The RIP ignores the value set for Rotate screens according to page rotation (in
the Edit Style dialog box) when screening with HDS.
Compression of page buffers is less efficient with HDS than other screening
techniques. (It is a general rule of compression that increased randomness in
data reduces the amount by which it can be compressed.) You can expect com-
pressed page buffers to be larger when using HDS, and disk performance to
become marginally more important to total throughput. It is usually possible
to maintain or improve throughput with the same output quality, by exploit-
ing the ability to process jobs at lower resolution.
HDS screens cannot be used if the horizontal and vertical output resolutions
selected are not equal.
6.11.5 Harlequin Micro Screening (HMS)

Harlequin Micro Screening uses a Respi screen structure to allow greater high-
light gradation even at high screen rulings. It does this by using half the nom-
inal screen between 0% and 5% dot area and between 95% and 100% and the
nominal screen ruling between 20% and 80% dot area. Between 5% and 20%,
and between 80% and 95%, HMS goes through transition zones.
Two variants of HMS are included in HSL; one where the dot shapes in the
20% to 80% tints are very similar to the standard Euclidean dot shape, and one
where they closely resemble the standard Elliptical shape.

6 Screening
HMS Euclidean:
HMS Elliptical1:
If you have been limiting the screen frequencies that you use because you
cannot be certain of holding the small highlight and shadow dots with finer
screens then HMS should allow you to output at significantly higher frequen-
cies. However, it does not assist you if you need to limit your screen frequen-
cies because of press registration problems.
HMS may be used to extend the length of print runs in situations where this is
normally limited by drop-out increasing as the print run progresses.
HMS acts on both the screen frequency and angle as defined in the Edit Style
dialog box in the RIP.
Careful calibration can improve output quality when using HMS. The
Euclidean variant of HMS is symmetrical, but you should normally produce
separate calibration sets for positive and negative output of the Elliptical HMS
form.
6.11.6 Troubleshooting HSL

An undefinedresult error from setscreen, setcolorscreen, or sethalftone
is probably due to one of the following:
• An attempt has been made to use a screen set which has not been
enabled, or where the password entered for that screen set is incorrect
for the current security number. This can occur if an incorrect password
has been entered accidentally or if the dongle has been changed from
that for which the password was originally created.
Note: Selection of HSL screens in the Screening dialog box is enabled
when any nonzero number is entered in the Enable Feature dialog box
for that screen set—the ability to select a HSL screen does not necessarily

6.12 Automatic detection of colour separations
imply that the number entered is correct for use with the specific dongle
connected.
• An attempt has been made to use an HDS screen when HDS has been
correctly enabled, but one or more of the appropriate HDS screen caches
is not present.
6.12 Automatic detection of colour separations

There are several procedures in process separated work where the RIP must
know which colour is being interpreted:
• Using HCS and HDS correctly.
• Overriding screen angles.
• Recombining preseparated jobs.
• Warning of an attempt to separate a preseparated job.
Identifying the colour in auto-separated jobs is simple, but all versions of the
RIP supporting HSL are also capable of detecting which colour is being inter-
preted in preseparated PostScript from a very wide variety of applications.
While the detection methods used have a very high success rate they are not
guaranteed to function with all PostScript-language files generated by appli-
cations. See Section 12.7.2 on page 412 for details about the Recombine
preseparated jobs option.

6 Screening

7
7Configuring the RIP
Chapter 3 through Chapter 6 describe how you can use the Torrent RIP to con-
figure the appearance of any page of output sent to a printer or the screen.
This chapter shows how you can also configure the way in which the RIP
works, allowing you to get the best performance from the RIP working with
your particular computer, network, and output devices; together with system
software and any other applications running on the computer.
You have control over a variety of settings, including the following:
• The folders in which certain files are placed by the RIP.
• The page buffer mode that the RIP uses.
• The use of buffers in memory.
• Job timeouts.
• Memory allocation.
All of the options described here are available from the Configure RIP dialog
box or subsidiary dialog boxes.
You can also reset the RIP to its factory settings, as described in “Resetting the
Torrent RIP to default values” on page 225, or choose a different language to
be used in dialog boxes, menus, and messages, as described in “Choosing the
user interface language” on page 225.

7 Configuring the RIP
7.1 Configure RIP dialog box

The Configure RIP dialog box is displayed when you choose Configure RIP
from the Torrent RIP / File menu or type Ctrl+R / Command-R. (If there is an
Input Queue menu, you must stop the input queues before you can choose Con-
figure RIP: choose Stop Input Queue from the Input Queue menu.)
Figure 7.1 Configure RIP dialog box
Section 7.2 through Section 7.7 on page 219 describe the use of items in this
dialog box.
Section 7.8 on page 220 describes the use of the dialog box displayed when
you click the Extras button.
The Options button leads to another subsidiary dialog box: described in part of
Section 7.3 on page 214; and in Section 7.9 on page 222 through Section 7.12 on
page 224.
7.2 How the Torrent RIP controls files

You can configure the RIP so that certain files are always kept in particular
folders on your machine. You can specify the following:
• Workspace folder.
• Page buffer folder.

7.2 How the Torrent RIP controls files
7.2.1 Workspace folder

This folder is used as general disk workspace. If there is not enough RAM
available, the RIP will create temporary files in this folder to use as
workspace. This might occur if you are processing jobs that contain very large
images.
By default, the workspace folder is called WorkSpace, and is found in the SW
folder. You can specify another location for the workspace by clicking the
Change button in the Configure RIP dialog box and specifying a folder of your
choice.
The amount of disk space required for workspace will vary a lot from job to
job. It is worth remembering that jobs containing large images scanned at high
resolution will often produce very large workspace files, amounting even to
many megabytes. Simple jobs, however, may require none at all.
7.2.2 Page buffer folder

When the RIP buffers pages to disk, they are placed in the page buffer folder.
By default, this is called PageBuffers, and is found in the SW folder. If you
want to choose somewhere else, click the Change button in the Configure RIP
dialog box.
Pages are normally compressed when they are buffered to disk, so it is hard to
estimate how much space will be needed for the page buffer folder, because
compression ratios can vary.
When the RIP is in either of the single modes, any stored page buffer is
deleted once the page has been printed.
In one of the multiple modes, old pages can be kept if enough space is avail-
able. These pages can be deleted automatically as required, by selecting the
appropriate Delete option in the Output Controller. (See Chapter 4, “Torrent
RIP Output Methods”.)
Note: The choice you make for the Delete option is remembered between RIP
sessions, by recording it in the page buffer folder. Thus, the choice is lost if you
choose a new page buffer folder, but is found again if you return to using the
original folder.

The page buffer folder should be held on a local disk, rather than on a server.
In addition, if you are using an output device with a very high data rate, this
disk must be fast enough to keep up with the printer.
7.3 Control of page buffering modes

The options in the Configure RIP dialog box allow you to decide whether or
not pages will be buffered on disk, and if they are, whether they will be com-
pressed automatically.
Chapter 4, “Torrent RIP Output Methods”, gives full details of what happens
when you use the various page buffering modes. The following text tells you
how and why to choose a particular mode.
7.3.1 How to choose the page buffering mode

You can choose which mode to run the RIP in by selecting one of the items in
the Page buffering of the Configure RIP dialog box.
7.3.2 Using a printer that can stop / start

Some background information may help you understand this feature. Several
output devices supported by the RIP require a continuous high-speed flow of
data when they are imaging while others can stop and restart (stop / start)
when there is a pause in incoming data, with little or no effect on the pro-
duced image. In many of the printers supported by the Torrent RIP, stopping
has no bad effect and may pass unreported. However, in many imagesetters,
stopping can produce some visible difference in the produced image so these
imagesetters report to the RIP the fact that they have stopped / started.
Normally when outputting, if the printer reports a stop / start, the page will
not be output. However, when using Single, Multiple, or Multiple Parallel
mode, the RIP will always make page buffers on disk, and if your system is
configured with a sufficiently fast disk, the printer will never stop / start. If
the disk may not be fast enough, then you can set the Allow stop / start option
in the Configure RIP Options dialog box to allow the page to output.

7.3 Control of page buffering modes
When using Single (if required) mode, if the printer runs so fast that it catches
up with the data being supplied by the RIP, the RIP will create a page buffer
containing the data for the current page.The RIP will then reprint that page
before carrying on with the next page.
However, if your printer can stop / start, you have two options:
• Allow a page buffer to be created and output again. If the page buffer
still cannot be output fast enough to keep up with the printer, the job
will be aborted.
• Stop the printer until enough image has been processed, and then start
the printer again.
You can choose which of these should be done from the Configure RIP
Options dialog box, as shown in Figure 7.2. Display this dialog box by clicking
on the Options button on the main Configure RIP dialog box.
Figure 7.2 Configure RIP Options dialog box
• If you select the box labeled Allow stop / start, the second option will be
used. If the box is not selected, a page buffer will be created and the
page output again. By default, the box is not selected.
Even if your printer allows stop / starting, you may not necessarily want to
use this feature. Stopping and starting some printers will cause a degradation
in the image.

7.3.3 Compressing page buffers

The box labeled Compress page buffer in the Configure RIP dialog box controls
whether or not page buffers are compressed as they are created. By default,
page buffers will be compressed. The advantages of this are:
• It saves disk space—the compressed page buffers are smaller.
• It is likely to be fast—the computer running the RIP is likely to be able
to produce image data faster than the disk can receive it. Writing
smaller files to disk for compressed buffers will save time.
• It reduces the possibility of banding in printers that require a very high
data rate. Compressed page buffers allow the RIP to send data to the
printer more quickly and prevent banding in the output.
The data rate of a printer is the speed at which it accepts data for printing.
Many printers require a data rate in the range 1 through 2 MB per second. On
some platforms, this is only possible with compressed page buffers.
For some combinations of processor speed, disk capacity, and disk speed, you
may wish to limit the use of compression. You can do this using the Minimum
compression ratio option in the Configure RIP Options dialog box, as
described in Section 7.3.5.
There are very few cases where you will always want to use uncompressed
page buffers. If you do want this choice, clear the Compress page buffer box.
7.3.4 Band size for printing buffer

The Band size for printing buffer option in the Configure RIP Options dialog
box also has an effect on the performance of driving an output device. The
value specifies the size in kilobytes (KB) of the bands into which the RIP
divides a page for rendering, in the slow scan direction. Larger bands mean
the page is divided into fewer pieces. Changing the size will alter performance
characteristics.
Large pages (either in area or bits-per-pixel) mean that many fewer scan lines
can be accommodated in each band and this can slow down the system. On
the other hand, too many scan lines in a band means that each band takes
longer to process and could lead to stalling the output device.

7.4 Job timeout
The value you should enter depends on the configuration of your machine.
Typical values are 128 KB for black and white output, and more for output in
colour, perhaps 256 KB. Adjust these values according to experience with your
configuration.
7.3.5 Minimum compression ratio

This option in the Configure RIP Options dialog box has an effect only when
you have selected the check box Compress page buffer in the Configure RIP
dialog box. It allows you to limit the use of compression to cases where there
is a significant saving of disk space. For example: if the value you enter here is
60%, the RIP compresses only bands in page buffers that compress to a size
smaller than 60% of their uncompressed size.
The value you should enter depends on the details of your system and the rel-
ative importance you attach to minimizing disk usage or processing time.
Typically, useful values are in the range 50% through 100%. Enter a value of
100% to have all bands compressed. You may want to choose a much lower
figure where there is a large amount of fast-access storage and compression is
slow in comparison to disk access.
7.4 Job timeout

The job timeout allows you to control when the RIP will stop trying to process
a job. This is useful for various reasons:
• It can protect against infinite loops in PostScript-language code. If there
is an infinite loop in a job, it will never finish processing. Using a time-
out ensures that, after a set period of time, the RIP will stop processing
such jobs.
• By altering the timeouts available in the RIP, you can to some extent
prevent loss of productivity by timing out complex, but correct, jobs
before they consume too much machine time. (Subsequently, you can
rerun such jobs under operator control and supervision: for example,
with more resources temporarily devoted to the RIP.)

7.5 Threads and parallel processing

The Threads option in the Configure RIP dialog box is shown greyed-out in
Torrent. The symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) version of the RIP, which
requires the threads option, is not currently available as part of Torrent.
7.6 Network buffer size

This buffer lets the RIP read data from the input source before actually need-
ing to process it. Having this ability has two advantages:
• It increases throughput.
• The application that is sending the data to the RIP becomes free sooner.
7.6.1 Increasing throughput

With many jobs, there are large amounts of data to be read, often across slow
networks, so it is desirable to use any available time reading in the data, rather
than waiting for the RIP.
For example, when printing the Seybold Musicians test job (approximately
32 MB of PostScript-language code, in four separation pages of 8 MB), a net-
work buffer of 8 MB is desirable, since this means that while one separation is
being processed, the next one can already have been read in, ready for pro-
cessing when the previous one is finished. Without a network buffer, when
one page is finished, the RIP would have to wait for 8 MB to be read slowly
from the input before it could be processed.
7.6.2 Freeing the sending application

The network buffer also increases productivity in the workplace, by freeing
the applications sending jobs sooner. You will be able to work with the appli-
cation again as soon as the job has been read into the network buffer, even
though the RIP may only have processed a small portion of it.
For example, when printing the Seybold Musicians test job, your sending
application can be freed in about three minutes if a 32 MB network buffer is
used, even though the job might take 10 minutes to output overall. On smaller

7.7 Printer buffer size
jobs, such as the Seybold Trout test (approximately 200 KB of PostScript-

language code), it is possible to free your application in about 30 seconds,
even though the job will take up to five minutes to output overall.
To change the size of the network buffer, enter the number of KB you require
in the text box labeled Network buffer in the Configure RIP dialog box. It is
64 KB by default. If there is not enough memory for the requested network
buffer, its size will be reduced automatically.
7.7 Printer buffer size

The printer buffer is used to store processed raster data that is ready to be sent
to the printer.
When outputting, data is always placed in the printer buffer before being
copied out to the printer as required. In most cases, if the printer is not contin-
uously fed data, one of the following may happen:
• Banding (gaps) may appear in the output.
• Pages may be aborted (for example, in a laser printer).
• The printer may stop / start.
This is known as data underrun.
To avoid data underrun, the RIP must ensure that the printer buffer never
becomes empty. However at any given time, you cannot guarantee that the
RIP is sending data to the buffer—it may be processing the next page of data if
you are running in Multiple (Parallel) mode, or there may be other applica-
tions running that the RIP has to wait for. If the printer buffer empties and you
get data underrun, try making the printer buffer larger.
For example, assume you are sending output to a fast 900 KB/second printer,
while using another application at the same time, and that application does a
screen update that takes 3 seconds (during which time the RIP is locked out).
In that time, the printer could consume 3 × 900 = 2700 KB (2.7 MB) of data. To
prevent data underrun, you must ensure that you have a printer buffer at least
this big.

In practice, a printer buffer in the range 4 MB through 12 MB is usually ade-

quate. This total includes any buffering memory on interface cards or in the
output device, but if there is such memory it needs separate installation or
configuration. From the memory that the RIP controls, it allocates a minimum
of 1024 KB buffer space by default.
To find the best setting for your system, try starting with a 4 MB (4096 KB)
buffer, and if you have problems with data underrun, increase the buffer size
until the problem goes away. If this fails, you may need a faster disk or more
memory. The ability to roam large or multiple page buffers is related to the
printer buffer size; 4 MB is a good starting point for this use.
To change the size of the printer buffer, enter the number of kilobytes (KB) you
require in the text box labeled Printer buffer in the Configure RIP dialog box. If
there is not enough memory for the requested printer buffer, its size will be
reduced automatically.
The figure you enter is the minimum amount of memory that the RIP will use
for buffering output. Sometimes, especially in Single (if required) mode, the
RIP will use a much larger amount of memory.
Note: The amount of printer buffer memory needed varies according to job
and device resolution, output device speed, computer speed, disk speed, and
so on. Experiment with a larger buffer if necessary.
7.8 Extras
The Configure RIP Extras dialog box, available from the Configure RIP dialog
box, is used to switch on screening strategies and layered options by entering
passwords.
Note: There are other places where you may need to enter a password. Some
plugins require you to enter a password elsewhere; read the documentation
for the plugin carefully to find out where. Also, some language options for the
user interface can require you to enable the language before you can use it—
see Section 7.14 on page 225 for details.
See “Harlequin Screening Library” on page 200 for details of how to use the
screening options and how to obtain and enter passwords for all options
requiring passwords to be entered in the Configure RIP Extras dialog box.

7.8 Extras
The other entries in the list can include:

• ColorPro, to enable the colour management options within the Torrent
RIP. Torrent ColourPro is described in the separate Torrent ColourPro
User’s Guide.
• TrapPro and TrapProLite to enable the TrapPro trapping options
within the RIP. See the separate TrapPro User Manual for full details.
• PostScript and PDF, to enable PostScript-language and PDF input.
• TIFF/IT, to enable TIFF/IT-P1 input.

Note: There is an optional TIFF/IT-P1 output plugin. If this plugin is
present, it shows the entry: TIFF/IT-P1, TIFF/IT-P1. Be careful to
select the correct entry for input or output before entering a password.
• Media Saving to enable the Media saving facilities.
There may also be entries for plugins that require a password. These entries
can be the result of:
• Security dongles that require a password before allowing use of
plugins.
• Plugins that require a password for each device type that they provide.
• Multiple device plugins that require a password but group several
device types so that they can be enabled with a single password.
You should receive appropriate instructions and passwords when receiving
these plugins and security dongles.

7.9 Specifying prep files

Prep files are libraries of PostScript-language routines that can be downloaded
into a RIP and used whenever necessary. Many LaserWriter drivers require
certain libraries to be loaded before they can be used.
You can select the following options in the Configure RIP Options dialog box.
7.9.1 Automatic prep loading

This is a built-in mechanism that, if the option is selected, automatically loads
the correct prep file whenever it is needed. This can save a lot of time for
applications printing over networks, especially when these applications
require different prep files. For example, different prep files are used by differ-
ent LaserWriter drivers on different machines by different applications.
Automatic prep loading is selected by default.
7.9.2 Startup prep

If this box is selected, the prep file selected in the menu is pre-loaded when
you start up the RIP. Select the prep file that is used most often by the jobs sent
to the RIP.
You do not have to use this option if automatic prep loading is already
switched on, but it can be a useful option if a number of people on the net-
work are using the same LaserWriter driver. If the correct startup prep is
already loaded, it can save a few (2–5) seconds on each job.
You can use automatic prep loading at the same time as a startup prep.
7.10 Torrent RIP memory allocation

The options in the Configure RIP Options dialog box, shown in Figure 7.2,
page 215, allow you to specify the memory allocation for the RIP.
Mac Classic users: The RIP is allocated the amount of memory set in the
Info dialog box from the Finder, less the amount specified in the Mini-
mum memory left for system field. At present the default values are 24 MB
minimum and 27 MB preferred.

7.10 Torrent RIP memory allocation
Note: When using media saving features and outputting large high reso-
lution flats, you should allocate substantially more than the default
memory to the RIP. For information on media saving see “Media saving
option” on page 136.
By default, 5120 KB of system space will be reserved after the RIP has
started up.
All users except Mac Classic: If the Memory for RIP option is not selected,
the RIP is allocated all the available physical memory, less the amount
specified in the Minimum memory left for system field.
If you want to reduce the amount of memory allocated to the RIP, select
the Memory for RIP option and enter the value in the text box. The RIP is
allocated this amount of memory, less the amount specified in the Mini-
mum memory left for system field.
The Minimum memory left for system field lets you reduce the allocation
for the RIP so that memory is left for the operating system and any other
running applications. If this value is too small, the operating system will
start paging, which will degrade performance.
If a particular job is so large that it cannot all be fitted into memory at
once, the RIP starts to paint partial page buffers to disk. To try and avoid
this, you can allocate extra temporary memory for the RIP, using the
Memory reserve for RIP option. This option allows the RIP to use addi-
tional physical and virtual memory while completing the job.
Note: If you allocate a large amount of extra temporary memory, the
operating system may start paging. Paging would slow the system
down more than painting partial page buffers to disk. We recommend
that you allocate less than 4 MB of extra temporary memory.
There are some instances when the RIP cannot paint partial page buffers
to disk: for example, when recombining preseparated jobs or using Trap-
Pro. The RIP cannot complete the job if it does not have enough memory.
In such instances, select the Allow use of all available memory option. The
RIP will use all the available physical and virtual memory to try and
complete the job. Using all the memory may severely degrade perfor-
mance until the job has finished.

From the total memory allocated to it at startup, the RIP allocates the printer
and network buffers. All memory not used for these buffers is used by the RIP
for processing jobs.
The final allocations used are reported in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP
window when the RIP starts up.
If there is insufficient memory to allocate the buffers requested, the RIP tries
the following methods of automatic recovery, in the order shown:
• Reducing the network buffer to a minimum of 64 KB.
• Reducing the printer buffer to a minimum of 512 KB.
• OS X users only—Reducing the Minimum memory left for system to a
minimum of 512 KB.
If there is still not enough memory to give the RIP at least 4096 KB, the RIP
will display a warning and quit.
7.11 Minimum free disk space

The Torrent RIP allows you to ensure that it leaves free a minimum amount of
disk space, which is good practice and allows for use by other applications.
Specifying this reserved disk space is important for use with the two RIP
modes—Multiple and Multiple (Parallel)—that can produce multiple buffers,
where it ensures that the disk is not completely filled up with an unlimited
number of page buffers.
The default value of the Disk space left for system option is 5 MB. You may
want to increase it to reserve disk space for other applications running on the
same machine, such as spooling programs. A reasonable value should be near
the size of the largest files regularly created or copied on the relevant disk. Try
using 50 MB, if this size is difficult to predict.
7.12 Disable sounds

Select this box in the Configure RIP Options dialog box to suppress the system
beep normally generated when the RIP encounters an error.

7.13 Resetting the Torrent RIP to default values
7.13 Resetting the Torrent RIP to default values

Windows users: If you decide that you want to revert to the default
values that the RIP is supplied with, choose the Revert to Factory Settings
option in the Start menu.
If you did not add the RIP commands to the Windows Start menu when
you installed the RIP, open a command (DOS) window in the folder
holding the RIP application and type this:
C:\PATH>HIGHWI.EXE -RESET
Mac users: If you decide that you want to revert to the default values
that the RIP is supplied with, double-click the Torrent RIP icon while
holding down the Option key
A dialog box appears, asking if you wish to return to the factory defaults.
• Click Yes if you wish to reset any part of the current configuration.
• Click No if you wish to keep all of the current configuration. (the RIP
starts up normally.)
If you click Yes, the RIP displays several dialog boxes that allow you to reset
specific parts of the configuration, one after the other. For each dialog box,
click the Yes button to reset all the configuration information described in that
dialog box. Click No to keep that part of your configuration.
The RIP allows you to reset most parts of the configuration in this manner,
including page setups, RIP configuration, media management information,
and window positions.
After the last dialog box, the RIP starts up normally.
7.14 Choosing the user interface language

You are asked to make a choice of the language to be used in dialog boxes,
menus, and messages when you start up the RIP for the first time. Later, you
can check the exact language in use or change the language, for most combi-
nations of languages.

7.14.1 Requirements and limitations

There is no problem in changing language if both languages are chosen from
English and most Western European languages—technically described, those
languages that use encodings of the ISO-Latin character set. There is also little
risk in switching from ISO-Latin to a language that uses a two-byte character
encodings: for example, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified
Chinese. There is a higher risk of problems if you attempt to switch between
two languages that use different two-byte character encodings.
The operating system of your computer must support the language you wish
to use. You are also likely to require the RIP localization files and a password
from HighWater before you can change the language used by the RIP. If you
have to install any files, restart the operating system and the RIP before
proceeding.
7.14.2 Procedure
To check which languages are available or to switch to another available lan-
guage, choose the Torrent RIP / File > Language menu option. The Select User
Interface Language dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 7.3.
Figure 7.3 Select User Interface Language dialog box
The dialog box shows you which languages are available in a multi-column
list. A language is available for immediate use if the entries after its name or
code (in the Language column) are all Present or Yes.

7.14 Choosing the user interface language
The columns have these meanings:

• The Messages and Resources columns show if parts of the RIP localiza-
tion are present.
• The Locale / Script column shows if the operating system supports the
language.
• The Enabled column shows if the RIP localization is enabled, when the
entry is Yes; or disabled, when the entry is No.
Click Cancel if you do not wish to make a change.
You can supply a password to enable a language if the only thing making that
language unavailable is a No entry in the Enabled column. Select the row for
your chosen language and click Enable. In the password entry dialog box,
enter your password and click OK. You should now see that the language is
enabled. Check the password if the language is not enabled. (If you still have
problems, click Cancel to continue using your previous user interface lan-
guage while you obtain support from HighWater.)
To use an enabled language, select your chosen language and click OK. The
RIP displays a dialog box asking if you wish to confirm your choice and quit
the RIP. Click Yes if you are sure, and then click OK to dismiss the second con-
firmation dialog box.
When you restart the RIP, you should see that it is using your chosen user
interface language.
Note: You may still see a small number of options in lists or messages appear-
ing in English or another language. This is normal. For example, the Feature
and Calibration lists in the Edit Page setup dialog box display the names of
files, which remain unchanged as the user interface language changes. Simi-
larly, the Torrent / RIP Monitor window displays messages if they are pro-
duced directly by PostScript-language jobs and, if needed, some very rare and
technical error messages.


8
8Configuring Input
This chapter describes the different ways in which the Torrent RIP can accept
its input, and how to configure the RIP to use each type of input. Chapter 5,
“Configuring Output Formats”, describes the different ways in which you can
control output from the RIP, using page setups.
There are several ways of providing input to the Torrent RIP:
• Using one or more managed inputs, as described in Section 8.1, “Input
management”, and the following sections. This is the preferred method
for routine use because, in general, the managed inputs allow users on
many machines to submit jobs to the RIP.
• Using the Print File menu command, as described in Section 8.12 on
page 271. This command allows a user on the machine running the RIP
to print all of the job types possible on that installation of the RIP. You
can use Print File while managed inputs are active.
• Entering PostScript-language code interactively by typing at a prompt
on the machine, as described in Section 8.20 on page 298. You must dis-
able other inputs for the duration of your interactive sessions in order to
do this.

8 Configuring Input
When you use managed inputs or the Print File menu command, you can print
several types of job. The available types depend on the details of your installa-
tion of the RIP. Some types have associated settings in page setups, may
require enabling with passwords, or require other care in use. The possible
types, with references to full descriptions of their use, are:
• PostScript-language files (PS) and Encapsulated PostScript files (EPS),
both described in Section 8.13 on page 275.
• Portable Document Format (PDF) files, described in Section 8.14 on
page 275.
• JPEG and JFIF files, described in Section 8.15 on page 287.
• TIFF/IT-P1 files, described in Section 8.17 on page 288.
• TIFF 6.0 files, described in Section 8.18 on page 293.
• Torrent RIP page buffer files, described in Section 8.19 on page 296.
8.1 Input management

In the same way that Torrent uses output plugins to provide output sources, it
uses input plugins to provide input sources. Each input plugin may be used as
one of the following:
• Input to the RIP, for example, as a source of jobs. (When installed, these
plugins are obvious parts of the RIP: the description of these plugins
and their configuration forms the bulk of this chapter.)
• A PostScript device on which you can open a file and read or write from
a PostScript-language job. (This is not seen by the end user.)
• A filter to manipulate data. (This is not seen by the end user.)
• A source of asynchronous actions. (Most of these actions are small, spe-
cialized tasks and not directly related to output of a user job. For exam-
ple, one such action enables the RIP to provide a list of installed fonts
while busy with a job for output.)

8.1 Input management
There are a number of input plugins supplied with the RIP, each providing
users with the ability to submit jobs. Section 8.2 on page 232 describes the way
in which you can manage these plugins and the inputs they provide. The sup-
plied inputs are:
• (Except OS X users) AppleTalk. This lets the RIP accept input from any
AppleTalk network connected to the machine running the RIP.
• (Windows users) NT Print. This publishes the RIP as a printer available
to the Windows NT print services.
• (Windows users) NT Pipe. This provides a named pipe allowing high
speed communication with an application such as an Open Prepress
Interface (OPI) server.
• Spool Folder. This lets you specify multiple independent folders into
which users or applications can place jobs to be printed. The RIP checks
for the presence of files in these folders and prints each one automati-
cally.
• Socket plugin. This allows input to arrive over a network, which can
contain different types of computer, using a TCP/IP socket.
• Asynchronous socket plugin
This is similar to the socket plugin but is only suitable for a limited
number of jobs. Typically, these are small jobs performing control or
monitoring functions, rather than imaging.

8 Configuring Input
• Asynchronous socket quit plugin

This is similar to the asynchronous socket plugin but has the single pur-
pose of causing the RIP to quit. It does not receive any jobs.
• (Windows users) Serial port, on PCs and platforms running the UNIX
operating system. This supports the Adobe Serial Lines Protocol, and
lets you connect two machines by their serial lines, so that input can be
accepted by a RIP running on one of them.
Each of these plugins can be thought of as analogous to a multiple device
output plugin, except that they provide inputs, rather than outputs.
8.2 Managing input plugins

You control input plugins using the Input Controller. Before creating new
inputs or changing existing ones, check that you have an appropriate page
setup to associate with each input. (While creating page setups, you can keep
the Input Controller displayed, but not the subsidiary dialog boxes.)
Display the Input Controller dialog box by choosing the Torrent RIP / File >
Input Controller menu option, or clicking the tool bar button. Figure 8.1 shows
the Input Controller dialog box.
Figure 8.1 Input Controller window

The Input Controller is similar to the Device Manager, described in

Section 5.11, “Multiple device output plugins”. The main list shows the input
sources currently available. Each input source can be turned on or off individ-
ually using the buttons—the state is displayed in the Status column.
Each row in the list represents one particular source, and contains:
• The Name for the input source. This is used to identify the source within
the RIP. It may also be used by the input plugin itself.
• The Type of input. This determines which input plugin the RIP uses.
• The Page Setup. This is the page setup used by all jobs arriving through
this source.
• The Enabled state. This should be On to make the source available when
you start the RIP or start inputs.
• The Status. This can be Stopped, Idle, or Busy.
An input is stopped either because all inputs are stopped, because you
have disabled this input in the Input Controller (using Off), or because of
a problem when trying to start that input. An idle input is ready to
receive a job but none is arriving. A busy input is actually receiving a
job.
You can also choose to see the same information about items that are not con-
trollable from the Input Controller. The check box below the list gives you this
ability:
Show protected channels

Select this box if you wish to see, but not control, the
status of protected channels. This box is grayed out if
there are no protected channels.
Protected channels are channels that have been created
outside the Input Controller—possibly by executing
PostScript-language commands in configuration files
that the RIP used when starting up—and marked as
being outside routine user control. Typically, a pro-

8 Configuring Input
tected channel is not an input source for imaging jobs:

instead, it performs one of the other functions described
in “Input management” on page 230.
Below the list of sources are several buttons that allow you to perform the var-
ious actions described in sections 8.2.2 through 8.2.7.
When you have finished making changes in the Input Controller, you can
keep it visible as a way of monitoring which inputs are submitting jobs, or
close it using the Torrent RIP / File > Input Controller menu option or the tool bar
button.
8.2.1 Turning on the input system

To start receiving jobs from the configured and enabled inputs, choose Start
Inputs from the Torrent RIP / File menu, or type Ctrl+I / Command-I. When
you do this, there is a delay of a few seconds as the various defined input
sources are initialized, and then the RIP starts to accept jobs from those
sources.
The status area of the tool bar shows the searching for input symbol (a torch or
flashlight shining on an arrow).
A new menu appears in the menu bar, called Input Queue. This menu has these
options:
• Kill Current Job. This causes the job currently processing to be aborted. It
may take a few seconds.
• Stop Input Queue. This turns off the input system when the job currently
processing has finished.
• Abort Input Queue. This aborts the job currently processing and then
turns off the input system.
8.2.2 Adding a new input source to the list

You can create many different input sources for each input plugin. For exam-
ple, you could create 5 spool folder input sources and 10 socket (OS X users) /
AppleTalk input sources.

To add a new input source to the list:

1. Click the New button in the Input Controller. The RIP displays an Input
Channel Edit dialog box, similar to that shown in Figure 8.2, allowing
you to fill in the details for this source.
Figure 8.2 Input Channel Edit dialog box
2. Type a name for the plugin device in the Name text box.
The name is used to identify the source within the RIP. It may also be
used by the input plugin itself. Except for Mac OS X users, if you create
an AppleTalk input device, when you start inputs a printer of this name
becomes available on the AppleTalk network.
3. Choose the plugin type from the Type menu.
4. Choose a saved page setup from the Page Setup menu: the RIP applies
this page setup to each job arriving at the source.
5. If the plugin is to be initially turned on, select the Enabled check box.
6. Click the Configure button to display an input plugin Configuration
dialog box, allowing you to specify details relevant to the plugin you
have chosen.
The Configuration dialog box varies according to the type of plugin cho-
sen. It is used to give details about how the input is to be handled, and to
set up any hardware associated with the source. See Section 8.1 on
page 230 for a list of input types and page references to their configura-
tion and use.
7. When you have specified all the details for the new source, click OK.

8 Configuring Input
8.2.3 Copying an input plugin

When you have created an input plugin, you can copy it to create other inputs
of a similar type. This can save you some effort, depending on the complexity
of the Configuration dialog box.
To copy an existing input, select the entry in the Input Controller and click the
Copy button.
You must give the copied input a new name and you will probably need to
alter some details in the Configuration dialog box. For example, only one
active input can use a particular spool folder or network input at one time—
but you can have two or more inputs using the same source, provided that
you enable only one at a time.
8.2.4 Editing the details for an input source

To edit the details for an existing input source, do one of the following:
• Select the entry in the Input Controller and click the Edit button.
• Double-click the entry in the Input Controller.
The RIP displays an Input Channel Edit dialog box, allowing you to edit the
details for the selected plugin. For full details of using this dialog box, see
Section 8.2.2 on page 234.
8.2.5 Configuring an input plugin

Configuring an input means giving details about how the input is to be han-
dled, and setting up any hardware or software associated with the source.
To configure an existing input plugin, select it in the Input Controller and click
Edit. The RIP displays the Input Channel Edit dialog box. Click Configure to
see the Configuration dialog box for the selected input. See Section 8.1 on
page 230 for a list of input types and page references to their configuration
and use.

8.3 Using the AppleTalk input plugin (except Mac OS X users)
8.2.6 Deleting an input source

To delete an input source from the RIP, select it in the Input Controller and
click the Delete button. (You can select multiple inputs and delete them in one
action.)
8.2.7 Enabling and disabling input sources

To enable an input source, select it in the Input Controller and click the On but-
ton. To disable a source, select it and click the Off button. Using these buttons
has the same effect as selecting or clearing the Enabled check box in the rele-
vant Input Channel Edit dialog box.
When the selected input source is enabled then the On button is disabled, and
when it is not enabled then the Off button is disabled.
You can select several input sources and then turn them on or off together.
When an input plugin is enabled, the RIP automatically publishes it when
starting input queues, meaning that the input plugin can be used to send jobs
to the RIP.
To make enabled inputs active, choose Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs or click
the tool bar button that has a picture of a green arrow and traffic light. (See
Section 8.2.1, “Turning on the input system”.)
To stop all enabled inputs, choose Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs again or click
the tool bar button that has a picture of a red arrow and traffic light.
8.3 Using the AppleTalk input plugin (except Mac OS X users)

An AppleTalk input source publishes a name over the network. This name
appears in the Chooser on Macintosh computers connected to the network,
making the RIP available just like a LaserWriter. Other, non-Macintosh, com-
puters connected to the network and able to use AppleTalk can also use the
RIP as an AppleTalk printer. In complex networks, there may be a need for
extra actions before all computers can use a new printer.

8 Configuring Input
8.3.1 Configuring an AppleTalk input source (except Mac OS X users)

To configure an existing AppleTalk input source, select the source in the Input
Controller and click Edit. The RIP displays the Input Channel Edit dialog box.
Click the Configure button. The AppleTalk configuration dialog box appears,
as shown in Figure 8.3.
Figure 8.3 AppleTalk Configuration dialog box
Wait timeout This value sets the length of time, in minutes, that the
input source waits for data. If no data is sent for that
length of time and the RIP is waiting for data, the job is
aborted.
Abort on error This control sets the behavior of the input plugin on
detecting an error. By default, this box is selected,
which means that an error causes an immediate abort.
This is not the typical behavior of a PostScript-language
compatible interpreter but it may save considerable
time spent in transferring data which is merely flushed
(ignored) by the interpreter.
Clear this box if you encounter problems with network
software or wish to ensure full compatibility with other
PostScript-language compatible interpreters.
8.4 Using the NT Print input (Windows users only)

This input publishes the RIP as one or more printers available to the
Windows NT print services. Once fully installed and configured, each printer
has a name visible to Windows NT.

There are several stages to installation and configuration, which you must
carry out in this order:
• Installing the plugin.
• Configuring the RIP to make the input available.
• Configuring Windows NT to associate a printer with the RIP input.
Section 8.4.1 through Section 8.4.3 describe these stages in detail.
8.4.1 Installing the plugin

The NT Print plugin is supplied in the Ntprint folder at the same level as the
SW folder. The installation procedure places the plugin file in the SW\Inputs
folder and prepares Windows NT so that you can create a printer using the
plugin.
To install the plugin:
1. Exit all running applications. Run the file Setup.exe, found in the
Ntprint folder.
2. When the installation program asks you, choose the folder in which the
Torrent RIP is installed. (To help you identify it, remember that this
folder contains both the Ntprint and SW folders.)
3. Wait for the installation process to finish. Reboot the computer.
Now that the plugin is installed, you can create a Torrent RIP input.
8.4.2 Configuring an NT Print input (Windows users only)

To create and configure a new socket input:
1. Click New in the Input Controller. The RIP displays the Input Channel
Edit dialog box. Choose NT Input from the Type drop-down list. Give
the input a suitable name and select a page setup. Select the Enabled box.

8 Configuring Input
2. Click the Configure button. The NT Print Configuration dialog box

appears, as shown in Figure 8.4.
Figure 8.4 NT Print Configuration dialog box
The dialog box contains controls to allow for the situation where RIP
inputs have started up before the Windows NT spooler system—this is
possible on fast machines. The default is to accept failure, in which case
the printer will be unavailable without some user intervention. You can
make the RIP keep trying, within a time limit, by using the controls.
Enable
Select this box if you want the RIP to retry making a connection to the
Windows NT spooler after initially failing.
Retry delay
Enter the time, after the initial failure, for which you wish the RIP to con-
tinue retrying. A retry delay of 60 seconds is likely to be enough on all
machines. Too long a delay means delaying jobs on other inputs, so
reduce this figure if you have no problems.
Click OK to close the configuration window.
3. Click OK again to close the Input Channel Edit dialog box
4. Use Torrent RIP > Start Inputs to start inputs.
You now have a RIP channel that forms a port visible to the Windows NT
printer configuration software.
8.4.3 Creating a printer under Windows NT

You have two options. Either you can create a new printer to use the RIP chan-
nel, or you can connect an existing printer to the RIP channel. The procedures
are different for Windows NT version 4.0 and Windows NT version 3.51.

8.4.3.1 Windows NT version 4.0

To create a printer for Windows NT version 4.0:
1. Choose the menu option Start > Settings > Printers. In the Printers
window, open Add Printer.
2. Select My Computer and click Next.
3. Click Add Port.
4. In the Available Printer Ports list, select ScriptWorks and click New Port. A
list box appears, showing the names of all unconnected RIP channels.
Select one of these and click OK. Click Close to close the Printer Ports
window and click Next.
5. Configure the printer. To do this choose a manufacturer and printer
model from the lists or click Have Disk if you have a special driver for the
printer you wish to emulate with the RIP. If you do not have a special
driver, choose one for a PostScript-compatible printer that supports the
features you require.
6. Name the printer, and click Next. Choose whether or not to share the
printer, giving it a shared name if you do share it, and click Next.
7. Choose to print a test page and click Finish. Windows copies some con-
figuration files and prints the test page. You should see the RIP become
busy on the NT Input in the Input Controller.
To use the printer, see Section 8.4.4.
If you later want to reassign the printer to another port, do this:
1. Choose the menu option Start > Settings > Printers.
2. In the Printers window, select the printer, right-click and choose
Properties.
3. In the Properties window, click the Ports tab. Choose a new port by
selecting its box in the list of ports. Click OK to confirm the changes.
8.4.4 Using the printer from Windows NT

The new printer is now connected to the RIP. Any printer output sent to the
new printer will be routed to the RIP.

8 Configuring Input
The Windows NT spooler will remember the names of the printers between
reboots of the computer running the Torrent RIP. If an attempt is made to send
a file to a printer attached to a RIP channel that is not currently running, a
warning is displayed and the user is given the chance to retry the job. If you
start the RIP input channel before the user retries the job, the job will restart
successfully.
8.4.5 Printing from a DOS command prompt

You can send a single PostScript-language or PDF job direct to the RIP from a
DOS command prompt, provided that the RIP is the default printer.
Note: While this is a simple method of testing NT Print, we do not recom-
mend this method for routine use. There can be problems, for example, if you
attempt to copy multiple files or files of an inappropriate type. For PostScript-
language files, at least, there are free, shareware, and commercial utility pro-
grams that handle multiple files and provide other useful features such as
printing only selected pages.
1. Make the printer the default printer for your computer, using the appro-
priate method:
For Windows NT version 4, choose the menu option Start > Settings >
Printers. In the Printers window, select the required printer icon then
right-click to display the menu and choose Set As Default.
For Windows NT version 3.51, use the Print Manager to select the
required default printer.
2. From a DOS command window (on the computer running the RIP),
type:
copy file.ps \\.\SCRIPTWORKS
This command spools the file file.ps into the Windows NT printer system,
from where the job goes to the RIP input channel specified by the default
printer.

8.5 Using the NT Pipe input (Windows users only)
8.4.6 Troubleshooting NT Print

Jobs may fail to reach the RIP. Check that the relevant RIP input is running
and has the same name as used by the Windows NT printer system.
If a job reaches the RIP, it is likely to process successfully but you may see a
message similar to this, with <name> replaced by the name of the NT Print
input.
%%[Error: interrupt; OffendingCommand: n; File: %ip:<name>% ]%%
%%[Flushing: rest of job (to end of file) will be ignored ]%%
Job Not Completed: <name>
This can happen if you choose a driver for a printer that supports multiple
page description languages. For example, jobs sent to HP LaserJet printers
that support both PCL and PostScript languages can include problematic con-
trol statements at the start and end of the job. The simplest cure is to pick a
driver that produces only PostScript-language code when printing to the RIP
printers.
Prior to release of the NTPrint plugin v2.0r3, jobs received on an NT print
input were named by the input channel, and not the job. A page feature was
provided to overcome this. From the release of the NTPrint plugin v2.0r3
(shipped with version 6.0 Torrent RIP) the page feature is incorporated within
the NT input plugin and thus will use the name within the job.
The new version of the plugin will work with Torrent v6.0 and later RIPs.

A number of third party applications, most notably Open Prepress Interface
(OPI) servers, are able to communicate with PostScript-language compatible
RIPs running under Microsoft Windows NT using named pipes. A named pipe
is an interprocess communication method that allows two Windows NT
applications to exchange large amounts of data very efficiently.
Note: In a typical OPI workflow, high resolution images are stored on the OPI
server machine, are included into print jobs, and are transferred over the net-
work to output devices. This operation frees workstations from moving large
image files, but large files must still travel from the OPI server to the RIP.

8 Configuring Input
The NT Pipe input plugin for the RIP allows OPI servers or other applications
to supply data to the RIP via named pipes.
There are two possible cases:
• The RIP and a suitable application can share a single multiprocessor
machine, and use a named pipe to communicate. This allows the other
application to deliver jobs to the RIP at much faster speeds than it can
deliver jobs to a networked printer (provided by the Torrent RIP).
• With a single processor machine or an application that cannot share a
multiprocessor machine, the RIP and the other application must run on
separate Windows NT systems connected through a network. Even in
this case, using named pipes can deliver much better performance than
printing over an AppleTalk network.
8.5.1 Installing the plugin

To use the RIP named pipe support, you need a plugin file in the SW\Inputs
folder. The file name is different for different kinds of processor:
• For Intel 486 and Pentium processors, and compatible processors, the
plugin file is called ntpipe.i32.
• For Digital Alpha processors (now available from Compaq), the plugin
file is called ntpipe.axp.
Quit the RIP if it is running. If the plugin has been supplied with an installa-
tion program, use that and follow the instructions. If you have no installation
program, drag the appropriate plugin file into the SW\Inputs folder.
8.5.2 Creating an NT Pipe input

When you have an installed plugin file, start the RIP and follow this
procedure:
Edit dialog box. Choose NT Pipe from the Type drop-down list.

2. Give the input a suitable name and select a page setup. Select the
Enabled box.
Note: The name you choose forms the last part of a longer network
name for the pipe. We suggest that you choose a name that uses letters
and numerals only (a - z and 0 - 9) and that is a convenient length: do not
include punctuation, space characters, or the wildcard characters
( ? and * ).
3. For most applications, you can now click OK to close the Input Channel
Edit dialog box.
You can now read Section 8.5.4 on page 247 to see how to connect an applica-
tion to this pipe. If you have difficulty, or know that you need to change the
default configuration, read Section 8.5.3.
8.5.3 Configuring the named pipe

The Configuration dialog box allows you change another part of the name for
the pipe and to allow more than one connection to the same named pipe.
When configuring a front-end or server application to send data to the RIP
using named pipes you must enter the full name of the pipe. The format for
the name is:
\\<machine>\pipe\<pipe prefix>\<name>
To get an actual name, replace <machine> with the name of the computer run-
ning the RIP, replace <pipe prefix> with the name entered in the Named Pipe
Plugin dialog box, and replace <name> with the name you entered in the Input
Channel Edit dialog box.

8 Configuring Input
If the RIP is running on a Windows NT system named BRICK, and the channel
has been defined in the RIP with the name Fred, the pipe name would be:
\\BRICK\pipe\ScriptWorks\Channel\Fred
Figure 8.5 Named Pipe Plugin dialog box
Pipe Prefix If you wish to use a different scheme for pipe names
you can change the prefix by clicking on the Configure
button in the Input Channel Edit dialog box. The RIP
displays the Named Pipe Plugin dialog box.
For example, entering RIP in the Pipe Prefix field would
make the full pipe name:
\\BRICK\pipe\RIP\Fred
Pipe instances Windows NT allows a named pipe to have a number of

instances. This means that, for each pipe of a given
name, Windows NT will allow more than one client
(application) to open the pipe at any one time. The RIP
plugin can then service the clients in sequence, one at a
time.
Some clients, for example Colour Central from Imation
Publishing Software (formerly Luminous Technology),
always expect to be able to connect to a named pipe. For
this reason you should normally create at least two pipe

instances. This allows the client software to reconnect to

the pipe, in order to send the next job, while the RIP fin-
ishes processing the previous job.
If you wish to change the number of pipe instances
from the default value of two you can do so in the
Named Pipe Plugin configuration dialog box, as shown
in Figure 8.5 above.
8.5.4 Connecting an application to the Torrent RIP

Several applications include support for named pipe output. This is a general
discussion: refer to the manual for your application for details.
Once the RIP has been configured to accept named pipe input, you must con-
figure the other application to use a named pipe for communication with the
RIP.
Typically, you do this:
1. Add a new printer to which the application can send data.
2. Select named pipe as the method of communicating with the printer.
3. Identify the particular named pipe to use, giving a name that matches
one you have created in the RIP. The general form of the name is:
\\<machine>\pipe\<pipe prefix>\<name>
For example, when the machine is called BRICK, the pipe prefix is the
default ScriptWorks\Channel, and the name (as entered in the Input
Channel Edit dialog box) is Fred, then the full pipe name is:
\\BRICK\pipe\ScriptWorks\Channel\Fred
A period ( . ) can serve as a shortcut for the name of your local machine.
If the supplying application and the RIP are on the same computer, the
pipe name could be:
\\.\pipe\ScriptWorks\Channel\Fred
4. Give whatever other information the application requires, and complete

the procedure that makes the printer available for use with the
application.

8 Configuring Input
If you have multiple copies of the RIP, or have published multiple NT Pipe
input channels from a single installation of the RIP, you can repeat the same
sequence for each channel.
8.6 Using the Spool Folder input folder

A spool folder input source regularly scans a specified disk folder (directory),
and processes any PostScript-language files (and other suitable files) that are
placed there. Normally these files are deleted after successful processing. The
spool folder can be on a network file server, or the local machine. Users create
files from their applications. These applications can create the files directly in
the spool folder, or can create them elsewhere (for example, on the local sys-
tem) for later transfer into the spool folder.
The RIP can process some or all of the following file types using a spool
folder: PostScript-language (PS), Encapsulated PostScript (EPS), Portable
Document Format (PDF), TIFF 6.0, single TIFF/IT-P1 subfiles or TIFF/IT-P1
file groups if supplied in order, JPEG and JFIF files. With some preparation
you can also process page buffers from a similar version of the Torrent RIP.
The available options depend on your installation and configuration of the
RIP.
Note: You cannot use a spool folder for printing FP TIFF/IT-P1 files without
special care, because FP files reference subfiles and the RIP must image the
data in these files in a set order. If, in a spool folder any of the CT, HC, LW, or
FP files may arrive first, then the result may be partial images. The spool
folder can accept TIFF/IT-P1 files if the order of arrival and file naming can be
controlled so that all subfiles arrive before the FP file and you select the
TIFF/IT-P1 option described on page 254. If the order of arrival or naming is
unsuitable or unpredictable, using Print File from the Torrent RIP / File menu is
the simplest reliable method of ensuring that the RIP images the intended file
or combination of files.
The RIP ignores types of files that it cannot print, and any files that you
exclude intentionally by configuring the spool folder input.

You can exclude files based on their names. You may want to exclude files that
resemble real jobs, but that actually contain accounting or housekeeping infor-
mation for the software that delivers files into the spool folder. You may also
want to exclude, or at least delay, real jobs with particular origins or qualities.
All this is possible so long as the file names have a recognizable prefix.
You specify which folder the RIP uses in the input plugin Configure dialog
box, available from the Input Controller. By default, this folder is called Spool
and exists in the SW folder. If needed, you can create several spooled inputs,
each with its own folder, page setup, and exclusion list.
When you specify a folder accessed over a network, make sure that the folder
automatically becomes available to the computer running the RIP when that
computer is restarted.
Because files are normally deleted as soon as they are printed, it is important
to ensure that the RIP has permission to delete files in the spool folder, partic-
ularly if the spool folder is on a network file server. See Appendix A, Trouble-
shooting, for more details.
The files in the spool folders are processed in the order in which they arrive.
However, if there are jobs already in a folder when the RIP is started, or if a
very large number of files have been queued, the RIP determines the order of
those jobs by the date stamps on the files.
8.6.1 Configuring a Spool Folder input source

To create and configure a new Spool folder source:
Edit dialog box.
2. Choose SpoolFolder from the Type drop-down list. Give the input a
suitable name and select a page setup. Select the Enabled box.
3. Click the Configure button. The Spool Folder Configuration dialog box
appears.

8 Configuring Input
Make the settings you wish, and click OK. Click OK again to close the Input
Channel Edit dialog box. The spool folder input becomes active, now or when
you next start inputs. When the spool folder becomes active, the RIP reports
the number of exclusions, that is the number of prefixes that it will ignore. See
the description of the Filenames prefix list option on page 252 for details.
Figure 8.6 Spool Folder Configuration dialog box

This dialog box contains the following control items:
Spool Folder The current spool folder is shown in the text field
alongside this button. This location is where the RIP
detects the arrival of files and considers them as possi-
ble jobs, by looking at the type of file and any file names
excluded in the Filenames prefix list.
Note: Choose a folder that is dedicated to receiving
jobs. In particular, avoid using folders where other files
are arriving or changing. (For example, the SW folder is
a bad choice, because the log file changes with every
job.)
Click the Spool Folder button to change this folder using
the standard file browsing dialog box. Alternatively,
you can type a full path name in the text field but be
aware that any typing errors can cause an error or the
creation of a new folder.
Create spool folders if they do not exist

Select this box if you want the RIP to create the named
spool folders if they do not already exist.
The RIP creates the folders when the input channel
becomes available for use. This time can be immedi-
ately after you click OK in the Input Channel Edit dialog
box for an enabled channel, but you may need to
choose Torrent RIP / File > Start Inputs or enable the input
channel before it becomes fully available.
Warn if spool folders do not exist

Select this box if you want the RIP to issue a warning if
a folder named as a spool, error, or completion folder
does not exist.

8 Configuring Input
Error Folder If a file fails to print, the RIP moves it to the error folder
specified unless the Delete on error box is selected. If a
file prints successfully, the RIP moves it to the Complete
folder specified unless the Delete on completion box is
selected.
Delete on error Select this box if you want the RIP to delete files that the
Spool folder fails to print. Leave this box clear if you
want failed files to be moved to the Error Folder. Note
that a file is treated as an error if you abort it while it is
being processed.
Complete Folder If a file successfully prints, the RIP moves it to the loca-
tion specified in the text field alongside this button
unless the Delete on completion box is checked. Click the
Complete Folder button to change this location using the
standard file browsing dialog box.
Delete on completion
Select this box if you want the RIP to delete files that the
Spool folder succeeds in printing. Otherwise the RIP
moves these files to the Complete Folder.
Filenames prefix list

This text field specifies files to ignore when they arrive
in the spool folder, if you have also selected the Exclude
prefix list box. The specification is based on the first part
or prefix of the file names.
Prefixes are case sensitive.
For example, if you type in the prefix ab, the RIP
ignores all the arriving files whose names begin with
ab. Examples of files that the Torrent RIP would ignore
for this prefix are abacus.pdf, abandon.ps, and ab123.
(The RIP would not ignore ABALONE.PS, 123ab.pdf, or

_absence.) Ignoring means that the RIP does not process

the files and allows the files to remain in the spool
folder until removed by a user or other software.
Note: If you remove or disable a prefix while the spool
folder is still active, the RIP processes any files previ-
ously excluded by that prefix but still present in the
spool folder.
You can enter several prefixes. Separate multiple pre-
fixes by commas without surrounding spaces. (If you
add spaces after a comma, the RIP treats the spaces as
part of the following string.) Each prefix can include
alphanumeric characters, the underscore character, the
period character, and spaces.
For example, this is a valid list of three prefixes:
aaab_c,BAC,4.4
Exclude prefix list

Select this box to make the prefix list active. Leave this
box empty to disable the prefix list without deleting the
list of prefixes.
Scan spool folder every <n> seconds

The value in the text box specifies how often the RIP
checks the Spool folder for new files to be printed.
Time to wait for file to stabilize

The value in the text box specifies the number of sec-
onds that the Spool folder waits for the size of an arriv-
ing file to remain the same before assuming that it has
been fully written and is therefore ready to be printed.

8 Configuring Input
Treat TIFF/IT files as a single output group

Select this box if you want to process TIFF/IT-P1 files as
a group, but only if you can predict that both the file
names and the order of arrival follow these conditions.
All related files must have the same file name stem. For
example, this is a valid group of files: myfile.ct,
myfile.lw, myfile.hw, and myfile.fp.
All subfiles must be in the spool folder before the FP file
arrives and is ready to print.
After processing a TIFF/IT-P1 group, the RIP moves or
deletes all the related files together, with the action
depending on success or failure and the settings of
other controls in this dialog box.
If you leave this box unselected, the RIP processes the
individual files as they become available.
Note: When producing TIFF/IT-P1 files as output using
the optional TIFF/IT-P1 output plugin, the RIP satisfies
the rules for having the related files treated as a group.
8.7 Using the Socket input plugin

A socket is a hardware-independent method of communicating across a net-
work. The RIP Socket plugin supports TCP/IP on Ethernet for job transfer
between any combination of machines running the UNIX, Windows 98 and
ME, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 operating systems.
The RIP Socket plugin also supports a smaller set of features on Power Macin-
tosh computers (but not 680x0 based Macintosh computers). This smaller set
of features is supported between any combination of Power Macintosh com-
puters and machines running the UNIX or appropriate Microsoft Windows
operating systems.
The benefits of using network sockets are:
• Transfer of jobs between different types of machines occurs at network
speeds—typically much higher than those achieved with serial links.

• One server machine (the one running the Torrent RIP) can receive input
from as many sending machines as can connect to the network. (The
RIP must finish one job before starting another, including jobs from
other types of input plugin.)
• All sending machines are configured in the same way.
• Given an existing network, there is no requirement for extra hardware
or shared file systems.
• A program or user on the sending machine can be informed of the job
status as the job progresses.
There are some potential, minor, difficulties with socket input:
• It requires a small amount of central network management, or user
access to configuration files, on the sending and receiving machines.
This management or user access is required only when setting up the
links, not for routine use.
• In general, the socket input plugin accepts only PostScript-language
and PDF input, sent with a basic TCP/IP stream protocol. This protocol
is simple to generate but prohibits the direct use of any extra protocol
such as that used by the UNIX lp program. (The Xinet PapConnect pro-
tocol is an option if there is no Macintosh computer involved.)
• Jobs without names may be named only after the name of the input
socket, making it difficult to identify jobs that need re-sending. If a job
does not provide a name itself, set jobname in statusdict, before the
job is run. For example:
statusdict /jobname (a_filename.ps) put
sets the jobname to a_filename.ps.
Note: Most machines running sockets can support several independent types
of communication and there is usually ongoing communication for processes
including mail, printing, and file transfer. The different types of communica-
tions are kept separate by assigning each to a different port, usually identified
by number. Port numbers below 1024 are listed in a services database and
have registered uses and protocols that enable computers at local and remote

8 Configuring Input
sites to communicate according to published standards. Some numbers above

1024 also have agreed uses, but most are available for use in a way specific to a
single site, as allocated by the local network manager or system administrator.
Prior to release of the Socket plugin v2.1r3, jobs received on a Socket input
were named by the input channel, and not the job. A page feature was pro-
vided to overcome this. From the release of the Socket plugin v2.1r3 (shipped
with v6.0 Torrent RIP) the page feature is incorporated within the Socket
plugin and thus will use the name within the job.
8.7.1 Requirements
All machines need to support TCP/IP over Ethernet and to be linked by a net-
work. This is the only requirement for machines running the UNIX,
Windows 98 and ME, Windows NT, or Windows 2000 operating systems.
Macintosh computers need the following:
• Open Transport, an operating system extension that comes as standard
on Power Macintosh computers with software support for PCI expan-
sion buses. Open Transport is compatible with operating system ver-
sions from System 7.1 onwards.
• The computer must be a Power Macintosh, that is, it must not be based
on the 680x0 processor family.
8.7.2 Configuration preliminaries

Before attempting to configure a socket you must decide what kind of connec-
tion you wish to make and how to implement it. This subsection describes
your options and what you need to know before configuring the RIP socket
input.
In the simplest case, applications on one or more machines send information
to the machine running the RIP and receive no messages about the progress of
the jobs.
It is a simple extension to make the standard output from the PostScript-
language interpreter—progress and other messages as displayed in the RIP
Monitor / Torrent RIP window—available to the application sending the job.

8.7.2.1 Server machine

To configure the machine running the RIP, you must know:
• The port on which the socket plugin is to listen for input.
Optionally, you may need to know:
• A second port, if you wish to return the standard output to the sending
application and that application requires a separate port.
• Any protocol in use by the sending application. The options supported
by the Torrent RIP are basic TCP/IP socket stream or Xinet PapConnect.
In general, you can ask your network administrator to allocate a port (or
ports) and give you the number(s) or name(s) to enter in the RIP. Using a
name rather than a number allows the flexibility of changing only the services
database if it becomes necessary to start using another port.
If you have no network administrator, you may need to look at the services
database yourself in order to find ports that are available for use. In the UNIX
operating system, the services database is the file:
/etc/services
Under Windows NT and Windows 2000, the position of the services database
can vary between different installations of the operating system. The adminis-
trator can choose where to install the operating system (with the chosen loca-
tion recorded in the environment variable %Systemroot%) and the services
database is stored in a fixed relationship to this location. For example, if the
operating system is installed in \winnt then the services database is the file:
\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\services
Under Windows 98 and ME, the services database is installed if you install
TCP/IP networking. Typically, the services database is the file:
\windows\services
On Macintosh computers, there is no services database. (This means that you

must choose ports using TCP by number on a Macintosh, but you may be able
to inspect the services database on a computer of another type if you are oper-
ating on a mixed network.)

8 Configuring Input
Warning: Where used, the services database is an important part of a net-

worked operating system. Make a copy of the services database file before
editing it in any way.
8.7.2.2 Sending machines

To configure the machines sending jobs to the RIP, you must know:
• The network address (IP address or hostname) of the machine running
the Torrent RIP.
• The port on which the machine running the RIP is listening for input.
Optionally, you may need to know:
• A second port, used to return the standard output to the sending appli-
cation. (The RIP can return this information on the server port: a second
port is only needed if the sending application requires a separate port.)
Your network manager should be able to supply these details.
All other settings are dependent on the software used to send the jobs, and
must be compatible with those you have made in the Socket Configuration
dialog box. For example, you may need to configure the sending software to
receive the PostScript-language status messages.
We recommend that you configure each sending application to close its send-
ing socket connection at the end of each job, and pause before reopening it to
send another job. The reasons are:
• You can configure the RIP to receive input on more than one socket
input—for example, to allow the use of different page setups. (Each
socket must use a different address.) Closing the connection allows the
RIP to check for pending jobs on other input channels.
• Certain jobs may require that the server socket is closed before the RIP
can start rendering. If the socket is not closed, rendering starts when the
next job starts to arrive, which could result in a significant delay.

8.7.3 Configuring a Socket input plugin

To configure a new socket input, click New in the Input Controller. The RIP
displays the Input Channel Edit dialog box. Choose a name and page setup as
normal, then choose SocketInput from the Type menu. Click the Configure
button. The Socket Configuration dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 8.7.
Figure 8.7 Socket Configuration dialog box
Mac Classic users only: The upper Type and Port number controls are for
the server socket. The server socket always receives input, and may be
used for output. The lower controls are for the optional separate output
socket.
You must make settings for the server (input) socket. The other (output and
protocol) settings are optional but interrelated: you may need to make more
than one choice to have a valid combination of settings.
8.7.3.1 Server socket details

On some the RIP platforms, the Socket type control allows you to choose from
TCP by number, TCP by name, and Local. The only option available on all plat-
forms is TCP by number.

8 Configuring Input
The TCP by number and TCP by name options both offer full network access.
The options are equivalent in that both identify a numbered port. The only
difference is that if you give a name, the name is used to look up the number
in the services database, a file which links numbers with names.
A Local socket works only with the UNIX operating system and only on the
host machine: that is, where the sending application and the Torrent RIP both
operate on the same machine. It is provided only for compatibility with older
systems.
Server Socket type

Choose TCP by number or TCP by name for use across a
network (including from the host machine), and enter
the corresponding port name or number in the Address
box.
Under the UNIX operating system, you can also choose
Local but do so only where absolutely required by the
sending application and enter a socket file name in the
Address box.
Address There are up to three possible entries in this box,

depending on the choice made for Socket type, which
itself may be limited by the platforms on which the RIP
and the sending applications operate.
When Socket Type is TCP by number, enter the number
of the port.
The socket plugin listens on the chosen port.
When Socket Type is TCP by name, enter the name of the
service.
The socket plugin gets the port number by looking up
the name in the services database (/etc/services or an
equivalent file), and listens on the chosen port.
When Socket Type is Local, the socket communication
is made by using a socket-style file on the file-system.
Enter the file name in the Address field.

8.7.3.2 Bi-directional communications and protocol

These check boxes allow you to specify if and how the Torrent RIP should
return information to the application sending a job.
Bi-directional comms
Select this box when you wish the RIP to pass responses
back to the sending application. The RIP passes these
responses: on the server socket when Use Separate
Output Socket is not selected; or on the output socket
when Use Separate Output Socket is selected (in which
case, you must also configure the Output Socket Details).
Use Separate Output Socket

Select this box to use a separate output socket for
responses from the RIP to the sending application. You
must use a separate output socket if the sending appli-
cation(s) cannot accept responses on the channel used
to send jobs.
This box is irrelevant if Bi-directional comms is not
selected.
Use Xinet protocol (not present on Macintosh computers)

Do not select this option unless you know that all the
sending machines are using the Xinet PapConnect pro-
tocol. In particular, Macintosh computers cannot use
PapConnect. Also, we recommend that you use this
option only for downloading fonts; for general use,
leaving this box unselected gives faster transfer rates.
8.7.3.3 Output socket details

These details are only relevant when you have selected the Use Separate
Output Socket box and the Bi-directional comms box.

8 Configuring Input
Choose these values in the same way as for the server socket, described in
“Server socket details” on page 259. You must choose a different Address from
the one chosen for the Server socket. It is convenient but not essential to use
the same socket type to make it obvious whether or not the addresses are dif-
ferent. For example, choose numbered addresses that differ by 1.
Note: The sending application can continue to listen on the RIP output socket
after it has closed its sending socket. (“Sending machines” on page 258
explained why it is advisable to close the sending socket—the one connected
to the RIP Server socket.)
8.8 Using the Asynchronous Socket plugin (except OS X users)

The asynchronous socket input is not for use as a source of routine jobs. It is a
special case of the socket plugin, designed to run jobs immediately—regard-
less of what the RIP is already doing. This input provides a way of controlling
and monitoring the RIP from without using menus and dialog boxes.
These jobs are restricted in what they can do if jobs from other inputs are to
have the intended result. To prevent unintended interaction with a running
jobs, each job submitted to the asynchronous socket input should start by per-
forming a save and end with a restore. Also, the job should not use any
painting operators or otherwise alter the graphics state.
Permissible tasks—those that do not interfere with other jobs at the interpreta-
tion stage—include querying the availability of fonts and manipulating page
buffers in the throughput system.
The one exception where interference with another job is allowed, and neces-
sary, is that it is possible to kill the currently running job.

8.8 Using the Asynchronous Socket plugin (except OS X users)
8.8.1 Creating an asynchronous socket input (except OS X users)

It is possible to create an asynchronous socket input in the Input Controller,
and subsequently to edit or delete it.
Note: The expected way of creating an asynchronous socket input is by
including PostScript-language statements in the files that the RIP executes
when starting up. An asynchronous socket input created this way is likely to
be a protected channel, optionally viewable in the Input Controller but not
editable.
To create and configure an asynchronous socket input:
Edit dialog box.
2. Choose SocketInputAsync from the Type drop-down list. Give the input
a suitable name and select a page setup. Select the Enabled box.
3. Click the Configure button. The Socket Configuration dialog box
appears. Make the settings you wish, and click OK. (See Appendix 8.7.3,
“Configuring a Socket input plugin” for details.)
4. Click OK again to close the Input Channel Edit dialog box. The asynchro-
nous socket input becomes active, as you click OK or when you next start
inputs.
All other aspects of its use and configuration are as described in Section 8.7 on
page 254.
8.8.2 Sample job (except OS X users)

This example shows how a short PostScript-language job can kill the current
job.
% This code kills the currently running job.
//errordict /interrupt get exec

8 Configuring Input
8.9 Using the Asynchronous Socket Quit plugin (except OS X users)

The SocketInputQuit type is a special case of the asynchronous socket input,
with the single purpose of causing the RIP to quit. Connecting to a socket of
this type makes the RIP quit without the need to send a PostScript-language
job containing the appropriate commands.
To create an input of this type, follow the procedure for the asynchronous
socket, described in Section 8.8.1 on page 263, but choose SocketInputQuit in
the Type drop-down list.
You can select any page setup for use with this input. There is no need to
specify a return channel.
8.10 Using the Serial input plugin (except Mac users)

The Serial Line input plugin handles PostScript-language jobs passed to it
over a serial line (RS232 or V24 standards). The benefits of offering serial line
input are:
• The Torrent RIP can become an immediate replacement for a PostScript-
compatible printer that was used exclusively over a serial line.
• Remote computers can submit jobs to the RIP through a serial line with-
out being part of the same network as the computer running the RIP.
The use of a RIP input using a spool folder or network protocol is preferable in
almost all cases. The advantages of these methods are greater speed and
robustness than using a serial line.
8.10.1 Overview
This is a brief introduction to creating and using a serial input to the Torrent
RIP. There is more detail in later sections.
The first stage of using a serial input to the Torrent RIP is to find available
serial ports on the remote computer and on the computer running the RIP and
to establish a reliable serial link between them. This requires a null modem
cable with suitable connectors for the ports: Section 8.10.2, “Establishing a
serial link” specifies the cable more fully and suggests how you or your sup-
plier may need to test the link.

Next you must configure the RIP input. To configure a Serial input, choose the
source in the Input Controller and click the Configure button. The Serial
Comms Configuration dialog box appears, containing several controls,
described in Section 8.10.3, “Configuring a Serial input plugin”.
Set the controls to the desired values and click OK, then enable the input in the
Input Controller dialog box and again click OK. When you select Start Inputs
from the Torrent RIP menu (or immediately if inputs are already started), a
message appears in the Torrent RIP window of the general form:
Publishing Serial Input printer <serial_name>
Finally, the remote computer must send a job. When the input is receiving
data from the remote computer, an alert box appears on the screen of the com-
puter running the RIP to show that the plugin is reading data. (There is no
progress box because the plugin cannot find out the total size of the job until it
has read all of it.)
8.10.2 Establishing a serial link

Note: This section is necessarily technical.
The null modem cable must connect the lines for send data, receive data, and
signal ground (earth). Depending on the handshaking method, the cable may
also need to connect control lines.
If you wish to use hardware handshaking, the cable must also have the RTS
and CTS control lines connected. Software handshaking does not require these
control lines because it uses the XON and XOFF characters, sent over the data
lines. For both forms of handshaking, this is a minimum requirement: the pro-
gram on the remote computer may require other control line connections or
links between pins, even if you are using software handshaking. (If the remote
computer and program require extra control signals, it may help to know that
the RIP controls the DTR line and ignores the DSR line.)
For testing, you have two options:
• Use a communications or terminal emulation program on both
computers.

8 Configuring Input
• Use a communications or terminal emulation program on the remote

computer and the RIP on the local computer. (You must configure a Tor-
rent RIP serial input first.) Send a carriage return character to the RIP to
make the RIP react as if it is receiving a job: if the link is good, the RIP
loads a page setup and displays a message in the Torrent RIP window.
(Like most PostScript-language compatible interpreters, the RIP does
not by default echo characters to the remote computer.)
There are many commercially available communications programs but the
Terminal program supplied with Microsoft Windows, and the tip program
supplied with the UNIX operating system are adequate.
You can start testing by typing short messages (PostScript-language jobs if
you are sending to the RIP input plugin). Do not consider the link fully tested
until it can transfer files of about 10 KB without any corruption. Find the high-
est speed at which the link works reliably.
8.10.3 Configuring a Serial input plugin

To create and configure a new serial source:
Edit dialog box.
2. Choose Serial Input from the Type drop-down list. Give the input a
suitable name and select a page setup. Select the Enabled box.
3. Click the Configure button. The Serial Comms Configuration dialog box
appears, as shown in Figure 8.8. Make the settings you wish, and click
OK.

4. Click OK again to close the Input Channel Edit dialog box. The serial
input becomes active, now or when you next start inputs.
Figure 8.8 Serial Comms Configuration dialog box
Most controls in the Serial Comms Configuration dialog box set shared com-
munications parameters, which must match those in use by the sending com-
puter and application. Alter these communications settings only if you
understand their meaning and you can ensure that the remote computer is
reconfigured to use the same settings.
The remaining items also affect communication but are specific to the com-
puter running the Torrent RIP and are fully described here.
Device Set this to be the serial port on the computer running

the RIP to which the remote computer is connected.
The entries in the list include COM1 and COM2.
Baud rate A shared communication setting—set it to match the

setting on the remote computer.
Parity A shared communication setting—set it to match the


8 Configuring Input
Character Bits
A shared communication setting—set it to match the
Stop bits A shared communication setting—set it to match the

Mode There are three possible choices: ASCII, Adobe binary,

and Binary. Choose Binary unless you know that the
sending application requires a different mode.
See Section 8.10.4 on page 269 for more details on the
different modes.
Job Output This setting controls the destination of error messages

and status information about jobs.
Select Remote to send information down the serial line
to the remote computer.
Select Local to have the normal RIP behavior where
these messages display only in the Torrent RIP window:
the normal behavior of the RIP for other inputs.
Handshake This is a shared communications setting which limits

the possibility of the remote computer sending data too
fast for the plugin to handle correctly. The setting on the
computer running the RIP must match the one in use
on the sending computer. (Software handshake uses the
XON/XOFF characters and Hardware handshake uses
the CTS/RTS control pins.)
Select only one handshake method.

Link Timeout This setting has an effect only when the plugin is using
binary mode. The value is the time in seconds that the
input plugin waits without receiving new data before
considering that the job has finished. The RIP accepts
values in the range 1 through 1000.
Set the value to be larger than any pauses you expect in
the data from one job, but small enough to have the RIP
recognize the end of job in a reasonable time. The
remote application must wait for this time between
sending the end of one job and starting to send the next
job, so an overlong value reduces throughput.
In particular, you may want to set a large value (100 sec-
onds or more) if you are testing a link by typing
PostScript-language statements through a terminal
emulator program: in this case, the value must be larger
than any pause in your typing.
8.10.4 ASCII and binary modes

The input plugin can treat data arriving from the serial line in one of several
ways. You choose which way the plugin uses by selecting one of the following
modes:
• Binary.
• ASCII.
• Adobe binary.
We recommend that you select Binary, unless there is a strong need to use one
of the other modes.
ASCII and Adobe binary are very similar modes, where the input plugin
treats some characters specially. The application sending the data must send
one of these special characters to signal the end of the job and can send other
characters to control and monitor the job in progress. The end of this section
lists the special characters (for example: ^C).

8 Configuring Input
In detail, the modes are:
Binary The RIP passes all data to the core RIP and detects the
end of job by observing that no data has arrived within
a timeout period. (The remote application must use at
least the same timeout period between sending jobs.)
ASCII All data is passed to the core RIP for processing, except
for special characters. The special characters are ^C,
^D, and ^T. ASCII mode resembles Adobe binary mode
with the exception of not supporting Â.
Adobe binary
All data is passed to the core RIP with the exception of
special (control) characters defined by the Adobe
binary communications protocol (BCP).
The special characters are all control characters: characters which you can
send from within a terminal emulator program by holding down the Control
key while typing a normal character key. For example, you can type Control-T
(shown as ^T) by holding down the Control key while typing the letter T.
The characters most likely to be useful in testing are those supported by ASCII
mode.
Character Meaning
Â Treat the following character so that it passes to the core RIP as a
control character which would otherwise have been stopped and
taken as a control.
Â is not supported in ASCII mode.
^C Generate an interrupt. This terminates the job immediately, with
an error.
^D Signal a normal end of job.
Table 8.1 Special characters in ASCII and Adobe-binary modes

8.11 Using more than one method
Character Meaning
^T Request a job status. The job status is returned down the serial
line as a message enclosed in square brackets. For example, this
might be one such message:
%%[job: Test-job; status: Waiting]%%
Table 8.1 Special characters in ASCII and Adobe-binary modes
8.11 Using more than one method

The RIP can use any combination of the above input types and listen on all
active inputs. When several inputs want to send data, only one job can reach
the RIP at a time but the other inputs may be able to receive and buffer data
for later rendering.
To accept input from several sources, create and enable the sources you want
in the Input Controller. The RIP automatically monitors all enabled sources as
soon as the input system is started with the Start Inputs menu option.
8.12 Using the Print File command

Mac users: The RIP supports both the Print file menu option, and drag
and drop printing from the Macintosh Finder. For details of drag and
drop printing, see Section 8.12.1 on page 273.

8 Configuring Input
When you select Print File from the Torrent RIP / File menu, the dialog box
shown in Figure 8.9 appears.
Figure 8.9 Print File dialog box
Choose an appropriate page setup for printing the files, from the Page Setup
menu.
Note: If you do not choose a page setup, the RIP uses the one that you chose
last time you printed a file. If you have not printed a file in this RIP session,
the first page setup in the menu is used. To change the order of this listing, see
“Reordering page setups” on page 100.
The Print File dialog box shows all files in the current folder (PostScript-lan-
guage files in Windows).
Windows users: To show files of a different type, or all files, use the Files
of type drop-down list.
If you want to choose a file that is not in the folder shown, use the dialog box
to move to the correct folder.

8.12 Using the Print File command
Mac Users: You can print a one or more files in a folder. To do this use
the following instructions:
• To print any single file, select it in the list box and click Print. To
enter a folder, select it and click Open. (The button changes its label,
depending on whether you have selected a file or a folder.)
• To move to a folder higher up in the file structure, choose the folder
you wish to move to from the pop-up menu above the list box.
• To move to another drive, press the Hand icon button—the list
shows the contents of the desktop, including any other drives (such
as floppy disk drives or external file servers).
Windows users: Use the Look in drop-down list to use other folders or
drives.
Note: To select all files in the list, click anywhere in the central list of files
and type Ctrl+A.
While any file is being processed, an additional Print File menu appears on the
menu bar of the main RIP window.
Mac users: You can abort the current job by choosing Kill Current Job
from this Print File menu or by typing Command–• (a period character).
Alt
Windows users: You can abort the current job by choosing Kill Current
Job from this menu, or by typing Alt+• (a period character).
8.12.1 Drag and drop printing (Mac users only)

From the Macintosh Finder, you can drag a file and drop it onto the Torrent
RIP icon to print the file. You can also drag a folder onto the Torrent RIP icon
to print all printable files in that folder.
When printing a dropped file, the RIP always uses the page setup at the top of
the list in the Page Setup Manager dialog box. You can reorder this list, so the
top page setup is not necessarily the one named Default Page Setup.

8 Configuring Input
If the RIP is not running, it starts up automatically but requires you to dismiss
the copyright and trademark notices.
If the RIP is already running, it prints the file(s) as soon as possible, subject to
finishing other jobs or you closing any dialog boxes that prevent the RIP from
producing output: the Page Setup Manager is an example of such a dialog
box.
8.12.2 Printing several files

Mac users: To print out several files at once, select more than one file
from the Print File dialog box before clicking Print. The following key
makes this possible:
Shift
You can select as many files as you wish by selecting the first file, then
selecting any other files while holding down the Shift key.
Windows users: To print out several files at once, just select more than
one file from the Print File dialog box before clicking Print. The following
keys make this possible:
Shift
Windows users: You can select a contiguous block of files by selecting

the first file in the block, then selecting the last file in the block while
holding down the Shift key.
Ctrl
Windows users: You can select several non-contiguous file names by
holding down the Control key while making your selection.
Note: The list of files to print can include files other than PostScript-language,
PDF files, TIFF 6.0, and TIFF/IT-P1. The RIP ignores types of files that it
cannot print.

8.13 Printing PostScript-language files
8.13 Printing PostScript-language files

The RIP can print PostScript-language files and Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)
files using the Print File command or managed inputs. You can also enter
PostScript-language code interactively using the Torrent RIP / File > Executive
command.
You can submit PostScript-language jobs to the RIP using any of the managed
input methods (as applicable to your platform): AppleTalk, NT Print, NT Pipe,
Spool Folder, sockets, and serial input.
The Page Setup Options dialog box provides several options that tailor the
way the RIP processes jobs. Some options provide compatibility with jobs
using PostScript LanguageLevel 2 or LanguageLevel 1, or produced by spe-
cific applications. Other options deal with more general fault conditions or are
convenience features. For example, some PostScript-language file formats,
such as EPS, do not always include a showpage operator at the end of jobs.
One of these options adds showpage to the end of a job, if necessary. See
Section 5.3 on page 101 for details.
When ColourPro is enabled, the RIP can detect and utilize an ICC profile
embedded in an Encapsulated PostScript file. See the Torrent ColourPro User’s
Guide for details.
8.14 Printing PDF files

The RIP can print Portable Document Format (PDF) files that conform to the
PDF 1.4 specification or earlier, or PDF/X versions listed below. The PDF
Options dialog box allows you to set up strict or flexible workflows using
these versions of PDF jobs. The Torrent RIP support for PDF 1.4 includes:
transparency, JBIG2, 128 bit encryption, output intents, and referenced PDF.
been dropped in the v6.0 release of the Torrent RIP, and replaced with support
for PDF/X-1a:2001 and PDF/X-3:2002.

8 Configuring Input
The Torrent RIP supports verification of the following PDF/X versions:
PDF/X-1a:2001
If a PDF/X file nominates itself as PDF/X-1:2001, it is
treated as if it were as PDF/X-1a:2001 file
PDF/X-3:2002
The “PDF Options” from the page set up manager allows the user to select
from a range of PDF/X verification settings—see Section 8.14.5.2 on page 283.
The aim is to reproduce with high quality all the features of PDF files that can
be rendered on paper or film. You can also preview pages printed from PDF
files, but the RIP does not provide a fully interactive hypertext viewer or edi-
tor: there are no search, cross-reference, or annotation facilities.
Note: PDF/X is a standard defining a subset of PDF, designed for trouble-free
use where the creator sends the PDF file to an external printer or other pre-
press consumer. For example, a PDF/X-1 file can use OPI references to exter-
nal file types only if a file stream of that external file is included in the
PDF/X-1 file. Another example is that a PDF/X-1 file cannot use some colour
spaces (for example, DeviceN) that are allowed in PDF version 1.3.
8.14.1 Printing PDF version 1.4

There are a few applications that can save files in version 1.4 of the Portable
Document Format (PDF), these include Illustrator 9 and 10 , Acrobat 5 ,
® ®
InDesign 2.0 and Photoshop 7.0.

™
One of the major features of this new revision is the ability to mark objects as
being partially transparent, so that other objects in the background are visible
through them. This feature aids the creation of many special effects, including
drop shadows, ghosting back of image areas behind text blocks and soft edges
to silhouetted pictures.
8.14.2 Working with transparency

In the v6.0 release of the Torrent RIP, the “InstallInFlight” procedure has been
withdrawn and replaced with “InstallTransparencyCheck” and a “Back Drop
Render Selector”.

A number of switches are available and the following messages will appear
depending on the switch settings:
8.14.2.1 PDF Check Warning

With PDF Check Warning enabled the following message appears at the start
of every PDF job using transparency:
%%[ WARNING - THIS JOB USES PDF 1.4 TRANSPARENCY ]%%
This message indicates that the PDF 1.4 transparency checker procset has
identified an element marked as transparency in the job. The procset then
switches the RIP from “Normal” mode into “Backdrop Rendering” mode.
Normal mode means the RIP functions normally, and you should not notice
any significant changes in behavior in terms of performance, memory usage
and so on.
In Backdrop Rendering mode there are significant changes. Interpretation
time will be broadly similar as in normal mode however rendering time will
be increased. This is because the RIP does the compositing in the render phase
and this process is computationally intensive. The compositing phase cur-
rently requires memory to be allocated and so vmerrors may occur. In terms
of results, the objects are composited at full device resolution, there is no
downsampling like that produced by pre-flatteners. Areas of the page which
have only opaque objects are optimized to render faster and thus performance
depends on how much of the page is covered by objects which are transpar-
ent.
8.14.2.2 PDF Check Abort

With the PDF Check Abort switch enabled, all jobs using transparency will be
aborted and the following message is displayed:
%%[ WARNING - THIS JOB USES PDF 1.4 TRANSPARENCY - ABORTING JOB ]%%
8.14.2.3 PDF Page Alert

With the PDF Page Alert switch enabled, the following alert appears when
interpreting every page that uses transparency:

8 Configuring Input
%%[ THIS PAGE USES PDF 1.4 TRANSPARENCY ]%%
Using the page-by-page check allows the RIP to switch between Normal and
Backdrop Rendering mode on a page by page basis. This improves perfor-
mance because backdrop rendering a page containing no transparency is
much slower than normal rendering.
Note: When a PDF file references another PDF file via transparency the
second PDF is now checked while determining if the page containing the ref-
erence has any transparent object on it.
Also, not all applications that provide a user interface to define “transpar-
ency” do so using PDF 1.4 structures. Macromedia FreeHand has support for
transparency, but it is done in a different way. Also Acrobat Distiller cannot
®
make transparent objects.
8.14.3 AcroForms
A PDF file can contain information which is additional to the standard PDF
format. When viewed using an interactive application such as Adobe Acrobat,
this additional information provides interactive features making the page
more like a form. These files are called AcroForms.
With features such as text input fields, multiple choice option lists and click-
able buttons, a PDF file that features an AcroForm is used to provide compre-
hensive electronic form filling functionality.
You interact with the form via the usual mouse and keyboard actions. The
AcroForm can be programmed to respond to events (such as clicking on a but-
ton) to provide various levels of automation.
8.14.3.1 Print Ready PDF AcroForm files

An AcroForm is generally created for interactive use via an interactive pro-
gram like Adobe Acrobat. However, you may want to print these files. The
Torrent RIP is, of course, not interactive and is only concerned with rendering
the contents of the PDF file for printed output. This creates a number of issues
about exactly which of the essentially interactive features (such as, buttons
and lists) should be printed and how they should appear.

When the form is completed (that is, all the required text input fields are filled
in) using Adobe Acrobat, the PDF file is re-saved by Acrobat to save the
entered information. When this is done, Acrobat creates additional content in
the PDF file called Appearance Streams which render the filled-in text input
fields. It also marks the PDF file’s AcroForm as being “complete” (by setting
the NeedAppearances key in the AcroForm dictionary to false).
We refer to a file that has been completed in this way as being print-ready.
Prior to being made print ready, a PDF AcroForm may be incomplete to vari-
ous degrees. For example, the form could be blank in the sense that none of
the fields contain any user-entered information. Alternatively, a PDF
AcroForm file could have been partially completed by a database program
(for example) which can provide values (content) for some or all of the text
input fields but still not yet completing the file. This completeness refers to
two things:
• The fields’ appearance streams may not be present in the PDF file, even
though the fields may have been given values (that is, the actual text to
display in the input fields).
• The AcroForm will be marked as incomplete by virtue of the
NeedAppearances key in the AcroForm dictionary being set to true.
When the Torrent RIP is given the job of printing a PDF AcroForm, it has to be
sensitive to whether or not the form has been completed and is print-ready.
The Torrent RIP uses the following rule:
• If the NeedAppearances key in the AcroForm dictionary (in the PDF file)
is false (or is absent), the AcroForm will be printed such that all fields
(and only those fields) with appearance streams given will be dis-
played. Otherwise, if NeedAppearances is true, the Torrent RIP will
reconstruct appearance streams for all the fields it finds.
What this means for the Torrent RIP is that, unless the PDF file has been made
complete and print-ready, the final appearance of the various fields of the
AcroForm could be displayed slightly differently than they might appear in
the viewing application (for example, Acrobat).

8 Configuring Input
8.14.3.2 PDF AcroForms and the Torrent RIP

When a PDF AcroForm has been completed and saved and is therefore print-
ready, the Torrent RIP will print all AcroForm field types (text fields, choice
list boxes, buttons, and signature fields). However, this is conditional upon the
manner in which the fields have been defined in the AcroForm. For example,
some button fields may have been flagged (by Acrobat) as “not to be printed”.
In this case the Torrent RIP will not print such items.
If the PDF AcroForm has not been saved as print-ready, the Torrent RIP still
supports the rendering of text input fields (both single-line and multi-line).To
do this, the RIP constructs (or reconstructs) the fields’ appearance streams
according to the field values and other information contained within the
AcroForm. It should be noted however that there is a degree of licence with
respect to how a viewing application may format the items (such as text and
buttons), and so results between different viewing applications may differ.
If the AcroForm is not print-ready, the Torrent RIP also attempts to support
other field types (such as buttons and choice lists) but their final appearance
may be different to the intended result (by a greater or lesser extent). It is
therefore highly recommended that all AcroForm files to be submitted to the
Torrent RIP are saved as print-ready first.
8.14.4 Related documentation

The following documents may help you understand AcroForms:
• Graphic technology—Prepress digital data exchange—Use of PDF for compos-
ite data—Part 1: Complete exchange (PDF/X-1), American National Stan-
dard CGATS.12/1-1999. This document is available from NPES; see
http://www.npes.org/ for purchasing details.
• Portable Document Format Reference Manual, Version 1.4. Adobe Inc.

• Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide, HighWater Designs Limited.
8.14.5 PDF Options dialog box

Figure 8.10 shows the dialog box that appears when you click PDF Options in
the Edit Page Setup dialog box. (This view shows some settings that are not at
their default values.)

If you need to print PDF files with different options, for example with differ-
ent passwords, you can create a number of PDF page setup configurations.
Figure 8.10 PDF Options dialog box
The options are in sections for page selection, PDF type acceptance and
passwords.
8.14.5.1 Page selection

Print all pages
Leave this check box selected to print all the pages in the PDF document.
If you wish to print only a subset of the pages from a PDF job, deselect
this check box and enter the desired pages in the Pages field.
Reselect this check box when you have finished printing the subset of
pages. This enables the printing of all pages from other PDF jobs. (You
do not need to delete the entry in the Pages field.)
Page(s)
Enter numbers for the page or pages that you wish to print. You can
enter individual page numbers or ranges, separating each number or
range with a comma ( , ) character.

8 Configuring Input
To enter a page range, enter the numbers of the first and last pages in the
range, using a hyphen to separate them: for example, 7-16. If you wish
to print all pages from a particular page to the end of the job, enter a
range starting with that particular page and ending with a number that
you know to be higher than the last page in the PDF job: for example,
47-10000.
You can combine individual page numbers and ranges: for example,
1,2,7-16,23,24.
When printing a PDF job, the RIP displays a message for each page that
is not printed because of being unlisted in this field. This is a typical
message:
%%[ Warning: Skipping page 1 - not in requested page range ]%%
Page size bounding box
PDF version 1.3 offers several options for defining a rectangular area
that is the area of interest for a PDF page. A PDF file may set values for
one or more of these areas, to be used as appropriate to the different
ways that the PDF file can be used: viewing, office printing, imposition,
commercial printing, and so on.
The RIP looks for the values of the option chosen in this list and makes a
page buffer of the size set by that option. Only MediaBox must be present
in a file, but the other areas inherit default values from MediaBox.
The options in this list are fully defined in the Portable Document Format
Reference Manual, Version 1.3. The default is MediaBox.
MediaBox The size of the media, which may be larger than the
page imaged upon it.
BleedBox The size of the page whose edges must be reached by

bleed objects, though the trimmed size of the page may
be smaller. There may be printer’s marks and parts of
the bleed objects outside this area.

TrimBox The size of the page as intended for delivery to the

reader, after trimming any printer’s marks and excess
bleed areas.
ArtBox The size of the rectangle to be used when placing a PDF

graphic. (Typically, this is the bounding box of the
graphics plus a possible allowance for captions or blank
margins.)
CropBox Rectangle specifying the default clipping region for the

page when displayed or printed. Acrobat Exchange sets
this when cropping a page.
8.14.5.2 PDF Types

Accept type(s)
This list allows you to define how strictly the PDF file must conform to
various standards and specifications for PDF jobs. You can use the On
error list to define what the RIP should do if the job does not meet the
requested specification.
The options in this list are as follows:
Auto-detect types
This is the default option. The RIP makes the best possi-
ble attempt to print the file according to the type label-
ing within the job. (If the job claims to be PDF/X-1 but
does not meet that standard, the RIP treats that as an
error but may still be able to print the file.)
Any PDF <= 1.3 as basic PDF
Print any job with a recognized PDF version; that is,
version 1.3 or less, including non-compliant jobs
labeled as PDF/X-1 but not actually complying with
the standard. This is the most relaxed setting.

8 Configuring Input
Only PDF/X-1a:2001
If the file does not name itself as PDF/X-1a:2001 (or
PDF/X-1:2001), treat it as less than PDF 1.3.
Only PDF/X-3:2002 or X-1a:2001

If the file does not name itself as PDF/X-3:2002 or
PDF/X-1a:2001, treat it as less than PDF 1.3.
Note: For information on PDF 1.4 see Section 8.14.1 on page 276.
On error
The options in this list define the action you wish to occur if there is an
error: for example, if the PDF file is an unrecognized type or if it fails to
meet the condition set in the Accept type(s) list. The actions are as
follows:
Report errors and accept as PDF 1.3
Report errors and print the job as if it is PDF version 1.3.
The errors reported are for the type as explicitly set in
the Accept type(s) field or as detected when the setting
is Auto-detect types. There is one exception; in a
PDF/X-1 job, if the OPM (overprint mode) flag is set then
its presence and value are ignored, without producing
an error.
There may be problems with the printed results if the
job is newer than version 1.3 or badly constructed.
Reject if invalid PDF type
Report errors and reject (abort) the job.
Where a condition in the PDF file is encountered which does not conform to
the appropriate PDF/X specification, a warning message is displayed.
Unless you have selected the Reject if invalid PDF type option, process-
ing of the PDF file continues as normal.

8.14.5.3 Password
Use password to print protected documents
Select this option when you wish to print a document that has been pro-
tected by a password, and enter that password in the text field. Enter one
password only.
For maximum security, remove the password after use. This removal is
optional if your other PDF jobs do not have password protection.
Note: The PDF specification allows for files to have Owner and User
(reader) passwords. The RIP checks the password that you enter against
both of these passwords, and allows printing if either password pro-
duces a match.
Passwords can be any length but only the first 32 characters are signifi-
cant. If you have any way to influence the choice of password used in
jobs supplied to you, suggest that it uses only ASCII characters: the let-
ters A-z and A-Z, the numerals 0-9, and punctuation marks such as []{}
and ;. For example, there may be problems in entering the password if
the password uses characters that are not in the English alphabet. Avoid
multiple white space characters, accented characters, and characters that
require a double-byte representation.
Note: The Honor ‘PDF Colour Management’ check box has been removed.
The option is now called Override colour management in job and is part of
the Input Document Controls within the Colour Setup Manager. See
Section 12.8 on page 416 for more details.
To make fullest use of jobs containing device-independent colour defini-
tions, enable a TrapPro option in the Configure RIP Extras dialog box.
8.14.6 Usage
The simplest way to use PDF files is using the Torrent RIP / File > Print File com-
mand. (Windows users: To see a listing of PDF files in the current folder, use
the PDF Files or All Files option in the Files of type drop-down list of the
Print File dialog box.) Select the page setup that sets the correct PDF options
from the Page Setup menu.

8 Configuring Input
You can also supply PDF files to the RIP using spool folder inputs and all
forms of network protocols: AppleTalk, sockets, and so on. See the summary
of managed inputs in Section 8.1 on page 230. If necessary, set the PDF options
in the page setup corresponding to your chosen managed input.
8.14.7 Limitations and special treatment

The RIP can always print PDF files that are designed to be printed. There are
some minor differences compared to the way in which the RIP handles
PostScript-language files. Also, the emphasis on printed output and limited
interactivity means that the support of some optional content in PDF files is
missing or modified, compared to the support in a dedicated PDF viewer.
These features are:
Embedded fonts and font substitution

The Torrent RIP supports the use of fonts embedded in
PDF files as well as fonts already available to the RIP
for use with PostScript-language jobs. The embedded
fonts can include TrueType (Type 42) fonts, CID (char-
acter identifier) composite fonts, and Compact Font
Format (CFF) fonts.
The RIP aborts the job when there are any missing fonts
requested by a PDF job. (For PDF jobs, the RIP ignores
the setting of the Abort the job if any fonts are missing
check box in the Page Setup Options dialog box.)
Security settings
The creator of a PDF file can limit access to a PDF file,
by requiring a password of the reader or forbidding
changing, copying, or printing of the content. The only
function relevant to the Torrent RIP is the ability to
forbid printing. In general, the RIP does not print files
where the creator has forbidden printing.

8.15 Printing JPEG and JFIF files
Document Information
The RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window displays the
PDF version number and general information about the
document, as supplied by the author or creating
application.
Notes PDF Notes (text annotations) do not appear in the out-

put, neither as icons nor as textual content.
Extensions The RIP ignores all extended content (for example, mul-
timedia content and private data) that is labeled as such
according to the PDF specification.
8.15 Printing JPEG and JFIF files

The RIP can print JPEG and JFIF files using the Torrent RIP / File > Print File
command, or from a spool folder.
The simplest way to print JPEG and JFIF files is using the Torrent RIP / File >
Print File command.
Windows users: To see a listing of JPEG and JFIF files in the current
folder, use the JPEG Files or All Files option in the Files of type drop-
down list of the Print File dialog box.
You can also supply JPEG and JFIF files to the Torrent RIP using spool folder
inputs. See Section 8.6, “Using the Spool Folder input folder” for details.
embedded in a JPEG file. See the Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for details.
8.15.1 Limitations
A JPEG file in Progressive format (a format option in Adobe Photoshop)
cannot be printed by the Torrent RIP. Progressive format is often used for web
downloads.

8 Configuring Input
8.16 Printing GIF files

The Torrent RIP can print GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) files using the
Torrent RIP / File > Print File command, or from a spool folder.
The easiest way to print GIF files is using the Torrent RIP / File > Print File
command.
Windows users: To see a listing of GIF files in the current folder, use the
GIF Files or All Files option in the Files of type drop-down list of the
Print File dialog box.
8.17 Printing TIFF/IT files

The Torrent RIP supports the imaging of TIFF/IT Profile 1 files, generally
referred to as TIFF/IT-P1 files, a common method of transferring images for
use in advertising.
This section summarizes the history of the file format and its uses before
describing how to enable and use imaging of these files in the RIP. The
description of use starts with Section 8.17.2 on page 290. See also “Printing
TIFF 6.0 files” on page 293.
8.17.1 General
The Tag Image File Format (TIFF) is a well-established and popular file format
for raster images. There have been a number of published standards for the
format of TIFF files, each successive standard generally being more complex
than the last. This growing complexity has reflected the format increasing in
flexibility and providing for private extensions to the format. The result has
been that TIFF now represents a family of file formats and there are many pro-
grams that implement only the more popular parts of these formats.
The RIP supports the imaging of TIFF/IT Profile 1 files, generally referred to
as TIFF/IT-P1 files, a common method of transferring images for use in adver-
tising. The International Standards Organization (ISO) Draft International
Standard 12639 describes the TIFF/IT and TIFF/IT-P1 formats. Relevant ear-
lier standards are ANSI IT8.8 and the Aldus TIFF 6.0 standard (now main-
tained by Adobe).

The TIFF/IT-P1 format is being promoted by a body called Digital

Distribution of Advertising for Publications. It provides a clean interface for
the proprietary colour electronic prepress systems (CEPS) formats such as the
Scitex CT/LW format.
TIFF files can contain many different types of data but, in general, a single
TIFF/IT-P1 file contains only one kind of data from a total of six possibilities,
each known by a two-letter abbreviation as listed in Table 8.2.
The exception is the FP file, which includes layout information and the details
of some combination of files, each containing CT, HC, or LW data—it is conve-
nient to call these other files subfiles of the FP file. The data may appear in any
order within the FP file but applications must image it in a set order.
There must be at least one subfile in an FP file, but no more than one of each
type. For example, an FP file cannot contain more than one CT file and it is
typical for FP jobs to contain only a CT subfile and an LW subfile.
The full list of data types with their typical uses is:
Data type Usage
FP Final Page (layout for CT, HC, and LW)
CT Contone, typically low resolution
LW Line Work
HC High resolution Contone
BL Binary Line work (not an FP subfile)
BP Binary Picture (not an FP subfile)
MP Monochrome Picture (not an FP subfile)
Table 8.2 TIFF/IT data type codes and usage
Some of these data types are partly compatible with the corresponding defini-
tions in the TIFF 6.0 standard.
The largest difference with TIFF 6.0 is that TIFF/IT has only one image per
file. The FP file format can have up to four Image File Directories (IFDs), but
only one image—the preview image for the FP layout.

8 Configuring Input
The major restrictions on TIFF/IT-P1 compared to TIFF/IT are that

TIFF/IT-P1:
• Uses CYMK only (when appropriate).
• Is pixel interleaved (when appropriate).
• Has a single choice of image orientation.
• Has a single choice of dot range.
The Torrent RIP images an FP file by rendering the referenced CT, HC, and
LW subfiles, in that strict order. Order is significant because the HC and LW
subfile types can include transparent regions able to reveal images rendered
from previous subfiles.
When the RIP renders subfiles as part of an FP job, it uses extra information in
the FP file to determine the overall size of the page, and position each subfile
(which can be smaller) within that page.
The RIP can also image a single CT, HC, or LW file independently of an FP file.
For each of these files, the RIP locates the image origin at the PostScript-lan-
guage origin—relative to coordinates (0,0) at the bottom left of the page. For
example, this provides a limited proofing capability but be careful to avoid
printing a partial image when the subfiles are available before the FP file.
embedded in a TIFF file. See the Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for details.
8.17.2 Installation and requirements

You must enable the RIP to print TIFF/IT files, by entering a password or key
number issued to you by HighWater. Note that TIFF 6.0 input is always
enabled.
1. Display the Configure RIP dialog box and click Extras.
2. In the Configure RIP Extras dialog box, select the item TIFF/IT in the
list.
3. Click the Add button. In the Enable Feature dialog box that appears,
enter the key number issued to you for use with TIFF/IT, and then click
OK to return to the Configure RIP Extras dialog box, and OK again to
return to the Configure RIP dialog box.

If you attempt to print TIFF/IT-P1 files when the TIFF/IT option is not
enabled, then depending on the input method chosen, the TIFF 6.0 input
option may attempt to process the parts of the file that it recognizes as TIFF.
This is unlikely to produce the desired result.
TIFF/IT files can result in very large page buffers and, potentially, cause
painting to multiple partial page buffers. We recommend that you allocate
128 MB of memory to the RIP if possible, with an absolute minimum alloca-
tion of 64 MB RAM.
It is not possible to run a simple spool folder where any of the CT, HC, LW, or
FP files may arrive first: the result may be partial images. The spool folder can
accept TIFF/IT-P1 files but only if the order of arrival and file naming can be
controlled. See page 254 for details of configuring the spool folder for a spe-
cially controlled source of TIFF/IT-P1 files. If the order of arrival or naming is
unsuitable or unpredictable, using Print File from the Torrent RIP / File menu is
the simplest reliable method of ensuring that the RIP images the intended file
or combination of files.
8.17.3 Usage
To print a TIFF/IT file, first choose a page setup with a large enough imaging
area and an appropriate resolution for the high resolution data types.
Next, choose the option Print File from the Torrent RIP / File menu. Figure 8.9,
page 272, shows the dialog box that appears. Display the contents of the folder
holding the file that you want to print.
Choose the file that you want to print. Typically, this is an FP file if you are
imaging a finished page but you can specify a subfile: for example, to proof it
alone. There is no enforced file name convention but the two letters of the data
type usually appear in the name.
For the example of a CT file with name file, you may see any of:
file.ct
file.ict
file.CT
file.ICT
Windows users: To make sure that you see all files, choose All Files
(*.*) in the Files of type drop-down list.

8 Configuring Input
Mac users: On Macintosh platforms, the RIP displays all files in the
folder without you taking any action.
Select the file you want to print, and click Print.
If you are printing an FP file, the RIP displays a progress dial while reading
each of the files referenced by the FP file and the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP
window shows text similar to the following example:
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\Tiffit\66.fp" as a
TIFF/IT-P1 FP (Final Page) standalone file
Starting Job On 24 April 1998 08:51:42
Using Color Setup "(None)"
Using default device calibration
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\Tiffit\66.ct" as a
TIFF/IT-P1 CT (low-resolution contone) subfile of an FP job
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\Tiffit\66.lw" as a
TIFF/IT-P1 LW (linework) subfile of an FP job
Interpretation time: 40 seconds
. . .
If you are printing a subfile (data types CT, HC, or LW), you see less text after
clicking Print:
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\Tiffit\66.ct" as a
TIFF/IT-P1 CT (low-resolution contone) standalone file
. . .
enabled, then depending on the input method chosen, the TIFF 6.0 input
option may attempt to process the parts of the file that it recognizes as TIFF.

8.18 Printing TIFF 6.0 files
This is unlikely to produce the desired result. See also “Printing TIFF 6.0 files”
on page 293. In the following example a TIFF/IT-P1 file is processed as a
TIFF 6.0 file.
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\Tiffit\test.tif" as a
TIFF 6.0 baseline (with extensions) standalone file
% tiffdev: TIFF6: compression is None
% tiffdev: bits per sample = 1
% tiffdev: samples per pixel (planes) = 1 (bilevel or grayscale)
. . .
However, if the TIFF 6.0 input option does not recognize any part of the file as
TIFF, you will see the message:
open: the TIFF 6.0 or TIFF/IT file
is either corrupt, unsupported, of an unrecognised
type or the appropriate file type is not enabled
in Configure RIP / Extras
The RIP displays the same message if you attempt to image TIFF/IT data
types that it does not support or to image files that do not conform to the
TIFF/IT-P1 profile.

The RIP accepts TIFF 6.0 baseline files, with the exceptions and extensions
listed under Section 8.18.2 on page 294.
This support extends to all TIFF files produced by the Torrent RIP TIFF output
plugin, with the exception of files produced with these settings:
• In the Torrent RIP version 5.0 through 5.5r0b, where Style in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box has been set to RGB Composite (Band) or CMYK
Composite (Band).
• In the Torrent RIP version 4.5 and earlier, where TIFF format in the TIFF
Configuration dialog box has been set to PlanarConf=2/multiple
strips.

8 Configuring Input
Note: From v 5.5r1 the Torrent RIP can handle RGB Composite (Band) or CMYK
Composite (Band) Style but only with the tiffexec operator. tiffdev still
does not support these styles.
Note: The Torrent v6.0 release and later RIPs support Palette colour (Index
colour) TIFF files.
8.18.1 Procedures
TIFF 6.0 input is always enabled, but operates only with Spool Folder input
and the Print File command. (It is also possible to use TIFF 6.0 input from
PostScript-language instructions.)
Copy the TIFF file to the correct folder for Spool Folder input, or select it in the
dialog box shown when you choose Print File. If you use Print File, type the file
name or make sure that the RIP is displaying all files in the list of files. TIFF
files often have the file name extension .TIF but this is not required.
This extract from the text displayed in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window
shows the messages produced when successfully processing a TIFF 6.0 file.
Setup loaded: "tiff"
Ripping file %H%/Suites/PEOPLE/68.tif as TIFF.
% tiffdev: reading "H:\Suites\PEOPLE\68.tif" as a
TIFF 6.0 baseline (with extensions) standalone file
Starting Job On Thursday, January 29, 1998 08:48:48
% tiffdev: TIFF6: compression is None
% tiffdev: bits per sample = 8
% tiffdev: samples per pixel (planes) = 4 (CMYK)
. . .
The remaining text (not shown here) is related to rendering and output, not to
the input.
8.18.2 Limitations and extensions

The Torrent RIP accepts TIFF 6.0 baseline files, with the following differences.
Not supported:
• LAB colour.

• 16 bit Images.
• Multiple IFDs (images) per file (the RIP images only the first).
• PhotometricInterpretation = 4 (transparency mask).
• PlanarConfiguration = 2 (tiffdev). This option is offered by the Torrent
RIP TIFF output plugin, as composite RGB or CMYK output with band-
interleaving in the Torrent RIP version 5.0 and later.
Note: From Torrent RIP version 5.5r1 the tiffexec operator supports
PlanarConfiguration = 2.
Ignored:
• GrayResponseCurve.
• GrayResponseUnit.
Restrictions:
• 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 bits per plane.
Additionally, the RIP supports the following full TIFF 6.0 extensions to TIFF
6.0 baseline:
• CCITT T.4 compression (group 3 2-D) (1 bit per pixel or bpp).
• CCITT T.6 compression (group 4) (1 bpp).
• LZW compression, including Differencing Predictor.
• CMYK (including DotRange != 0, 255).
• JPEG compression.
Note: If you are attempting to RIP images which you have prepared using
Photoshop and saved using ZIP or JPEG compression, the RIP may generate a
rangecheck error.
This occurs because ZIP compression is not a recognized TIFF compression

format, and as such is not documented in the TIFF 6.0 specification. The JPEG
compression that Photoshop uses is a new version of JPEG data in TIFF files
which is also not part of the TIFF 6.0 specification.

8 Configuring Input
8.19 Printing page buffer files

The RIP can print page buffer files produced by another similar installation of
the RIP. This is a convenient way of setting up a simple workflow able to
transfer pages from one RIP installation to another.
One example of how this ability can be useful is where you have several RIPs
with a single, fast, final output device, and perhaps various slower proofing
printers. It is easy for a single RIP working alone to keep a slow proofing
printer supplied with jobs. On the other hand, it may require many of the Tor-
rent RIPs interpreting jobs and producing page buffers to keep your fast
output device busy. One solution is have the interpreting RIPs all pass their
final output page buffers to a single machine running a RIP, whose only func-
tion is to accept page buffers and pass them to the fast output device as
quickly as possible.
Note: The separate FlatOut User Guide describes this situation and other, more
complex, possibilities in greater detail. Please contact HighWater Designs if
you would like a copy of this manual.
The method described here is designed for the rerouting of complete and
valid page buffers, using Print File or spool folder inputs.
8.19.1 Requirements and preparation

There are some requirements on the installations involved and you must pre-
pare the receiving and supplying Torrent RIP installations before use.
The requirements are:
• The RIP installation printing (receiving) the page buffers must have the
same installed version of the same output plugin as used to produce the
page buffers.
• This receiving RIP installation must be running in Multiple or Multi-
ple (Parallel) modes.
• The sending RIP installations must be version 4.5 or later.

• All the RIP installations must be running on the same platform: for
example, Windows NT on an Intel-compatible processor / Macintosh /
Mac OS X.

8.19 Printing page buffer files
• It must be acceptable to have the original page buffers destroyed after

output.
The preparation of the receiving RIP installation is to enable use of the PGB
hot folder page feature and create a page setup. Optionally, you can use the
page setup with a spool folder input.
1. Enable the page feature, by copying the PGB hot folder file from the
SW/Page features/Examples folder to the SW/Page features folder.
2. Create an appropriate page setup and choose the PGB hot folder entry
in the Enable Feature menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
3. Optionally, if you wish to use a spool folder as input, create a new spool
folder input and, in the Input Channel Edit dialog box, choose the page
setup that you created in step 2. Configure and name the spool folder, as
described in Section 8.6.1 on page 249, then make sure that it is enabled
and that the inputs are started.
The preparation of the supplying RIP installation is simpler. Create page
setups that use the output device plugin with resolution and other settings
that match those you have chosen in the receiving installation. You do not
need to select the PGB hot folder page feature.
8.19.2 Printing procedure

Depending on how you prepared the system, there are two possible methods.
You can use both methods together.
• Supply page buffer files to a spool folder if you have set up one as part
of the preparation described in Section 8.19.1 on page 296.
Note:It is recommended that you do not use a spool folder input moni-
toring the folder managed by the Output Controller/Monitor of the
supplying RIP. More robust methods include creating a daemon process
to transfer page buffers after creation or use of page buffer redirection
where the supplying RIP creates selected page buffers in another folder.
Page buffer redirection requires RIP version 5.0 or later.
• Choose Torrent RIP / File > Print File, navigate to the relevant folder, select
the wanted files and click Print. (Page buffer files have the extension
.PGB so be sure that you are displaying all files in the folder.)

8 Configuring Input
Warning: For both methods, the receiving RIP effectively deletes the supplied
page buffer file, at the same time as it creates a new page buffer in its own
PageBuffer folder and makes it visible in the Output Controller / Monitor.
Even if you use a spool folder input and leave Delete on completion unselected,
the completed files copied into the Complete Folder are no longer valid page
buffers.
When printing a page buffer file, the RIP displays a message in the RIP Moni-
tor / main Torrent RIP window, similar to this example, where text in italic
varies according to the file and plugin:
Introducing new pagebuffer: %C%/my_folder/00000003.PGB
Pagebuffer created for device: my_device
Page name: 2. fontlist (K)
Total time: 1 seconds
Job Completed: 00000003.PGB
The receiving installation of the RIP does not check whether each page buffer
was created for an output plugin that the receiving installation has installed.
Any page buffers created by a plugin that is not installed either fail to appear
in the Output Controller/Monitor, or trigger the error:
could not access a resource for a plugin device driver
8.20 Entering PostScript-language code by hand

If you would like to type code directly into the RIP and see the results inter-
preted, you can use the Executive, which allows you to type PostScript-lan-
guage code, and have it interpreted immediately by the RIP.
If the input system is running, you must stop it using the Torrent RIP / File >
Start Inputs menu option. When you choose Torrent RIP / File > Executive, the
RIP asks you to select a page setup for use with the Executive.
Note: If you do not choose a page setup, the RIP uses the one that you chose
last time you used the Executive. If you have not used the Executive in this
RIP session, the first page setup in the menu is used. To change the order of
this listing, see “Reordering page setups” on page 100.
The RIP then displays a window where you can enter PostScript-language
code by typing or cutting and pasting. Any PostScript-language code that
generates output when executed produces page buffers exactly like other jobs

8.20 Entering PostScript-language code by hand
processed using the same page setup. It is wise to hold these page buffers for
inspection in the Output Controller, where you can view or manipulate the
page buffers, before sending any suitable pages for output. The Output Con-
troller is available in either of the multiple page buffer modes.
Note: If you intend to keep page buffers produced from the Executive for any
significant time, set a job name that helps you identify the page buffers.
To generate an interrupt, choose Interrupt from the Executive menu.
To quit the Executive window, type quit or Ctrl+W or Command-W at the
prompt, or choose Stop Executive from the Executive menu.
Whenever you quit the Executive, the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window
displays the following, harmless message:
Job Not Completed: jobname
Remember to restart inputs if you stopped them before using the Executive.

8 Configuring Input

9
9Media Management
This chapter describes how the RIP provides ways of monitoring and manag-
ing the use of media in a range of output devices. It also describes how you
can configure these ways to suit your operation.
9.1 Why manage your media?

In a typical printing environment, you might have access to a number of dif-
ferent imagesetters, each of which takes one of several feed cassettes, or drum
recorders, each of which holds a roll of continuous media. You may use sev-
eral feed cassettes on one imagesetter, or share one between several imageset-
ters. You may even do both.
Figure 9.1 on page 302 shows a possible printing environment. This environ-
ment can produce several operational needs.
Suppose that you want to produce output from the RIP on a particular output
device, using one of the cassettes available to you. Which cassette should you
use? You do not want to use one that is low on media, in case it runs out before
the job is printed.
At the same time, you want to make the most economical use of media. If a
cassette contains just the right amount of the correct media for a job, it makes
sense to use it instead of another one, so that media is not wasted.

9 Media Management
The output (take-up) cassette is also worth monitoring. You may want to pro-
cess all of a job together and need to know how much more media the output
cassette can accept. Equally, if the output goes to an online processor, you may
need to know that there is enough film output for the processor to handle
satisfactorily.
In addition, there may be times when you want to cut the media in a particu-
lar cassette, or feed extra media. If you are working at your computer, and the
output device is not located nearby, doing this by hand might be inconvenient.
Online Take-up bin

processor
Multiple feed Imagesetters Take-up

cassettes for film cassette
and paper
Figure 9.1 Using multiple output devices and cassettes
9.1.1 Overview of the Torrent RIP capabilities

The Torrent RIP media management can meet all these needs, subject to oper-
ating with suitable output devices and getting a minimal amount of informa-
tion from the operator. These requirements are explained in later parts of this
section.
The RIP can manage up to sixteen feed cassettes at once, using as many suit-
able output devices as are connected.

9.1 Why manage your media?
For each cassette (or roll-fed device) it can: monitor the media remaining, dis-
play the amount of media for the particular cassette in use, and issue auto-
matic warnings when this amount is low.
The RIP can also instruct the output device to perform cut and feed opera-
tions, both automatically (at pre-specified intervals and events) and interac-
tively, on request (when you choose menu options). The physical device itself
must support software control of these functions.
You can still perform manual operations while using the RIP media manage-
ment. The purpose of media management is to reduce the need for routine
manual operation and record keeping.
A media saving feature is also available. For more information see Section 5.14
on page 136.
9.1.2 Suitable devices

You will gain some benefit from using media management with most types of
output device. Media management performs most efficiently when the follow-
ing assumptions are satisfied:
• The physical output devices are roll fed from cassettes. The RIP media
management is not suited to, or necessary for, sheet-fed devices.
• When you change a feed cassette, you also mount an empty output
cassette—by changing or emptying the full one.
• There is only one feed cassette mounted at a time. This is the usual case.
There is at least one imagesetter which can have several input cassettes
mounted at one time.
• Each physical device is represented by one Torrent RIP output device.
This is the usual case.
The possibility of having multiple output devices arises because there
are some physical devices which can provide multiple types of output.
One example provides a dual technology (dye sublimation and thermal
transfer) engine in one unit. These technologies have different character-
istics and require separate strategies regarding calibration and colour
separation—providing each technology with its own output device type
is a likely solution.

9 Media Management
9.1.3 What you need to do

Media management reduces and simplifies your routine work but you need to
perform a small amount of setting up for each cassette or media source before
starting to use media management. This setting up includes:
• Specifying when automatic cuts or feeds and warnings should occur.
You do this in the Media Manager dialog box.
• Naming cassettes and specifying their initial contents.
You do this in the Cassette Manager dialog box.
After this setting up, all you have to do is tell the RIP when you change some-
thing that affects its records of media use:
• Which cassette is in use.
You do this in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, using the Cassette menu.
• How much media you have put in a cassette when you refill it, and
when you perform a manual operation that affects the amount of
media.
You do this in the Cassette Manager dialog box.
Note: Any management system that monitors the amount of media remaining
relies upon knowing the amount that was available when the system was set
up, since there is usually no automatic means of detecting this. It is therefore
essential that you inform the RIP how much media is available to each cassette
whenever it changes (for instance, when you refill one).
You must also ensure that the cassette being used to process a job is the same
one the RIP thinks is being used. You can check this by seeing which cassette
is chosen in the selected page setup.
9.2 Advancing and cutting media interactively

You can use the interactive options described in this section immediately,
without performing any preparation.
This can be useful when you are starting to use a new system. Once you have
established the effects of the options and decided which of these you want to
use regularly, you can set up automatic procedures to reduce your need for

9.2 Advancing and cutting media interactively
the interactive options: see “Advancing and cutting media automatically” on

page 306. The interactive options (and any manual controls on the output
device) remain useful for unusual jobs or special tests.
9.2.1 Device menu

Each interactive option is a Torrent RIP menu command which affects the
selected device and the cassette mounted in that device.
The commands are in a menu in the main Torrent RIP window, which appears
between the Edit menu and the Colour menu. The menu changes its name to
indicate the currently selected output device.
Note: For simplicity, this manual refers to this menu as the Device menu. The
commands available in this menu can vary to suit the currently selected
output device.
The first option in the Device menu is Select Device. Choose this option to see
the Select Output Device dialog box, where you can see a list of available
output devices. Select a device and click Select.
The possible names in the Select Output Device dialog box—and thus of the
Device menu—are exactly the same as the ones you can choose from the Output
device list in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. For example, the name might be
UltreP or ExxtraSetter if the RIP is driving only one imagesetter, or only one of
each type of imagesetter. If you are driving two imagesetters of the same type,
there might be names such as Ultre_1 and Ultre_2: you can choose a name for
each device when you set it up in the Device Manager.
9.2.2 Using the Device menu

For most output devices, the Device menu contains commands to advance
(feed) the media and to cut it.
On some output device types, there may be extra commands or some of the
default commands may be grayed out. (Any output device that you choose
from the Device Manager can have its own version of the Device menu: in
technical terms, the menu is specified in the relevant output plugin at the time
of software manufacture.)

9 Media Management
For example, if a device takes a long time to load film, there could be a pre-
load command allowing you to load film during the processing of a page to
avoid delay once the page is ready to image.
• To advance the media in the current device, choose one of the Advance
menu options, when available.
There are usually three options to advance the media, allowing you to
feed 1, 3, or 6 inches of media through the imagesetter. (The relevant
output plugin can be written to offer any number of similar options,
specifying other lengths or units.)
• To cut the media in the current device, choose one of the Cut menu
options. There are commands to cut with or without feeding media.
If you choose Cut media with feed, or type Ctrl+K / Command-K, the RIP
will feed a predetermined length of media through the imagesetter, and
then cut. You can specify the amount of media to feed through, in the
Media Manager. See “Automatic use” on page 307, for details of how to
set this length.
If you choose Cut media no feed, or type Ctrl+L / Command-L, the RIP
will cut the film without feeding any extra media.
Note: Some output devices, for instance the PelBox, always perform a
feed before a cut. The RIP cannot override this feed, but it can keep a
record of how much media is fed. If you use such a device, read its
manual to find out this feed length, and enter the value in the box
labeled Built in cut length in the Media Manager dialog box. See “Hard-
ware feeds” on page 318.
9.3 Advancing and cutting media automatically

The automatic options described in this section reduce the number of times
you need to use the RIP menu commands or front panel buttons on the physi-
cal output device. You must do some setting up to make sure that the auto-
matic options do what you want.
The manual options remain useful for use with unusual jobs or special tests:
see “Advancing and cutting media interactively” on page 304.

9.3.1 Automatic use

The RIP can advance the media in a cassette or drum recorder automatically.
With many imagesetters, the RIP can also cut media, although this depends on
the particular device you are using.
Figure 9.1 shows two possible schemes for advancing and cutting media auto-
matically. The RIP supports these schemes and many others.
Flow of exposed media
P2 P1 P3 P2 P1 P4 P3 P2 P1
Job 3 Job 2 Job 1
Advance and cut only between jobs
P2 P1 P3 P2 P1 P4 P3 P2 P1
Advance every page and cut between every 4 pages
Figure 9.2 Some options for handling output media automatically
Using the Media Manager, you can make the RIP perform media cuts and
feeds automatically, choosing when and how much media to feed through
and when to cut.
You can also disable or re-enable all media management facilities as often as
you wish. (Torrent RIP output plugins designed for sheet-fed devices disable
media management on those devices automatically.) You will probably want
to disable media management when you share feed cassettes between differ-
ent devices—this will prevent the RIP issuing meaningless warnings about
low media levels.

9 Media Management
Display the Media Manager dialog box by choosing Media Manager from the
Output menu.
Figure 9.3 shows the RIP Media Manager dialog box. This dialog box allows
you to configure and control media.
Figure 9.3 Media Manager dialog box
The RIP displays the name of the current device at the top of the dialog box, in
the Device menu. All selections that you make in this dialog box apply to the
displayed device (and to all cassettes that you use on this device). These selec-
tions are not confirmed until you click OK.
You can select another device using the Device list, then set up different
options for managing media in the new device.
Click OK to confirm your media management choices for the device(s) that
you have edited. Click Cancel to abandon all changes made to media manage-
ment (on any device) in the current use of the Media Manager.

9.3.2 Enabling and disabling media management

In the Media Manager dialog box, there is a check box labeled Disable media
management.
• Select this box to turn off the automatic media management facilities for
the output device. If you turn off media management, there will be no
current cassette selected in the Cassette Manager (See “Setting up the
monitoring system” on page 312).
• Leave the box clear to enable media management.
Note: After enabling or re-enabling media management, you must verify the
contents of each cassette used on that output device. For details, see “Setting
up the monitoring system” on page 312.
9.3.3 Cutting media

With media management enabled, you can choose when the RIP will make
automatic cuts.
Note: Any cut operation disables output, unless the output device is using an
online processor (developer). Typically, you will need to fit a new take-up cas-
sette before re-enabling the RIP outputs: the RIP displays a message to remind
you of this.
You can choose from three different policies, available on the left of the Media
Manager, in the section labeled Cut. The three choices are:
• Cut the media after each job.
• Cut the media after a certain number of pages.
• Cut the media when (or slightly before) a certain length of it has been
exposed.
To use any of these options, select the check box labeled appropriately and, if
there is a text box alongside the label, type a suitable value in that box.
If you choose a combination of conditions for a cut, the RIP will cut whenever
any one of those conditions becomes true, and will then reset all counts of
length or pages.

9 Media Management
To cut the media:
After every job printed

select the check box labeled after job. The RIP will auto-
matically cut the media after every job output on the
current device.
After a number of pages

select the check box labeled after pages and enter the
number—which must be a whole number—in the adja-
cent text box. The RIP will automatically cut the media
after that number of pages has been printed.
At a certain length
select the before length check box and specify a length in
the box. This length is the maximum that will be
exposed. For example, you might choose a length that is
convenient to process.
You can select the units you wish to use for length from
the Select units menu in the bottom left of the Media
Manager. The options available are feet, inches, meters,
and centimeters.
Note: The RIP never cuts the media while part of the way through printing a
page. Where a cut at the exact length would fall within a page, the RIP per-
forms the cut before outputting the page. This occurs even if, for example, you
specify a length of 12 inches and a page is 18 inches long.
9.3.4 Feeding media

The options on the right of the Media Manager let you specify when the RIP
will feed media automatically. There are three feed policies under Paper feed:
• Feed the media around each page.
• Feed the media between jobs.
• Feed the media before every cut.

See below for a fuller description of these policies and some of the possible
reasons for wanting extra media feeds in each of the specified situations. (The
remaining entries in this section of the dialog box describe characteristics of
the output device.)
To use any of these options, type the feed length that you want in the text box
alongside the appropriate label. Type 0 (zero) into the text box if you do not
want an automatic feed.
You can choose which units to use for the lengths from the Select units menu
above the OK button—the available units are feet, inches, meters, centimeters,
picas, and points.
Some reasons, and the details, for each feed policy are as follows:
Around each page

Feed through some media around every page that is
produced, perhaps so that you can perform cuts by
hand more easily. Half of this amount will be fed before
the page and half after it.
Between jobs Feed through some media after every job that has been
processed, perhaps to make it easier to see where one
job ends and the next starts.
Note: This feed after a job will not occur if there is a cut
after the last page of the job, caused by either of the cut
after pages or cut after job settings.
Before cut Feed through some media before making any cut, per-
haps to stop film near a cut being exposed to external
light.
The RIP feeds the amount of media you specify here
before performing any of the automatic cuts described
on page 309, or a cut that you have requested by choos-
ing Cut media with feed from the Device menu. See also
“Hardware feeds” on page 318.

9 Media Management
9.3.5 Interaction with other Torrent RIP options

The description just given of automatic cutting and feeding is accurate but
there is also a degree of interaction with the RIP options to use media as eco-
nomically as possible. These options either reorient pages or pack them
together so that, for example, more than one page is imaged side by side in the
length of media that would otherwise be used by one page.
The results are that the page length can vary or that the RIP treats several
pages as one unit (and that this unit is treated as a page by the media manage-
ment software). This may be unexpected but it should not cause any
problems.
The relevant options occur in the Optimization and Enable Feature menus of the
Edit Page Setup dialog box. See “Media saving option” on page 136 and “Fea-
tures” on page 148 for a fuller description of these options.
9.4 Monitoring media

When you start monitoring media, you must tell the RIP how much media is
in each cassette. Thereafter, the RIP maintains a record of how much media
remains, and will warn you when any cassette is running low.
9.4.1 Setting up the monitoring system

The RIP monitors the feed cassette providing the media, rather than the
output device used. This is because any one output device may take several
different feed cassettes. For instance, you may have an imagesetter that can
produce output on either film or paper, and you may keep two cassettes—one
loaded with film and one loaded with paper.
Note: If you have an output device that uses a roll feed, you can monitor its
use of media by treating it as a device with a permanently mounted cassette.
Before processing any jobs, you need to tell the RIP about the cassettes you are
using and give details of the media currently in each cassette. You do this from
the Cassette Manager dialog box. Click the Cassette Manager button in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box or choose Output > Cassette Manager to open the Cas-
sette Manager dialog box, as shown in Figure 9.4.

9.4.2 Cassette Manager and Edit Cassette dialog box

The main window of the Cassette Manager lists each available cassette, so that
you can see and compare the information relating to different cassettes.
A new installation of the Torrent RIP lists one cassette in the Cassette Man-
ager. You can add more cassettes at any time, and subsequently edit their
information or delete their entries using the Edit, New, Copy, and Delete
buttons.
There is a related Edit Cassette dialog box in which you can alter the informa-
tion for a particular cassette.
Figure 9.4 Cassette Manager dialog box
The information in the Cassette Manager also appears in the Edit Cassette
dialog box: each category is listed below.
There are two buttons which appear in the Cassette Manager only. Use these
buttons to tell the RIP when you have performed a manual operation. (On
some output devices, a manual operation may be the only option or it may be
quicker than an operation driven by the RIP.)
Manual Cut Done

Click this button when you have cut the media in the
current device.
Manual Feed Done

Click this button when you have performed a manual
feed of media in the current device.

9 Media Management
Before using one of these buttons, you must set up the amount of media used
in the corresponding manual operation. These quantities are labeled Manual
feed length and Manual cut length in the Media Manager. See “Hardware feeds”
on page 318.
To set up or change the details for a cassette, select the relevant cassette in the
Cassette Manager window and click the Edit button. Figure 9.5 shows the Edit
Cassette dialog box that appears, containing the details for the selected
cassette.
Figure 9.5 Edit Cassette dialog box
The RIP displays the following values in both the Edit Cassette dialog box and
the Cassette Manager. You can only change these values from within the Edit
Cassette dialog box.
The RIP displays the information about a cassette in columns in the Cassette
Manager and in corresponding text boxes in the Edit Cassette dialog box.
Cassette name An identifying name. This name will be displayed on

the Cassette menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
The name is purely for your own convenience—you
can change it to any name you like. Choose a name that
allows you to identify the cassette and that suits your

situation and your procedures. You might find it help-

ful to attach a label with this name (and the type of
media) to the actual cassette.
For example, if you use two cassettes only on an Ultre
imagesetter and only for specific types of media then
you might name these cassettes: UltreFilm1 and
UltrePaper2. An alternative solution in the same situa-
tion might be Ultre1 and Ultre2, with a separate record
of the type of media. If you use the same cassette to
hold paper and use it for proofs on different output
devices then you might call it PaperProof.
Note: The symbol > in front of the cassette name indi-
cates the cassette in use on the current or most recently
used output device.
Media type The type of media held in the selected cassette. It lets
you tell quickly whether, for instance, the cassette holds
paper or film. The field Cassette Name is purely for your
own convenience—you can change it to anything you
like.
The entry No Media means that no one has yet specified
a type of media for the cassette.
Media width The width of the media in the selected cassette or drum
recorder. The RIP uses this value when calculating in
which orientation to print a page if you are using the
Media Saving option in the Optimization menu. (See
“Printing effects” on page 147.)
You must set this value to the actual width of media
that can be printed on (the imageable width) because
some output devices cannot image right up to the edge
of the media. If you enter the total width of the media
and the output device has a smaller imageable width
then some large pages are likely to extend into the non-
imageable area and those output pages will be clipped
Imageable or visually corrupted when the RIP attempts to output
width

9 Media Management
them. The illustration to the left shows an example of

clipping where a page (the rectangle) is wider than the
imageable width (arrowed): only the area shown
shaded is imaged successfully.
Remaining length The amount of media left inside the cassette. The RIP
updates this value whenever it advances or prints
media. (The RIP also tests the updated value against
your choice of threshold values so that it can warn you
when the media is running low.)
You must type in the length that you have loaded
whenever you refill a cassette with media.
Number A unique number that the RIP uses to keep track of the
cassette. You can edit this number only when creating
an entry for a new cassette—the RIP suggests an
unused number, but you can use any other unused
number.
Units The units used in the measurement fields in this dialog

box. Use this menu to choose any convenient unit. The
RIP converts any figures already displayed to the units
you choose.)
Note: The unit of measurement that you choose here is also used to display
media usage in the Media Monitor window: see “Monitoring media” on page
312).
9.4.2.1 Closing the dialog boxes

You must close the Cassette Manager before you can use any tool bar buttons
or menu options in the Torrent RIP.
Click OK to confirm all the changes you have made in this use of the Edit
Cassette dialog box. This confirmation is provisional: you must also click OK
in the Cassette Manager to finally save your changes. The OK button saves the
changes you have made and closes the Cassette Manager. If you opened the
Cassette Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, you can also save the

changes by clicking the Select button. In addition to saving the changes, the
Select button displays the selected cassette in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
Click Cancel to discard all changes.
Note: If you open the Cassette Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box,
changes that you make in the Cassette Manager are independent of the Edit
Page Setup dialog box. For example, if you create a cassette, and close the Edit
Cassette and Cassette Manager dialog boxes with OK or Select, the new style
will remain even if you cancel the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
9.4.3 Using media management

When using media management, you must select both the feed cassette to be
used and the output device, in the Edit Page Setup dialog box (as described in
“Cassette management” on page 152). When printing a job, the RIP uses the
cassette selected in the saved page setup associated with the input source pro-
viding the job.
When you perform a manual operation on the output device, use the Manual
Cut Done or Manual Feed Done buttons in the Cassette Manager dialog box.
When you refill a cassette, you must use the Edit Cassette dialog box to inform
the RIP how much media is now in the cassette.
9.4.4 Using media management with multiple setups

Sometimes you will need to process a job on a device that had previously used
one cassette and now must use another. This is quite likely to happen when
using a number of different page setups.
When a change of cassette is required, the RIP will warn you that the correct
cassette is not in the current device, and will halt printing until you have
loaded it. This ensures that you will never waste time or media by printing
jobs on the wrong cassette.
If you are running the RIP in a Multiple mode, the warning will appear in the
progress box of the Output Controller. If you are running in a Single mode, it
will appear in a separate progress box on the screen.

9 Media Management
Note: The RIP cannot tell which cassette is loaded on the output device, so it
will issue a warning even if you have changed to the correct cassette after the
previous job was produced.
Always inform the RIP when you physically change cassettes, by selecting a
page setup that uses the new cassette.
9.4.5 Low media warnings

The RIP can warn you when the amount of media in the current feed cassette
is low and before the media actually runs out. You can specify thresholds for
up to three warnings using the Media Manager.
In the section labeled Length warnings, type values into the First, Second, and
Final text boxes. The RIP sorts the three values so that the length for the first
warning is greater than for the second, which itself is made greater than the
final threshold. All three warnings appear in the Output Controller: they are
Media low, Media very low, and MEDIA VERY LOW.
Choose the units used for these lengths from the Select units menu immedi-
ately below the Length warnings text boxes—the options available are feet,
inches, meters, or centimeters.
Note: Once you have refilled a cassette, you must update its details in the
Cassette Manager if you want media management to continue to work
correctly.
9.4.6 Hardware feeds

Some imagesetters automatically feed the media a certain amount before
printing any page or before performing a cut; and they also may have front
panel buttons that trigger these or similar actions. The RIP cannot override
these hardware feeds but it can record them and calculate their effects on the
amount of media left in any input cassette.
If you have an imagesetter that issues hardware feeds, and you use media
management, you must tell the RIP how much media is fed through when a
hardware feed is performed, so that it can take this into account.
This involves two stages: set up and routine use.

Perform the set up by selecting the output device in the Device menu in the
Media Manager. The relevant options are on the right of the Media Manager:
Built in feed length

Type into this text box the amount of media that the
output device feeds when it receives a software feed
request.
The Media Manager will add this amount to its record
of the amount of media consumed for every job pro-
cessed, and deduct it from the details of the relevant
cassette. This is used in addition to the around each page
feed value.
Built in cut length

output device feeds before a cut triggered by software.
Whenever a cut is issued, the RIP will subtract this
amount from its record of the remaining length of
media for the current cassette. This is used in addition
to the before cut feed value.
Manual feed length

output device feeds when a front panel button triggers
a media feed.
The RIP adds this amount to its record of the amount of
media consumed, and deducts it from the details of the
relevant feed cassette.
Manual cut length

current output device feeds before a cut triggered by a
front panel button.
Whenever you inform the RIP that you have performed
a cut, the RIP subtracts this amount from its record of
the remaining length of media in the current cassette.

9 Media Management
For these options, you can choose units from the Select units menu at the
bottom of the dialog box. The units available are feet, inches, meters, centime-
ters, picas, or points.
Note: The feed lengths for built-in and manual operation may be the same. If
they are the same, enter the same value in the two fields.
In routine use, there are two cases:
• The RIP takes account of the values you set up when calculating the
effects of any automatic operations and ones that you request from the
Device menu. You do not need to do anything extra.
• If you perform a manual operation by using controls on the output

device, you must inform the RIP. Display the Cassette Manager and
click the button Manual Cut Done or Manual Feed Done whenever you
perform the corresponding manual operation. See Figure 9.4, page 313,
and the following description of the buttons.
9.4.7 Online developers or processors

If you are using an online developer with a particular output device, you must
inform the RIP so that it can handle that device correctly.
There is an obvious benefit to using an online developer because media that
emerges from the output device is fed directly to the developer, which pro-
duces the image automatically. However, online developers need to be fed a
certain amount of media before they can develop any images—for example, a
particular online developer may require a minimum of two feet of media. If
the RIP or an operator performs a cut before the required amount of media has
been exposed, then any images on the exposed media will not be developed
automatically, and there may be a media jam in the developer. It is easy to
avoid this problem.
To set up the RIP to drive an output device with an online developer, first
make that device current and display the Media Manager. Make these two
settings:
Using online developer

Select this box to show that you are using an online
developer.

Minimum length before cut

Enter in this text box the minimum length of media that
the online developer requires for processing.
You can choose the units for this length from the Select
units menu immediately below. The units available are
feet, inches, meters, centimeters, picas, and points.
In routine use, you do not need to do anything extra. The RIP will make an
automatic cut only if there is sufficient exposed media to enable the online
developer to work effectively. If you need to force a cut, select Cut with feed
from the Device menu. This command feeds enough media to pad the output
to the Minimum length before cut value, and then performs a cut.
When using an online developer, the RIP does not issue warnings to change
take-up cassettes, and does not disable output after a cut.
9.4.8 Monitoring your media

When you are using media management, the RIP can display information
about media usage on your computer screen and keep the information up to
date as jobs are output.
Choose Media Monitor from the Output menu to display the information.
The information appears in the Media Monitor, shown in Figure 9.6. By
default, when in Multiple (Parallel) mode, the RIP displays both the Output
Controller and the Media Monitor.
Figure 9.6 Media Monitor window
The media information is presented in the following fields:
Name The name of the feed cassette.

A series of asterisks ( *** ) in this field shows that the
current output device has media management disabled.

9 Media Management
Type The type of media in the feed cassette.

A series of asterisks ( *** ) in this field has the same
meaning as in the Name field. The entry No Film, No
Media, or a blank entry, means that no one has defined
the type of media, not that the cassette is empty.
Pages The number of pages exposed since the last cut was
performed.
Length The amount of media left in the current feed cassette.

This length is shown in the unit of measurement that
you can choose in the Units field in this dialog box.
Exposed The amount of media that has been exposed since a cut
was last performed. This is also the amount in the take-
up cassette.
Units The units of measurement for figures in the Length and

Exposed fields. Choose any convenient unit from those
listed.

10
10 Fonts
Whenever the RIP processes a job that uses fonts, they must be available in
memory. Fonts are loaded into the RIP from the disk automatically whenever
they are required. However, the fonts must have been installed first, or they
must be embedded in the job that uses them. Installation is a once-only pro-
cess where the RIP configures the font for its use and puts it in the appropriate
place. This chapter discusses how fonts are installed and then used by the Tor-
rent RIP.
The RIP provides a suite of facilities that let you manage fonts easily and effi-
ciently. This suite includes commands that will:
• Install fonts in the RIP.
• Tell you which fonts are currently installed.
• Produce a proof of any font currently installed.
• Remove fonts from the RIP.

10 Fonts
10.1 Supplied fonts

The Torrent RIP comes with the 35 standard fonts found in most versions of
the Apple LaserWriter and many other PostScript printers. The RIP font folder
also includes several special-purpose fonts:
• The HP-Times-Roman and HP-Courier fonts are used for PCL
emulation. PCL is the Printer Control Language used in Hewlett-
Packard laser printers.
• The NotDefFont font is used by composite fonts.
• The Stick font is used for HPGL emulation. HPGL is a plotter language
used by some Hewlett-Packard laser printers. The Torrent RIP supports
HPGL2 with this font.
The RIP supplies the 35 standard fonts and the special-purpose fonts installed
in the fonts folder in the SW folder.
10.2 Types of font

There are several different types of fonts that can be installed and used with
the RIP. See Section 10.4 on page 326 for details about installing fonts.
• Type 1 fonts—these are the most commonly used fonts. Type 1 fonts can
contain hints—metrics that vary with the size of the characters. Hinted
fonts can improve the appearance of text rendered at low resolution or
at small sizes on higher resolution devices: for example, hints can affect
11 point text at resolutions up to 2000 dpi.
Note: The font downloaders supplied with many Type 1 fonts actually
install Type 1 fonts as Type 4 fonts.
• Type 3 fonts.
• Type 0 (composite) fonts—these are special fonts designed to support
large character sets such as Japanese or Chinese. They can include many
Type 1, Type 3, or Type 4 fonts.
• Character identifier (CID) composite fonts, together with associated
character map (CMAP) files—used to produce CID-keyed fonts, which
exist only in the memory of the Torrent RIP (or other RIPs). CID-keyed

10.3 The DLD1 format
fonts fulfil the same purposes as Type 0 fonts but can be defined more
flexibly (using CID fonts and CMAP files) and so form the preferred
format for new fonts.
• Single-byte PC format TrueType fonts or OpenType fonts with TT
outlines.
Note: The RIP automatically creates Font resources for installed CID fonts—
every viable combination of CID font and CMap will be created. These font
resources are created when CID fonts or CMaps are installed using the Install
Fonts option in the Fonts menu, and are deleted when CID fonts are deleted
using the Delete Fonts option from Fonts menu. Font resources may also be
created or deleted on startup, if the available CID fonts or CMaps have
changed since the last bootup. Installing a CID font over AppleTalk with a
font installer will not automatically create font resources; the RIP must be quit
and restarted to do this.
The created font resources may be deleted using the Delete Fonts option on the
Fonts menu, and will not be re-created by the RIP.
Note: The RIP supports the use of a variety of other fonts, for example, when
they are embedded in PostScript-language or PDF jobs. The embedded fonts
can include Compact Font Format (CFF/Type 2), Type 42, and Type 32 fonts.
10.3 The DLD1 format

The Torrent RIP will convert Type 1 fonts (and Type 1 fonts contained within
composite fonts) into its own DLD1 font format.
The DLD1 format stores font data far more efficiently than do standard stor-
age formats. Access to font data, and operations upon fonts, are made much
faster, while the amount of PostScript-language virtual memory consumed by
the font is reduced dramatically.

10 Fonts
The benefits of using the DLD1 format include: a DLD1 format font occupies
less disk space; and this format can require under 10% of the memory space of
other formats. This table shows some typical figures for the disk and memory
requirements of a font in DLD1 format, and for the corresponding font in
Type 1 and Type 4 formats.
Font type Disk space (KB) Memory (KB)
DLD1 45 4
Type 1 100 50
Type 4 50 30
Table 10.1 Disk and memory requirements for font types
Note: It is difficult to give corresponding estimates for Type 3 fonts because

they are inherently so flexible, but they are not particularly efficient.
10.4 Installing fonts in the Torrent RIP

If a job requires a particular font, the font must already be installed in the RIP
before the job is processed, unless the job itself contains the font definition. If
the font is not found, the RIP will instead print the text in Courier or issue an
error message, depending on the setting for Abort the job if any fonts are miss-
ing in the Page Setup Options dialog box. See Section 5.22.8 on page 156 for
details.
Depending on the font type, you can install a font into the RIP in one of two
ways: by using the Install Fonts command or by downloading the font to the
RIP. Table 10.2 summarizes how to install the various font types.
An entry in the Other column indicates that the Torrent RIP supports the use of
the fonts when they are embedded in PostScript-language or PDF jobs. (A fol-
lowing PS or PDF indicates that embedding is possible only in that format.)

Font type Install Fonts Download to RIP Other
Type 1 fonts (excluding 3 3

Multiple Master fonts)
Type 3 fonts 3 3
Multiple Master fonts 3 3
TrueType fonts 3 3 3 PDF
Type 0 (composite) fonts 3

Character identifier (CID) 3 3 3
fonts
Character map (CMAP) files 3 3 3

Compact Font Format 3 3 PDF
(CFF/Type 2) fonts
Type 42 fonts 3 PS
Type 32 fonts 3 PS
Table 10.2 Installing fonts in the Torrent RIP
The Install Fonts command and downloading fonts to the RIP are described in
the next two sections.
See “Removing fonts” on page 334 for details about deleting the fonts you
have installed.

10 Fonts
10.4.1 Install Fonts command

When you choose Install Fonts from the Fonts menu, the RIP displays the
Install Fonts dialog box shown in Figure 10.1.
Figure 10.1 Install Fonts dialog box
Installing fonts on a Mac:

A list of files in the current folder is displayed in this dialog box.
Normally, only LaserWriter font format files are visible in the list. If your
fonts are not in this format, choose the All files option from the Show pop-
up menu.
To install a single font, do the following:
1. Select a font in the list.
2. Click Install.
To install a collection of fonts, do the following:
1. Select a font in the list.
2. Select other fonts, moving to other folders if required.
To select several files, hold down the Shift key while clicking to make your
selection.
When you have selected all the fonts you want, click Install to install them in
the RIP.

Install a font in Windows:

To install a single font, do the following:
1. Select a font in the list box.
2. Click Install.
Note: Normally, only LaserWriter font format files and PC format files with a
.pfb or .pfa extension are visible in the upper list box. If your fonts are not in
this format, select All Files from the Files of type drop-down list.
Use the Look in drop-down list to use other directories or drives.
You can also select several fonts and install them together.
Shift
To select a block of several files, select the first file in the block, and then hold
down the Shift key and select the last file in the block.
Ctrl
To select several unconnected files, hold down the Control key while making
your selection.
After installation (all users):
A successfully installed font produces the message:
Installed font ’ font_name’ in Type 42 format
The Install Fonts command will install into the RIP Type 1 (excluding multiple
master fonts), Type 3 and single-byte PC format TrueType fonts or OpenType
fonts with TT outlines.
There is no support for double-byte fonts, Macintosh format (resource fork)
fonts, or OpenType fonts with CFF outlines.
If you try to install a file that does not contain a font, or that contains a font of
another type, the RIP displays a message in the RIP Monitor. This will not
harm the RIP or the file in any way—the RIP just refuses to install it.
All fonts installed are placed in the fonts folder in SW. If a font is of Type 1, it
will be converted into DLD1 format before being added to the folder. This can
then be loaded into the RIP whenever necessary.

10 Fonts
Installation is performed on a copy of the font, so your original font file

remains intact.
10.4.2 Downloading fonts to the RIP

This section describes how to download fonts to the RIP.
• Multiple Master fonts
Multiple Master fonts may be downloaded over AppleTalk from a
Macintosh using the downloader supplied with them.
• Composite fonts
Composite fonts vary greatly, and so the procedure for installation is
likely to be different for each one: there is no industry standard for this
at present. Almost all composite fonts now come with their own
AppleTalk installers; however, there is still a small number that are
shipped as a collection of self-installing PostScript-language files.
Contact your font supplier for more detailed information about using
particular composite fonts with the RIP.
FireWorks, the Harlequin font downloader, can considerably ease the
task of installing some composite fonts. If you would like more informa-
tion about FireWorks, please contact your supplier.
• TrueType fonts
Some downloaders are available for installing TrueType fonts on RIP
disks. Such downloaders will work with the Torrent RIP.
• CID fonts
If your CID font is supplied with a downloader, install the font and any
relevant CMAP file over AppleTalk using the supplied downloader. If
no downloader is supplied, use the Install Fonts command.
All installed fonts are placed in the SW/fonts folder, except for CID fonts and
CMAP files, which are placed in the CIDFont and CMAP folders respectively.
The leaf fonts of many composite fonts are also installed elsewhere.

10.5 Pre-loading fonts
10.5 Pre-loading fonts

The Torrent RIP always pre-loads the 35 standard fonts, since one or more are
likely to be used by most jobs. If you frequently use a particular set of other
fonts, you can ask the RIP to load them automatically upon start-up.
The RIP will take slightly longer to start-up, but once loaded, the fonts will be
in memory when jobs require them. This saves time when processing jobs,
since the RIP does not have to stop interpreting to wait for a font to be loaded.
The time savings can be considerable—if a job requires a composite font, the
RIP could be waiting for up to 40 seconds to load it. By having it pre-loaded,
you will save this time with every job that uses it.
Note: You can use this method to pre-load composite fonts, so long as they
have been installed according to the instructions in “Downloading fonts to the
RIP” on page 330.
To pre-load a font, add a new line to the Torrent RIP initialization file, HqnOEM,
and restart the RIP. This initialization file is in the Sys folder in the SW folder.
You must add one line of PostScript-language code for every font you want to
load. For example, the following lines load ZapfChancery-MediumItalic and
ZapfDingbats into the RIP:
/ZapfChancery-MediumItalic HQNloadfont
/ZapfDingbats HQNloadfont
The RIP may take slightly longer to start up, but any jobs using these fonts
will run considerably faster. Pre-loading a composite font takes longer than
pre-loading other types of font, but saves more time for each job using it.
10.6 Producing a list of installed fonts

Sometimes you will need to know whether a particular font is currently
installed in the RIP. You can produce a list of all the currently installed fonts
by choosing Fonts > List Fonts.
This list will appear in two places:
• The RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window—this lets you see immediately
whether or not fonts are installed.

10 Fonts
• The file LOGFILE in the SW folder—this provides a more permanent

record of which fonts were installed at a particular time.
The date and time accompanies every list.
10.7 Proofing fonts

Sometimes you may want to produce a formatted listing of all the characters
in a particular font—known as a proof. This would normally entail writing a
special PostScript-language job to produce the listing, but the RIP allows you
to produce a proof of any installed font automatically.
Note: The RIP cannot proof CID fonts. If you request such a proof, the RIP
uses a substitute font, which is Courier (unless your supplier has configured a
different substitute).
Palatino-Italic
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQR
1234567890-=!@#$%^&*()_
Figure 10.2 An example of font proofing
You can proof fonts, either on a printer or on your screen, by choosing Proof
Fonts from the Fonts menu. The RIP produces the proof using your choice of
page setup and fits as many fonts as possible on a page. Figure 10.2 shows an
example of a short-format proof for one font.

10.7 Proofing fonts
When you choose Proof Fonts, the RIP displays a dialog box that lists all of the
fonts currently installed, as shown in Figure 10.3.
Figure 10.3 Proof Highlighted Fonts dialog box
First, choose an appropriate page setup for proofing the fonts, from the Page
Setup menu.
Note: If you forget to choose a page setup, the RIP uses the one that you chose
last time you proofed fonts. If you have not proofed fonts in this RIP session,
the first page setup in the listing is used. To change the order of this listing, see
“Reordering page setups” on page 100.
Select the fonts you want to proof, and click Proof. You can select as many
fonts as you like.
Shift
To select a block of several fonts, select the first font in the block, and then
hold down the Shift key and select the last font in the block.
Mac users: To select all the fonts listed, type Command-A.
To select several unconnected fonts, hold down the Command key while
clicking to make your selection.

10 Fonts
Ctrl
Windows users: To select several unconnected fonts, hold down the
Control key while making your selection.
The RIP constructs a PostScript-language job and then runs it, as if you had
used Print File to print an existing file. If other jobs are pending, the proof takes
its place in the queue.
By default, proofs only show a sample of the full character set in a font. If you
want a proof of the complete set of characters, select the Proof fonts in long
format check box.
10.8 Removing fonts

You can remove most font types using the Delete Fonts command. The two
exceptions to this are composite and CID fonts.
• Composite fonts
We recommend that you remove a composite (Type 0) font using the
font downloader supplied with it. This will ensure that the leaf fonts are
removed. In many cases this is also the only way to recover a font
license if the license restricts you to a fixed number of installs.
• CID fonts
If your CID font is supplied with a downloader, remove the font using
that downloader. Otherwise, delete the CID font from the CIDFont
folder in the SW folder.
Note: If there is a CID font and, for example, a Type 1 font with the same
name, the name is listed twice. If you delete such a font, the RIP deletes
the Type 1 font first; and then the CID font, if you choose to delete again.
When you choose the Delete Fonts command from the Fonts menu, the RIP
displays a dialog box, as shown in Figure 10.4, where you can select the fonts
to remove. As with the Install Fonts and Proof Fonts dialog boxes, you can
select as many fonts as you want.
When you click Delete, the RIP removes the fonts you have selected
immediately.

10.9 Composite fonts
Warning: If you remove a font, and then need to process a job that uses it, you
will first have to reinstall it. There is no confirmation dialog box. Before click-
ing Delete be sure that you have the original file from which you can reinstall
the font.
Figure 10.4 Delete Fonts dialog box
10.9 Composite fonts

The RIP provides full support for composite fonts. Because of their size, com-
posite fonts are treated specially. You cannot install them as you would Type 1
fonts, for example, and there are certain considerations you must make if they
are to be used efficiently. See Section 10.4.2 on page 330 for information about
installing composite fonts.
Composite fonts are usually very large, and can consume much computer
time and memory. Whenever a character is encountered in a job, a RIP must
find its definition in the composite font, and then convert it into a bitmap,
before it is printed or previewed. If a RIP does this for every character in the
job, it will be very slow.
The RIP minimizes the number of character conversions it has to do by storing
the results of conversions in a RAM cache store. This means that the first time
a character is seen, it is converted it into a bitmap and stored in the cache.
When that character is seen next, the RIP does not need to convert it again
because it can find the result immediately in the cache store. Significant sav-
ings in processing time can be made using this method, especially when deal-
ing with frequently used characters.

10 Fonts
The RIP is able to cache more character data when more memory is available
to it. We recommend you allow extra memory in the range 16 MB through
32 MB. You will need more memory still if you wish to cache several compos-
ite fonts. Try experimenting with memory allocation, as requirements will
depend on the fonts and types of job you have.
If you are going to use a composite font regularly, you should pre-load it into
the RIP. See “Pre-loading fonts” on page 331. Pre-loading makes the RIP
slower to start up, but saves a great deal of time when processing jobs that use
those fonts.
10.10 Font substitution

Generally, it is preferable to use the exact font that was used in the design of
the document. However, there are times when this is not possible; a font may
be corrupt; or the original font may not have been sent with the original file. In
such cases the only solution is to substitute with a font that is very similar in
design to the original specified font. The customer may ask you to do this to
get the job done on time.
If substitution were not available, the RIP would do one of two things: error
and refuse to produce the job or substitute a default font, depending on the
setting of the Abort job if any fonts are missing option, see Section 5.22.8 on
page 156. Either result may be unacceptable.
One solution is to open up all the pages in the original application program
and search and replace every occurrence of the problem font. This is not ideal
as it is time consuming; you may not have the original application and if you
miss one or two occurrences where the font was used, the processing time
would be wasted.
Having the RIP do the substitution for you “on the fly” is the best solution
because all occurrences of a font are guaranteed to be substituted.

10.10 Font substitution
In the RIP, the file SW/Config/FontSubstitution is automatically run as the

RIP boots. You can configure the following information in that file:
• Default font to use.
• Default CID font to use.
• Font substitution table.
• CID Font substitution table.
In all cases the FontSubstitution file has many comments and is intended to
be self-documenting.

10 Fonts

11
11 Calibration
This chapter discusses calibration of output devices. Calibration involves the

measurement of test images produced on an output device and the use of
those measurements to produce stable images with good tonal values: here,
good means consistent and usually linearized (in some measurement system).
Some devices have a published specification that you can use in place of mea-
sured data: this is true of many printing presses. In demanding applications,
you may use several different calibrations on the same device, according to
the settings on the device or within the RIP.
The way calibration is applied has been changed for Torrent RIP version 5.5r1.
For more information see “Editing calibration sets” on page 356.
This chapter describes how you can produce suitable test images (called
targets or test strips), measure their characteristics, then enter or edit calibra-
tion data, while Chapter 5, “Configuring Output Formats”, describes how
you can choose different calibrations when producing output.
11.1 Why calibration is needed

Regardless of the accuracy of an output device, the media and other consum-
able items can vary and have an effect on the output. For example, an images-
etter may produce an accurate and stable exposure of the media on which it is
imaging but the reaction of that media varies from paper to film, and from one

11 Calibration
media manufacturer to another. Also, laser dots are never square (as in an ide-
alized raster), usually overlap, often cannot resolve a single pixel, and cannot
always be turned off between adjacent pixels. Similarly, in direct output
devices, overlap of toner dots in laser printers or ink spreading in inkjet
devices often produces a deviation of some kind between required gray levels
and those actually output.
Whatever the physical reason, the result is variability or non-linearity and
some adjustment is almost always necessary to compensate for these physical
artifacts. This is called calibration.
Note: In almost all output devices, a solid (100%) black area prints as a 100%
black area, and white always prints as white. Any failure to achieve this
degree of faithful reproduction usually indicates a problem or maladjustment
in the output device, which you must cure before attempting calibration.
Consider the irregular solid line in Figure 11.1. It shows an example of the
kind of response typically seen from red-sensitive paper on a Helium/Neon-
based imagesetter. The diagonal dotted line represents the theoretical line that
would be shown for a perfect material. The arrowed lines show how if you
request a 50% tint you will actually see something like a 65% tint on paper,
when measured with a densitometer.
When setting flat tint areas for monochrome print work, variation in gray
level is often immaterial because the relatively small tonal variations encoun-
tered will not be visible to an untrained eye. But as soon as scanned images
are introduced into monochrome work, it becomes apparent that highlight
and shadow detail is lacking and, typically, that the image is darker than
expected. The higher the halftone frequency used, the more the shadow areas
will fill in and highlights will lighten—and the more necessary calibration
becomes.
Colour process work brings the problem into flat tint work as well, because
variations of only a few percent from the requested value in just one of the
colour plates can throw the final apparent colour well away from that
intended.
Note: Calibration is important in colour work, but it is not a complete answer.
Calibration is sufficient only where the originally requested colours are pre-
pared with the final output device in mind; calibration can adjust the individ-

11.2 Calibration and linearization
ual colour values but not the hues of those colours. A colour management
system is required to make adjustments which change hues, as for example in
digital proofing.
The RIP allows calibration sets to be built for particular configurations. By
choosing appropriate calibration sets, you can make the RIP correct for varia-
tions caused by different output devices, line frequencies, exposure values,
dot shapes, and negative / positive setting.
100
Gray level measured from paper ( % )
80
60
40
20
20 40 60 80 100
Gray level requested ( % )
Figure 11.1 Response of red-sensitive paper on a Helium/Neon-based imagesetter
11.2 Calibration and linearization

Linearization is a special case of calibration, commonly used when producing
output on an imagesetter.
Linearization is the process of adjusting values on output so that the result is
proportional to the values requested, in some suitable measuring system. On
film, this is usually a matter of ensuring that the gray levels produced are the

11 Calibration
ones you request in halftone dot area coverage. For example, if you ask for a
42% tint in your page make-up application then, after linearization, the output
device produces that 42% tint correctly.
Note: Calibration can only provide the desired output to the accuracy with
which you can measure gray levels, and with which the output device can
produce them. See “Assessing attainable accuracy” on page 361 for details.
11.2.1 Non-linear devices

It is an established industry practice to accept non-linearity in the transfer
from film to printing press. Frequently, whoever performs the scanning or
layout design uses their judgement to introduce a compensatory adjustment
in the scanner settings or choice of tints, basing the compensation on the kind
of printing press to be used.
Calibration is still a valuable process in this scheme but the purpose is to pro-
duce a known and repeatable non-linear transfer.
It is possible to create a single calibration set that compensates for the com-
bined characteristics of an imagesetter and a printing press, but this scheme is
inflexible and clumsy where several imagesetters and presses may be used in
various combinations. Also, you cannot account for absolute density varia-
tions.
A more flexible approach, and one provided by the RIP, is the ability to pro-
duce and use a calibration curve for each colour of a printing press, applied
separately from film linearization. This improves the accuracy and ease of
compensating for the dot gain of, for example, Harlequin Dispersed Screening
(HDS). HDS screens gain more on press than conventional screens.
Calibrating the press for use with an HDS screen replaces a laborious and
approximate compensation previously possible only by changing the film lin-
earity settings or scanning with HDS in mind. Note that although an images-
etter is not a multi-colour device, you can create a separate calibration curve
for each colour, to take account of the different screen angles.
See “Press calibration” on page 364 for details of press calibration.

11.3 Calibration in the Torrent RIP
11.3 Calibration in the Torrent RIP

The calibration facilities allow several ways of working:
• You can measure calibrated or uncalibrated targets.
This means that you can print a calibration target with the previous cali-
bration applied and enter only the values that are in error—possibly
saving time and materials. Alternatively, you can start again with an
uncalibrated target as if no calibration exists. See “Establishing a work-
flow” on page 357 for a discussion of the advantages and advisable
controls.
• You can create a separate calibration curve for each channel of multico-
lour devices, for example colour ink jet printers and printing presses. If
the output device or printing press supports additional colourants, you
can create separate calibration curves for spot colours.
Although an imagesetter is not a multi-colour device, you can create a
separate calibration curve for each colour, to take account of the different
screen angles.
• If you are preparing a job for a printing press, you can create separate
calibration curves for output to film and output to a printing press. If
you are not using Torrent ColourPro, you can retarget a job from its
intended printing press to another printing press, using a separate cali-
bration set to remove the compensation for the gain of the intended
press. See “Press calibration” on page 364 for a discussion of the back-
ground issues.
• Tone Curves allow you to make another set of colour adjustments, in
addition to the device calibration and the press calibration. See “Tone
curves” on page 363 for details.
• You can use different measuring systems, as appropriate for the kind of
output device and measuring instruments.
Additionally, these features are arranged so that is easy to add and use the
advanced facilities provided by the ColourPro options. The extra facilities and
changes of procedure associated with ColourPro are described in the separate
Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide.

11 Calibration
11.3.1 Accessing calibration functions

The Torrent RIP Output menu contains the Print Calibration and Calibration Man-
ager commands. The Calibration Manager is also available from an icon
button alongside the Calibration menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
Use the Print Calibration command to display the Print Calibration dialog box.
From here, you can print test strips (targets) which enable you to measure the
characteristics of your output devices.
Use the Calibration Manager command to display the Calibration Manager
dialog box. This allows you to create and edit calibration sets using measure-
ments from test strips or published figures, and to enable or disable the use of
particular calibration sets. The consequence is that you can adjust for day-to-
day or printer-to-printer variations in ink density and similar variations in the
exposure of imagesetters and platesetters.
11.3.2 Calibration sets

A calibration set is a piece-wise linear curve that maps requested tint levels to
actual tint levels and has some associated information including the intended
output resolution, exposure, dot shape, range of screen frequency, and nega-
tive / positive settings that the calibration set has been prepared for.
Whenever you select one or more calibration sets in the Edit Page Setup dialog
box, the RIP uses those calibration sets to output jobs.
11.4 Example procedure

The following procedure outlines basic cases in which you can create and
apply a calibration set for a simple monochrome or colour device driven
directly by the RIP. The same principles apply to more complex cases involv-
ing colour devices and printing presses.
11.4.1 Devices and requirements

Although an imagesetter is not a multi-colour device, you can create a sepa-
rate calibration curve for each colour, to take account of the different screen
angles.

To create calibration sets, you need a reliable and accurate densitometer that is
reflective for paper and transmissive for film. The densitometer that you select
should ideally display dot coverage in percentage terms, rather than simple
density readings, since calculating coverage by hand is time-consuming and
prone to errors.
11.4.1.1 Devices requiring exposure settings

The procedure for a device such as an imagesetter needing a correct exposure
setting is:
1. Where appropriate, establish the correct exposure for the device.
2. Print and measure a calibration target.
3. Use an Edit dialog box to enter the data and label it with the information
describing its use. You may also want to inspect the resulting curve and
smooth or edit the data values. This is where you name the calibration
set.
4. Apply the calibration set you have created and check that it provides
good output.
Section 11.4.2 on page 347 through Section 11.4.5 on page 356 describe these
steps in more detail.
11.4.1.2 Devices without exposure settings

The procedure is simpler for a device that does not have an exposure control,
such as a colour inkjet printer supplied with reference calibration sets.
Note: It is very unlikely that you will achieve good results if you try to use an
inkjet printer without a reference calibration set (or other control of ink
delivery). The typical response of an inkjet printer in its raw state is to pro-
duce very dark images and deliver so much ink that there are severe problems
with drying time or ink running across the printed page.
Supplied reference calibration sets or calibration profiles define an ideal or
‘reference printer’. Using a reference calibration set greatly improves output,
but the response of your printer (the ‘user printer’) may differ from the refer-
ence printer because of small but inevitable variations between printers. You

11 Calibration
may be satisfied with the reference calibration. To obtain the best output you
can calibrate the user printer so that it responds in the same way as the refer-
ence printer; this produces your own calibration set that you can use in your
page setup, and edit or update as required.
When you create a page setup the Calibration entry must match the combina-
tion of device, media, and resolution being used. This is true for both supplied
calibration profiles and your own calibration sets.
Note: You can tell apart supplied calibration profiles and calibration sets that
you have created because most supplied calibration profiles appear in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box with parentheses ( ) around the name shown in the
Calibration list. See the documentation for the relevant output plugin if you are
in any doubt about identifying the entries in the Calibration list.
The page setup you use to print a target can use either kind of Calibration
entry:
• To create your own calibration set for a device for the first time your
page setup must use a supplied calibration profile for the device.
• To edit your own calibration set your page setup must use that calibra-
tion set.
Once you have identified or created an appropriate page setup, follow the
steps below to print a target using this page setup:
1. Use the menu option Output > Print Calibration and choose your page
setup in the From Page Setup(s) list.
2. Choose the type of target that you wish to print from the Print For menu.
Process Colors only is often suitable. See Section 11.10 on page 369 for
details of all these options.
3. Prepare your printer—for example by loading the correct paper and
click Print uncalibrated target. (Enable output in the Output Controller if
necessary to get a printed target.)
Note: You must print the target on the paper for which the calibration
profile or set was created in order to obtain an accurate calibration set.

4. Wait for this target to dry thoroughly before attempting to measure it.
Even when a target appears dry, It can take ten minutes or more for
some combination of inks and media to stabilize completely so that the
colours are no longer changing and the target is unaffected by handling.
You can then follow the rest of this overall example procedure from
Section 11.4.3 on page 351.
11.4.2 Choosing the correct exposure

For devices such as imagesetters where calibration is performed with respect
to dot area coverage, the first step is to ensure that your output device is set up
with the correct exposure. Attempting to calibrate an imagesetter with badly
adjusted exposure settings will waste a lot of time and film, and may lead to
undesirable effects at plate-making time, such as variable dot gain. Run a
series of test pages at varying exposures to determine the setting required to
give a solid black and a clear white.
You are likely to need to select a different exposure for each combination of
media and resolution. Halftone frequency and dot shape will not affect
required exposures significantly. However, the media and the chemistry of the
developer used can make a big difference: stable developer chemistry is very
important for accurate calibration.
11.4.2.1 Printing exposure tests

Choose an appropriate page setup. This should set the correct output device,
output resolution, and negative / positive settings, dot shape, and screening
details if appropriate. The dot shape and screening details are set in the sepa-
rations style of the page setup. The exposure is unimportant at this stage: you
will override it to make the test print. Section 11.4.3 on page 351 describes
how to create a calibration set for this page setup.
Note: If you are using a drum device with variable film feed, you will usually
want to rotate the page or select film saving when printing test strips. See
“Media saving option” on page 136 for details.

11 Calibration
Choose Output > Print Calibration. The RIP displays the Print Calibration dialog
box, shown in Figure 11.2.
Figure 11.2 Print Calibration dialog box
Select an appropriate page setup in the From Page Setups list.

Note: If you forget to choose a page setup, the RIP uses the one that you chose
last time you used the Print Calibration command. If you have not used the
Print Calibration command in this RIP session, the first page setup in the list is
used. To change the order of this listing, see “Reordering page setups” on
page 100.
Note: Some settings in the chosen page setup are ignored or altered—notably
those in a ColourPro colour management option that would change the colour
of a graphic object.
Each button creates a slightly different target (test strip) or series of targets. To
create the appropriate series of targets for the example procedure, you need to
set up some values and then click Print exposure sweep.
Note: If your output device does not support software exposure control, run
the tests manually instead, according to your output device manufacturer’s
instructions. Typically: set the exposure manually, click Print uncalibrated
target, and repeat for each exposure value.
Print exposure sweep uses the values in the associated From, To, and Step text
boxes to print test strips at each of several exposures in the range.

11.4.2.2 Messages
From version 5.5 calibration is installed differently however, the end result is
the same as previous versions with the exception of a few extra messages.
Calibration and colour management is setup as normal when running a cali-
bration target. This is different to previous behavior where it was not setup. At
the start of the target procset, everything that has to be turned off is turned off.
The target procset now gets information about its environment from
PostScript data in setcalibration and various colour management opera-
tors. Therefore, calibration and colour management must be setup normally
for this information to be present.
A manifestation of this is that when running calibration targets the normal
messages for calibration and colour management are displayed, followed by a
number of extra ‘switched off’ messages, for example:
Setup loaded: "Default Page Setup"
Starting Job On Tuesday, April 24, 2001 10:27:13 AM
Using Color Setup "testing"
Using calibration for device "Glossy Photo Hvy 720"
Color management switched off for calibration job
Tone curve calibration switched off for calibration job
Intended press calibration switched off for calibration job
Actual press calibration switched off for calibration job
Device calibration switched off for calibration job
Running Uncalibrated Target for Default CMYK + spot colors
target:
Only the relevant messages appear, that is, if colour management is not
enabled, its ‘switched off’ message will not appear.
11.4.2.3 Acceptable exposure values

The ranges of values that you can enter into the From, To, and Step text boxes
are dependent on the output device. On several types of device, the values do
not form a continuous range. Read the manual for your output device care-
fully before entering any values.

11 Calibration
The Torrent RIP makes exposure tests over a range of exposure values by
starting at the first exposure value that you want to produce, and then at regu-
lar steps up to and including a last exposure value. For example, if you want
to print test pages at exposure settings of 120, 125, 130, and 135, then type 120,
135, and 5 into the boxes. Typically, each test page is just over 2 inches long.
Care: If you are using an output device where increasing exposure values do
not necessarily mean increasing laser intensity smoothly at the film surface,
take care in selecting the settings for this dialog box. If necessary, print out two
sweeps—for example, 225 through 230 and 100 through 120.
11.4.2.4 Checking the target

Each of the test pages should look like that in Figure 11.3 unless you choose a
composite ‘Separations, Screening & Colour’ Style in which case you will
output a vertical exposure test page with all colours on a single page. In addi-
tion, if you choose CMYK halftone output you will produce four individual
test pages, one for each separation. (Test pages designed for use with densito-
meters that move the media automatically may look slightly different, often
having one strip of patches for each colour, and it is possible to have custom
targets supplied with each output device driver.)
Figure 11.3 Uncalibrated exposure sweep test page
If you have a densitometer, select the correct exposure by reading the density
values of the two squares labeled D Max/Min on each of the test pages from
your exposure sweep. (Measure both squares to check for a uniform exposure
across the page.) Optimum density varies from material to material, but gen-
erally a densitometer reading of between 3.5 and 4.0 is acceptable for film, and
between 1.8 and 2.0 for paper. (The densitometer should of course be switched
to give density readings rather than dot percentage readings.)

If you do not have a densitometer, you can still use this page to select an
approximate exposure setting: study the fine detail in the bottom left of the
page, and select the exposure that gives clear, fine white detail in black areas
and vice versa. As an additional guide, you should be able to tell the differ-
ence between the 0% and 2% tint panels, and between the 98% and 100%
panels. (These figures are for film or bromide: inkjet output can be black from
the 80% patch upwards.)
Keep the strip that you decide has the right exposure: you can measure values
from it to create the calibration set. If you think a value falling between those
used in your exposure sweep might be better, print a new target at that expo-
sure. For example, set Exposure in the Edit Page Setup dialog box and then use
Print uncalibrated target. You can only set the Exposure in the Edit Page Setup
dialog box if your output device supports software exposure control, other-
wise the option is grayed out.
11.4.3 Creating a calibration set

You can create a calibration set after you have measured data from a target or
obtained it elsewhere: for example, from a manufacturer’s specification for the
device.
Choose Torrent RIP / File > Page Setup Manager. The RIP displays the Page Setup
Manager. Select the page setup for which you printed the exposure test (or
single calibration target) and click Edit. In the Edit Page Setup dialog box, set
the Exposure to the chosen value. If your output device does not support soft-
ware exposure control, the Exposure option is grayed out and you may have to
set the exposure manually.
Click the Calibration Manager button to open the Calibration Manager, shown
in Figure 11.4. This button is next to the Calibration and Tone Curves menus.
Calibration sets are grouped by device and by colour space. When you open
the Calibration Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, the RIP dis-
plays the calibration sets for the current device and current colour space, if
any have been created. The choice of separations style determines the colour
space. When you first open the Calibration Manager after installing the RIP,
the list box is empty.

11 Calibration
If you open the Calibration Manager using the Output > Calibration Manager
command, select the appropriate device from the Device menu and, if neces-
sary, select a colour space from the Colour Space menu.
Figure 11.4 Calibration Manager dialog box
The column headings are various properties of a calibration set. The first
column in the list is the name of the calibration set and the last column is the
edited or unedited status of the calibration. Each of the remaining columns in
the list corresponds to the name of one of the warning criteria in the Edit
Calibration dialog box. See “Calibration Manager dialog box” on page 372 for
full details.
Click New to create a new calibration set for the first time. The RIP displays an
appropriate version of the Edit Calibration dialog box.
Subsequently, you will probably edit the set, as described in “Editing calibra-
tion sets” on page 356.

11.4.4 Entering the data

When you edit a calibration set, the RIP displays the dialog box shown in
Figure 11.5.
Figure 11.5 Edit Calibration dialog box
For version 5.5r1 the way calibration works has been changed. All calibration
sets created before v5.5r1 will work in the same way they always have. How-
ever, if you decide to edit a calibration set created before v5.5r1 with a v5.5r1
RIP (or later) or create a new calibration set, the values will be automatically
adjusted to account for the application of the default curve to the calibration.
The default curve is a linearization profile of the output device. Previously, the
default curve was only taken into account when the calibration set was first
created and not after editing. From v5.5r1, the default calibration curve is
always taken into account.

11 Calibration
If you leave the Edit calibration dialog by selecting Cancel the new values will
not be saved and the calibration will work as before. If however, you decide to
save the new values the calibration will work using the default curve and will
produce more accurate results.
When you click New to create a new calibration set, you enter the Edit
Calibration dialog box for an uncalibrated target with all Warning criteria boxes
empty. The warning criteria list the resolution, dot shape, screen frequency,
and so on that this calibration set is intended to work with.
At least, you must:
• Name the new calibration set.
• Show what kind of values you are measuring.
• Provide data values.
You should also use the Warning criteria boxes to show which settings the
calibration set is intended to work with.
“Edit Calibration dialog box” on page 378 describes how to use all the items in
this dialog box, but this short procedure mentions the essential items:
1. Type a name into the Name text box.
2. Choose the type of measurement you are making from the
Measurements as menu.
3. Measure the dot coverage percentages from densitometer readings taken

from the target that you chose in the procedure “Choosing the correct
exposure” on page 347 and enter these values into the labeled boxes for
calibration data. (The Import button allows you to import data values
taken from a file and, except for Mac OS X users, these can be generated

by a separate program, Genlin. See Appendix C, “Using Genlin” on

page 467 for use of the program and see page 386 for details of how to
read the file.).
Note: Each value you enter must be consistently greater than the preced-
ing value (or less than it if you are using a negative film or meter).
The Smooth button allows you to smooth the ends of the graph (and by
doing so, the values of the calibration set) in small steps. If a set of values
are out of range or non-monotonic a warning will appear when you try
to exit from the dialog.
4. In the Warning Criteria panel, enter the settings used to create the target:
resolution, dot shape, screen frequency, exposure, and say whether it
applies to both negative and positive settings.
Note: If you create a calibration set from the Edit Page Setup dialog box,
you need only select the Warning criteria check boxes. The RIP takes the
default settings from the page setup you are editing.
Click OK to save the calibration set.
You can create a new calibration set, or save all the changes you have made to
date by clicking OK in the Calibration Manager.
You can create or edit a calibration set in the Calibration Manager, even if you
do not want to use it in the current page setup. Once you have saved the new
calibration set by clicking OK in the Calibration Manager, it will remain even if
you Cancel the Edit Page Setup dialog box. If you opened the Calibration
by clicking Select. In addition to saving the changes, using the Select button
displays the selected calibration set in the Calibration control in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box.
If you click Cancel in the Calibration Manager, you discard all changes to cali-
bration sets that you have made since you opened the Calibration Manager.
When you edit a calibration set for colour data, the procedure is very similar,
except that you must enter data for each colour channel. Note that although
an imagesetter is not a multi-colour device, you can create a separate calibra-
tion curve for each colour, to take account of the different screen angles.

11 Calibration
11.4.5 Applying the calibration

You must select a calibration set from the Calibration menu in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box in order to use it. Subsequently, you can save the page setup
and recall both the page setup and its corresponding calibration set as
required.
Select your new calibration set in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, and click OK
to save your changes and close the dialog box. Click OK in the Page Setup
Manager.
Return to the Print Calibration dialog box, choose the page setup in which you
have chosen the new calibration set, and click Print calibrated target. You
should see improved tonal rendering in the calibrated target.
Measure the tint values on this calibrated target. If the values are wrong in any
patches, reread these tint patches on the original exposure sweep target, and
edit the values in the calibration set again.
11.5 Editing calibration sets

The procedure described in Section 11.4 is adequate for creating new calibra-
tion sets. This section describes how you can choose a strategy to keep calibra-
tion up to date, choose which calibration sets to use, and edit existing
calibration sets.
There are three more general sections: Section 11.6 on page 361, discusses
establishing and maintaining calibration; Section 11.7 on page 363 describes
tone curves calibration; and Section 11.8 on page 364 describes press
calibration.
For details of the individual dialog boxes, see “Print Calibration dialog box”
on page 369, “Calibration Manager dialog box” on page 372, and “Edit Cali-
bration dialog box” on page 378.
They way that calibration is applied is different for v5.5r1. If you decide to
edit a calibration set created before v5.5r1 with a v5.5r1 RIP (or later) you may
notice some small differences. For more information see “Entering the data”
on page 353.

11.5.1 Establishing a workflow

There are three possible workflows for maintaining calibration:
• Historical record.
• Recalibrate every time.
• Adjust for drifts in calibration.
It is usually best to use the same method for any one device. It is possible to
change from one to the other, but you may see values in the Edit Calibration
dialog box which, though correct predictions, are not values you recognize
because they have been calculated by the RIP.
Historical Sometimes it is desirable to keep a historical record of

calibration sets. In this case, an uncalibrated strip or
target is printed on each occasion when calibration is
carried out, and a new calibration set created (with the
New button). The new calibration set must be selected
explicitly in the Edit Page Setup dialog box each time.
Recalibration This is the conventional method. Here an uncalibrated

strip is printed each time calibration is required. On the
first occasion, a set is created with New. On subsequent
recalibrations, Edit from uncalibrated target is selected
and the values in the dialog box changed to reflect the
new readings from the strip. Then a calibrated strip is
printed and the linearity of the result is checked, and if
the linearity is unsatisfactory another uncalibrated strip
is printed to correct the flaws. (The new calibration
values are in the existing set, so there is no need to
select a new calibration set in the Edit Page Setup
dialog box.)
Adjustment Here a calibrated strip is printed on each occasion

(except the first when an uncalibrated strip is printed to
enter the values with New). Edit from calibrated target is
selected. This should then show the perfect values. If the
device has changed, these values will be a little in error

11 Calibration
and the new values can be entered. A second calibrated

strip can be printed to check the result. (Again, the new
calibration values are in the existing set, so there is no
need to select a new calibration set in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box.)
Note: When working in density rather than percent dot,
it is not immediately obvious what the correct values
should be; Edit from calibrated target provides this
information.
However, whatever method is adopted, the most important rule is to match
the edit command to the type of target. To be explicit:
• When entering measurements using uncalibrated test strips, always do
so with Edit from uncalibrated target (or New).
• When using calibrated test strips, always do so with Edit from calibrated
target.
Calibration will be completely wrong if you do not follow this rule.
11.5.2 Variations on the Edit Calibration dialog box

When you edit a calibration set, the RIP displays the dialog box shown in
Figure 11.5, page 353. This dialog box lists the resolution, dot shape, screen
frequency, and so on that this calibration set is intended to work with. You can
change these settings as necessary. See “Edit Calibration dialog box” on page
378 for details of all controls.
There are variations on this dialog box for calibrated and uncalibrated targets
and for tone curves, printing presses, and other devices. These variations
include the nature of the values you enter to define the curve and the colour
channels you can select.
The title of the dialog box changes to show the kind of target and the device.
The general form of the title is:
Edit <calibrated/uncalibrated> target for <Device name>

<calibrated/uncalibrated>
depends on which edit button you clicked in the
Calibration Manager.
<Device name>
is the selection in the Device menu in the Calibration
Manager.
When you edit the calibration set for a printing press, the differences are:
• The presence of a Press menu in the Warning Criteria panel. In this case
the default calibration set is determined by the selected profile.
• The types of measurements available in the Measurements as menu.
When you edit the calibration for tone curves, the differences are:
• The options in the Warning Criteria panel are unavailable (except for
the Use for Pos & Neg option for monochrome devices).
• The Force solid colours option is unavailable.
11.5.3 Choosing and labeling calibration sets

It is important to choose a calibration set that is appropriate for the job you are
processing. If you set the warning criteria for a calibration set, the RIP warns
you if the settings in the page setup or job conflict with these criteria. By set-
ting a page setup option, you can tell the RIP to abort any job that fails the cri-
teria. See Section 11.12.3 on page 379 for details.
Name the calibration set carefully, so that you can identify all the parameters
associated with it. For example, it may not be sufficient to name the calibra-
tion set with the chosen resolution, since the dot shape and line frequency
could also affect the calibration.
Most settings have obvious single values. Screen frequencies and positive /
negative settings need some discussion.
Screen frequencies are given as a range to indicate the range of frequencies for
which the set is valid. It is a good idea to start by working out which frequen-
cies you expect to use—for example, 85, 100, 112, 120, 133, 150, 175 lpi, and so
on. You can then create ranges centered on each of these values—for example,
75 to 93 lpi, 93 to 106 lpi, and so on. You do not have to create calibration sets

11 Calibration
for the full range of frequencies—you may find, for instance, that the lower
frequencies do not need calibration, either because the output device is fairly
accurate at these values, or because the work you do at those frequencies does
not demand accurate output. Also, it may be that the same calibration set will
apply to a wide range of frequencies—for example, 100–300 lpi.
You must inform the RIP about the various combinations of positive and neg-
ative output and measuring devices.
The Measurements as menu allows you to tell the RIP which densitometer
mode you used when performing your density readings. Some densitometers
read in positive dot, others in negative dot (that is, a clear area may read 0 (zero)
or 100).
For a monochrome device, you can specify what kind of output you are mea-
suring using the Negative media check box.
The Use for Pos & Neg check box allows you to record whether the RIP can use
this calibration set for both positive and negative output, or only one. The
default setting of this box (selected) is usually the best to use, but for very
accurate calibrations, apply this setting only to Euclidean dot shapes. (See
Chapter 6, “Screening” for a description of Euclidean screening.) When this
check box is not selected, the RIP uses the calibration set only for positive or
negative, as set in Negative media.
11.5.4 Saving calibration sets

Click the OK button to save the calibration set. You can then edit a different
calibration set, create a new calibration set, or save all the changes you have
made by clicking the OK button in the Calibration Manager. If you opened the
Calibration Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, you can also save
the changes by clicking the Select button. In addition to saving the changes,
the Select button displays the selected calibration set in the Edit Page Setup
dialog box.
If you click the Cancel button in the Calibration Manager, you lose all the
changes to calibration sets that you have made since you opened the
Calibration Manager.

11.6 Consistency of calibration
11.6 Consistency of calibration

Once you have produced a number of calibration sets for a device, you must
be sure that they continue to be accurate to an acceptable degree, and that you
use them appropriately. This section describes what to do and check in routine
use.
11.6.1 Checking calibration

Once you have produced a calibrated output successfully, you need only
check that the calibration remains stable. Do this at suitable time intervals,
which may vary from twice a day to once a month—depending on your
requirement for accuracy and what you learn about the stability of your
systems.
Even if you check calibration sets only occasionally, always check them when
your imaging or processing environment changes—for example, when you
load film, ink, or ribbon from a new production batch, or change your proces-
sor speed or temperature. In many cases, it may also be advisable to check
exposure settings.
To check the calibration, click Print calibrated target in the Print Calibration
dialog box and measure the density of the tint panels.
If the value for any tint panel drifts outside your acceptable range, you can
use data from the calibrated target to correct the calibration set. You need
record only the values that are in error. Display the Calibration Manager
dialog box, select the calibration set, and then click Edit calibrated target. In the
Edit Calibration dialog box, enter the newly measured value or values. (Alter-
natively, you can click Print uncalibrated target in the Print Calibration dialog
box, read all the densitometer values from that target, and then use Edit
uncalibrated target to edit the calibration set appropriately.)
11.6.2 Assessing attainable accuracy

It is relatively easy, using these procedures, to maintain the accuracy of cali-
bration data on an imagesetter using film. This accuracy can be within 2% of a
perfect result. The accuracy obtainable with bromide paper is far lower, and it
is not feasible to maintain densities closer than about 5%. (One reason for

11 Calibration
having a less accurate requirement for bromide paper is that two densitome-
ters are likely to show much larger differences when measuring the same
piece of paper, than when measuring the same piece of film.)
When assessing your required level of accuracy, take into account the accu-
racy of the imaging engine itself: an imagesetter rated as having a variation of
less than 2% across the film cannot be expected to be able to produce work cal-
ibrated more closely than this.
Some reasons for inaccurate imaging are:
• A coarse screen may not be able to reproduce an exact percentage value
or may provide varying readings depending on where in a patch a
density reading is taken.
• Values intermediate between patch values are interpolated. This process
is never perfectly accurate.
• Some imaging technologies produce variations in tones depending on
where in the page the tones are located, and some produce output that
depends on the tones in neighboring areas of the page.
Other, variable, factors that can significantly affect calibration results include
the following:
• The temperature (especially the consistency of the temperature) at
which the imagesetter and the film processor are maintained.
• The length of time and the temperature at which film, paper, or ribbons
are stored.
• Whether the processor is used for other materials (for example, duplica-
tion film) as well as imagesetter film.
• The time between photographic processing and measurement. Many
films have a colourant that fades rapidly after processing.
• The time and storage conditions between printing and measurement.
The output from inkjet and dye-sublimation printers can alter signifi-
cantly over a period of weeks, or even hours if subjected to bright
sunlight.

11.7 Tone curves
Reasonable calibration can normally be achieved easily, but for very high
quality calibration a considerable amount of care in setting up and controlling
the imagesetting environment is required.
11.7 Tone curves

Tone curves allow you to make another set of tone or colour adjustments, in
addition to the device calibration and the press calibration. In a properly con-
trolled workflow you should have little need to use tone curves but you may
find that they offer a quick and effective way of working around short-term
difficulties such as lack of calibration facilities or badly formed jobs that you
cannot easily correct in the job.
For example, you may have to process a particular set of images where the
correct calibration does not produce an acceptable printed result. There are
two common cases. You may be able to produce a tone curve using exact data,
perhaps coming from a known setting in scanning or later processing. Alter-
natively, you may wish to emphasize a colour or tonal range in response to
artistic direction, such as a request to boost the mid-tone magenta component
by 10%.
In all cases, the tone curve is an exact record of what you have done, kept sep-
arate from the device and press calibrations.
11.7.1 Creating and using tone curves

To create tone curves, select the Tone Curves device in the Calibration
Manager. Create the calibration set for the tone curves in the usual way, enter-
ing data values for the patches and possibly using Smooth.
You apply tone curve calibration sets using the Tone Curves menu in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box.
For the Torrent RIP version 5.1 revision 1 and later, tone curves behave in the
opposite sense to device and actual press calibration curves. This normally
means that you enter higher values where you wish to see more output.
For example, assuming a positive-reading system where 0% is no output and
100% is full density or coverage, enter values higher than the nominal values of
the patches to produce more output for a given input.

11 Calibration
Note: In the Torrent RIP version 5.1 revision 0 and earlier, tone curves
behaved in the same sense as device and actual press calibration curves; in
these earlier versions, for the example just given, you had to enter lower values
where you wished to see more output.
11.8 Press calibration

Press calibration allows the RIP to make press adjustments to the density of
the ink on paper on a printing press independently from the intermediate
medium (usually film) used to prepare printing plates.
Press calibration can also be set up to work in absolute density measurements
instead of halftone dot area coverage, which means the actual colour can be
predicted rather than just its relationship to the maximum and minimum
densities, as on film.
Press calibration provides these facilities:
• The press can be put into the same state as some reference state.
Though this can often be achieved by adjusting press controls, the RIP
provides a finer degree of tuning than just the maximum density or mid-
tone controls common on the press.
• The press can be accurately tuned for Torrent ColourPro.
• An adjustment can be made for a different press from the one for which
the job was originally prepared.
This might be needed because it really is a different machine, or because
the dot-gain characteristics have changed over time: for example, as the
blankets have worn.
• An independent adjustment can be made to compensate for changes to
the job after scanning and so on, which affect the gain on press, such as
substitution of HDS screens.
• The gain of the press can be expressed in relative terms.
This form is common in manufacturers’ documentation: for example
20% at 70%, rather than the more common measure on film as 70% reads
90% (which is equivalent).

• Readings can be estimated from a small number of data points supplied

by the manufacturer.
11.8.1 How does press calibration work?

Conventionally, a colour job is prepared by combining scanned pictures with
application-generated text and graphics. In this process there are two assump-
tions made:
• The film to which the resulting raster will be first directed is linearized,
that is if the job requests a 25% gray value, a densitometer would read
25% on that area of the film.
• The press will gain further—a lot further usually—and the scanner
operator takes this into account when preparing a scan. This means the
scanner operator must know or guess the gain of the target press. It also
means that the colours in application-generated graphics are similarly
produced by guesswork, experience, or by reference to samples printed
on a similar press (previous work, or more likely chosen from swatches
in an appropriate PANTONE Color System or from a system with a sim-
ilar intent).
The consequence is that if the gain of the press is not as expected, then the job
will not print correctly. This might be because:
• It is not the press originally intended.
• The dot gain has changed (or was never known).
• The dot gain was assumed for some particular rendering process, which
has changed.
For example, you may be using a HDS screen which gains more on press
than conventional screens. The film can be linearized as normal, and a
further adjustment made to account for the difference between the HDS
screens and the conventional screens. By separating the two adjust-
ments, it is now possible to linearize to film again without having to
repeat the whole process.

11 Calibration
Whichever of these reasons holds, the job has the gain of the press already
accounted for. This means that the overall effect of calibration in the output
path is to first apply any primary calibration to remove compensation for the
gain of the intended press, and then to compensate for the gain of the actual
press.
Note that the intended press calibration is not available when ColourPro is
enabled. Instead, ColourPro provides several options for processing colour
data ahead of the transfer to press: these options include emulating the output
of one press on another type of press. For details, see the separate Torrent
ColourPro User’s Guide.
For this reason, the process is split in two:
1. You give the gain (expressed as a calibration set) of the intended press,
which may be one of:
• A standard press
Some standard presses are built in to the Torrent RIP.
• A variation on a standard press
A typical variation is, for example, an extra 5% gain at 50% over
SWOP Type 1 printing but with essentially the same shape of gain
curve. You can create such calibration sets in the RIP by extrapola-
tion from the standard curves provided with the RIP.
• A real press
This press might be one of a group of similar presses, another of
which may be used to print the job. Alternatively, this same press
may actually print the job, but can no longer print with the same
gain as assumed when making the scans.
2. You give the gain of the actual press. The calibration here is expressing
the adjustment needed to put the press back into its reference state (what
the press looked like when first calibrated), which is not usually a linear
state, but the characteristic dot-gain curve of a printing press.
The RIP can then do the calculations which account for the difference. This
separation allows the actual press behavior to be accounted for without need-
ing to remember what differences to apply manually.

11.8.2 Alternative uses of press calibration

It is also possible to work in two alternative ways, which are uncommon at
present, but which we expect to become more common in the future:
• Scan to linear
Here the scanned images and application graphics are produced assum-
ing the measured response of the press, rather than the film, will be lin-
ear. The RIP provides a special (None) calibration set which can be used
as the intended press for use in this situation.
• Press is linear
Here the press is indeed set up to produce a linear response, but the job
is not expecting this. In this situation, the (None) calibration set would
be chosen for the actual press, or more likely some calibration set,
derived from (None), that will bring the press back to its required linear
state. This is similar to printing to a full-colour desktop printer.
Of course, it is possible to work with both of these ways simultaneously.
Note: Earlier versions of the Torrent RIP used (Linear) not (None), as
explained in Section 11.8.4 on page 368.
A special case of linear scans is device-independent colour data—images
where the colours are expressed in CIE L*a*b* for example, or held on Photo
CDs in YCC format. Here, Torrent ColourPro is required to accurately repro-
duce the intended colour, and in this case only the actual press calibration set is
used. This is also the case if CMYK colours are converted to device-indepen-
dent colours first by ColourPro—in that case the gain incorporated in the job
is accounted for during the conversion by ColourPro.
Lastly, note that press calibration is not a substitute for ColourPro. Calibration
can compensate for changes in response of the individual process colours, but
it cannot account for variations in colours of inks and dyes. Therefore if the
actual and intended presses are significantly different processes (a proofing
device and a press for example, or two entirely different kinds of press), the
colours cannot be accurately reproduced using only calibration.

11 Calibration
11.8.3 Direct to press

There are two ways of calibrating for working direct to press.
• You can assume a linear imagesetter and calibrate for the actual press as
normal. In this case, set the device calibration to linear: (None).
• You can assume a linear actual press and calibrate for the device as
normal. In this case, set the actual press calibration to linear: (None).
11.8.4 Version history: Linear and None

In versions of the Torrent RIP up to and including version 5.1 revision 0, the
list of options for Intended Press and Actual Press included the (Linear) entry.
In all usage, selecting the (Linear) entry had the same effect as choosing
(None).
The Torrent RIP version 5.1 revision 1 and later do not have a (Linear) setting
The default options for Intended Press and Actual Press are (None).
Note: If you use the Migrate utility to transfer settings from a Torrent RIP
installation of version 5.1 revision 0 or earlier to a RIP installation of
version 5.1 revision 1 or later, any use of (Linear) is mapped to (None).
11.9 Using a combination of calibration sets

If you are printing to a direct output device, the page setup can include a cali-
bration for the output device and a tone curve calibration. The RIP applies any
calibration sets specified in the page setup in this order:
1. The Tone Curves calibration.
2. The device Calibration.
If you are preparing a job for a printing press, the page setup can include an
imagesetter calibration, a tone curve calibration, and calibrations for the
intended and actual presses. The RIP applies any calibration sets specified in
the page setup in this order:
1. The Intended Press calibration (to remove compensation for the gain of
the intended press).
2. The Tone Curves calibration.

11.10 Print Calibration dialog box
3. The Actual Press calibration (to compensate for the gain of the actual
press).
4. The device Calibration (the calibration for the imagesetter).
The Intended Press calibration is not available when ColourPro is enabled.
Instead, ColourPro provides several options for processing colour data ahead
of the transfer to press: these options include emulating the output of one
press on another type of press. For details, see the separate Torrent ColourPro
User’s Guide. The calibration set specified in Actual Press is always used.
From version 5.5r1 the default curve, which is a device correction curve, is
applied before any other calibration.

Choose Output > Print Calibration to display the Print Calibration dialog box, as
shown in Figure 11.2, page 348.
You can select which page setup to apply while printing a test strip or expo-
sure sweep by choosing an entry from the list in this dialog box. If you select
several entries then, when you click the button to print the appropriate target,
the RIP prints one test strip or exposure sweep for each page setup you have
selected.
Note: Some settings in the page setup are ignored or altered—notably those in
a ColourPro option that would change the colour of a graphic object.
There may be different, distinct targets for each output device or type of
device.
If the output format supports additional colourants (spot colours), you can
choose to print the calibration for Process Colors only, Spot Colors only,
Process & Spot Colors, or for Monochrome only by selecting from the Print
for menu. The output format is determined by the separations style of the
page setup.
The Monochrome only option supports calibration of a monochrome device
such as an imagesetter. Choose this option to print a single calibration strip for
a page setup that normally generates separations. (This ability removes any
need to produce a page setup used only for calibration.)

11 Calibration
11.10.1 Buttons
Clicking a button prints at least one calibration target, and more if you have
selected several page setups using the From Page Setups list, as described in
Section 11.10.2. The options are:
Print uncalibrated target

Prints a target without using a calibration set—even if
the selected page setup has one or more calibration sets
associated with it.
Print calibrated target

Prints a target using the calibration set or sets associ-
ated with the selected page setup. If the output device
has not changed since the calibration set was created
then the nominal density values and the measured ones
should be the same.
Print uncalibrated press target

Prints a target for a printing press without using a cali-
bration set. You must select a page setup that produces
separated output.
Print calibrated press target

Prints a target using the calibration set or sets associ-
ated with the selected page setup. You must select a
page setup that uses an Actual Press calibration set and
that produces separated output. See “Press calibration”
on page 364 for more details.
Print exposure sweep

Uses the values in the associated From, To, and Step text
boxes to print test strips at each of several exposures in
the range. This button prints an exposure sweep for
each selected page setup, so be careful you do not pro-
duce more targets than you intend. This prints an expo-

sure sweep without using a calibration set—even if the

selected page setup has one or more calibration sets
associated with it.
11.10.2 Other controls

These controls affect the contents and number of calibration targets produced
by the buttons described in Section 11.10.1.
Print for Choose the set of colours you wish to have printed on
print test strips. You may see just one option, usually
Process Colors only, in this list if your output device
and the selected page setup do not support spot col-
ours.
If the output format supports additional colourants,
you can also choose to print the calibration for Spot
Colors only, Process & Spot Colors, or for Mono-
chrome only. The output format is determined by the
separations style of the page setup.
From Page Setups

Select one or more page setups from this list, if desired.
From / To / Step
Print exposure sweep uses the values in these text boxes
as, respectively, the first, last, and increment values of
exposure when producing an exposure sweep. Take
care to enter values so that the complete sweep corre-
sponds to valid exposure values for your output device.
For example, values of 100, 120, and 5 produce a sweep
with exposures of 100, 105, 110, 115, and 120.
To recap, the From box is the first exposure setting, the
To box is the last exposure setting and the Step box is
the size of the step. With values of, From 100, To 150
and Step 5. You will get 11 exposures from 100 to 150 in
steps of 5. Change the Step 5 to Step 10 and you will
get 6 exposures from 100 to 150 in steps of 10.

11 Calibration
11.11 Calibration Manager dialog box

Click the Calibration Manager button in the Edit Page Setup dialog box or
choose Output > Calibration Manager to display the Calibration Manager dialog
box, as shown in Figure 11.4, page 352.
This dialog box helps you create new calibration sets and manage your exist-
ing calibration sets. You can edit sets to keep them accurate by entering data
from new targets or to adapt a copy of an existing calibration set: for example,
to make it apply to a related group of settings. Finally, you can delete any
entry in the list by selecting it and clicking Delete.
Calibration sets are grouped by device and by colour space. When you select a
device from the Device menu, the dialog box shows a list of calibration sets for
that device and the currently selected colour space. If necessary, select the
appropriate colour space from the Colour Space menu.
The list of colour spaces contains all the colour spaces in which a separations
style is defined for the device. For example, if the device has separations styles
defined in the Monochrome and CMYK colour spaces, then you can create cal-
ibration sets in the Monochrome or CMYK colour space.
Most entries in the Device list are direct output devices—imagesetters, plate-
setters, proofing printers (and some preview options and file formats)—but
there are also special entries for Printing Press and Tone Curves.
The ways in which you create and use calibration sets for these types of entry
vary.
Direct output devices
The way to create the calibration set is to print and measure a calibration
target, as described in this chapter.
To use a calibration set, in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, you can
choose any calibration set that was defined for the current device and
current colour space, in the Calibrationmenu. The choice of separations
style determines the colour space. Although an imagesetter is not a
multi-colour device, the calibration set for an imagesetter contains a cali-

bration curve for each colour specified in the separations style, to take
account of the different screen angles used for these colours.
Note: A special example is the CIP3 output plugin. Its behavior with
respect to calibration is like that of a printing press, because its purpose
to provide ink-key data for use with printing presses.
Printing Press
You can use this special device to calibrate the transfer from film to
press. In general, you do not create calibration sets for a press—though
this would be possible, but expensive, once you had created a calibrated
output path to film or plate. A more common way of working is to
adjust the press to conform to one of the standard references such as
SWOP (CGATS TR001) or a BVD-FOGRA standard and to use the corre-
sponding calibration profile as supplied with the RIP.
You apply a calibration set for the press that you are using by choosing
its name in the Actual Press menu in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. You
can also adjust a job prepared for a different press; do this by choosing a
supplied profile or measured calibration for that different press in the
Intended Press menu, and making the normal choice for the press that
you are using in Actual Press.
Tone Curves
This special device allows you to make another set of colour adjustments
in addition to the device calibration and press calibration. Typically, you
might create a tone curve calibration by estimating the required change
at one or two tonal values and then extrapolating and smoothing to
obtain the other data values.
You apply a tone curve calibration set using the Tone Curves menu in the
Edit Page Setup dialog box.
For the special devices, Tone Curves and Printing Press, the Colour Space
listing contains all the colour spaces for which a profile exists.
To edit an existing calibration set, select it in the list and then click either Edit
from uncalibrated target or Edit from calibrated target, as appropriate.

11 Calibration
11.11.1 List headings and entries

The column headings are the various properties of a calibration set. The first
column in the list is the name of the calibration set and the last column is the
edited or unedited status of the calibration. Each of the remaining columns in
the list corresponds to one of the warning criteria in the Edit Calibration
dialog box.
The values in the columns for warning criteria show the intended values for
use of each calibration set, as set in the Edit Calibration dialog box. The RIP
will warn you if you select the calibration set for a page setup with conflicting
values. You should create a calibration set for each combination of media and
settings for resolution, dot shape, range of screen frequencies, exposure, and
negative/positive that you expect to use with each kind of device. Use narrow
ranges if you want high accuracy.
In the columns for warning criteria, you may see the following entries:
(Any) Shows that any value is allowed, so the RIP will not
warn if you select the calibration set. This corresponds
to clearing the check box for the warning criterion in
the Edit Calibration dialog box.
(n/a) (not applicable)

Shows that the type of entry is not relevant to the
device. For example: Exp (exposure) is (n/a) if the
device does not support exposure control.
The individual columns are as follows, with the names used in the Edit
Calibration dialog box following in parentheses.
Windows users:
Resolution The resolution setting.
Dot shape The halftone screen dot shape or spot function.
Mac users:
Res (Resolution) The resolution setting.
Dot (Dot shape) The halftone screen dot shape or spot function.

All users:
Name The name of the calibration set.
Freq (Screen freq)

The halftone screen frequency.
Exp (Exposure) The exposure setting, if software controllable by the

RIP. For example, this option is not available for the
None or Preview devices.
+ / - (Use for Pos & Neg)

This tells you whether the calibration set can be used
for both positive and negative output, as set by the state
of the check box labeled Use for Pos and Neg in the Edit
Calibration dialog box.
The possible entries are:
Y if you can use the calibration set for both
N if the calibration is for only one of positive or
negative
Profile (ColourPro only) or Press

Entries in the Profile column are n/a except when
ColourPro is enabled, when each entry shows which
profile to associate with the calibration set. When
Printing Press is selected in the Device menu, this
column is labeled Press, but the behavior is the same.
The default calibration set is determined by the selected
profile.
Note: A profile is used in ColourPro options to define
the colour performance of a combination of output
device, media, and colourants.
If you create calibration sets in the RIP without
ColourPro and subsequently enable ColourPro, the RIP
associates the Linear profile with the existing
calibration sets.

11 Calibration
Status The Status column tells you about the source and
whether the current data for the given calibration set
came from an uncalibrated target or a calibrated target.
The possible entries are:
C for data from a calibrated strip
U for data from an uncalibrated strip
E if you have edited the data since entering the
Calibration Manager
D if you have viewed the default curve without
editing it
See “Establishing a workflow” on page 357 for a discus-
sion of why you might use different types of target.
E is an important entry in the Status column because it shows that you have
uncommitted changes for that calibration set, which affects the valid com-
mands and the values you see in the Edit Calibration dialog box.
If you select a calibration set with status E, you can only further edit the values
in the same way, so only the edit button that you have already used on that set
is enabled. If you edit the set, you see the entries you made in the previous
edit.
When you click OK or Select in the Calibration Manager, the RIP commits the
changes in all edited calibration sets. Once committed, the status reverts to C
or U, both edit commands are enabled, and you see the perfect curve when you
next view the calibration curve using Edit from calibrated target. (Perfect, in this
context means linear only in some measurement systems.)
Once you have committed changes, the RIP can show you either the calibrated
or the uncalibrated curve, for any future updating of the calibration.
Note: The same calibration set can have status U or C depending on the last
target (and the corresponding edit command) used to update it.

11.11.2 Buttons
Most buttons operate on multiple calibration sets. Only the two edit buttons
require just one selected calibration set.
Edit from uncalibrated target

Click this button to enter the Edit Calibration dialog
box for an uncalibrated target produced on an output
device or printing press.
Edit from calibrated target

Click this button to enter the Edit Calibration dialog
box for a calibrated target produced on an output
device or printing press.
New Click this button to create a new calibration set. You

enter the Edit Calibration dialog box for an uncali-
brated target with all Warning criteria boxes empty. At
least, you must name the new calibration set and
provide data values.
Copy Click this button to copy a calibration set. The RIP cre-
ates a new name for the copy by adding characters (for
example, ~[1] or ~[2]) after the original name. If the
name is longer than about 13 characters then you can
see the added characters only in the Name field of the
Edit Calibration dialog box, where you can also edit the
name to be more meaningful.
Delete Click this button to delete the selected calibration set or

sets. The RIP generates a warning if the selected calibra-
tion set is used in a page setup.
Note: You cannot delete a calibration set if you open the
Calibration Manager from within the Edit Page Setup
dialog box.
OK Confirms the changes you have made and exits the

dialog box.

11 Calibration
Select This button is available if you opened the Calibration

Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box and if a
calibration set is selected.
The Select button confirms the changes you have made
and closes this dialog box. In addition, using the Select
button displays the selected calibration set in the Edit
Cancel Closes the Calibration Manager, canceling all changes

made since you displayed this dialog box.
11.12 Edit Calibration dialog box

Figure 11.5, page 353, shows the Edit Calibration dialog box.
There are various ways of entering this dialog box, and corresponding varia-
tions in its contents.
11.12.1 Entry methods and variations

There are three ways to enter the Edit Calibration dialog box, corresponding
to buttons in the Calibration Manager:
• New
• Edit from uncalibrated target
• Edit from calibrated target
These ways of entry allow you to follow most working practices. The choice is
yours.
When you use the New or Edit from uncalibrated target buttons, the RIP creates
a calibration curve directly from the uncalibrated data values you enter.
When you use the Edit from calibrated target button, the RIP creates a calibra-
tion curve more indirectly. In some circumstances and with some devices, this
indirect approach can lead to values that never settle to an error too small to
measure; you may find that the residual errors are acceptable or you may
prefer to use Edit from uncalibrated target.

One way of regarding the process for Edit from calibrated target is to say that
the RIP uses the data values you enter from a calibrated target to detect imper-
fections in the existing calibration and adjusts the calibration to remove them.
Typically, these imperfections and the corresponding adjustments are small
(compared to those for uncalibrated targets) and may provide a better calibra-
tion curve than working from uncalibrated targets. Another advantage of
working from a calibrated target is that it may allow the use of one fewer
target—saving both time and media.
The RIP is supplied with default calibration curves for some output devices,
each curve representing the linearized state of a typical device of the same
kind. If you are using ColourPro, the default calibration set is determined by
the profile. Without ColourPro, the RIP uses the Linear profile.
There are two special devices, shown in the Calibration Manager as Tone
Curves and Printing Press. When you edit a calibration set for one of these
devices, the Edit Calibration dialog box offers slightly different options (as
described in Section 11.5.2 on page 358).
11.12.2 Checks in the Edit Calibration dialog box

There are various checks on the validity of the calibration curves as you
change settings or enter data, and more as you exit the dialog box. The RIP
displays an appropriate warning message if any of the checks suggest a
problem.
11.12.3 Warning Criteria panel

It is important to choose a calibration set that is appropriate for the job you are
processing. If you set the warning criteria for a calibration set, the RIP warns
you if the settings in the page setup conflict with these criteria. In addition,
when processing the job, the RIP warns you if the settings in the job conflict
with those in the calibration set. By setting the Abort job if calibration is on, and
the selected cal set does not match job option in the Page Setup Options dialog
box, you can tell the RIP to abort any job that fails the criteria. See
Section 5.22.7 on page 156 for details. Otherwise the RIP displays the warning
messages in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window.

11 Calibration
Most of the controls in this panel are paired: a check box and a setting control.
To make the calibration set apply to a particular value or limited range of
values for the setting, select the corresponding box and then enter the value or
values. If you do not select the box, the setting is not tested and the
Calibration Manager shows (Any) in the column for that setting.
Note: If you create a calibration set from the Edit Page Setup dialog box, the
RIP takes the default settings for the Warning criteria from the page setup you
are editing.
The warning criteria are:
Profile (not illustrated)

This warning criterion is available only with ColourPro
and appears only if your output device has more than
one profile available. There is no check box associated
with Profile: if present, the profile is always used as a
criterion. The choice of profile determines the default
calibration set.
Press (not illustrated)

This menu appears in the Edit Calibration dialog box
only if you are editing the calibration for a printing
press. There is no check box associated with Press: if
present, the press profile is always used as a criterion.
The choice of press profile determines the default cali-
bration set. If ColourPro is not enabled, the RIP uses the
Linear profile.
Resolution The resolution setting.
Dot shape The halftone screen dot shape or spot function.
Screen freq The halftone screen frequency. You can enter the lower
and upper limits of a range of frequencies and choose
the units in the accompanying menu.
Exposure The exposure setting, if software controllable by the

RIP.

Use for Pos & Neg

Select this box to show that the calibration set is suitable
for both positive and negative output. (This can apply
only to monochrome devices.)
Also select the Negative media box if you are measuring
from negative output, and use the Measurements as
menu to show whether you are measuring with a posi-
tive or negative reading densitometer.
11.12.4 Other controls

Name The name of the calibration set. If you alter the name
shown here you are renaming the set, not creating a
new set.
This box is empty if you enter this dialog box by click-
ing the New button in the Calibration Manager. You
must enter a name before leaving this dialog box.
Channel This menu contains the names of the channels defined

in the calibration set. Depending on the device, there
may be one or several channels. A monochrome device
has a single channel, while a colour device has several
channels labeled with the names of the colours. For
example: Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are possible chan-
nels for a 3-colour device. If the output device can sup-
port additional colourants, you can add a channel for a
spot colour. The channel (Other colors in job)
allows you to specify a calibration curve for any spot
colours that do not have a separate calibration curve.
Note that although an imagesetter is not a multi-colour
device, you can create a separate calibration curve for
each colour, to take account of the different screen
angles specified in the separations style.
You must specify a separate calibration curve for each
process colour channel to produce a valid calibration
set. The RIP reminds you to view the data for each

11 Calibration
channel to assess if it needs editing, as described in

“Exiting the Edit Calibration dialog box” on page 387.
Note that you can also Copy the data from one channel
to another channel.
The RIP does not allow you to change to another chan-
nel if the calibration curve for the current channel is
unreasonable. One example of an unreasonable curve is
a non-monotonic one that rises but then falls before
rising again. In such a case, the RIP warns you and
prompts you to correct the curve before you can change
to another channel.
Add To add a channel for a spot colour, click the Add button.
In the Add Channel dialog box, select the name of the
spot colour from the menu and click the OK button. The
list of spot colours contains all the spot colours named
in the separations styles for the selected device and
colour space.
Note that in the special case of the Tone Curves and
Printing Press devices, the list includes all the spot
colours named in separations styles for any device in
the selected colour space. This is because tone curve
and press calibration can be used with any page setup.
Copy If the data for one channel is similar to another channel,

you can copy the data and then edit it, rather than
having to enter it again. For example, to copy the data
from the Cyan channel to the Magenta channel, first
select the Magenta Channel and click the Copy button.
Then, in the Copy Channel Data dialog box, select the
Cyan channel from the menu and click the OK button.
For some devices, for example with an imagesetter, you
might feel that the calibration of the black channel is
also adequate for the colour channels. In this case, use
the Copy command to copy the black channel data to
the other channels.

Delete You can delete any spot colour channel from the Chan-
nel menu by selecting the spot colour channel and click-
ing the Delete button. If you have not defined any spot
colour channels, the Delete button is not available.
Measurements as
Use this menu to declare what kind of measurements
you are entering in the data boxes. The entries available
in this menu can vary with the type of output device.
Two examples are Status T, a standard measure of
absolute density, and % Dot, the area coverage of half-
tone output.
Note that if you choose to edit a different Profile which
uses an alternative measurement system, a
Measurement system ...not found warning is dis-
played and the correct system for the newly chosen pro-
file is automatically selected in this menu.
Max density (not illustrated)

This control allows for conversion between percent dot
and density. It appears only for the Printing Press
device and for ColourPro profiles that require it to
appear.
11.12.5 Values
You can enter values in any form offered to you in the menu labeled Measure-
ments as. Examples are:
• Percent dot (0 through 100%)

• Dot Gain (relative values expressed in ± values from a perfect transfer
curve)
• Status-T Density
• Visual or ISO Visual (which is the same as the Visual channel of
Status-T)
• L* (from CIE L*A*B*)

11 Calibration
11.12.6 Test strips and data boxes for patches

Each output device can have its own pattern of test strip and there can be
varying numbers of patches on test strips for different devices. If the target
uses fewer patches than the maximum (36) then the remaining data boxes
appear empty and unlabeled.
You can exit this dialog box only when all labeled boxes have entries. You can
provide entries by typing, by using Extrapolate, or by using Import and a file of
data values.
11.12.7 Controls
Negative media Select the Negative media check box to show that you are
measuring data from negative output media. Leave it
clear when you are using positive media.
Force solid colours

This check box is available only when you are using
halftone devices. When you select this box, any colour
in a job that uses the maximum density of any channel
is represented by the maximum amount of that colou-
rant available on the output device: this guarantees a
solid colour that is the maximum deliverable by the
output device, rather than a lower density colour
(achieved by screening) that calibration has established
as 100%.
The default setting of this option is selected and should
be left for work on most presses—this will ensure that
colours defined as solid in the incoming PostScript file
will be imaged as solid. For Gravure work this option
should be unchecked.
This option does not apply to calibration test strips,
only jobs.
For example, this is a desirable setting where you wish
to avoid screening black text, but using it means you do
not have an exact colourimetric match for the colour

when using ColourPro. See also the Torrent ColourPro

User’s Guide.
Smooth This button smooths the values near the ends of a

curve: typically, to approximate a smooth curve where
the limited resolution of a measuring device may have
truncated similar values to be the same.
Extrapolate This button is enabled when you are calibrating for a

printing press or when the output device supports
extrapolation. There also needs to be at least one empty
data value.
You can use Clear to empty all data values, enter a lim-
ited number of values, and then press Extrapolate to
have the RIP calculate the remaining values. A typical
source of values is a manufacturer’s data sheet, for
example, giving press gain in the form: a gain of 15% at
50%.
In rare cases, extrapolation may not be able to produce
a reasonable curve: the RIP displays an error message
to tell you if this has happened. (One example of an
unreasonable curve is a non-monotonic one that rises
but then falls before rising again.)
Clear Click this button to clear all the boxes. This is intended
as a preliminary to entering data in a small number of
boxes and using the Extrapolate button to calculate
values for the other boxes.
Reset Reset deletes all entered data for the calibration set and
displays the default curves for the device (and profile, if
ColourPro is enabled). For a multi-channel device, it
resets all channels; not just the channel whose curve is
displayed.

11 Calibration
Import Currently, the tool used to generate calibration data is

not supported on Mac OS X, therefore the Import button
is not effective in this version of the RIP.
(Except Mac OS X users) To import the data from a file

rather than typing numbers into the boxes, click the
Import button. The RIP displays the Import Measure-
ments dialog box, shown in Figure 11.6.
Figure 11.6 Import Measurements dialog box
Note: The data in the file is provided in the correct

format by a separate utility program, Genlin, which
supports the use of various automated densitometers.
See Appendix C, “Using Genlin” on page 467 for
details.
The import file contains measured data for some or all
of the channels in the calibration set. For each calibra-
tion channel, you can choose to import the measured
data for that channel, to import data that was measured
for a different channel, or to leave the current data for
the calibration channel unchanged. By default, the RIP
uses the measured data for a channel, where available.
If there is no measured data for a channel, the RIP
defaults to the (No Change) option.
The Calibration Channel column contains the names of
all the process and spot colour channels defined in the

calibration set, including the (Other colors in job)

channel, if appropriate. When you select the Channel
menu in the Edit Calibration dialog box, you see the
same list of defined channels. (You can define a spot
colour channel using the Add button in the Edit Calibra-
tion dialog box: see page 382 for details.)
The menu under the Measured Channel column contains
the names of all the measured channels in the import
file, together with the (No Change) option.
To change the setting for a particular calibration chan-
nel, select the corresponding row and then select the
name of a measured channel or (No Change) from the
available list. For example, select the Yellow row and
then select Cyan from the menu to import the data mea-
sured for the Cyan channel to the Yellow calibration
channel. A more realistic example might be to select an
available measured channel, perhaps Default, for a
Black or Gray calibration channel when the measure-
ment file does not identify the data in the way expected
by the RIP.
Note: The RIP may detect a mismatch between the
expected device, profile or measurement system and
display a warning dialog box. This protects you from
importing incorrect data.
11.12.8 Exiting the Edit Calibration dialog box

You must specify a separate and valid calibration curve for each process
colour channel to produce a calibration set, unless you want to accept the
default curve. The RIP carries out checks on the data before it saves the
calibration set.
If you exit the Edit Calibration dialog box without editing any calibration
data, the RIP closes the dialog box and saves the calibration set with a status of
D. This shows that you have viewed the default curve without editing it.

11 Calibration
If you have edited the data for one of the process colour channels, but not all
of them, the RIP warns you and asks for confirmation that you want to exit
without editing the other channels.
In this context, “editing the data” for a channel means at least viewing the
data to assess if it needs editing. The RIP keeps a record of which process
colour channels you have edited and queries you if you have not edited all of
them.
For example, if you edit only the Cyan channel of a 4-colour device, the RIP
will query you about the Magenta, Yellow, and Black channels. The following
message is typical:
You haven’t viewed the following channels: Magenta, Yellow,
Black. Finish editing anyway?
The RIP does not allow you to save an unreasonable curve. One example of an
unreasonable curve is a non-monotonic one that rises but then falls before
rising again. If you try to save an unreasonable curve, the RIP warns you and
prompts you to correct the curve before you can save it.

12
12 Colour Separation
This chapter describes some basic concepts of colour reproduction and the
related parts of the Torrent RIP.
The concept of colour separation is no longer restricted to producing sepa-
rated output. When processing any job, the RIP creates a separation for each
process colourant and also, where appropriate, for spot colourants. The
output format determines whether the separations are printed together as a
composite, or separated. By configuring these separations you can control the
printing of individual colourants in the job. Although there is only one separa-
tion in the monochrome colour space, the RIP provides the same options for
configuring that separation.
separations style, which can be used in several page setups. A separations style
is defined for a specific device, colour space, and output format. Selecting a
separations style in the Edit Page Setup dialog box determines the colour
space of the page setup.
These are the related parts of the Torrent RIP:
• The Separations Manager and Edit Style dialog box. See Section 12.5 on
page 402 for details of the choices you make for all separations. (See
Chapter 6, “Screening” for details of the screening options for halftone
separations.)

• The Colour Setup dialog box. See Section 12.8 on page 416. This dialog
box contains the controls for black generation and undercolour removal,
trapping, and overprinting.
• Use of the Output Controller to view superimposed colour separations.

See Section 12.11 on page 430. The Output Controller is available in
either of the multiple modes.
This chapter describes how you can define separations styles, while Chapter
5, “Configuring Output Formats”, describes how you can choose different
separations styles when producing output.
12.1 Introduction
To produce a colour image, many reproduction systems take advantage of the
fact that there are small sets of colours that, when mixed in the correct propor-
tions, can produce any of a very wide range of other colours. For example,
combinations of red, green, and blue inks (commonly known as RGB), or
cyan, magenta, and yellow inks (CMY), can between them produce thousands
of different hues.
Colour printing more commonly uses CMY colours, with the addition of a
black ink to account for imperfections in the printing process. This manual
uses the term CMYK for the system of colour representation using these four
inks (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and blacK). These inks are the commonly used
process colours. There are several other terms in common use, some terms
using B for Black or referring to the order of printing each ink by reordering
the letters: YMCK, YMCB, and KCMY are typical.
Black ink is used for several practical, economic, and quality reasons:
• Black appears very often: for example, in text.
• Black ink is cheaper than coloured inks.
• Mixing CMY inks produces an impure black, probably tinged with
brown, and can result in objectionable coloured fringes on small objects
such as characters in body text. Additionally, one application of black
ink replaces three applications of coloured inks so drying time can be
reduced.

12.1 Introduction
• Black can be used to extend the range of colours and tints available
from mixing CMY inks.
There are ways to improve reproduction quality or economy beyond the
levels possible with CMYK process inks. There are two general approaches: to
vary the number of process inks (HiFi or N-colour printing), or to add spot col-
ours. Each approach has its own advantages.
12.1.1 Alternative process colour systems

N-colour printing uses a different number of process colours: fewer for econ-
omy in simple jobs such as forms printing or more for high quality. For high-
quality printing, or HiFi colour, at least two distinct types of colour schemes
are growing in popularity: for convenience in this discussion we shall call
them distinct colourant and photo-ink.
Distinct colourant printing uses a combination of different process colours. For
example, in the PANTONE Hexachrome Colour Selector system there are six
inks: cyan, magenta, yellow, black, orange, and green. (Other schemes of six or
seven distinct colours are possible but this system is well known.) These col-
ours are chosen as a set to provide a wider gamut than provided by colourants
in the established CMY or CMYK schemes so, for example, the cyan in a six-
colour system is unlikely to be the same as the cyan in a typical CMYK system.
To avoid confusion a different naming scheme is needed. There is not a single
fixed set of names: HexC or HexCyan are equally valid names for the cyan ink
and may be used by graphics applications creating jobs.
Photo-ink technologies use a different approach. There are different densities
(light and dark versions) of one or more colourants. A capable system is then
able to use the light ink in highlight areas and the dark ink where more colou-
rant is required. A typical set of colours is light cyan, dark cyan, light
magenta, dark magenta, yellow, and black. As in distinct colourant systems,
these are not the same inks as used in the CMYK system and it is important to
distinguish between the two systems. Various naming schemes are possible: a
possible example is PhotoCyan Light, PhotoCyan, PhotoMagenta Light,
PhotoMagenta, PhotoYellow, and PhotoBlack.
The Torrent RIP provides facilities for screening and calibrating both of these
colour systems, but the actual availability for use of a distinct colourant or
photo-ink colour space depends upon there being an installed output plugin

using the new software facilities. Also, some configuration of the files in
which the RIP stores colourant databases may be needed before first use. For
example, the Torrent RIP allows for jobs to use any of the different colour
naming schemes discussed for distinct colourant and photo-ink systems and
to link these to the internal naming scheme used by the RIP. Each new naming
scheme requires some configuration.
12.1.2 Spot colours

Spot colours are used in a job when a particular colour is used very heavily or
must have a better quality than is available by mixing the process colours.
Typical uses of spot colour include coloured text, company logos, and colours
that are outside the range available from mixing process colours. Spot colours
may also be used to define effects other than colouring: for example, to place
varnishes and glues.
12.1.2.1 The PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM

The Torrent RIP is able to make use of the latest PANTONE MATCHING
SYSTEM. Previously, Pantone colours were identified as CV (coated) and
CVU (uncoated). For example PANTONE 533 CV and PANTONE 533 CVU.
With the new system, colours are identified as M (matte), C (coated) and U
(uncoated). For example, PANTONE 533 M, PANTONE 533 C, and PANTONE 533 U.
Both the new and previous set of names will produce correctly on the output
device.
All the Pantone Databases can be found in SW\NamedColor.
To use the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM the colour names must match
exactly the names used in the job. For information on how to include colour
separations see Section 12.7.1, “Producing separations”.
The Pantone Process database has been released in the Torrent RIP v5.5r3
As previously stated, all the Pantone Databases are in SW\NamedColor. The
new PantoneProcess Database is found in the SW\NamedColor\Examples
folder.

12.1 Introduction
To make this database work, it must be referenced in one of the files in

SW\NamedColorOrder.You do this by editing Intercept, Recombine and Roam.
PantoneProcess should be put before PantoneU if all Pantone colours should

be produced by their CMYK equivalents.
Putting it at the end (that is, after PantoneMatte) will mean only the new PC
Pantone colours will be found. (that is, PantoneU and PantoneV colours will
still be converted to XYZ).
12.1.3 Types of colour jobs

There are two common types of colour jobs:
• All the colour information is in one job. This is a full-colour job, also
known as a colour composite.
• The colour information has been separated into a page for each colour
ink. This is a preseparated job. These pages may be parts of one job or
separate jobs.
Composite jobs offer the greatest flexibility in handling jobs and targeting
them to different output devices, but many workflows are built around
preseparated jobs. The RIP can recombine many preseparated jobs, provided
that the separations are supplied as one job. (Section 12.4.1 on page 401 and
Section 12.4.2 describe the details of using composite and preseparated jobs
with the RIP.)
12.1.4 Torrent RIP

This chapter describes how you can produce output from documents for use
in CMYK colour printing. You can also produce output for other colour sys-
tems, such as RGB and N-colour, and output for jobs that include spot colours.
The Torrent RIP accepts either full-colour jobs or preseparated jobs as input,
and outputs them correctly.
The Torrent RIP also provides some extensions to the PostScript-language
specification: for example, the ability to recognize spot colours in documents
defined using the PostScript Level 1 language.

12.1.5 Torrent ColourPro

Torrent ColourPro extends the colour handling capabilities of the RIP. For
example, you can use ColourPro to intercept CMYK colour definitions and
convert them to device-independent colour using input profiles. The extra
facilities and changes of procedure associated with ColourPro are described in
the separate manual Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide.
12.2 What colour separations are

Colour printing using this colour-mixing method is done using colour separa-
tions. These are sets of single-colour images that yield a full-colour image
when combined appropriately. Figure 12.1 shows how four single-colour
images can be combined to produce an image in different colours. In this gray-
scale figure, different shades of gray represent the various colours.
Separations produced in four process colours
Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

The Magazine
a weekly review
Overlay process yields full colour images
The Magazine
a weekly review
Figure 12.1 How separations can form a colour image

The image in the figure shows the cover page of a fictional magazine. It is
mostly black, but has a small colour illustration on the right that consists of
some land (in green), over which there is a road (in pure black), and in the sky
(not coloured) the sun (in pure yellow) is shining.
Colour images are not produced from separations by mixing inks before
application to the page. Instead, the illusion of a full-colour image is produced
by seeing different proportions of the four inks laid together on the page. Each
separation adds one colour component to the image—cyan, magenta, yellow,
and black in turn—and, when they are overlaid correctly, they form a full-
colour image.
A colour separation is, strictly speaking, a monochrome (that is, one colour)
image. It is called a colour separation because it is the result of separating one
colour from the others in the colour system. For example, the yellow separa-
tion in CMYK is a version of the image that shows only the yellow part of it,
separated from the cyan, magenta, and black. (You can control how colours
will be separated from the others in an image.)
Seen in isolation, a single separation may not look much like the full-colour
image of which it will form a part but it is usually possible to identify some
features of the final image. In Figure 12.1, the yellow separation shows the
sun, which is pure yellow. It also shows a small amount of yellow in the
ground part of the image, which will combine with the cyan separation to
form the grass colour. However, it does not contribute to the road or the text,
and so it is empty in those places.
12.2.1 Knockouts and overprinting

Suppose we have a very simple image that is a pure magenta background
with a pure yellow square in the middle. The separations produced will be
those in Figure 12.4.

Separations for a yellow square on a magenta background
Figure 12.2 Colour separations for a simple image, with knockouts
Since the yellow and magenta inks can portray yellow and magenta quite ade-
quately on their own, the cyan and black separations are empty.
The yellow separation shows a square in the middle and nothing else. The
square signifies the presence of yellow in the image at that point. The magenta
separation shows a white square on a magenta background. So, magenta will
be printed in every part of the image except for that square.
Because magenta will not be printed in the white square, only yellow will
appear there when the separations are put together. This is important, since if
magenta was printed there too, it would mix with the yellow, and produce a
square that was not pure yellow, but red. Equally, no other inks will overlap
the magenta background, because no separations other than the magenta one
contribute any colour to that region.
An area of a separation that is made empty so that it does not interfere with a
graphic object represented by a colour or colours in other separations is called
a knockout. This is because the coloured area has been knocked out of the
separation.
One problem with using knockouts is that if the separations are not overlaid
accurately enough, there may be a white gap at the edge, as shown in
Figure 12.3. This effect is the product of misregistering the separations, that is,
misaligning them when they are combined. Nevertheless, in cases where

printing one ink on top of another would produce the wrong colour, produc-
ing separations with knockouts is essential. Generally, graphic and page
design applications produce knockouts automatically.
Inaccuracies caused by misregistered knockouts can be overcome by using
special printing effect such as trapping. The RIP provides some support for
trapping. See “Trapping features” on page 429.
Figure 12.3 Misregistered separations with white gaps
Suppose we have another simple image that is a pure magenta background

with a black square in the middle. Figure 12.4 shows the separations that can
be produced.
Separations for a black square on a magenta background
Figure 12.4 Colour separations for a simple image, with black overprinting

In this case, we do not need to make a knockout on the magenta separation,

because the black ink should be strong enough to overcome the influence of
the magenta ink beneath it. So we may choose not to let the black separation
cause a knockout in the magenta separation. This effect is called overprinting,
and is the opposite of a knockout. Overprinting eliminates the risk of finding
gaps in the final output, but cannot be used unless the overprinted ink is
strong enough to overcome the effects of the ink or inks beneath it. When
overprinting is not possible, trapping remains a possibility.
12.3 Producing colour images from separations

In the RIP, depending on the output format, you can print separations
together as a composite page, coloured separations, or each separation as a
monochrome page.
If you print a set of monochrome separations for use in the printing process,
these separations can be put together to form a colour image. The separations
are carefully placed one on top of the other until all the colour details can be
seen. How is this achieved?
Typically, colour pictures do not consist only of areas drawn in full-intensity
primary colours. Most of the picture is usually be in various shades and tints.
Most printing presses require screened halftones, so these varying intensities
are achieved by using halftone dots. Each separation, therefore, is usually
composed of a pattern of halftone dots. (See Chapter 6, “Screening”, for
details of halftoning.)
In halftoning strategies, continuous tone gray or coloured images are imitated
by combining dots of different sizes and colours. They are combined in such a
way that, to the human eye, they mix, and the observer sees the intended
colour image.
To ensure that the colours combine correctly, the positions of the dots on each
separation are calculated carefully. The grids, or halftone screens, for each sep-
aration are aligned at different angles, to avoid moiré patterns.
Once each separation has been produced, the final image can be constructed
by printing the separations directly on top of each other. The intermediate
stages are progressive proofs. In the CMYK model, this is usually done by print-

12.3 Producing colour images from separations
ing yellow first, then magenta, cyan, and finally black. Figure 12.5 and the fol-
lowing figures show the stages involved when printing colour in this way for
the example image in Figure 12.1, page 394.
Blank paper Yellow separation Yellow
Figure 12.5 Yellow separation
Figure 12.5 shows how yellow ink for the yellow separation is printed on
blank paper. You can also preview separation printing on screen in the RIP.
See “Roaming separations” on page 431.
Next, the magenta ink for the magenta separation would be printed on the
paper, but since the separation is empty for this image, nothing is printed.
Yellow Magenta separation Yellow + Magenta
Figure 12.6 Yellow and (empty) Magenta separations
Next, the cyan ink for the cyan separation is printed. To the eye, the pattern of
cyan and yellow dots in the area of land will appear green as simulated in
Figure 12.7.

Yellow + Magenta Cyan separation Yellow + Magenta + Cyan
Figure 12.7 Yellow, Magenta, and Cyan separations
Finally, the black ink for the black (K) separation is printed. All of the separa-
tions have been combined, producing a full-colour image as simulated in
Figure 12.8.
The Magazine The Magazine

a weekly review a weekly review
Yellow + Magenta + Cyan Black (K) separation Full CMYK image
Figure 12.8 Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, and Black separations
12.4 How colour separations are produced

Each job may specify colour images in one or more different colour spaces, for
example: CMYK, RGB (red, green, and blue), HSB (hue, saturation, bright-
ness), or an N-colour space. No matter how a job is specified, the RIP sepa-
rates that job into one output format, to suit the output device. Again, in this
discussion we will concentrate on CMYK separations as an example.

12.4 How colour separations are produced
12.4.1 Colour PostScript-language jobs

Composite colour jobs are not described as a series of separations. Instead,
each object on the page is described just once, in full colour.
Importantly, the PostScript-language method of describing colour is device
independent. That is, no matter what colour space is used to describe an image,
it can be rendered on any properly colour-calibrated output device that your
RIP supports. The same colour job can thus be used to produce, for example,
full-colour output on an RGB colour printer, or a set of monochrome separa-
tions ready to be used in the printing process. Some devices, typically desktop
printers and proofing systems, can accept continuous tone input.
Note: If you have ColourPro available, you can apply it to CMYK separations
as well as to colour composite CMYK jobs. The separations must be suitable
for use with the Recombine preseparated jobs option described on page 413.
The RIP can take full-colour jobs as input, and interpret them once to produce
separation information for each colour in the space. In CMYK, this creates
four monochrome output pages, each corresponding to a different colour sep-
aration. When the full-colour image is to be produced, the coloured parts of a
separation show where inks should be applied, and the white parts where not.
Alternatively, the RIP can print the separations together as a composite.
12.4.2 Preseparated jobs

Having the RIP produce separations from composite colour jobs is not the
only means of producing separations. The job could be separated into one or
more PostScript-language documents before it reaches the RIP. This might be
done by the application program in which the job was composed, or by a spe-
cial separator program that took the output of the composition program and
produced PostScript-language separations from it.
However, these methods are not optimal. If you preseparate the job, you
commit yourself to printing the job on a device that can recombine the separa-
tions it produced: the documents become device dependent. A process that com-
mits a job to a particular device is not desirable, because you may need to
output your job on a number of different devices. The RIP can recombine cer-
tain classes of preseparated jobs: see the description of the Recombine
preseparated jobs option on page 413 for details.

There some circumstances where you must use recombination with presepa-
rated jobs in order to use features of the RIP, and some of these circumstances
apply even when you wish to produce separations. These features are:
• Output to a composite proofing (or final output) device.
• Colour management, using ColourPro.
• Trapping, with the in-built options in the RIP.
• Output to progressive separations.
• Output of separations in a different order.
All these features require the RIP to have access to the complete colour of all
objects on a page. To ensure that this is possible for preseparated jobs, select
Recombine preseparated jobs. Alternatively, where other settings in the page
setup prohibit recombination, select Reject preseparated jobs.
Note: Both coloured separations and progressive separations require the
output colour space to match that of the separations. For example, it is not
possible to produce coloured separations or progressive separations from a
job preseparated to CMYK if the output device uses the PhotoInk colour
space.
The RIPs separation facilities allow you to preserve device independence in
your jobs right up until you wish to interpret it for output on a particular
device. However, you can present device-dependent, preseparated jobs to the
RIP if you wish, and it will process and output them correctly.
12.5 Creating and managing separations

separations style, which can be used in several page setups. A separations
style is defined for a specific device, colour space, and output format. Select-
ing a separations style in the Edit Page Setup dialog box determines the colour
space of the page setup.
Separations styles are created and managed in the Separations Manager.


The Separations Manager appears when you click the Separations Manager
button in the Edit Page Setup dialog box, or choose the Colour > Separations
Manager command.
Figure 12.9 Separations Manager dialog box
The Separations Manager displays a list of all existing separations styles for
the current device, showing the name of each separations style, the corre-
sponding colour space, and the output format.
To display the list of separations styles for a different device, select a device
name from the Device menu. When you use a device for the first time, the RIP
generates a set of separations styles for that device. Some devices can support
simple styles only. Others, like TIFF, can produce many different styles, so the
names of the styles are chosen to avoid ambiguity.
You can edit these separations styles to suit your installation or create new
ones.

12.6.1 Controls and actions

The controls below the list allow you to create separations styles, and to edit,
copy, or delete existing separations styles.
Edit Select a separations style and click this button to edit it

in the Edit Style dialog box. A shortcut is to double-
click a separations style.
Note: To rename a separations style, copy it and save
the copy with the desired name, before deleting the
original.
New Click this button to create a new separations style. The

New Style dialog box appears, as described in
Section 12.6.2.
Once you have set the colour space and output format,
you cannot change them for the named separations
style.
Copy Select a separations style and click this button to edit a

copy. The New Style dialog box appears, as described in
Section 12.6.2.
Delete Select one or more separations styles and click this

button to delete them together. You cannot delete a sep-
arations style if it is used in a page setup.
You cannot delete the only separations style in a list.
Select This button is available if you opened the Separations

Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog box and a
separations style is selected.
The Select button confirms the changes you have made
and exits the dialog box. In addition, the Select button
displays the selected separations style in the Edit Page
Setup dialog box.

You can also select separations styles and reorder them by dragging them to
new positions in the list. The order in the Separations Manager is the order of
appearance in menus where you choose a separations style.
12.6.2 New Style dialog box

The New Style dialog box appears when you click the New or Copy button in
the Separations Manager.
Note: If you clicked Copy to display this dialog box, you can change only the
style name: this ensures that the new style is a true copy of the original. Once
you have named the copy and clicked Create, you can modify individual set-
tings in the Edit Style dialog box.
Figure 12.10 New Style dialog box
Style name Type in a name for the separations style. The style name
must be unique and can be up to 30 characters long.
Colour space Select the colour space from the menu. You can select
any colour space known by the RIP, not just the colour
space of the target device. Monochrome, RGB, and
CMYK are always available. If you have installed an N-
colour device, you can also use its colour space, even if
you are not printing to that N-colour device. This choice

determines the process colourants specified in the sepa-

rations style. The output format specifies how the
colourants will be printed on the output device.
Output format Once you have selected the colour space, select an
output format from the menu. This specifies how to
generate the output on the target device. The available
options depend on the selected output device and the
setting for Colour space. For example, with a typical
CMYK device operating in its own colour space, you
can generate output as monochrome separations, as col-
oured separations (either single or progressive proofs),
or as a composite. For an RGB output device, you can
convert CMYK or N-colour separations to RGB output,
and so on. When an arrow appears in the output format
name, it indicates that the colour space does not match
that of the output device.
Note: Once you have set the colour space and output format, you cannot
change them for the named separations style.
Click the Create button to open the Edit Style dialog box, described in
Section 12.7 on page 407. Click Cancel to discard your changes immediately.
12.6.3 Selecting several separations styles

You can select multiple separations styles when you want to delete or reorder
them. Use the following keys:
Shift
To select a block of separations styles that appear together in the list, select the
first style in the block, then, while holding down the Shift key, select the last
style in the block.
Mac users: To select several separations styles, regardless of whether

they form a continuous range, hold down the Command key while
selecting the styles you wish to delete.

Ctrl
Windows users: To select several separations styles, regardless of
whether they form a continuous range, hold down the Control key while
selecting the styles you wish to delete.
12.6.4 Closing the Separations Manager

You must close the Separations Manager before you can use any tool bar but-
tons or menu options in the RIP.
Click OK to confirm all the changes you have make in the Separations
Manager and Edit Style dialog boxes. The OK button saves the changes you
have made and closes the Separations Manager. If you opened the Separations
by clicking the Select button. In addition to saving the changes, the Select
button displays the selected style in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. Click
Cancel to discard all changes.
Note: If you open the Separations Manager from the Edit Page Setup dialog
box, changes that you make in the Separations Manager are independent of
the Edit Page Setup dialog box. For example, if you create a separations style,
and close the Edit Style dialog box with OK, and the Separations Manager
with OK or Select, the new style will remain even if you click Cancel in the Edit

The Edit Style dialog box appears when you create or edit a separations style
in the Separations Manager. It contains the options related to separations and,
where appropriate, to screening. There are two forms of the dialog box:
• If the output format of the separations style supports screening con-
trolled by the RIP, the Edit Style dialog box contains options that allow
you to set up defaults and override the screening parameters requested
in a job. See Chapter 6, “Screening” for a description of these screening
options: try starting with Figure 6.2, page 169.

• Otherwise, a more compact dialog box displays only the options for
separations, as shown in Figure 12.11. This form of the dialog box suits
contone output and also output to devices and processes that do their
own screening.
The remainder of this section describes the separations options appearing in
both forms of the dialog box.
Note: There are also controls for black generation for CMYK output and over-
printing in the Colour Setup dialog box, accessed from the Colour Setup Man-
ager or the Separations, Screening, and Colour section of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. (See Section 12.8 on page 416.) Also, trapping options are available
from the Separations, Screening, and Colour section of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box. (See Section 12.10 on page 429).
Figure 12.11 Edit Style dialog box
This dialog box contains a list showing the separations that the RIP can pro-
duce. There are initially separations for the process colours in the selected
colour space. In Figure 12.11 there are separations for the four process colours
in the CMYK colour space.
If the chosen output format supports additional colourants, you can control
the printing of spot colour separations using the (Other colours in job)
entry, or you can add a separation for a specific spot colour.

The order in the list defines the order of production of separations on output.
If the output device can generate separations in a different order, you can
move a selected colour up and down the list by selecting it and dragging to
the new position.
You can rename or delete spot colour separations. You cannot delete the stan-
dard process colour separations from the list, nor can you change their names.
You may, however, ask the RIP not to produce a certain separation.
For particular jobs, you may want to vary the settings in the interests of effi-
ciency or to ensure compatibility with PostScript-language code that uses
Level 1 operators. For example, the default settings produce separations for all
process colours, so you may want to turn off some process colours if a job is
mainly defined in spot colours. Also for example, if you need to reprint just a
single separation (and it is not saved in the Output Controller), you can turn
off all the other separations.
The Print option in the Edit Style dialog box determines which separations are
produced. The RIP produces all those separations marked as Yes and the non-
blank separations marked as Not Blank.
Note: If you are printing a preseparated job, and you wish to not produce
some separations, select Recombine preseparated jobs, even if you then wish
the RIP to produce output separations. The RIP produces all separations of a
preseparated job except when recombining.
If you are producing screened separations, you can control the screening of
process and spot colours by using the screening options in the Edit Style
dialog box. See Chapter 6, “Screening” for a description of these options.
Note: The separations shown in this dialog box always take effect for jobs that
do not specify their own separations. If the job attempts to specify separations,
you must select the Override separations in job check box if you want to pro-
duce the separations shown here.
12.7.1 Producing separations

The boxes below the list of separations allow you to control the printing of
process colour separations and change the ink type. If the chosen output
format supports additional colourants, you can also control the printing of
spot colour separations. Any spot colour not explicitly listed is controlled by

the (Other colors in job) settings. With the default settings, if a job calls for
spot colours not named in the list of separations, the RIP converts those spot
colours to the appropriate combination of process colours.
To change the settings for an existing colourant, select the colourant from the
list and edit the values in the boxes below.
Note: If the output format of the separations style supports screening, you can
also change the screen angle of the process colour or spot colour separation.
See Section 6.5.1, “Changing angles for separations” for details.
Separation The name of the separation. To rename a spot colour

separation, type the new name into the text box. You
cannot rename process colour separations.
Warning: The name you enter for the spot colour must
match the one used in the job in every respect: upper
and lower case, use of embedded space characters and
any trailing CV or CU suffixes. For example: a typical
Pantone specification is PANTONE 386 CV but applica-
tions may report this in different ways.
Print If this option is set to Yes, a page will be produced for

the separation, even if the separation is blank. If this
option is set to No, the page will be omitted, although
any effects it might have on the others are still calcu-
lated. You might use this feature to suppress process
colour separation for a job using spot colours only. If
the option is set to Not Blank, the RIP will produce a
page for that separation as long as the separation is not
blank.
For example, to produce only the process colours and
convert all colours defined as spot colours in the job to
process colours, set each process colour to Yes and set
(Other colors in job) to No. These are the default
settings.
To produce a separation for every spot colour requested
in the job and for each of the process colours, set each
process colour to Yes and set (Other colors in job)

to Yes. Then any calls for unlisted spot colours in a par-

ticular job mean that the RIP produces the required sep-
arations automatically for that job.
If you want to produce a separation for a specific spot
colour and to convert all other spot colours which may
be included in the job to process colours, set the specific
spot colour to Yes and set (Other colors in job) to
No.
Of these ways, the one you choose is likely to be dic-
tated by the characteristics of your output device and
process, such as the number of inks available in one
pass.
Angle This box appears only if you are editing a halftone

(screened) style. Enter the screen angle you want to use
for this separation. See Section 6.5 on page 177 for more
details of screen angles.
Note: This box defines a default value, used if the job
does not set its own screen angles. If you wish to use
angles entered here even when the job requests other
values, select the check box Override angles in job, also
in this dialog box.
Note: If you have one of the optional TrapPro features enabled, you can create
sets of trapping rules and apply them within the RIP. From the version 6.0
release of the Torrent RIP, the ink set options have been removed from the Edit
Separations dialog and placed within their own Ink Set Manager. TrapPro and
the Ink Set Manager options are fully described in the separate TrapPro User
Manual.
New Use this button to add a separation for a spot colour to

the list. A new row appears in the list of separations.
Type the name of the spot colour into the first text box
below the list, to replace the text New Colour. If required
edit the settings for Print.
Warning: The name you enter for the spot colour must
match the one used in the job in every respect: upper

and lower case, use of embedded space characters and

any trailing CV or CU suffixes. For example: a typical
Pantone specification is PANTONE 386 CV but applica-
tions may report this in different ways.
Delete Use this button to delete the selected spot colour sepa-
ration. The separation disappears from the list. You
cannot delete process colour separations.
12.7.2 Other options

There are some other controls in the Edit Style dialog box, not linked so
closely to individual separations.
Override separations in job

The separations shown in the Edit Style dialog box
always take effect for jobs that do not specify their own
separations. If the job attempts to specify separations,
you must select the Override separations in job check box
if you want to produce the separations shown here.
Use Level 1 spot colours

Spot colour is not a standard part of the PostScript
Level 1 specification. It is a widely used convention that
was defined later. If you wish to separate composite
jobs using this spot colour convention, select this box.
Warning: We strongly advise you not to select this box
when defining a separation style to which you will
supply preseparated jobs. The box is only enabled if
you using a CMYK separation style and not recombin-
ing, but you might use a style with these settings and
submit preseparated jobs in order to override screen
angles or other settings. (You cannot select this box
when you are using a monochrome separation style or
you have selected the Recombine preseparated jobs box.)
When you select this box, the RIP converts conventional
representations of spot colours in PostScript Level 1

language documents to the current PostScript Language

compatibility level. By default, the RIP converts the spot
colours to LanguageLevel 3. To convert the spot colours
to LanguageLevel 2 style, change the PostScript Lan-
guage compatibility level in the Page Setup Options
dialog box.
This check box has an effect only when producing spot
colours.
Override angles in job

This box appears only if you are editing a halftone
(screened) style. Select this box if you want to ignore
any screen angles set in the job. See Section 6.5 on
page 177 for more details.
Reject preseparated jobs

If you select the Reject preseparated jobs check box, the
RIP will not process preseparated jobs. If this check box
is selected, then the Recombine preseparated jobs check
box is disabled.
Recombine preseparated jobs

The Recombine preseparated jobs check box allows you
to recombine certain classes of preseparated jobs.
Recombining may be useful or necessary in a variety of
cases: for example, when proofing on a full-colour
device or retargeting from one kind of final output
device to another kind. See Section 12.7.3 for details of
the suitable jobs.
Note: When using this option, the RIP cannot paint par-
tial page buffers; expect jobs with pages requiring large
amounts of memory to fail if you have not allocated
enough physical memory.

12.7.3 Recombination
There are some limitations on the jobs that the RIP can recombine. There are
also some classes of jobs where you should make additional settings.
The limitations are:
• The job must consist of process separations, suitable spot colours, where
suitable is defined in this section, or both. (It also possible to submit
most composite jobs to a page setup using recombination, but see the
comments in Section 12.7.4 on page 415. This ability minimizes the
number of page setups that you must create and maintain but has no
intentional effect on the composite jobs.)
• The names of suitable spot colours must be unambiguous. If the job
supplies a CMYK equivalent for a spot colour, that is sufficient for the
name to be unambiguous.
• When the job does not contain a process equivalent for a spot colour, the
name is still unambiguous if the RIP can find a correct equivalent. The
RIP searches several files in the SW/NamedColor folder for an equivalent.
These files define several commonly used names, including: other pro-
cess colours, such as Red, Green, and Blue; spot colours produced by
some common job-creating applications; and the CV and CVU names
defined in PANTONE Colours.
Note: Some common names—for example, Pink or Mauve—can have
slightly varying definitions in different jobs, because either the creating
application or the designer has used a conflicting definition. One solu-
tion is to add a CMYK equivalent in the job where such a name occurs.
• The job must contain all the required separations in one file or
AppleTalk connection. It is not possible to recombine jobs where each
separation is in its own file.
• Where the job contains more than one set of separations, separations
from each set (page) must appear contiguously—for example, KCMY-
DEKCMYDEKCMYDE… and so on, where D and E represent spot col-
ours—rather than ordered by colourant. For example: the order
KKK…CCC…MMM…YYY… DDD… EEE… is not allowed. Where

there is only one set of separations in the job, the order of separations in
the job is unimportant: for example, CMYKDE and KCMYED are both
acceptable.
The additional settings for recombined jobs are these:
• If you are recombining separations for output to screened output, select
the Override angles in job option, also in the Edit Style dialog box and set
the angle you require for each separation. See Section 6.5 on page 177
for details.
• You can also override other screening features if you wish.
12.7.4 Recombination and composite jobs

Recombination is a powerful capability of the RIP and it is as accessible and
trouble-free as possible. In many cases, it is possible to submit both composite
and preseparated jobs to a page setup that has Recombine preseparated jobs
selected. However, there are cases where the nature of the job or other settings
made within the RIP mean that it is necessary to create separate page setups
for composite and preseparated jobs.
Among the cases needing separate page setups are:
• The use of recombination and use of the HqnImpose procset. This
includes use of the page features: Fill Film, 2 up, 2 across, and sev-
eral example page features. (The RIP detects when this combination is
attempted and warns the user.)
• In a composite job, black objects intended to knockout may actually
overprint if submitted to a recombining page setup. (This happens
without any warning message from the RIP.)
Note: If you have recombine on you may have problems with composite files
that contain a setpattern command. An error message similar to the
following may appear:
%%[Error: setpattern disabled while recombining - Aborting
page]%%
The solution to this is to turn recombine off.

12.7.5 Closing the Edit Style dialog box

You must close the Edit Style dialog box to save your changes. You must also
close the Separations Manager before you can use any other part of the RIP.
Click OK to confirm all the changes you have made in this use of the Edit Style
dialog box, including any deletions. This confirmation is provisional: you
must also click OK or Select in the Separations Manager to finally save your
changes. Click Cancel to discard your changes immediately.
12.8 Colour Setup

In the Torrent RIP v6.0 release, the Colour Setup options have been changed.
The Colour Options button is removed from the Page Setup dialog box and is
replaced by a Colour Setup Manager and Colour Setup dialog box. The trap-
ping controls appear in the Trapping section of the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
This method allows each colour setup to be saved and used with any number
of page setups. The location of these controls in an independent dialog box
allows for UCR and trapping when producing composite colour pages (for
example when driving a colour device directly), as well as in separated out-
put. It also allows for the controls to be made unavailable when inappropriate.
If you wish to create a setup with Colour management including, ICC profiles,
custom rendering intents or perform press emulation on a proofer you should
use the Torrent ColourPro option. This option is activated by a password and
you should contact your dealer for more information.
If you do have Torrent ColourPro activated in your Torrent RIP and you wish
to create a setup with colour management you should consult the Torrent
ColourPro User’s Guide.
12.8.1 Define colour setups (no colour management)

Follow these steps to create a customized colour setup. Note that a colour
setup corresponds to a particular device and colour space.

12.8 Colour Setup
1. Choose Colour > Colour Setup Manager. The Colour Setup Manager dialog
appears.
Figure 12.12 Colour Setup Manager dialog box
2. In the Colour Setup Manager dialog box, select the device for which you
want to create a colour setup. If you are creating CMYK Separations
(halftone) you should select Printing Press in this option.
3. If necessary, select the colour space for which you want to create this
colour setup. Note that when you create a page setup, the separations
style you choose determines the colour space of the page setup.
4. At this point you have the option to select either, New ‘No Colour Manage-
ment’ setup, or New ‘ColourPro’ setup (which is only available by use of a

password). If you can select New ‘ColourPro’ setup you should consult the
Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for more details.
Figure 12.13 New Colour Setup dialog box
The following tables describe the options available in this dialog
Fields Description
Override colour Select this check box to override any colour

management in job management supplied in the job and use the
options set in this dialog box.
If you do not check this box, the Torrent RIP
searches the job for a colour space array, embedded
ICC profile, or a colour space resource. If there is
such an element, the Torrent RIP uses it to trans-
form the relevant object on the page and then treats
the object as defined in device-independent colour.
See Appendix B, “Jobs Containing Colour Manage-
ment Data” for details.
Table 12.1 Input Document Controls in the New Colour Setup dialog box

12.8 Colour Setup
Fields Description
Override overprint There is a new PostScript operator called

mode in job setoverprintmode which is the PostScript equiva-
lent of the PDF gstate OPM flag.
If an object is set to overprint and OPM or
setoverprintmode is on, the Torrent RIP drops any
colourants which have a zero value. This is called
‘implicit overprinting’.
This is what the Override overprint mode in job option
controls.
If the Override overprint mode in job option is
checked the Overprint process colours option
(described below) is always honored and any
overprintmode and OPM parameter in the job is
ignored. If it is not checked any overprintmode and
OPM parameter in the job will be used and the
Overprint process colours setting will be used as the
default value.
Overprint process If this option is selected and overprinting is
colours switched on for an object, the RIP overprints any
process colour component defined as 0 in the
CMYK colour space, or as 1 in the RGB colour
space. That is, the component is treated as trans-
parent.
When this option is not selected, a process colour
component produces a knockout on the separation.
However, if overprinting is switched on for an
object, the RIP overprints colourants that are explic-
itly set to overprint using the Harlequin extension
to setcmykcolor.
Table 12.1 Input Document Controls in the New Colour Setup dialog box (Continued)

Fields Description
Drop white objects When Overprint process colours is selected, Drop

white objects determines how the RIP handles white
objects: objects defined as 0 0 0 0 setcmykcolor,
1 setgray, or 1 1 1 setrgbcolor.
If this option is selected and overprinting is

switched on for that object, the white object simply
disappears from the separations.
If this option is not selected, the white object knocks
out underlying objects, even when overprinting is
switched on.
Overprint grays Select this object to enable the Cyan, Magenta, and
Yellow colourants to be overprinted rather than
knocked out when a colour is specified as gray
(with the PostScript language setgray operator or
spot colour converted to a gray level) and the job
requests overprinting. This behavior is not defined
by the PostScript language, and though it is unusual
for a job to rely on it, sometimes a job will assume
this, especially when the gray tint arises from a
named Black spot colour which is converted to
process.

12.8 Colour Setup
Fields Description
Overprint 100% When this option is selected, the RIP overprints

black 100% black rather then generating knockouts in the
other separations. The black channel or separation
is generated as normal but, depending upon the
characteristics of the other inks, may need to be
applied last in the combination process so that it
overprints all colours necessary. If this option is
selected, overprinting occurs regardless of whether
overprinting is switched on for that graphics object.
How the overprinting of the other separations is
done depends on the Image only black option.
There is no performance penalty incurred by using
this feature—in fact, it may be slightly faster to
overprint, given that knockouts do not have to be
calculated.
This feature only applies to black objects, not to
individual pixels of a continuous tone image that
happen to be 100% black.

Fields Description
Image only black This option controls whether solid black objects
appear in the process colour separations other than
Black when the Overprint 100% black option is
selected. If this box is selected, the RIP ignores the
other process colour components of black objects
and no trace of the objects appears in those separa-
tions. If this box is not selected, then the other
process colour components are taken into account.
If this box is not selected, the objects appear in any
separation where the colour component is defined
as non-zero in the CMYK colour space (or not 1 in
the RGB colour space). Process colour components
defined as 0 in the CMYK colour space or 1 in the
RGB colour space are always overprinted.
Fields Description
Cyan The angles specified in these fields help the

Magenta ColourPro application detect the individual plates
within a job. The default angles will usually work.
Yellow
Black If you do change one of these values, for example
Cyan to 30.00, and the incoming job has Cyan at 15°,
you will encounter problems.
Table 12.2 Input Separation Detention angles in Job options in Colour Setup dialog
box

12.8 Colour Setup
Fields Description
Black generation This is the process of computing how much, and

where, black should be added to the image.
This option determines how much black ink should
be used to reproduce colours. Select Ignore,
Minimum, Light, Medium, Heavy, Maximum or UCR from
the menu.
Undercolour removal (UCR) is the process of
reducing the amount of other colours present
where the black is added.
Override black Rarely, a job will specify black generation itself. You
generation in job can force the scheme set in the Colour Setup dialog
box to override those set by the job, by selecting this
check box.
Max. ink This value constrains the maximum amount of all
four CMYK colours that will be generated in the
conversion process. Similarly, colours specified
explicitly as black are not affected by this.
Max. black This value is the maximum amount of black ink
that will be generated by the colour conversion
process. Note that colours specified explicitly as
black are not affected by this setting.
Some applications, and especially Microsoft Word,
®
Convert RGB to
true black use RGB colours for everything, including solid
black—coded as 0 0 0 setrgbcolor (or 0 0 0 in a
DeviceRGB colour space). You should choose this
option to force the RIP to intercept blacks coded in
this way and convert them to (0 0 0 1 in) a CMYK
colour space.
Table 12.3 Output Controls for RGB options in the New Colour Setup dialog box

After setting options in the New Colour Setup dialog box, click Save As
and assign a name to this colour setup. The Colour Setup Manager
dialog box displays the new colour setup that you have created. Note
that you can also Edit, Copy, and Delete colour setups from the Colour
Setup Manager.
5. Click OK to confirm all the changes you have make in the Colour Setup
Manager and New Colour Setup dialog boxes.
The OK button saves the changes you have made and closes the Colour Setup
Manager. If you opened the Colour Setup Manager from the Edit Page Setup
dialog box, you can also save the changes by clicking the Select button. In
addition to saving the changes, the Select button displays the selected colour
setup in the Edit Page Setup dialog box. Click Cancel to discard all changes.
12.8.2 Overprinting controls

Where 100% process black is present and in other circumstances, you may
wish to perform overprinting rather than causing knockouts in the other sepa-
rations. This applies both to composite colour output and to screened output.
(See “Knockouts and overprinting” on page 395 for an introductory discus-
sion.)
12.8.3 Black generation and undercolour removal

With regard to the CMYK colour space, in principle, all colours can be repre-
sented with cyan, magenta, and yellow. In practice, however, the theoretically
correct combination of these three colours will not produce the colour
expected when printed, because of the limitations of inks.
To overcome this practical problem, pure black ink is used to improve colour
reproduction on the printed page. This is the role of the K or black separation.
Black is added to produce pure black on the page, because using a combina-
tion of cyan, magenta, and yellow usually gives dark brown, rather than
black, when printed. Therefore, black text is printed with black ink.
Black is also added in colour regions of an image to strengthen colour tones.
The application of black can often be very effective for improving an image.
The amount used can be varied according to the effects you wish to achieve.

12.8 Colour Setup
Black generation is the process of computing how much, and where, black
should be added to the image.
Note: If you have Torrent ColourPro available, it is able to add black in ways
more subtle than the controls described here, using Colour Rendering Intents.
See the separate Torrent ColourPro User’s Guide for details.
When converting colour descriptions expressed in RGB (or in HLS, device-
independent colour, or other spaces which end up as RGB) to CMYK for print-
ing, the RIP must decide how much of a colour is to be represented by black
ink, and how much by the others. Because a perfect theoretical description of
the colour image is provided by the CMY components, if black is added with-
out the appropriate removal of some of the cyan, magenta, and yellow, the
colour produced on the printed page will not be the one intended.
Undercolour removal (UCR) is the process of reducing the amount of other col-
ours present where the black is added. The legend ucr represents undercolour
removal in the graphs later in this section.
Note: The black generation settings in this dialog box operate in the RIP with-
out Torrent ColourPro. With ColourPro enabled, an alternative method is nor-
mally used. The settings made here are used with ColourPro only when
sending RGB data direct to a four-colour device, without first converting to a
device-independent colour space.
12.8.4 Black generation

You can specify how black generation and undercolour removal should be
done in the New Colour Setup dialog box. The settings in this dialog box con-
trol the way the RIP will apply black by constructing internal calls to the
PostScript-language operators setblackgeneration and setundercolorre-
moval. The dialog box offers a number of black generation schemes. Factors
that you should take into account when selecting a scheme include the quali-
ties of the various inks (discussed in Section 12.8.5 on page 428) and printing
media.

The scheme used is controlled by the Black generation menu. The options are:
• Ignore
• Maximum
• None (the default)
• Light, Medium, and Heavy
• UCR
Sections 12.8.4.1 through 12.8.4.5 describe these options.
Rarely, a job will specify black generation itself. You can force the scheme set
in the dialog box to override those set by the job, by selecting the Override
black generation in job check box.
12.8.4.1 Ignore
This option does not set black generation and undercolour removal. It
replaces as much colour as possible with black, while maintaining the
intended colour, irrespective of ink densities. Because no PostScript-language
code for performing undercolour removal is generated, it is the fastest
method.
12.8.4.2 Maximum
K, ucr
CMY
This option introduces a lot of black, taking into account the maximum black
ink density. Specify the maximum black ink density in the adjacent Max black
text box as a percentage value, as described in Section 12.8.5 on page 428.

12.8 Colour Setup
12.8.4.3 None
CMY
K, ucr
This option performs no black generation or undercolour removal. Black is

represented as a mixture of cyan, magenta, and yellow, leaving only those col-
ours expressed explicitly in the PostScript-language job as black—rather than
as a mixture of red, green, and blue, or as device independent colour—to be
rendered on the black separation.
12.8.4.4 Light, Medium, and Heavy

Light Medium Heavy
K K K
CMY ucr
CMY
ucr
CMY
ucr
These options introduce black gradually, according to exponential functions,

with proportionately smaller amounts of black added and colour removed for
the lighter colours than the darker ones. This is again subject to the constraints
of maximum ink densities, specified in the adjacent boxes. See Section 12.8.5
for details of controlling these ink densities.

12.8.4.5 UCR
K
CMY
ucr
Instead of an exponential curve, this option adds no black until the maximum
coloured ink density is reached and then adds black linearly up to its maxi-
mum. The maximum coloured ink density is the maximum ink density value
minus the maximum black density value. See Section 12.8.5 for details of
controlling these ink densities.
12.8.5 Ink densities

Most of the black generation styles are affected by the ink densities set in the
two Max ink and Max black options in the black generation section of the
Colour Setup dialog box.
You should select these values with consideration for paper and press
characteristics.
12.9 Colour separation angles in job

The RIP sometimes needs to identify which colours are represented in jobs: for
example, when recombining a preseparated job. Often there are well struc-
tured identifiers that give the answer directly and unambiguously.
Where there is not an obvious identifier, the RIP analyzes the contents of the
job to decide a likely colour. The screen angle is one of the items that the RIP
analyzes.
Under the label Colour separation angles in job, set the Cyan, Magenta, Yellow,
and Black text fields to the screen angles that the incoming job uses for these
colours.

12.10 Trapping features
Note: The angles in this section are the screen angles expected in the incoming
job, not the angles used for output. The angles used on output are set in the
Edit Style dialog box, and can be entirely different.
12.10 Trapping features

Trapping options are found in the Trapping section of the Edit Page Setup
dialog box and gives some control over trapping; that is, overprinting edges of
objects in the output to avoid white gaps showing when printed due to slight
misregistration.
If your copy of the RIP has the one of the optional TrapPro features enabled,
you can create sets of trapping rules and apply them within the RIP. TrapPro is
fully described in the separate TrapPro User Manual. (You must enable TrapPro
or TrapProLite by obtaining a keyword and selecting the TrapPro or Trap-
ProLite item while following the procedure described in Section 6.11.1 on
page 200 of this manual.)
Making full use of trapping in the RIP can require the choice of appropriate
options both in the applications creating the PostScript-language job and in
the RIP.
12.10.1 Trapping and QuarkXPress

The Torrent RIP supports trapping facilities provided by QuarkXPress and its
settrap PostScript-language extension.
QuarkXPress has the ability to generate arbitrary trapping. It can do so in

either of two ways:
• By including explicit overprinted borders in the PostScript-language
page description it produces. This method works on all RIPs but may
produce large job files.
• By indicating that a capable RIP should generate the trapping. The RIP
can do this if you select the settrap (Quark) option. The QuarkXPress
operator must use a printer description file declaring that the RIP sup-
ports this feature. Using this option allows QuarkXPress to generate
more compact PostScript code, which saves disk space and may lead to
faster interpretation by the RIP.

12.10.2 Controls in the Torrent RIP

The Trapping menu in the Trapping section of the Edit Page Setup dialog box
always provides the following options:
None This option performs no trapping.
settrap (Quark)
Use this option to have the RIP generate overprinted
borders according to instructions embedded in suitable
jobs by QuarkXPress. See Section 12.10.1 for details of
how to produce suitable jobs.
If your copy of the RIP has one of the optional TrapPro features enabled, there
may be extra entries in this list and you also can create new sets of trapping
rules that also become entries in this list, as described in the separate TrapPro
User Manual.
12.11 Pages in the Output Controller

In general, the RIP treats separations the same way whether they are the result
of processing a preseparated job or the result of separating a composite colour
job within the RIP.
Depending on the separations style, each page of a composite colour job can
produce several pages, one for each separation. Once these pages are in the
Output Controller, the RIP handles them in the same way as any other pages.
The pages are tagged with their colour, which appears after the name in the
Output Controller. For example, the job picture.ps separated for CMYK
printing would have four entries in the queue, as follows:
picture.ps (C)
picture.ps (M)
picture.ps (Y)
picture.ps (K)
Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are abbreviated to C, M, Y, and K respec-

tively. Red, green, and blue are abbreviated to R, G, and B respectively. Spot
colour separations are tagged with the full name of the separation.

12.11.1 Roaming separations

When you view a separation on a colour display, using Roam, it is displayed in
the appropriate colour, at least until you choose to change that display colour.
The Roam window also displays the title of the page, an abbreviation for the
colour, and the resolution. Cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are abbreviated
to C, M, Y, and K respectively. Red, green, and blue are abbreviated to R, G,
and B respectively. An asterisk character ( * ) indicates a spot colour separa-
tion, and a percent character ( % ) indicates grayscale.
Shift
You can view a block of several separations at once. Click to select the first
one, then hold down the Shift key and click to select the last one.
When you view multiple separations, the colours are overlaid to give an
impression of how they will look when combined on paper. For example, in a
high-resolution screened picture, you should be able to see the rosettes of the
screen pattern. (See Chapter 6, “Screening”, for more discussion of viewing
superimposed screens.)
You can roam a separation in a different colour, which can be useful, for exam-
ple, if you want to see the differences between two separations of the same
colour. To highlight the differences, change the roam colour of one page and
then roam the pages together. For details of changing the roam colour, see
Section 12.11.3
For more information on roaming, see Section 5.5.3 on page 111.
12.11.2 Roaming composite pages

When you view a composite page using Roam, by default the RIP shows all
the separations in the composite page together.
You can reduce the number of separations that you can see in the Roam or
Reduced Roam window using the Roam Options dialog box. See
Section 5.5.3.1 on page 113 for details.

12.11.3 Changing the colour in Roam

You can inspect and change the colours displayed in the Roam window for the
colourants in individual separations and composite page buffers. To do this,
select a page buffer in the Output Controller, click Info, and in the Info dialog
box click Change roam colour. Figure 12.14 shows the dialog box that appears.
Note: You cannot inspect or change the roam colour while you are roaming a
page buffer from any page in the same job.
Figure 12.14 Change Roam Colour dialog box
The Change Roam Colour dialog box appears with a table displaying all the
colourants present in the selected page buffer. The columns in the table are:
Colourant This is the name of the colourant in the page buffer. In a

separation, there is only one colourant. In a composite
page buffer, all the included colourants appear. (Typical
composite page buffers contain only process colours
but, for a small number of output plugins, there can
also be spot colours.)
Red This is the red component of the roam colour, in the

range 0 (zero) through 1.0.
Green This is the green component of the roam colour, in the

Blue This is the blue component of the roam colour, in the


Roam Colour This is the name of the roam colour. In an unchanged

page buffer this is the same name as appears in the
Colourant column. In a changed page buffer, the colour
is the last one chosen for this colourant. You can substi-
tute any other colour by choosing from a list of
common colours or by typing new values.
To change a colour, first select it by clicking on its row in the table. The boxes
at the foot of the table display the RGB values and the name of the roam
colour for the selected colourant. You can choose named colours from a list or
specify any other colour by RGB values:
• To select a named colour, use the menu for Roam Colour. The listed
values are any special colours represented in this page buffer, a list of
default colours for the RGB and CMYK spaces (Default Red and so on),
and an entry called Other. You cannot select Other: it shows only that
you have edited the RGB values to a colour not in the menu. To return
to the original roam colour for a colourant, use the list to select the
name that appears in the Colourant column.
• To specify any colour not in the menu, edit the values in the fields for
Red, Green, and Blue. Once you have edited a value then, as soon as you
move to another field (or select a different row in the table), the Roam
Colour name for the edited colourant changes to Other. If you want to
edit another colour, click on its row. (You can do this for all colourants if
you wish; each can have its own value for Other.)
Click OK in this dialog box and OK again in the Info dialog box to save your
changes to roam colours. Click Cancel in either dialog box to abandon your
changes.


Appendix A
A Troubleshooting
This appendix provides solutions to common problems that can occur when
running the RIP.
The first sections contain information about the warning messages that can
appear. They are grouped according to where the messages appear in the RIP.
Section A.1, “Warning messages and what to do”, gives a list of some of
the major error messages that may occur when running the RIP. All of
the messages in this section appear in dialog boxes.
Section A.2, “Warnings in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window”,
describes the warnings that appear in the system monitor. They are
grouped according to the type of problem.
Section A.3, “Warnings within the progress box”, describes the messages
that appear in the progress box. The progress box is part of the Output
Controller in either of the multiple modes, or a separate window in
either of the single modes. This list does not include the warnings gener-
ated by output plugins.
The remaining sections provide additional information on specific topics.
Section A.4 on page 450 contains information on imposition and media
saving.
Section A.5 on page 451 describes Seybold test timings.

Appendix A: Troubleshooting
Section A.6 on page 451 describes solutions to problems when imaging

TIFF/IT files.
Section A.7 on page 453 describes solutions to problems when imaging
PDF jobs.
Section A.8 on page 459 describes solutions to network problems when
configuring the RIP.
Section A.9 on page 461 describes how to set the access permissions for
the spool folder.
Section A.10 on page 462 describes solutions to Macintosh system prob-
lems when configuring the RIP.
A.1 Warning messages and what to do

The following is a list of some of the major error messages that may occur
when running the RIP. All of the messages in this section appear in dialog
boxes.

A.1.1 Problems with starting the Torrent RIP
Message Problem Things to try
Mac users: The hard disk may have Use DiskFirstAid to carry
been corrupted. out any repairs necessary.
Disk needs DiskFirstAid
DiskFirstAid is supplied
with your Macintosh
operating system.
Mac users: The RIP has not detected Check that the dongle is
a valid dongle. installed and plugged-in
Eve Dongle not plugged
correctly, and that the EvE
in
Init start-up document is
Fatal error: Fatal security installed in the system
device failure folder. If this does not
help, shut the Macintosh
down, disconnect the
dongle completely, and
reconnect it. Power-up
the Macintosh again.
The RIP failed on bootup An error has occurred Reset the RIP to the fac-
while the RIP was start- tory defaults.(Mac users:
ing up. Reboot the machine and
reduce the number of
applications (including
INITs or system exten-
sions) running.)
The RIP startup failed An error occurred while Reset the RIP to the fac-
starting up the RIP. tory defaults. Reboot the
machine. If this does not
help, reinstall the RIP.

Windows users: Something concerning Check that the dongle is

the dongle is incorrect. installed and plugged-in
SuperPro, C Plus or
correctly.
Activator dongle not
plugged in or invalid Check that the Sentinel
device drivers have been
Fatal error: Fatal security
installed and started. If
device failure
you have both a Sentinel
C-Plus and a Sentinel
SuperPro dongle con-
nected to the same paral-
lel port to protect the RIP
and another application
then they must be con-
nected in the order “Com-
puter: C-Plus: SuperPro”
If this does not help, shut
the PC down, disconnect
the dongle completely,
and reconnect it. Power-
up the PC again. If these
suggestions fail, you may
have an invalid or a failed
dongle.
Table A.1 Start-up messages (Continued)

A.1.2 Problems involving memory or disk space
Mac users: The RIP has Change this by choosing Get Info… from the
been config- Finder menu, or by pressing Command-I, with
Application
ured with a the RIP icon selected.
size is too
default
small It is theoretically possible to run the RIP with a
memory size of
memory size of smaller than 15360 KB, but per-
less than
formance may decline. The amount can be
15360 KB.
increased to much higher values if necessary.
Note that using System 7 virtual memory may
also adversely affect performance, in versions
before 7.5.
Mac users: The system Reduce the amount of memory being used.
and other soft-
Not enough When you select About Finder from the Apple
ware running
memory to run menu, before starting the RIP, the Finder
on the Macin-
the RIP should have at least 6.5 MB available.
tosh are con-
suming too Notable consumers of memory:
much memory. Disk Cache set too high—64 KB is normally
sufficient. Disk Cache must be turned on.
Adobe Type Manager—this can have a very
large cache. Turn it off or set it to less than
128 KB.
System—this may have lots of desk accessories
and fonts in it. Use Suitcase II for this, instead
of placing them in the system with Font DA
Mover (System 6 only).
Some other INITs take up large amounts of
memory.
The application size may be too small (see
details for that message).
Try quitting other applications.

Mac users: The RIP cannot The warning message describes the best correc-
obtain enough tive action: display the Configure RIP Options
Warning:
memory dialog box by clicking Options. in the Config-
Memory is get-
(RAM) to oper- ure RIP dialog box; increase the Minimum
ting low and
ate correctly. memory left for system (512 KB is the sug-
your RIP is
gested minimum), quit the RIP, and restart the
running out of Warning: The
Macintosh before restarting the RIP again.
system mem- underlying
ory. Therefore fault condition Alternatively, you can reduce the required
… (continues) can occur in all memory (specifically the heap) by removing
previous revi- any plugins which are installed but not actu-
sions, without ally being used.
a message
appearing but
causing a vari-
ety of prob-
lems.
Table A.2 Memory or disk space messages (Continued)
A.1.3 Problems with resources
Could not access a The plugin driver for the Reset the RIP to the fac-
resource for the current current device seems to tory defaults.
plugin device driver have been moved.
Move a copy of the device
driver into the Devices
folder in the SW folder
(Mac) or SW\Devices
(Windows).
Could not access a Setup The setup file has been Reset the RIP to the fac-
resource corrupted or is missing. tory defaults.
Mac Classic users: The application resource Reinstall the RIP.

fork has been corrupted.
Internal resource not
found

There are no devices There are no devices Reinstall the RIP.

installed in the setup file installed in the devices
folder (and, for Mac
users, the application
resource fork has been
corrupted).
Table A.3 Resource messages (Continued)
A.1.4 Problems with files
Could not open the newly This probably means that Close some files.
created RIP setup file there are too many other
files open.
File too deeply buried The file pathname is too Move the file that you are
inside folders / directo- long for the RIP to cope trying to access to a point
ries. with. higher up in the file
Move it somewhere else system so that the full
pathname becomes
shorter.
Incompatible version of The setup file you are Find and install a copy of
the RIP setup file used/ using is associated with a the correct setup file that
Old RIP setup file used different version of the was supplied with the
software. version of the RIP that
you are running (this file
must be placed in the SW
folder) or reinstall the
RIP.
Problem finding file— The RIP cannot find a file. Try running a disk repair
maybe disk is damaged utility (such as
DiskFirstAid on a Mac).
Table A.4 File messages

A.1.5 Problems with networks

Network troubleshooting is a necessarily technical operation. Consult your
network manager if you have any doubts about your abilities in this area.
Mac Classic users: There is already a printer Change the name in the
on the network with this Input Controller dialog
Fatal Appletalk Error:
name. box.
Duplicate printer:
<printer name> If publishing multiple set-
ups, load the offending
setup and save it again
under another name, then
publish that name
instead.
Mac Classic users: AppleTalk has been Change AppleTalk to

turned off. active in the Chooser of
Fatal Appletalk Error: -
the Macintosh running
3104 Extraction error
the RIP.
Mac Classic users: The RIP is trying to pub- When using AppleTalk
lish too many names on Phase 1, the RIP can pub-
Fatal Appletalk Error: -
the network. lish a maximum of 20
1097 Too many concur-
names. Reduce the
rent requests
number of names pub-
lished in the Input
Controller.
Some older operating sys-
tems do not support as
many names. Upgrade to
a newer operating
system, or put a new
AppleTalk Init in the
system folder.
Mac Classic users: The RIP is trying to pub- See previous error (Too
lish too many names on many concurrent
the network. requests).
Unable to publish all
printers on network

Mac Classic users: The sending application Check that the network
sent no data for longer connections are all OK. If
than the timeout specified this does not help,
Appletalk timeout
in the Configure RIP increase the wait timeout.
dialog box.
Table A.5 Network messages (Continued)
A.1.6 Problems with sockets
No communication Suspect a bad configura- Check that both applica-

tion in the receiving or tions are using the same
sending application. port and that the sending
application is using the
expected protocol: basic
TCP/IP socket stream or
Xinet PapConnect, as con-
figured in the Socket Con-
figuration dialog box.
Next check the network
connectivity using ping
or an equivalent network
utility program.
Bad jobs at the receiving The sending application Check that the sending
end may not be using the cor- application is using the
rect protocol. expected protocol: basic
TCP/IP socket stream or
Xinet PapConnect. Check
that no other machine is
already using the same
port and sending some-
thing that is not a
PostScript-language job.
Check that the sending
application is using the
expected protocol.
Table A.6 Socket messages

Missing, bad, or cor- The Socket plugin or the Check that the RIP Socket
rupted status messages at port is not configured cor- plugin is configured to
the sending machine rectly. return the PostScript-lan-
guage standard output on
the correct port
(Address).
Check that no other
machine is already using
the same port and send-
ing something that is not
the standard output from
a PostScript-language job.
Windows users: An inappropriate proto- Deselect the Xinet proto-

col may be in use. col in the Socket Configu-
Poor transfer rates
ration dialog box and the
sending application.
Xinet PapConnect does
significant error checking,
which slows transfers and
may be unnecessary for
most jobs.
Table A.6 Socket messages (Continued)

A.2 Warnings in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window
A.2 Warnings in the RIP Monitor / Torrent RIP window

The following warnings all appear as messages in the RIP Monitor / Torrent
RIP window. Again, the warnings are grouped here according to the type of
problem.
A.2.1 Problems involving disk space
Message Things to try
System warning—Insuffi- Create more free disk space before reprocessing the job
cient Disk workspace that gave the warning.
On a Mac, it may be necessary to run DiskFirstAid to
recover any lost disk space after a Macintosh crash.
Error VMerror Offending This appears after a partial paint fails.

Command: renderbands
Make sure that compression is turned on in Configure
RIP.
If this does not help, free-up some disk space on the
Macintosh.
System Warning: Free The RIP waits for some disk space to be freed.
disk space gone below
This is not a fatal error. It can happen, for example, if
requested limit
the RIP is outputting pages, or has pages waiting to be
output in the Active Queue. When these pages have
been output, they are deleted automatically and the
RIP continues with its current job.
If there are no pages waiting to be output, free up disk
space by doing some of the following things:
Delete some files.
Turn on page compression in the Configure RIP dialog
box.
Reconfigure the PageBuffers folder by placing it on
another disk with more free space.
Ensure that there are no locked pages in the Output
Controller.
Table A.7 Disk space messages

A.2.2 Problems involving fonts
Error: invalidfont; Check that the RIP has installed the font correctly.
Offending Command:
Try proofing the fonts using the Proof Fonts option on
<command>
the Fonts menu. If the font fails to proof it may be cor-
rupt. If the fonts proof correctly, the job itself may be
corrupt.
If any job requires a particular font which is not
installed, the RIP attempts to use Courier as a substi-
tute.
<FontName> Font not The font specified in the PostScript-language file is not
found; using Courier actually loaded into the RIP. Courier is the default font
in this case.
Courier Font not found; If this message appears, the RIP currently has no fonts
using Courier loaded at all. Use Install fonts to install some fonts—
the minimum font set that must be installed is Courier,
Times, Helvetica, and Symbol. Alternatively, reinstall
the RIP.
Table A.8 Font messages
A.2.3 Problems involving files
ERROR IN CONFIG FILE The RIP failed to finish interpreting the file.
For example, you will see this message if you try to
print a TIFF file that is corrupt, unsupported, or of an
unrecognized type.
This can also occur if a file in the spool folder is locked
by another application. Close the file and try again.

A.3 Warnings within the progress box
Inappropriate compres- This message appears if you try to print a file that has
sion an inappropriate compression format. For example, a
colour or grayscale TIFF file with CCITT compression.
CCITT compression is only suitable for monochrome
TIFF files.
Table A.9 File messages (Continued)

When appropriate, the progress box may show the following warning mes-
sages, together with the accompanying icons. The progress box is part of the
Output Controller in either of the multiple modes, or a separate window in
either of the single modes.
Output plugins can supply their own warnings and icons, which are not listed
here.
Buffer full
The page buffer on the output device is full
Buffer space low

The output device is running out of buffering memory
Busy
The output device is working on another job
Busy or off-line
The output device is either busy or off-line
Communications failed
Communication between the RIP and the output device has
either been broken or was never established
Table A.10 Progress box messages

Cover open
The cover of the output device is open
Data transfer failed

Image data transfer between the RIP and the output device has
either been broken or was never established
Data underrun
The output device has not received data from the RIP when it
was expected
Deleted cassette
The required cassette has been deleted, in the Cassette
Manager.
Ink low
The ink supply to the output device is running low
Ink out
The ink supply to the output device has been exhausted
Interface card failed

Communication between the RIP and the interface card in the
machine has either been broken or was never established
Invalid clipping
An invalid clipping was requested of the output device
Invalid resolution
An invalid image resolution was requested of the output device
Laser diode failed

The laser diode of the output device is not working satisfactorily
Low power
The output device is low on power
Table A.10 Progress box messages (Continued)

Misplaced cassette
The required cassette is in another output device.
Missing cassette
There is no cassette in the output device
No cassette
The input media cassette requested is not available
No power
The output device has no power
No take-up cassette
There is no take-up cassette for the output device
Not ready
The device is not ready, for an unspecified reason—perhaps
unknown or too complex to show. Look for an extra message in
the Monitor window.
Off-line
The RIP cannot communicate with the output device
Page stop-started
The RIP has supplied data quickly enough, but the device has
stop/started
Paper jam
Media has jammed in the output device
Paper low
The paper or film supply to the RIP output device is running low
Paper out
The paper or film supply to the output device has been
exhausted

Printer caught up
There was a data underrun, and stop-start was either not
selected or is not supported by the printing device
Take-up full
The take-up cassette is full
Take-up space low

Space in the take-up cassette for the device is running low
Toner low
The toner supply to the’ output device is running low
Toner out
The toner supply to the output device has been exhausted
Unknown error
An unknown condition has caused an error
Warming up
The output device is preparing itself for communication with the
RIP
Wrong cassette
The wrong cassette is in the output device
A.4 Page imposition and media saving

On wide printers, using the media saving option (described under “Printing
effects” on page 147) can save both time and media. You must ensure that you
set the media width for the cassette being used correctly, because it is the
media width that is used to determine if the rotated page would fit on the
media. See “Monitoring media” on page 312 for details of how to set this
information.

A.5 Seybold timings
Some pages may have surplus white space at the sides, and this could mean
that film saving will not rotate the page. You can force the rotation in the Edit
Page Setup dialog box, and also tell the RIP to center the page if appropriate,
so that only the white space is clipped.
It is possible to set up automatic operations such as printing 4-up or 8-up. This
is done by adding fragments of PostScript-language code into the system that
specify where to lay out the pages. This could, for example, automatically fill a
large sheet of film with pages. This form of imposition only works within a
single job.
A.5 Seybold timings

The Seybold test timings have to cover a large range of resolutions, so, for
example, two printers, with resolutions of 2000 and 2540 dpi respectively,
would be compared to one another directly. However, remember that there is
more data in a higher resolution bitmap—a 2540 dpi bitmap contains 62.29%
more data than a 2000 dpi bitmap. The time taken to generate the 2540 dpi job,
while probably not as much as 62% longer, is certainly substantially longer.
If you really must reduce timings to be comparable across different resolution
printers, the only solution is to use the lowest resolution possible.
A.6 TIFF/IT troubleshooting

Various problems may occur and warning messages may appear when imag-
ing TIFF/IT files with the RIP. These are described and explained below.
Missing, duplicated, or partial images
A typical page is described by several files, which can go missing or be
in unexpected places. The RIP finds files most quickly if the FP file and
the subfiles are in the same folder. It helps to use the correct file exten-
sion for each file type.
Duplicated (partial) images may be the result of printing subfiles inde-
pendently. Select only the FP file, not its subfiles, when you want to print
a final page.

Poor image quality

Files have an embedded resolution, which the RIP must match in its
page setup if you want high-quality results. The best way to find the
embedded resolution (and page size) is to use a dedicated TIFF file
analyzer.
If you try to use too high an output resolution, you will see the following
message:
Output resolution too high for this file. It should be no greater
than <number> DPI
%% WARNING: job continuing regardless.

Media wastage is possible.
Clipped images
The RIP does not take a page size from TIFF/IT files. You must select a
suitable page setup before printing the file. Use a TIFF analyzer to dis-
cover the page size.
Failure to produce output
open: the TIFF 6.0 or TIFF/IT file
is either corrupt, unsupported, of an unrecognised
type or the appropriate file type is not enabled
in Configure RIP / Extras
The RIP displays this message if you attempt to image TIFF/IT data
types that it does not support or to image files that do not conform to the
TIFF/IT-P1 profile.
enabled, then the TIFF 6.0 input option may attempt to process the parts
of the file that it recognizes as TIFF. If this message appears then the TIFF
6.0 input option does not recognize any part of the file as TIFF.
Poor performance / Long imaging times
Text in the TIFF/IT file can lead to large numbers of line segments and
very large files. See the comments made in “Installation and require-
ments” on page 290.

A.7 PDF troubleshooting
Also, if the computer running the RIP is running other applications at

the same time, the other applications may be using memory that the RIP
could use to operate more quickly. Shut down any programs that you do
not need, then stop and restart the RIP to be sure that it is using as much
memory as possible.
Problems with SCID files
Standard Colour Image Data (SCID) primary data files are incompatible
with the TIFF/IT support in the RIP, but SCID alternate data is compati-
ble. SCID primary data is incompatible because it uses the dot range 28
through 228. (See the “Glossary” on page 477 for an explanation of dot
range.) The ISO document DIS 12640 describes the dot ranges and other
differences between the primary and alternate formats, but the next
paragraph is sufficient to identify both types of data.
Primary data files are named N1 through N8 and S1 through S10, and
each is visibly labeled ISO 400 in the image. The alternate data is calcu-
lated from the primary data, has a lower spatial resolution, and is visibly
labeled ISO 300 in the image. The names of the alternate data files end in
the letter A, resulting in the names N1A, S1A, and so on.

The methods of control provided by the PDF Options dialog box mean that it
is possible to reject PDF files that are valid, but that fail to meet strict criteria
such as the PDF/X-1 specification. It is also possible for PDF jobs to be badly
constructed or for required external files to be missing or in the wrong
location. Always inspect the RIP Monitor window or log file if you see prob-
lems with printed output.
You may see the following effects or messages.
No pages printed
Check in the PDF Options dialog box that the PDF job is of the required
type (for Accept type(s)) and that it contains at least one page matching
the pages or ranges in the Pages field.

Poor colour matching

Check that you have an appropriate match of colour spaces and manage-
ment in the PDF job and in the page setup in use. If the problem appears
in an image, also check that it is not a low-resolution OPI preview being
used to substitute for a missing OPI high-resolution image.
Areas missing from the page or printed at low resolution
Check that any files referenced by OPI are present and that OPI is
enabled in the RIP. (Files referenced by OPI must be embedded in a
PDF/X-1 file.)
%%[ Warning: Skipping page 1 - not in requested page range ]%%
This is not an error. It is a reminder that the options chosen in the PDF
Options dialog box have caused a page to be omitted from the PDF job
being printed. This omission may be intentional.
%%[ Error: invalidaccess; Offending command: pdfexec ]%%
The PDF files may have been saved with security settings that require a
password to be entered for printing. Obtain the password (from the sup-
plier of the PDF job) and enter the password in the text field in the Pass-
word section of the PDF Options dialog box. Passwords are case-
sensitive.
If you enter the correct password (in the Torrent RIP) and still see this
error, check that you have not entered one or more white space charac-
ters at the end of the password. Another possible cause of this error is
that the password uses characters from an extended (non-ASCII) charac-
ter set. The way in which these characters are represented can vary from
platform to platform and the PDF password may have been set on a plat-
form different from the one on which you are running the RIP. Request a
new file using a simpler password.
Finally, the PDF file may be damaged. Try using another application to
view or print the file, taking note of any messages given by that
application.

High resolution file is embedded in PDF job file.
This is not an error nor a warning. It is information about the structure of

an OPI job. This message is most likely to occur when processing a
PDF/X-1 job, but could occur for a basic PDF file.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: text explaining the reason
The job is not a valid PDF/X-1 job. See the following messages for expla-
nations of the various reasons that can appear in messages of this form.
The RIP may be able to process the job as a PDF 1.3 file, if you have
allowed this by a choice in the Accept type(s) list.
Note: If you have used a creating or editing application that claims to be
compliant with PDF/X-1:1999, you should report these errors and warn-
ings to your supplier of that tool. The RIP performs strict checking of ref-
erenced files as well as the basic PDF content of a PDF/X-1 job.
been dropped in Torrent v6.0 and later RIPs, and replaced with support for
PDF/X-1a:2001 and PDF/X-3:2002.
****** PDF/X-1 Warning: Clipped out ’stroke’ operator in EPS
The job deviates from the file PDF/X-1 standard—in this example
because of a PostScript-language operator used in a referenced EPS file.
(The operator is illegal in an EPS file referenced from a PDF/X-1 job but
harmless in this context.) Any message starting “PDF/X-1 Warning:” has
some problem, for the reason given in the rest of the message, but will
not cause the RIP to abort the PDF job.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Invalid TIFF compression
An embedded TIFF file uses a compression method not allowed by

PDF/X-1. Many TIFF files use LZW compression, which is not allowed.
Ask the creator of the file to recreate the file using an allowed compres-
sion method; PDF/X-1 allows an embedded TIFF file to be compressed
using the CCITT or (new) JPEG methods.
Note: The new JPEG method is given the TIFF tag value Compression=7
and is expected to be adopted as part of the forthcoming TIFF 7 specifi-
cation. The new method was designed (by the Independent JPEG
Group) to overcome severe problems in the method of JPEG compres-

sion as described in the TIFF 6.0 specification, dated 1992. The old
scheme used the TIFF tag value Compression=6 and several related but
separate fields.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Vector painting operator in EPS: stroke
An embedded EPS file uses a vector painting operator. PDF/X-1 does

not allow embedded EPS files to contain vector painting operators:
stroke, fill, show, and so on.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Invalid alternativeSpace in Separation

colorspace
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Invalid base colorspace in Indexed colorspace
The PDF job uses an illegal colourspace. PDF/X-1 places restrictions on

the alternativeSpace of Separation colourspaces and the base colour-
spaces of Indexed colourspaces in embedded EPS files.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: LZWDecode in EPS
An embedded EPS file uses LZW compression, which is illegal in

PDF/X-1.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Missing Subtype in EF object
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Unknown Subtype in EF object
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Subtype incorrect for embedded file
The PDF/X-1 file must specify the type of an EF object (embedded file)
using the Subtype key. The Subtype key can be TIFF, EPS, DCS, and so
on. The RIP checks that the Subtype key is present, is one of those
allowed, and matches the actual type of the file.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: Invalid TIFF PhotometricInterpretation
The PDF job references a TIFF file of an illegal type. Embedded TIFF files
must be CMYK, monochrome, or gray scale. PDF/X-1 does not allow
RGB, Lab, or other colour spaces.

****** PDF/X-1 Error: PDF referenced from PDF/X-1
****** PDF/X-1 Error: JPEG referenced from PDF/X-1
The PDF job references a file type that is illegal for PDF/X-1. The
PDF/X-1 standard allows only TIFF, EPS, DCS, or TIFF/IT-P1 files to be
embedded.
The following messages can appear as Errors or Warnings. They appear as
Errors if you have set up the RIP to accept only PDF/X-1 jobs.
In most cases, understanding the messages requires detailed knowledge of the

PDF specification but all the messages indicate that the job is not PDF/X-1
compliant. If you see these errors when printing PDF/X-1 jobs, you have two
alternatives: one alternative is to ask for the job to be re-created in a form that
is compliant with PDF/X-1 and wait for that job to be supplied to you; the
other alternative is to use a page setup that accepts basic PDF (using the
option Any PDF <= 1.3 as basic PDF) and print the non-compliant version.
(In rare cases, there may be a more fundamental error in a PDF file that pre-
vents you printing it at all; in such cases, you must use a different PDF file.)
****** PDF/X-1 Error: unknown PDF/X version
****** PDF/X-1 Error: unexpected PDF/X version
****** PDF/X-1 Error: obsolete PDF/X version
****** PDF/X-1 Error: unexpected PDF version
The PDF version number is too low, too high, or otherwise unsuitable
for use with this version of the RIP and the settings in use.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: missing Info dictionary
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid Info dictionary
PDF/X-1 jobs must have a valid Info dictionary.

****** PDF/X-1 Error: missing trailer ID key
PDF/X-1 jobs must have an ID entry in their trailer object.

****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid encryption
If encrypted, PDF/X-1 jobs must have a blank User password.

****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid operator
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid HTP in ExtGState
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid TR in ExtGState
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid RI in ExtGState
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid TransferFunction in halftone
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid colorspace
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid file compression
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid function type
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid halftone type
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid pattern type
PDF/X-1 files have restrictions on the allowed PDF operators, parame-

ters in the graphics state, transfer functions, colour spaces, methods of
compression, halftones, and patterns. The job has tried to use an invalid
option.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: missing embedded font
PDF/X-1 jobs can use only embedded fonts. The job has tried to use a
font without embedding it.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid filespec
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid embedded filespec
Files referenced through OPI in a PDF/X-1 file must be embedded

within the PDF/X-1 file itself. The job includes OPI references to files
that are not embedded.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid external file
PDF/X-1 jobs can use external files only for OPI. The job has tried to use
an external file for some other purpose.

A.8 Network troubleshooting
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid embedded file
PDF/X-1 jobs can embed a limited number of file types. The job has a
file specification that is badly specified for Macintosh, UNIX, or DOS
platforms, is not embedded, or where the Subtype of the file indicates
that the file is not TIFF/IT, EPS, DCS, or TIFF.
****** PDF/X-1 Error: invalid PS XObject
A PDF/X-1 job cannot contain a PostScript XObject (PostScript code

embedded in the PDF page description).
****** PDF/X-1 Error: missing characterised printing condition
****** PDF/X-1 Error: multiple characterised printing conditions
All data in a PDF/X-1 job must be prepared for exactly one character-
ized printing condition, which is identified using embedded ICC pro-
files. (A job can embed multiple ICC profiles and each must contain a
characterized printing condition but all conditions must be the same.)
The RIP reports the first condition to the Monitor window, in a message
similar to this example:
Prepared for printing condition "CGATS TR 001".
A.8 Network troubleshooting

This section covers solutions to network problems when configuring the Tor-
rent RIP.
A.8.1 Torrent RIP fails to publish

If the RIP is not publishing on the network, check the following.
A.8.1.1 Network connections

Ensure that the network cable is connected correctly to your machine. The eas-
iest way to do this is to check that the machine can see other things on the net-
work. For example, on a Mac, are any LaserWriters on the network present in
the Chooser? In Windows, are any printers on the network visible in the Print
Manager? If not, check that connections have not been broken due to connec-
tors being removed.

Mac users: Look particularly for connectors being removed from either
of:
• the Printer Icon socket (LocalTalk)
• the thick/thin net connector from the EtherTalk socket.
Restart the RIP once you have checked the connections and corrected any
problems with the network cable. Start the RIP, make sure there is a channel
defined in the Input Controller that is On, and then choose Torrent RIP / File >
Start Inputs.
A.8.1.2 Network availability (Mac Classic users only)

Ensure that the Chooser on the Macintosh indicates that AppleTalk is active. If
you have to make AppleTalk active, we recommend that you restart the Mac-
intosh.
A.8.1.3 Is the correct network driver being used? (Mac Classic users only)
Ensure that the Macintosh is using the correct network driver (for example,
LocalTalk or EtherTalk). Open the AppleTalk or Network control panel to
select the network you wish to use.
If you have changed the network driver, we recommend that you restart the
Macintosh, since it is possible that some network services may have been
disconnected.
A.8.1.4 Is the system software installed correctly?

It is difficult to check the correctness of an installation. If you have checked for
faulty connections and other causes, the most reliable procedure is to reinstall
the software.
Mac users: The installer offers you the choice of installing over the run-
ning system software or doing a full installation as if on an empty disk.
Try the first option since it is simple and quick to do: if there is no
improvement, do a full installation.

A.9 Spool folder problems and considerations
A.8.2 The Torrent RIP is not picking jobs up correctly

The System software and network drivers on either the printing Macintosh /
PC or the RIP Macintosh / PC may need reinstalling. Try reinstalling the
System software and any special drivers for your network hardware.
If the RIP is published on the network, but jobs do not get processed correctly,
check the following:
Spooler problems
Some spoolers check for a specific product name. The
RIP is set to LaserWriter-Sim. If the spooler does not
recognize this, it may not send the job to the printer.
This name has been chosen to minimize such problems.
A.9 Spool folder problems and considerations

In cases where the spool folder is on a file server (for example, a folder accessi-
ble from file sharing or using an AppleShare file server), you must ensure that
the RIP has permission to access the shared folder and all enclosed folders.
Mac users: Access permission for both file sharing and an AppleShare
file server means one of the following:
• The RIP is a registered user on the file server, and is granted access
to the folder
• The RIP is a registered user in a group on the file server, and the
group is granted access to the folder
• The RIP is a registered user on the file server, and the RIP user is the
owner of the folder
• The RIP is either a guest user or classed as everyone, and the folder
has full access permissions
In all cases the granted permissions for the folder must be Read & Write,
or on earlier systems: See Folders, See Files, and Make Changes.
Enclosed folders must also have the same permissions: click the relevant
Copy button if your operating system displays one.

Please consult your AppleShare file server administrator guide or file

sharing guide for more details.
Also, due to System 7 file sharing performance, it is best not to share the
spool folder from the RIP Macintosh. File sharing can slow down the RIP
Macintosh, and cause printer stop/starts. Sharing a spool folder that is
remote from the RIP Macintosh is the best strategy. File sharing may also
cause conflicts with the RIP’s network server mode.
If you are using a TOPS network, the disk with the spool folder on it
must be published read/write.
A.10 System 7, Mac OS 8 onwards, and the Torrent RIP

This section covers solutions to Macintosh system memory problems when
configuring the RIP.
System 7 and later Mac OS versions support both built-in and virtual memory
configurations. It is worth experimenting with the possible settings, particu-
larly if you find that there is a lot of disk access as the RIP processes jobs.
Note: Do not confuse Macintosh system virtual memory with the RIP virtual
memory (VM).
A.10.1 Built-in memory configuration (Mac Classic only)

built-in memory refers to the RAM installed in your Macintosh. You can check
your configuration by selecting About This Computer from the Apple menu in
the Finder.
To make best use of all the built-in memory (RAM) that you have installed in a
Macintosh you usually need to change the application size for the RIP. Do this
in the Finder by selecting the Torrent RIP application icon and choosing File >
Get Info and then increasing the value in the Preferred Size text box in the Info
dialog box.

Appendix B
Jobs Containing Colour

B
Management Data
Settings within the RIP, in the job, and in the images themselves can all control
the processing of images in a job. This appendix describes the settings that
influence this processing and explains which setting takes precedence in each
particular case. Section B.3 on page 465 summarizes this information.
Important: Different rules apply when you are using colour. See the Torrent
ColourPro Users’ Guide for details.
If you are not using ColourPro, the RIP checks the following for Photoshop
and PDF jobs, and allows independent control of what happens.
When processing jobs containing Photoshop EPS images:
• Is the Override colour management in job option selected in the Colour
Setup dialog?
• Does the image contain a PostScript colour space array?
• Is the UseCIEColor parameter set to true in the job?
See Section B.1 and Section B.2 for details.
When processing jobs containing PDF files:
• Is the Override colour management in job option select in the Colour
Setup dialog?

Appendix B: Jobs Containing Colour Management Data
B.1 Override colour management in job not selected

The Torrent RIP checks for colour management information in the image and
the job in the following strict order.
• If the image contains a PostScript colour space array (Photoshop EPS
files only):
The Torrent RIP uses the colour space array (CSA) to transform the
image. It treats the image as a device-independent colour image.
• Otherwise, if the UseCIEColor parameter set to true in the job:
The Torrent RIP uses the DefaultGray, DefaultRGB, or DefaultCMYK
ColourSpace resources to transform the image colours. It treats the
image as a device-independent colour image.
Otherwise, if the UseCIEColor parameter is set to false or has no value in the
job, the Torrent RIP treats the job as CMYK or RGB.
B.2 Override colour management in selected job

• If the current page setup does not use a colour setup:
The Torrent RIP checks the setting of the UseCIEColor parameter in the
job.
• If the UseCIEColor parameter is set to true in the job:
The Torrent RIP uses the DefaultGray, DefaultRGB, or DefaultCMYK
ColourSpace resources to transform the image colours. It treats the
image as a device-independent colour image.
• Otherwise, if the UseCIEColor parameter is set to false or has no value
in the job:
The Torrent RIP treats the job as CMYK or RGB.

B.3 Summary of options
B.3 Summary of options

Override colour Image contains a Job contains Result
management in colour space UseCIEColor set
job array to
Selected True Use the DefaultGray,

DefaultRGB or
DefaultCMYK
ColourSpace
resources to
transform image
colours
False Treat job as CMYK or

or no value RGB
Not selected Yes Use the CSA to

transform the image
No True Use the DefaultGray,

DefaultRGB or
DefaultCMYK
ColourSpace
resources to
transform image
colours
False Treat job as CMYK or

or no value RGB
Table B.1 Current page setup does not use a colour management option
Settings within the Torrent RIP, in the PostScript-language or PDF job, and in
the images themselves can all control the processing of images in a job.
Note: Some options apply only to EPS files produced by Adobe Photoshop.
Section B.5 on page 466 describes the cases specific to PDF jobs.

Appendix B: Jobs Containing Colour Management Data
B.4 PostScript-language jobs and image files

The Torrent RIP checks the following when processing jobs containing
Photoshop EPS images or TIFF/JPEG images containing embedded ICC
profiles:
• Does the current page setup use a colour management option?
• Is the Override colour management in job check box selected in the Colour
Setup dialog box?
• Does the image contain a PostScript colour space array? (Photoshop
EPS files only)
• Does the image contain an embedded ICC profile?
• Is the UseCIEColor parameter set to true in the job?
B.5 PDF colour management

PDF jobs can use a variety of colour spaces, including device-dependent
spaces such as DeviceCMYK.
Typically, when using device-independent colour spaces, PDF version 1.2 files
use the CalGray and CalRGB colour spaces and PDF version 1.3 files use the
ICCBased colour space but these usages are under the control of the creating
applications — see the Job Options dialog box: for the Advanced tab in
Distiller 3.0; for the Colour tab in Distiller 4.0.
Full use of device-independent colour requires ColourPro to be enabled.

Appendix C
C Using Genlin
Note: This whole chapter is applicable to all Windows and Mac Classic
users, but not Mac OS X users.
Genlin is a utility provided with the Torrent RIP to read calibration targets
generated by the RIP.
C.1 Introduction
Genlin supports these measuring instruments:
• X-Rite 408
• X-Rite DTP41 series
• X-Rite DTP 32
• X-Rite DTP 34 (using the DTP 32 driver)
• X-Rite DTP 12
• X-Rite 938
Note: If you wish to use the X-Rite DTP 34 measuring instrument, you must
choose X-Rite DTP32 from the Instrument menu in the Configuration dialog
box. We hope to fully support the use of the X-Rite DTP 34 device, including
the USB version, in future releases of Genlin.

Appendix C: Using Genlin
The remaining sections show how to set up and use Genlin, and how to trou-
bleshoot any problems.
• Section C.2 below describes set up and use.
• Section C.3 on page 472 describes troubleshooting.
C.2 Using Genlin

The use of Genlin involves these stages:
• “Starting a work session with Genlin”. This section describes the con-
nections and checks to make before you start measuring targets.
• “Measuring each target”. This section describes the steps involved in
using Genlin to measure a target.
C.2.1 Starting a work session with Genlin

Follow these steps to start a session using Genlin:
1. Windows users: Connect your measuring instrument to the computer
using a serial interface (typically, the COM1 or COM2 communications
port).
Mac Classic users: Connect your measuring instrument to the computer
using the modem or printer port.
Note: On Macintosh computers without a built-in modem or printer
port, you can use a USB to serial adapter cable. One example is the
Keyspan USA-28X USB twin serial adapter. With this adapter, connect
the measuring instrument to port 1 of the adapter and ensure that you
set the Port to PRINTER in the Configuration dialog box when using
Genlin.
2. If necessary, recalibrate the measuring instrument using the correct cali-
bration plaque or other reference. Follow the manufacturer’s advice
about recalibrating the measuring instrument after periods of storage or
heavy use.
3. Start Genlin by opening the application file located in the Torrent RIP
application folder.

C.2 Using Genlin
C.2.2 Measuring each target

Note: This procedure assumes that you printed an uncalibrated target.
Follow these steps to measure a target using Genlin:
1. Choose File > Configure to display the Configuration dialog box, as
shown in Figure C.1.
Figure C.1 Configuration dialog box
Select your desired settings, as explained here, and then click OK.
RIP Folder Identifies the SW folder of the RIP installation that you
are using to print targets and import data.
You can read targets that have been created by the RIP
running on another computer if you have network
access to the corresponding SW folder. If you want to do
this, click Change / Browse and use the file browser to
select the SW folder of the remote the RIP installation.
The default is the relative path to the SW folder of the
RIP with which Genlin is supplied (as shown in
Figure C.1).
Instrument A list of supported measuring instruments. Choose

your desired measuring instrument and ensure that the
correct Port setting is selected.
Measure Measurement types supported by your chosen measur-

ing instrument. Choose a suitable measurement type.

Media A list of types of media that targets are printed on,

including press and imagesetter media. Choose the
type of media that your target is printed on. For exam-
ple, choose Press Paper when using a proofing printer.
Port A list of the interface ports available on your computer.

Choose the port to which your measuring instrument is
connected.
2. Choose File > Read Target, select the number of the target that you are
reading (printed as Reference Number: N on the target) and click OK.
3. In the Read Target dialog box, choose which channels you wish to mea-
sure, as well as the filter type and measurement type that you wish to
use.
Figure C.2 Read Target dialog box
To do this, select the channel you wish to edit and choose Yes or No from
the menu below the Read? column. If both your measuring instrument
and target support more than one measurement system you may also
have a choice of alternative filters and measurement types in the menu
below the Measure As column. For example, choose Cyan Status T (X-
Rite) (Windows) / Cyan % Dot (Mac), then click OK / Read. See
Section 11.12.5 on page 383 for details of measurement types.
4. Measure the target by referring to the details for your type of measuring
instrument. If you have repeated problems reading a patch or strip see
“Troubleshooting” on page 472. Follow the screen prompts to measure
the target.

C.2 Using Genlin
Strip-readers and other semi-automatic instruments

You may see a Bad reading message appear if the
instrument has been unable to correctly measure the
strip: if so, click OK. If you wish to retry reading the
strip, click Yes, align the strip with the instrument and
click OK. Click No if you wish to abandon measuring
the target.
Manual instruments
Follow the screen prompts to measure the target. If you
are using a manual instrument such as the X-Rite 938
you will also see prompts in the display panel of the
instrument to read individual patches within strips. For
example, the prompt Move to: C100 means read the
100% Cyan patch.
Choose File > Abort Target if you wish to abandon reading a target.
5. Click OK when you have finished measuring the target.
At this point, Genlin has created a data file containing all the linearization
data for the target, which you can import into the RIP. (The file is named
import and is located in the caldata folder within the RIP SW folder.)
6. Use the menu option Output > Calibration Manager and, in the Calibration
Manager, choose the appropriate Device and Colour Space for the target.
(See Section 11.11 on page 372 for details of the Calibration Manager.)
7. The next action depends on whether you are updating an existing cali-
bration set or creating a new one. Choose the appropriate action:
• If you are updating an existing calibration set, select it in the table
listing. This must be the calibration set that you used to print the
target. Click Edit from uncalibrated target. The Edit Calibration dialog
box appears. Go to step 8.
• Click New if you are creating a new calibration set. Then, if there are
entries in the Profile menu in the Edit Calibration dialog box, choose
the supplied calibration profile that you used to print the target.
Enter a Name for the new calibration set. You can use the same name

as the supplied calibration profile, but omitting the enclosing paren-

theses—( )—that supplied calibration profiles use; this makes the
link between the two profiles more obvious.
8. Click Import; see the description on page 386 for more details. After
importing the data and making any other settings, exit the Edit Calibra-
tion dialog box and Calibration Manager by clicking OK.
Warning: You must read the values from the data file (or copy the data file to
another location) before measuring another target for the same RIP installa-
tion. Genlin uses the same file name for every data file so any existing mea-
sured data is lost when you measure a new target.
Start again from Section C.2.2 on page 469 to read another target.
Note: If you no longer need to measure any of the targets that you have
printed using the RIP, you can choose File > Purge. This means that the num-
bering of targets can restart from 1.
C.3 Troubleshooting
This is a list of some possible error messages and symptoms that you may see,
together with suggestions for avoiding them.
C.3.1 Error messages

All error messages are preceded by the details of the measuring instrument.
For example, you might see this full message when there is a problem with an
X-Rite 938 instrument:
X-Rite 938 Error: No responding device attached to selected
serial line
Windows users:
Error: Returned data not recognised
There is a mismatch between the Instrument setting in the Configuration
dialog box and the measuring instrument that you are using. Check that
you are using the correct Instrument setting for your instrument.

C.3 Troubleshooting
Error: Open (interface details) error 0
There is a mismatch between the Port setting in the Configuration dialog

box and the port interface to which your measuring instrument is con-
nected. Try changing the Port setting or connecting your measuring
instrument to the specified interface port.
Error: No responding device attached to selected serial line
This message may appear if the measuring instrument does not have
any power supply. Check the power supply to the measuring instrument
and ensure that it is switched on. If the problem persists there may be a
fault with the power adapter or cabling.
Mac users:
Error: Unknown response (error codes) (expected ‘X-RITE X’)
There is a mismatch between the Instrument setting in the Configuration

dialog box and the measuring instrument that you are using. X is
replaced by the details of the measuring instrument that Genlin tried to
connect to. Check that you are using the correct Instrument setting for
your instrument.
Error: Failed to open serial line. Restart your Mac

This message may appear if you attempt to read a target after having
communication problems. Restart your computer and ensure that you
have the correct Port setting in the Configuration dialog box and that
your instrument is powered on.
All users:
Error: Unknown
This message may appear if you have used the File > Abort Target menu
option. This message may also appear if the RIP is unable to recognize
the error generated by your measuring instrument. Check any display
panel on a manual instrument for more details.
In all cases, you will be asked whether you wish to re-try measuring the
target. If the error persists, consider recalibrating the measuring instru-
ment or following advice in the “Symptoms” section.

C.3.2 Symptoms
Failure to communicate with the measuring instrument
This may be due to a mismatch between configuration settings and the
actual instrument or interface port used. A break in cabling, or a failure
in software between the computer and the measuring instrument may
also be the cause of a communication failure. Check the connections and
settings in the Configuration dialog box. If these appear to be correct, try
switching off or disconnecting the measuring instrument for 30 seconds
and then reconnecting it.
Alternatively, Genlin may not be able to communicate with the measur-
ing instrument due to the re-configuration of the interface port by
another application. If you think this is the case, close the application
that you suspect is causing the conflict. If necessary, shut down and
restart your computer.
Failure to read the correct data from the target
A problem in this area is most likely to be a mismatch between the
Target file selected in Genlin and the type of target you are physically
measuring. First make sure that the number you select in the target list
after clicking File > Read Target matches the reference number printed on
the target itself.
If recalibrating, you may have printed the target on the wrong paper
type. Otherwise, you may have read the wrong patches when using a
manual instrument, or incorrectly aligned the target when using a strip-
reader. Finally, the target may be incorrectly printed or the measuring
instrument may need recalibration.
Failure to transfer correct data to the RIP
Ensure that the RIP Folder specified in the Configuration dialog box is
the path to the SW folder of the RIP installation into which you are
importing data.

C.3 Troubleshooting
If the RIP Folder is correct, this problem may be due to a problem with
the content of the caldata folder where target and import data is stored.
This is very unlikely event but if it happens, delete the caldata folder,
which is a subfolder of the Torrent RIP SW folder and print the target
again.
Note: After deleting the caldata folder you cannot use Genlin to read
targets created before you deleted the folder—you must reprint the
targets.
The reference number printed on the target does not appear in the list when
you click File > Read Target
This can happen if the target was printed using a different Torrent RIP
installation. Ensure that the RIP Folder setting in the Configuration
dialog box is the correct path to the SW folder of the RIP installation used
to print the target.
This can also happen because the caldata folder was deleted between
printing the file and trying to read it with Genlin—reprint the target and
measure the new print.


Glossary
This glossary gives a brief description of many of the important terms and
concepts surrounding the Torrent RIP. Italics are used to indicate terms with
their own entry elsewhere in the glossary.
active device
The active device is the imagesetter or other output device to which the
RIP is sending its output. This is the output device specified in the page
setup for the job. See also menu device.
anti-aliasing
A technique in which intermediate colours or grayscale tones are used to
visually smooth boundaries between different colours. Anti-aliasing is
most useful at low or medium resolutions and with boundaries between
very different colours. The Torrent RIP TIFF output plugin can perform
anti-aliasing, with a control offering choices between more smoothing
and faster preparation.
aspect ratio
The height-to-width ratio of a page.
banding
The white bands which can be produced if interpreted data is sent to cer-
tain kinds of imagesetter too slowly (see also data underrun)—the result
is that media continues to feed through, but no image is available to

Glossary
print, leading to white bands in the output. The RIP uses a printer buffer
which ensures that data is sent to the imagesetter at a steady rate, in
order to reduce the chances of this problem occurring.
Banding will only occur in imagesetters which cannot stop–start
successfully.
black generation
The process of adding black to CMYK images in variable amounts
according to printing effects required.
cassette
A container for output media. This cassette contains a roll of film or
paper and is slotted onto the top of an imagesetter in such a way that the
media can be fed through. Some versions of the Torrent RIP include the
Media Manager which allows you to monitor the amount of media left
in many different cassettes automatically.
See also current cassette.
choke
The process of overprinting a small border on graphics to make them
look smaller. Spread and choke are often used as part of trapping to pro-
tect against misregistration of colour separations.
CIP3
CIP3 was a group called International Cooperation for Integration of
Pre-press, Press, and Post-press (CIP3). The CIP3 group developed the
Print Production Format (PPF) for files to contain information about
print jobs including administrative data, information about inks and
register marks, comments, and preview images. CIP3 has become CIP4,
and maintains a web site at http://www.cip4.org/.
CIP4 is a similar group called International Cooperation for Integration
of Processes in Prepress, Press, and Postpress, formed to continue the
work of CIP3 and to develop a new file format called Job Description
Format (JDF).

Glossary
CMYK
A colour representation scheme (or colour space) where cyan, magenta,
yellow, and black are combined to create full-colour images.
colour separation
A monochrome image that describes a component of a colour image that
has been described using a particular colour space. In printing, images
are commonly depicted in the CMYK space, leading to four separated
pages for each full-colour page.
colour space
A scheme of representation for colour images, such as CMYK or RGB.
colours are represented as a combination of a small set of other colours,
or by other parameters, for example: hue, saturation, and brightness
(HSB).
composite font
A font which consists of more than 256 characters. Composite fonts are
indispensable for producing images which contain, for example,
Japanese text. However, they need to be treated as separate from
ordinary fonts.
core RIP
The Torrent RIP PostScript-language compatible interpreter. This is the
program which takes PostScript-language page descriptions as input
and produces bitmaps as output.
crop marks
Marks, printed near the edges of an image, which indicate where the
paper should be trimmed.
current cassette
The cassette feeding media to the output device receiving commands.
This can be the active device (receiving a job) or the menu device (receiving
commands from options in the Device menu).

Glossary
current device
The term current device is ambiguous, because it can refer to two
different devices.
The active device is the imagesetter or other output device to which the
RIP is sending its output. This is the output device specified in the page
setup for the job.
The menu device is the output device that provides the name of the Device
menu, and receives the commands generated by choosing options from
the Device menu.
See also current cassette.
current colour space

When you are creating or editing a page setup, the current colour space is
the colour space of the selected separations style.
data rate
The speed that an imagesetter receives data for imaging. It is important
that the RIP sends data to the imagesetter at approximately the data rate
of the imagesetter, otherwise data underrun may result. You can find out
the data rate for a particular imagesetter from the instructions for that
imagesetter.
data underrun
The result of a RIP failing to supply data to an output device quickly
enough. If the output device cannot stop / start successfully, banding or
other effects will occur which may cause a loss of output quality.
DCS (Desktop Colour Separation)

DCS is Quark Inc’s method of image substitution in PostScript-language
jobs. The Torrent RIP supports both DCS 1.0 and 2.0, and the similar OPI
scheme.

Glossary
device driver
A piece of software, often provided by an output plugin, that helps the
RIP communicate with a particular printer, imagesetter, or other output
device. You can link the RIP with any output device, given the correct
device driver. This driver could have been produced by you, or by
HighWater. It is also possible to use device drivers for input devices; see
also input plugin.
device type
The Torrent RIP’s concept of a multiple device driver means that you can
use a single device driver to run several different imagesetters or other
output device, rather than requiring a separate device driver for each one.
One multiple device driver can run several imagesetters which have the
same device type. The nature of the device type depends on the multiple
device driver, and is likely to consists of groups of imagesetters. For
instance, Ultre may be one device type, and Pelbox may be another.
DLD1 font
The Torrent RIP’s own font format, into which most fonts can be con-
verted. Operations with DLD1-formatted fonts can be performed signifi-
cantly faster than they would be with normal font descriptions.
dot gain
A printing effect which results in dots being printed larger than they
should be. It occurs as a result of ink spreading on the printed page, and
if not compensated for, can lead to an image appearing too dark.
dot range
The range of numerical values used to represent colour values.
TIFF/IT-P1 uses a dot range of zero (0) through 255.
Note: The value 0 may be associated with white and 255 with 100%
black or the full density of a particular ink, but this is not essential: in the
MP data type, for example, these end values can be associated with par-
ticular colours and the intermediate values represent proportionate
blends of these two colours.
See also TIFF (Tag Image File Format).

Glossary
dot shape
The shape in which dots on the image are generated. See Chapter 6,
“Screening”.
dpi
Dots per inch. A measure of the resolution of an output device. Dots per
centimeter (dpcm) and dots per millimeter (dpmm) are also offered by
the Torrent RIP.
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS)

EPS is a subset of the PostScript language which allows images to be
described in a format which can be imported into other documents. EPS
images are independent of the format of the document, and so may be
imported into documents using a wide variety of applications, from
within the application itself, or can even be imported into other
PostScript-language page descriptions.
error diffusion
A technique that can be used to screen contone images into a halftone
reproduction. The technique works by calculating the error between the
required (contone) value and the achieved (halftone) value at each point
(which might be a single pixel or a halftone cell), distributing that error
to neighboring points, and using the error to modify the contone values
for those points. This is repeated for the errors at all points. The result is
an irregular and non-repeating screening pattern that shows very little
colour error.
Error diffusion is easy to implement on low resolution devices but can
be difficult to use for high resolution or colour output, where the irregu-
larity makes it difficult to predict moiré or dot gain effects. Another
problem occurs where the image is rendered in bands, which may be
processed in an order that is different to their spatial order: this can lead
to visible discontinuities.

Glossary
The Torrent RIP does not support error diffusion directly but Harlequin
Dispersed Screening has some of the same “random” visual qualities
while remaining predictable with respect to behavior on physical output
devices. Also, output plugins can implement error diffusion screening in
their output, while accepting contone page buffers from the RIP.
executive
A special mode in some versions of the Torrent RIP which allows you to
type in PostScript-language code and to see the interpreted results. You
should only use this mode if you are familiar with the PostScript
language.
exposure
Some imagesetters (for example, Pelbox) have an exposure setting which
can alter the strength of the laser which produces the image. In these
cases, the exposure may be set using the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
feature
A section of PostScript-language code that may be automatically inter-
preted with any job, specified using the Edit Page Setup dialog box.
font
A set of type characters for use in a textual printing job. Fonts typically
contain alphabetical and numerical type, as well as common special
symbols (such as marks of punctuation). The Torrent RIP is supplied
with the industry standard 35 fonts for PostScript Level 2, and some spe-
cial purpose fonts. Users can install third-party fonts as required.
halftone
A complex image which has been broken up into a series of very small
dots so as to reproduce it. A newspaper photograph is a good example
of a halftone image. See Chapter 6, “Screening”.
halftone cell
A single dot in a halftone image.

Glossary
hard copy
A physical copy of a document, on media such as paper or film.
hardware feed
Some imagesetters will automatically feed through media whenever a
job is completed. In versions where the Torrent RIP’s media manage-
ment facilities are available, the RIP can take account of any devices that
do this.
hinted font
When previewing images on a low resolution screen (or when printing
them on a low resolution printer) text can look odd when rendered,
because of the size of the output pixels becoming significant when com-
pared to features in the characters. Hinted fonts can improve the appear-
ance of text rendered at low resolution or at very small sizes on higher
resolution devices.
This figure shows a simple example for the letter h in low resolution
without hinting (left) and with (right). Here, the hinting has balanced the
width of the vertical strokes.
See also font.
HDLT (Harlequin Display List Technology)

Provides a programmatic interface for customization between interpre-
tation and rendering. HDLT appears as a password-enabled option but
is most likely to be used by your supplier as a way of providing func-
tionality that is not otherwise obvious in the RIP GUI.

Glossary
HPS (Harlequin Precision Screening)

A proprietary technique used to reduce the effect of moiré interference
and improve the quality of a colour separated image when using half-
tones. See Chapter 6, “Screening”.
IFD (Image File Descriptor, Image File Directory)

This structure used for each collection of information within a TIFF file,
A typical IFD contains several entries, most of which are pairs of tags
and values. There can be several IFDs in a TIFF file but the only type of
TIFF/IT-P1 file to contain more than one IFD is the Final Page (FP) file.
See also TIFF (Tag Image File Format).
input plugin
A device driver which controls an input device connected to the RIP.
Input plugins have several uses—they are primarily used as methods in
which input can be sent to the RIP (for example, using a spool folder),
but they can also be used as PostScript-language devices or data manip-
ulation filters, and they can be used to perform asynchronous actions.
keyboard accelerator
A set of key presses which have the same effect as a mouse-based opera-
tion—such as selecting a menu item—while probably taking less of a
user’s time to perform.
lpi
Lines per inch. A measurement of halftone screen frequency. Lines per
centimeter (lpcm) and lines per millimeter (lpmm) are also offered by
the RIP.
media
The various materials, such as paper or film, that are used in producing
hard copy.

Glossary
menu device
The menu device is the output device that provides the name of the
Device menu, and receives the commands generated by choosing options
from the Device menu.
See also active device.
mirrorprint
An option in the Edit Page Setup dialog box which allows you to pro-
duce a mirror-image copy of your job. See Chapter 5, “Configuring
Output Formats”.
moiré pattern
A printing effect that occurs when a colour separation is printed with
incorrect screen angles. It is undesirable and can be minimized by the
use of correct screen angles. See also HPS (Harlequin Precision Screening).
multiple device driver

A device driver which can drive more than one output device. Normally,
you need a separate device driver for each output device you are using.
By using a multiple device driver, however, you can use this one driver
to run all devices of the types that it supports. For example, one multiple
device driver might support all your Ultre and ExxtraSetter devices.
N-colour
N-colour is a name representing a family of systems of process colours
other than the conventional four-colour CMYK system (and CMY and
RGB). N represents a variable number of inks, which can be less than
four for economy in simple jobs such as forms printing or more than
four for high quality or HiFi colour. Examples of N-colour systems are
the PANTONE Hexachrome Colour Selector system and Photo-ink
technologies.

Glossary
OPI (Open Prepress Interface)

OPI stands for Open Prepress Interface and was originally specified by
Aldus Corporation. Systems using OPI enable designers to use relatively
low-resolution and easy to handle images on design workstations but to
have higher quality images substituted for final output. The RIP sup-
ports both OPI and the similar DCS scheme.
output device
A computer peripheral capable of producing printed copy of a docu-
ment, such as an imagesetter or laser printer. See also active device, menu
device.
output plugin
A device driver that controls an output device connected to the RIP.
page buffer
A file on disk used to store a page of interpreted output, before it is
printed or previewed. Depending on the page buffer mode in which you
run the RIP, it can produce page buffers always, or only when required.
Once produced, page buffers can either be retained on disk, to allow
reprinting; or deleted after printing, to save space on your hard disk.
page imposition
The process of printing several pages, of, say, a pamphlet, on one sheet
of media, so as to minimize the amount of trimming that needs to be
done. For example, two copies of a four page A5 pamphlet could be pro-
duced from a sheet of A3 by printing the A5 pages in the pattern shown
in this figure:
Page 4 Page 1
Page 2 Page 3

Glossary
The pattern needs to be printed on both sides of the A3 sheet, reversed

vertically on one side. Two copies of the pamphlet could then be pro-
duced simply by cutting the paper along the horizontal line, and folding
along the vertical line. This process is much simpler than producing and
trimming each page separately and rearranging them so as to form a
booklet.
Imposition is one of the applications dealt with in the PostScript-
language extensions provided by the Torrent RIP.
page setup
In the Torrent RIP, a page setup is a named collection of settings used to
process a PostScript-language job. All page setups are visible in the Page
Setup Manager, which allows you to create new page setups and to copy
or edit existing page setups. Using the Input Controller, you can create
multiple ways of sending a job to the RIP, each with an associated page
setup, so that any user can choose an input that applies the desired set-
tings for each job. For full details, see Chapter 5, “Configuring Output
Formats”.
partial page buffer

An incomplete page buffer. A partial page buffer does not yet contain all
of the details of the page being rendered. The RIP produces partial page
buffers when there is insufficient physical memory to interpret a job
while holding a complete page in memory.
PDF
PDF has these meanings:
Portable Document Format. A PDF file describes pages, using graphic
capabilities similar to those in the PostScript language. Compared to
PostScript-language files, PDF files are typically smaller and more porta-
ble to different printers while producing more predictable output. This is
the most common usage of PDF.
Printer Description File or Printer Definition File. Files, special to a creating
application or to the Netware operating system, that define the charac-
teristics of a printer. Many more applications support PPD files, which
have a similar purpose.

Glossary
Photo-ink
Photo-ink technologies use different densities (light and dark versions)
of one or more colourants. A capable system is then able to use the light
ink in highlight areas and the dark ink where more colourant is required.
A typical set of colours is light cyan, dark cyan, light magenta, dark
magenta, yellow, and black.
pica
A unit of measurement in printing. Usually, equal to 12 points or 0.166
inches.
pixel
A single element of a VDU’s display, or of an image.
plug-in module
A software product that can be interfaced with the RIP to provide extra
features or customizations.
point
A unit of measurement used in printing. There are 12 points to a pica.
Historically, there have been several definitions of the point: a common
definition is 0.01384 inches, or approximately 72 points to the inch. The
PostScript language uses a default user unit which is exactly 1/72 of an
inch (0.01389 inches or 0.3528 mm). This unit is frequently called a point,
and this is the definition used by the RIP.
PPD
PostScript Printer Description. Each PPD is a file that defines the charac-
teristics of a printer. When installed correctly, a PPD customizes an oper-
ating system printer driver or a creation or page layout application to
optimize PostScript-language jobs for the printer described by the PPD.
Many imagesetter and printer manufacturers provide PPDs for the
printers that they produce.
precision screening
See HPS (Harlequin Precision Screening).

Glossary
prep file
A PostScript-language header file, which is interpreted before the main
job processing in order to provide a standard setup to be used by a range
of different jobs.
preview
To view an interpreted job on the screen before producing a hard copy
of it.
profile
In printing and colour science, a profile is a description of the colour per-
formance of an input or output device such as a scanner, printer, or dis-
play monitor. With suitable software, it is possible to transfer colour
definitions between different devices, and to have the same colours
appear on each.
There is an open standard for profiles promoted by the International
Colour Consortium (ICC), supported by many device manufacturers
and vendors of profile creation tools. The ColourPro colour management
options within the RIP are supplied with several profiles and can install
additional ICC profiles. There are several types of profile; see the Torrent
ColourPro User’s Guide for more details.
progressive proof
A proof or series of proofs in which (some) intermediate stages of laying
down the colours are shown. For example, a CMYK page is usually
printed in the order yellow, magenta, cyan, and finally black. The full set
of corresponding progressive proofs would be Y, Y+M, Y+M+C, and
Y+M+C+K. If the page is to be printed with two passes on a two-colour
press, the most useful proofs are likely to be the ones representing the
product of each pass on the press: Y+M and Y+M+C+K.
proof
A preview or hard copy of some or all of the characters in a font, or of an
image. The RIP can create various forms of proofs—as composite out-
put, as a set of separations, or as a progressive proof—to suit the needs of
the situation.

Glossary
Raster Image Processor

See RIP.
rendering
The term rendering refers to the process of creating a bitmap image or
raster from the interpreted page description. This bitmap can be used by
the output device to produce a visible image.
resolution
The degree of detail with which an image is reproduced, usually mea-
sured in dots per inch (dpi). The higher the resolution, the greater the
detail in which the image will be reproduced. The resolution of a com-
puter screen is usually around 72 dpi, whereas an image detailed
enough to print in a magazine may be closer to 2500 dpi.
RGB
A colour representation scheme (or colour space) where separations in
red, green, and blue are overlaid to create full-colour images. The RGB
scheme is usually used by computer monitors and televisions, and by
some printers.
RIP
Raster Image Processor. A standard term used to name programs or
devices which take an image of some description—text, line (vector)
drawings, or photographic images—and convert it into a bitmap for dis-
play on a computer screen or output on an imagesetter. The final bitmap
is the raster referred to in the name.
roam
To preview interpreted jobs in the Output Controller, available only in
either of the multiple modes. See also preview.

Glossary
rosette
The pattern in which halftone cells are arranged in a separated image.
This figure shows how the RIP can produce rosettes which either have
dark centers (on the left of the diagram) or clear centers (on the right of
the diagram, with the central dot removed).
screen angles
The angles at which the halftone screens are placed in relation to one
another.
screen frequency/ruling
The density of dots on the halftone screen, commonly measured in lines
per inch (lpi). This is sometimes called ‘raster’ or ‘mesh’.
spread
The process of printing a small border just outside the edges of graphics
to make them look bigger. Spread and choke are often used as part of
trapping to protect against misregistration of colour separations.
stop / start
The ability of an output device to stop and restart during printing.
tag
In TIFF or TIFF/IT files, an Image File Descriptor (IFD) contains a
number of entries (tags), each consisting of an unique tag number from 0
to 65535, and its corresponding value or values. Tag numbers are gener-
ally determined by the TIFF 6.0 or TIFF/IT specifications, and each has a
specific meaning. (In TIFF 6.0, tag numbers above 32767 are vendor
defined.) For example, the tag number for the tag named DotRange
is 336.

Glossary
throughput
Generally, the efficiency with which images are interpreted and pro-
duced. In the Torrent RIP specifically, throughput is another term for
Multiple (Parallel) mode, where interpreting and output are carried out
in parallel, and the Output Controller is used to manage the printing of
jobs. See Chapter 4, “Torrent RIP Output Methods”.
TIFF (Tag Image File Format)

The basic TIFF file format. Without further details, you cannot assume
that something described as being a TIFF file conforms to the TIFF 6.0,
TIFF/IT, or TIFF/IT-P1 standards.
Note: TIFF/IT is sometimes referred to as Transport Independent File
Format for Image Technology. This name refers to the same format as
described in Chapter 8, “Configuring Input”.
trapping
Techniques used to tackle undesirable printing effects caused by misreg-
istration of printed separations, optical effects, and so on. See spread and
choke. See also Chapter 12, “Colour Separation”.
virtual memory
Virtual memory has these meanings:
In PostScript terminology, virtual memory or VM is a pool of memory
used for the storage of composite objects such as strings, arrays, and dic-
tionaries. PostScript-language compatible interpreters are free to imple-
ment VM using all appropriate types of memory in their working
environment.
In computer operating systems, virtual memory is disk memory used as
an extension to physical memory, built-in memory, or RAM. Many oper-
ating systems support the use of virtual memory.

Glossary

Index
A anti-aliasing
Abort if calibration on defined 477
page setup option 156 AppleShare file permission access 461
Abort the job if any fonts are missing AppleTalk 237
page setup option 156 displayed job names 81
About Finder command 439 input plugin 231
Accelerate problems with 442
Edit Page Setup option 166 aspect ratio 477
Harpoon 166 asynchronous actions 230
accelerators Asynchronous Socket
hardware processor for the Torrent RIP 5 input plugin 231
keyboard equivalents for menus v Asynchronous Socket Quit
Accurate colour display 114 input plugin 232
AcroForms 278 Automatic Prep loading
active device 477 Configure RIP option 222
Active Queue 76
Add Channel dialog 382 B
Add showpage at end of job background reading 176
page setup option 155 band size
adding for printing buffer 216
a new input plugin 234 banding 477
a new page feature 151 black generation 425, 478
See also installing overriding in job 426
adjusting tone curves 166 Bootlist file 38
Adobe Type Manager 439 bromide. See media
Advance n inches command 306 Buffer full message 447
advancing media 304 Buffer space low message 447
Allow stop / start buffers
Configure RIP option 214 network 218
Allow use of all available memory 223 page, defined 487
Always, delete option in Output Controller printer 219
83 Busy message 447
angles Busy or off-line message 447
screens expected in incoming job 428
screens for process colours 178

Index
C defined 478
caldata folder 35 CMap folder 35
calibration CMYK 17, 395, 400, 479
and colour process work 340 colorspaces folder 35
calibration sets 344 colour
creating a calibration set 351 changing 87
densitometer use 350 colorrenderings folder 35
entering data 353 device-independent, and ColourPro 367
factors affecting accuracy 362 operators 154
for positive and negative 360 colour management
maintenance strategies 357 in a PDF job 463
printing a target 345 instructions in a job 463
printing presses 364 supplied with an output plugin 164
screen frequencies 359 with ColourPro options 16
smoothing 355 Colour menu
stopping output without calibration set summarized 47
156 colour process work
turning on in Edit Page Setup dialog 164, need for calibration 340
165, 166 colour separation 171, 479
Calibration Manager dialog 355, 372 controlling separations 407
saving calibration sets 360 for HCS and HDS 209
calibration sets identifying in the Output Controller 80
copying 377 knockouts 396, 424
creating from imported files 386 labeling pages in Output Controller 430
creating from published data 385 misregistering separations 396
editing 358 overprinting 398
naming 381 producing colour images 398
operating on several sets 377 roaming colour images 431
saving 360 roaming in false colours 431
status in Calibration Manager 376 trapping 429
Cassette Manager dialog 312, 313 using Level 1 spot colours 412
Cassette Manager Edit dialog 314 colour separations
cassettes 478 overprinting 424
changing 87 Colour Setup Manager dialog 417
creating or deleting 313 colour space 479
media management 302 converting with ColourPro 394
setting up monitoring 312 in PostScript-language jobs 401
categories folder 35 reproducing 390
CFF fonts 325 coloured separations 406
chain screening 202 ColourPro
Change roam colour and press calibration 364
button in Info dialog 432 device-independent colour 367
dialog 432 introduction to colour management 16
channels memory required 29
in calibration sets 381 menu commands 47
character identifier fonts 324 colours
charstrings folder 35 accuracy in Roam and Preview 114
choke 478 Command key vi
CID fonts 324 Communications failed message 447
CIDFont folder 35 compact font format fonts 325
CIP3 compatibility setting
and PPF files 478 for PostScript LanguageLevel 153

Index
Complete folder 35 cutting media

composite fonts 23, 324, 335, 479 in Media Manager 310
CID 324 Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black
efficient use of 335 See CMYK
installing 330
memory required 29 D
preloading 331 data rate 480
compressing Data transfer failed message 448
page buffers 22, 216 data underrun
setting required compression ratio 217 and printer buffer size 219
Config folder 35 avoiding with Multiple mode 92
configuration settings defined 480
backing up 39 Data underrun message 448
Configure RIP dialog 212 DCS
compressing page buffers 445 defined 480
Configure RIP options Delete Fonts command 334
Allow stop / start 214 deleting
automatic prep loading 222 fonts from the Torrent RIP 334
band size for printer buffer 216 input plugins 237
minimum compression ratio 217 jobs after printing 82
minimum free disk space 224 page buffers 82, 213
Startup prep 222 densitometer
Configure RIP Options dialog 215 using for calibration 350
configuring Desktop Colour Separation. See DCS
Configure RIP dialog 211 developer
extras in Configure RIP 220 online processor 320
for features of output devices 134 deviated frequency 193
input plugins 236 device driver 130, 481
minimum free disk space 224 Device Manager dialog 132
output to TIFF files 118 Device menu 42
Spool folder 249 device type 130, 481
Control key vi device-independent colour
controlling in PDF jobs 466
inputs 232 devices
output of jobs 75 None 117
separations 407 output, defined 487
conventions Preview 110, 116
fonts vi TIFF 117
instructions in text vi Devices folder 36, 440
copies dial, progress 55
number printed from page buffer 86 dialogs
number to print 86 language used in 225
Copy Channel Data dialog 382 directories
core RIP 479 structure used by the RIP 34
Cover open message 448 See also folders
Crdgen folder 35 Disable output check box 77
crop marks 479 disabling
current cassette 479 individual inputs 237
current colour space 480 media management 309
current device 480 output of jobs 77
Cut media no feed command 306 stopping all enabled inputs 237
Cut media with feed command 306, 311 Disk space left for system option 224

Index
disks extra grays in HPS 192

DiskFirstAid utility 437 input plugins 237
failure to RIP to disk 445 optional features 221
preserving free space 224 Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) 482
required data rate 33 encodings folder 36
DLD1 fonts 325, 481 EPSF
Don’t let files silently substitute Courier for format files 155
missing fonts check box 159 error diffusion
dot gain 481 defined 482
and screening options 176 in output plugin 169
compensated by calibration 342 Error folder 36
dot shapes 482 errors. See problems
elliptical 182 EvE Init 437
line 183 excluding file names for spool folder 252
round Euclidean 181 executive 25
setting in Screening Setup 179 defined 483
square 182 starting up 298
square Euclidean 183 Executive window 298
dpcm (dots per centimeter) 482 exposure 483
dpi (dots per inch) 482 changing 87
dpmm (dots per millimeter) 482 choosing for calibration 347
Draft Edit Page Setup option 128
printing on each page 151 exposure sweeps
drag and drop printing 273 printing 348
drum recorders 301, 307 Extensions folder 36
time saving 145 Extra grays
duotones enabling 192
in Photoshop EPS files 158 Extras
enabling optional features 221
E
Edit Calibration dialog 353, 378 F
Edit Page Setup dialog 101, 314 Factory settings
Accelerate button 166 reverting to 225
retargeting press calibration 165 Factory Settings folder 35
turning on calibration 164, 344 Fast colour display
turning on press calibration 165 in Roam and Preview 114
turning on tone curve calibration 166 Fast patterns
types of option 102 page setup option 154
Edit Plugin dialog 235, 236 Feature check box 149
Edit Style dialog 407 features 148, 483
extra grays 188 See also page features
with screening options 169 feeding media in the Media Manager 310
editing file names
calibration sets 353, 358 mapping 39
EDS. See error diffusion prefix list for spool folder 252
elliptical dot shapes 182 FILEMAP.DAT file 39
Emulate old imagemask behavior FILEMAP.PS file 39
page setup option 155 FILERED.PS file 39
emulsion up/down. See mirrorprint files
Enable Feature dialog 290 adding showpage to EPSF jobs 155
enabling initialization (HqnStart) 331
extra features in the Torrent RIP 200 name mapping from PostScript names 39

Index
film. See media Utilities 39

FireWorks WorkSpace 39, 213
font downloader 330 font conventions
FlatPgbDir folder 36 in this manual vi
FM screening 202 instructions in text vi
folders fonts 23, 483
caldata 35 CFF 325
categories 35 CID (character identifier) 324
charstrings 35 compact font format 325
CIDFont 35 composite 23, 324, 331, 335
CMap 35 composite fonts 324
colorrenderings 35 DLD1 format 325
colorspaces 35 downloading with FireWorks 330
Complete 35 folder 36, 329
Config 35 hinted 324
Crdgen 35 installing 326
Devices 36, 440 installing composite fonts 330
encodings 36 listing 331
Error 36 minimum font set 446
Extensions 36 preloading 331
Factory Settings 35 problems with 446
FlatPgbDir 36 Proof fonts in long format option 334
fonts 36, 329 proofing 332
FontSet 36 removing from the RIP 334
forms 36 response to jobs with missing fonts 156
halftones 36 saving a backup file 39
icccrd 36 Show all files 328
IdiomSet 36 TrueType 325
Inputs 36 Type 0 fonts 324
MediaSavingDir 36 Type 1 fonts 324
Messages 36 Type 3 fonts 324
NamedColor 37 Type 32 325
NamedColorOrder 37 Type 4 fonts 324
Page Features 37 Type 42 325
Page Setups 35 types of 324
PageBuffers 37, 213, 445 FontSet folder 36
Passwords 37 forms folder 36
patterns 37 Frequency Modulation. See FM
PrepFiles 37 frequency, deviated 193
procsets 37
ReproductionCriteria 38 G
Screenin 38 Garbage collection 13
Screens 37, 38 Genlin
Separation Features 38 configuring 469
Spool 38 introduction 467
structure used by Torrent RIP 34 Get Info command 439
SW 213 GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) 288
Sys 38 gray levels
targeteps 38 increasing number with HPS 192
tmp 38 introduction 184
TrapParams 38 limiting number of 188, 192
Usr 38

Index
H introduction to Harlequin Precision

halftone 483 Screening 191
cells 172, 483 memory required 29
deviated frequency (HPS) 193 options dialog 192
frequency 340 performance 198
strategies 170 problems and cures 196
halftones folder 36 used with pattern screens 198
halftoning 398 HqnOEM
description 170 initialization file 331
See also screening HqnOEM file 38
Hand speed option 114 HqnProduct file 38
hard copy 484 HqnStart file 38
hardware feeds 484 HSB 400
using 318 HSL
Harlequin Chain Screening. See HCS enabling screen sets 200
Harlequin Colour Production Solutions. introduction to Harlequin Screening
See HCPS Library 200
Harlequin Dispersed Screening. See HDS problems and cures 208
Harlequin Micro Screening. See HMS selecting screen sets 201
Harlequin Precision Screening. See HPS Hue, Saturation, Brightness. See HSB
Harlequin Screening Library. See HSL
HCS I
introduction to Harlequin Chain Screen- ICC
ing 202 profiles, defined
HDLT (Harlequin Display List Technol- ICC profiles
ogy) definition 16
defined 484 icccrd folder 36
HDS IdiomSet folder 36
compared to lpi measures 205 Image interpolation 106
HDS-Light 200 image replacement 149
introduction 202 imagemask
varieties of 203 emulating old behavior of 155
height images
page default 145 previewing 56
Held Queue 76 printing colour 398
Hex roaming 56
N-colour system 391 scaling 148
Hexachrome imagesetters
PANTONE Colour System 391 linearization 342
HiFi colour required data rate 33
N-colour system 391 selecting output devices 105
hinted fonts 324, 484 See also output devices
HMS Import Measurements dialog 386
calibration for 208 imposition 149
introduction to Harlequin Micro Screen- See also page imposition
ing 207 Info dialog 87
varieties of 207 access to Page Layout dialog 147
Hold and Reprint command 93 Ink low message 448
HPS 485 Ink out message 448
and gray levels 192 Input Channel Edit dialog 237
background reading 176 Input Controller dialog 232
enabling HPS 2.0 194 input methods

Index
JFIF files 287 screen settings and overrides 190

JPEG files 287 timeouts 217
Input Modes JPEG files
printer problems 459 input methods 287
input plugins 485 printing 287
adding new 234
configuring 236 K
deleting 237 keyboard accelerators v, 485
editing 236 keyboard shortcuts v
enabling 237 Kill Current Job command 273
introduction to 18 knockouts 396, 424
managing 232
types supplied 231 L
Input Queue mode 63, 68
input sources. See input plugins language
inputs choice at first use 40
disabling individual inputs 237 used in user interface 225
starting up 63 LanguageLevel 1
stopping 44 setting compatibility 153
stopping all enabled inputs 237 LanguageLevel 2
Inputs folder 36 setting compatibility 153
Install Fonts dialog 328 LanguageLevel 3 153
installing setting compatibility 153
composite fonts 330 Laser diode failed message 448
fonts 326 Level 1 PostScript language jobs
printer interface card 34 compatibility setting 153
installing Torrent RIP Level 2 PostScript language jobs
ability to RIP a job 30 compatibility setting 153
printer data rates 32, 33 Level 3 PostScript language jobs
spool folders 462 compatibility setting 153
instructions in text vi Limit number of distinct gray levels 192
Interface card failed message 448 Limit screen levels 192
interface cards line screening
installing 34 in halftoned images 183
International Color Consortium. See ICC linearization 341
Invalid clipping message 448 See also calibration
Invalid resolution message 448 List Fonts command 331
localization
language in user interface 225
J locking page buffers 85
JDF LOGFILE 332
and CIP4 478 in SW folder 39
JFIF files messages from Torrent RIP 69
input methods 287 low media warnings 318
printing 287 Low power message 448
Job Description Format lpcm (lines per centimeter) 485
See JDF lpi (lines per inch) 485
jobs lpmm (lines per millimeter) 485
altering parameters 84
altering parameters for all pages 89 M
deleting automatically after printing 82
preserving from deletion 85 Macintosh
reprinting 78 Help and manuals v

Index
margins misregistering separations

setting in Page layout 146 effect 396
measurements minimizing effect 429
choice for calibration data 383 missing fonts
media 485 aborting jobs with 156
advancing 304 modes
cutting 304, 305, 307, 310, 319 Multiple 91
feeding 305, 307, 310 Multiple (Parallel) 91
hardware feeds 318 page buffering in the Torrent RIP 72
low media warnings 318 Single 92
monitoring 312, 321 Single (If Required) 93
remaining length 316 moiré pattern 486
saving (optimization) 144 reducing 177
saving film 151 reducing with HPS 191
type 315 monitoring
width 315 media 312, 321
media management 24 Torrent RIP 68
configuring 152 monochrome separations 406
disabling 309 Multiple (Parallel) Mode
introduction 301 page buffer modes compared 73
Media Manager dialog 308 Multiple (Parallel) mode
Media Monitor 321 advanced details 91
MediaSavingDir folder 36 and data underrun 219
memory and Media Monitor 321
allocating 222 compared to Single (if required) 94
increasing 222 multiple copies
problems 439 printing 86
requirements for disk space 31 multiple device drivers 130
requirements for RAM 29 adding a new device 132
temporary allocation 222 changing configuration 132
Memory for RIP option 223 defined 486
Memory reserve for RIP option 223 deleting a device 133
menu device 486 Multiple mode
menus advanced details 91
changes in displayed commands 47 and Media Monitor 317
description of 42 page buffer modes compared 72
language used in 225 multiprocessing
messages number of parallel processes 218
in LOGFILE 69
in RIP Monitor 68 N
language used in 225 named pipes
warnings and errors 436 as inputs 243
Messages folder 36 NamedColor folder 37
Microsoft Windows NamedColorOrder folder 37
Help and manuals v N-colour
Minimum free disk space defined 486
Configure RIP option 224 N-colour systems
Minimum memory left for system option distinct colourant 391
223 HiFi colour 391
Mirrorprint in job specification 400
Edit Page Setup option 148 output support for 17
mirrorprint 486 photo-ink 391

Index
negative introduction to 18
calibrating for output 360 multiple, defined 486
printing in 86 overprinting 398, 424
networks controls 424
problems with 442 Override angles in job 190, 413
Torrent RIP fails to publish 459 Override black generation in job box 426
Never, delete option in Output Controller Override dot shape in job 180, 190
83 Override frequency in job 184, 190
New Page Setup dialog Override separations in job 412
basic use 102 overriding job settings 190, 412
example of use 52, 64
No cassette message 449 P
No power message 449 Pack Drum 151
No take-up cassette message 449 page buffers
None device 117 altering all in job 89
NT Pipe altering parameters 84
input plugin 231 compressing 22, 216
NT Print defined 487
input plugin 231 deleting 82, 213
Number of copies to print from older versions of the Torrent RIP 89
page setup option 157 locking 85
modes 72
O moving in Output Controller 78
Off-line message 449 resubmitting 151
online developer 320 roaming 85
Open Prepress Interface summary of modes 96
see OPI 487 page features
OPI adding 151
defined 487 Draft 151
OPI, support for 149 Image replacement 149
optional features imposition 149
enabling 221 OPI 149
Output Controller Pack Drum 151
disabling output 77 PGB hot folder 151
labeling of colour separation pages 430 printing Draft on each page 151
warning messages in 447 reporting on spot colours 149
Output Controller dialog 75, 147 resubmitting page buffers 151
Always option 83 saving film 151
identifying colour separations in 80 Page Features folder 37
locked pages in 445 page imposition 25, 149, 450, 487
low media warnings in 318 Page Layout dialog 88, 146
Never delete option 83 page setup
numbering of separation pages in 80 definition 488
warning messages in 447 Exposure 128
When necessary delete option 82 Mirrorprint effect 148
output devices 1 Negative effect 148
changing 87 Rotate effect 147
defined 487 saving configurations 103
printing to 127 saving setups 19
selecting 105 TIFF output device 117
output plugins Page Setup Manager dialog 99
defined 487 reordering list of page setups 100

Index
Page Setup Option Extras dialog 157 plug-in module 489

Page Setup Options dialog 152 point 489
abort if calibration does not match 156 Portable Document Format. See PDF files
abort if fonts are missing 156 275
add showpage 155 positive. See negative
emulate old imagemask behavior 155 post processing
fast patterns 154 TIFF files after output 123
number of copies to print 157 PostScript language
remove colour operators 154 access from executive 298
run prep at start of job 154 applied to jobs in page features 148
setting the LanguageLevel 153 handling Level 1 language jobs 153
Page Setups folder 35 handling Level 2 language jobs 153
page size PostScript Printer Description. See PPD
specifying default 145
Page stop-started message 449 PPD
PageBuffers folder 37, 213, 445 defined 489
Pantone Matching System 392 PPF
Paper jam message 449 file format and CIP3 478
Paper low message 449 precision screening. See HPS
Paper out message 449 prefix list 252
paper. See media preloading
partial page buffer 20, 223 composite fonts 331
defined 488 fonts in the Torrent RIP 331
Passwords folder 37 prep file 490
patterns folder 37 PrepFiles folder 37
PDF files preseparated jobs
colour management 463 recombining 413
input methods 286 rejecting 413
printing 275 Preserve monochrome and preseparated
Printing PDF version 1.4 276 jobs
setting options 280 page setup option 156
special treatment 286 press calibration
two definitions 488 alternative uses 367
PDF jobs in Edit Page Setup dialog 165
colour management in 466 introduction 364
PDF Options dialog 280 See also calibration
PelBox. See imagesetters preview
performance defined 490
Rainbow Islands test image 95 images 21, 56
requirements 28 See also roaming
Seybold Musicians test image 32 Preview window 111
PGB hot folder 151 Print calibrated press target 370
Photo-ink Print calibrated target 356, 361, 370
defined 489 Print Calibration dialog 348, 369
photo-ink Print exposure sweep 370
N-colour system 391 Print File command 271
Photoshop images Print File dialog 272
processing jobs containing 463, 465 Print File menu 273
pica 489 Print Production Format
pipes See PPF
named pipes as inputs 243 Print uncalibrated press target 370
pixel 489 Print uncalibrated target 370

Index
printer buffer 219 progress dial 55, 62

and data underrun 220 progressive proofs
and roaming large page buffers 220 defined 490
Printer Caught Up message 450 progressive separations 406
printers Proof Fonts dialog 55, 333
installing interface cards 34 proofing fonts 332
required data rate 33 in long format 334
See also output devices proofs
Printing defined 490
draft on each page 151 progressive, defined 490
printing
calibration targets 370 Q
colour images 398 queues
exposure sweeps 348 active 76
files 271 held 76
in mirror image 148 transferring pages between 78
in negative 148 quitting
in rotated orientation 147 Torrent RIP 49
JFIF files 287
JPEG files 287 R
multiple copies 86
PDF files 275 RAM. See memory
PostScript-language files 275 Raster Image Processor
setting PDF options 280 defined 491
several copies 157 Read dial 56
several files 274 recombination
size of buffer for band 216 features requiring 402
TIFF/IT files 291 Recombine preseparated jobs
using a different press 165, 343 and composite jobs 415
using special effects 148 check box 413
with drag and drop 273 memory requirements 29
problems suitable jobs 414
curing 435, 451 Red, Green, Blue. See RGB
DiskFirstAid utility 437 Reduced Preview window 111
failure to RIP to disk 445 reduced roam 57, 85, 112
with AppleTalk 442 Reduced Roam window 111
with fonts 446 reject preseparated jobs 413
with HPS 196 remaining length of media 316
with HSL 208 Remove colour operators
with networks 442 page setup option 154
with TIFF/IT files 451 removing
process colours fonts from the RIP 334
changing the angles 178 rendering 491
process work. See colour reordering
processor, online developer 320 page setups 100
procsets folder 37 reprinting jobs 78
profiles ReproductionCriteria folder 38
ColourPro feature 375 requirements
defined 490 data rate to printer 33
progress box 60, 81 disk data rate 33
media management 317 disk space 31
warning messages in 447 minimum font set 446

Index
RAM 29 S
resetting Save Setup dialog 65
RIP configuration 225 saving
Torrent RIP 225 a backup of all fonts 39
Resetting the Torrent RIP 225 all configuration settings 39
resolution 491 media or time 144
setting 106 page setup configurations 103
resubmitting, page buffers 151 separations styles 416
reverse. See negative scaling
Revert to Factory Settings 225 the output image 148
RGB 17, 491 screen angles
in colour composites 400 definition of 172
right reading. See mirrorprint expected in incoming job 428
RIP glossary entry 492
defined 491 screen frequency 172, 492
RIP configuration and calibration sets 359
PageBuffers folder 213 and gray levels 185
resetting 225 overriding 184
WorkSpace folder 213 specified in job 184
RIP Monitor screen levels
example session report 68 limiting 192
installed font list 331 screen sets
memory reports 224 selecting 201
ripping to disk screening 176
failure 445 and separations style 167
Roam button 56, 85 chain 202
Roam Options dialog 114 error diffusion 169, 482
Roam window 111 extra gray levels 192
roam, defined 491 FM 202
roaming HDS 202
accurate colour display 114 HMS 207
and disable output 85 HPS 191
changing the displayed colours 432 HSL 200
description of Reduced Roam window overview of methods 14
111 Screenin folder 38
description of Roam window 111 spot functions 179
hiding separations 114 screens
images 56 defined 172
large or multiple pages and printer Screens folder 37, 38
buffer 220 searching for input symbol 234
options 114 Separate spot colour duotones, tritones &
reduced roam 57, 85, 112 quadtones to spot colour plates
separations 431 check box 158
setting hand speed 114 Separate spot colour vignettes to the spot
several pages 85, 111 colour plate
rosette 492 Illustrator 6 160
Rotate Illustrator 7 160
page setup effect 147 QuarkXPress 161
round Euclidean dot shapes 181 Separate spot colour vignettes to the spot
RS232. See Serial colour plate check box
Run prep at start of job Macromedia FreeHand 162
page setup option 154 Separation Features folder 38

Index
separations 171 spot functions 179

changing colour 87 See also dot shape
coloured 406 spread 492
features needing recombination 402 square dot shapes 182
monochrome 406 square Euclidean dot shapes 183
page numbering in Output Controller 80 StandardCharStrings file 35
progressive 406 starting up
style and screening 167 executive 298
Separations Manager dialog 403 inputs 63
Serial output of jobs after earlier disabling 77
input plugin 232 Torrent RIP 40
Setting the PostScript LanguageLevel 153 Startup prep
settrap 430 Configure RIP option 222
Seybold status
Musicians test image 32 area in tool bar 46
Rainbow Islands test image 95 of a calibration set 376
Shift key vi stop / start
shortcuts defined 492
keyboard v Stop Executive command 299
Show all files stopping
option in Font Installer 328 a print job 273
showpage operator 155 all enabled inputs 237
Single (if required) mode 93 all inputs 44
compared to Multiple (Parallel) 94 output of jobs temporarily 77
page buffer modes compared 72 the computer running the Torrent RIP 50
Single mode Torrent RIP 49
advanced details 92 stripping. See page imposition
page buffer modes compared 72 substitute fonts
SMP 218 in jobs from Illustrator 160
Socket or aborting the job 156
configuring the input plugin 259 SW folder 213
input plugin 231 symmetric multiprocessing 218
See also sockets Sys folder 38
sockets System 7 file permission access 461
as input to the Torrent RIP 254
requirements for use with the Torrent T
RIP 256 Take-up full message 450
special effects Take-up space low message 450
applied to jobs using page features 148 targeteps folder 38
applied to jobs using page setup 147 TCP/IP 231
specifying testing
default page size 145 calibration sets 356
image scale 148 serial line input 265
Spool folder 38 Threads
configuring 249 option in Configure RIP dialog 218
excluding files from processing 252 throughput
input plugin 231 control 20
multiple inputs 19 defined 493
Spool Folder Configuration dialog 249 system 75
spot colours ThroughPut Info dialog 84
exact names required 410, 411 TIFF (Tag Image File Format) 17, 117
reporting on screen 149 configuring files 118

Index
creating files 117 Type 1 fonts 324

naming files 119 Type 3 fonts 324
output device 117 Type 32 fonts 325
post processing output files 123 Type 4 fonts 324
See also TIFF/IT files Type 42 fonts 325
TIFF 6.0 input 293
TIFF/IT files U
data types 289 UCR 423, 425
format and history 288 Ultre. See imagesetters
installation and requirements 290 undercolour removal 423, 425
password 221 uninstalling
printing 291 fonts 334
printing with spool folder 254 units of measurement
troubleshooting 451 dpcm 482
time saving (optimization) 145 dpi 482
timeouts dpmm 482
on jobs 217 lpcm 485
tmp folder 38 lpi 485
tone curves lpmm 485
adjusting 166 pica 489
creating and using 363 point 489
in Edit Page Setup dialog 166 Unknown error message 450
introduction 363 Usr folder 38
Toner low message 450 Utilities folder 39
Toner out message 450
tool bar V
introduced 43
status area 46 version
Torrent RIP file in SW folder 40
changing size of application 462 vignettes
failure to appear on the network 459 defined in spot colours 157
folder structure 34 virtual memory 493
monitoring 68 allocating for the Torrent RIP 223
quitting 49 setting 30
resetting to standard configuration 225
starting up 40 W
Torrent RIP window 68, 224, 331 Warming up message 450
Transparency 276 When necessary
TrapParams folder 38 delete option in Output Controller 82
trapping width
defined 493 of media 315
in QuarkXPress jobs 429 page default 145
in the Torrent RIP 429 Windows
TrapPro See Microsoft Windows
menu commands 48 workflows
Trim Page check box for maintaining calibration 357
in Page Setup dialog 145 WorkSpace folder 39, 213
Trim page check box wrong reading. See mirrorprint
in Info dialog 87
troubleshooting. See problems
TrueType fonts 325
Type 0 fonts 324

Torrent User Guide 6.0

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Torrent ™

for Windows NT / 2000 / XP

of Pantone, Inc. © Pantone, Inc., 1991.

HighWater Designs Limited

1 Introduction to the Torrent RIP 1

2 Running the Torrent RIP 27

3 Getting Started with the Torrent RIP 51

4 Torrent RIP Output Methods 71

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide iii

5 Configuring Output Formats 97

iv Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

7 Configuring the RIP 211

8 Configuring Input 229

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9 Media Management 301

vi Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

12 Colour Separation 389

Appendix A Troubleshooting 435

Appendix B Jobs Containing Colour Management Data 463

Appendix C Using Genlin 467

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WELCOME to the Torrent PostScript-language compatible interpreter. This

Contents of this manual

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide i

• Support for N-colour and Gray Profile ICC profiles.

ii Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide iii

Chapter 8, “Configuring Input”, describes the different ways in which

iv Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide v

Fonts and formats

Text written in this typewriter face represents a piece of PostScript-language

vi Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

If a term is written in italic, it is the first mention of an important concept. This

Information intended for Windows and Mac users

Selecting menu options

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide vii

viii Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

Menus and lists

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x Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

Introduction to the Torrent

This chapter provides an introduction to the capabilities of the Torrent RIP.

1.1 What is the Torrent RIP?

is involved, a PostScript-language compatible interpreter.

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide 1

1.1.1 Input and output formats

1.2 Why use the Torrent RIP?

2 Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

• The Torrent RIP is compatible because it is kept up to date with:

Version 6.0: November 2002 Torrent User’s Guide 3

1.3 The Torrent RIP in depth

1.3.1 Software RIPs compared to hardware RIPs

4 Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

old hardware for other purposes—you still have a usable computer.

1.3.2 File format and version support

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6 Torrent User’s Guide Version 6.0: November 2002

See Section 5.23 on page 157 for more details.

1.3.3 Extended colour capabilities