What is RIP relating to Printers?

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Tin Ear

I came across this acronym in relation to printers and have no idea what it
is. Can anyone either explain or point me in the right direction?
 
Tin Ear said:
I came across this acronym in relation to printers and have no idea what it
is. Can anyone either explain or point me in the right direction?
Click to expand...

Raster Image Processor.

The image that's laid on paper is made up of dots. It's called a Raster
Image.

It started out as something other than those particular dots. It
started out as a display on your screen, perhaps, or maybe as some
calculations inside your page layout program. At some point it was sent
out of your computer as a higher level page description language, like
Postscript or PCL.

Postscript and PCL aren't dots on a page. They *describe* in general,
device-independent, high-level terms how a page should look. It's up to
the RIP to translate this device-independent page description program
into device-dependent page dots--the raster image--that the printing
device then lays onto the page.

Raster image processing involves a computer. Some printers have RIPs
built into them in some way or another. These printers take high-level
page description files out of your computer RIP them to low level
device-dependent bitmaps for the printer to print.

Other printers don't have RIPs built into them. Instead, they use
*your* computer to be the RIP. These printers don't take high level
device-independent page description files out of the computer; instead,
these printers take device-dependent dot information out of the computer.
 
Elmo P. Shagnasty said:
Raster Image Processor.

The image that's laid on paper is made up of dots. It's called a Raster
Image.

It started out as something other than those particular dots. It
started out as a display on your screen, perhaps, or maybe as some
calculations inside your page layout program. At some point it was sent
out of your computer as a higher level page description language, like
Postscript or PCL.

Postscript and PCL aren't dots on a page. They *describe* in general,
device-independent, high-level terms how a page should look. It's up to
the RIP to translate this device-independent page description program
into device-dependent page dots--the raster image--that the printing
device then lays onto the page.

Raster image processing involves a computer. Some printers have RIPs
built into them in some way or another. These printers take high-level
page description files out of your computer RIP them to low level
device-dependent bitmaps for the printer to print.

Other printers don't have RIPs built into them. Instead, they use
*your* computer to be the RIP. These printers don't take high level
device-independent page description files out of the computer; instead,
these printers take device-dependent dot information out of the computer.
Click to expand...
Thanks to you both for the help! One of the printers I'm considering as a
replacement has a RIP option. Now at least I know what they are talking
about.
 
Other printers don't have RIPs built into them. Instead, they use
*your* computer to be the RIP. These printers don't take high level
device-independent page description files out of the computer; instead,
these printers take device-dependent dot information out of the computer.
Click to expand...
Thanks to you both for the help! One of the printers I'm considering as a
replacement has a RIP option. Now at least I know what they are talking
about.[/QUOTE]

Keep in mind that *some* modern printer manufacturers talk about a
"software RIP" and assume you know what that means.

ALL raster image processing uses software; some of it is higher level
software than others. Adobe Postscript software, for example, is what
many people want. Adobe Postscript RIP software usually exists on a
processor board inside a printer, but is sometimes--especially with
inkjets--sold as an add-on package that you load onto your computer.
This gives you better imaging quality and options for high end graphics
and publishing work.

In this case, it's just an additional load on your own computer.

But more to the point, the inkjet and/or Postscript RIP software vendor
will market this as an "add-on software RIP", assuming you know what
they're talking about. In that case, they're using shorthand to say
"Adobe Postscript processing for marking the page using your printer".

But if the printer you're considering has a RIP option that's an
external box that handles all this, that's what we traditionally call a
RIP.

What printer are you considering, and what is the RIP option called? Is
it from the same manufacturer as the printer itself? Is it an external
box, or is it an internal add-on board? Or is it software that loads
onto your computer and uses your computer's processing power?
 
Elmo P. Shagnasty said:
Thanks to you both for the help! One of the printers I'm considering as a
replacement has a RIP option. Now at least I know what they are talking
about.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that *some* modern printer manufacturers talk about a
"software RIP" and assume you know what that means.

ALL raster image processing uses software; some of it is higher level
software than others. Adobe Postscript software, for example, is what
many people want. Adobe Postscript RIP software usually exists on a
processor board inside a printer, but is sometimes--especially with
inkjets--sold as an add-on package that you load onto your computer.
This gives you better imaging quality and options for high end graphics
and publishing work.

In this case, it's just an additional load on your own computer.

But more to the point, the inkjet and/or Postscript RIP software vendor
will market this as an "add-on software RIP", assuming you know what
they're talking about. In that case, they're using shorthand to say
"Adobe Postscript processing for marking the page using your printer".

But if the printer you're considering has a RIP option that's an
external box that handles all this, that's what we traditionally call a
RIP.

What printer are you considering, and what is the RIP option called? Is
it from the same manufacturer as the printer itself? Is it an external
box, or is it an internal add-on board? Or is it software that loads
onto your computer and uses your computer's processing power?
[/QUOTE]
One of the printers I'm considering is the Epson 4000 (there's a separate
thread here looking for user feedback). The brochure lists "Epson StylusRIP
Professional 2.0 Software RIP" which, based on the above info, I believe is
a software based RIP that loads on my computer. I'm not sure if it is
something I need, but I was just wondering what it was.
 
Tin Ear said:
One of the printers I'm considering is the Epson 4000 (there's a separate
thread here looking for user feedback). The brochure lists "Epson StylusRIP
Professional 2.0 Software RIP" which, based on the above info, I believe is
a software based RIP that loads on my computer. I'm not sure if it is
something I need, but I was just wondering what it was.
Click to expand...

As I said, *most* people associate RIP with "Postscript RIP". They
think of those things as identical, when they're not.

So this is simply software that takes in Postscript and processes it for
that print engine, and sends the processed dots out to that print
engine. To do this processing, it uses your computer.

You should have a Postscript RIP if you're working with software that's
designed around printing to Postscript printers.
 
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