Re: New epson 3000 paper ejects too soon

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Laurie Solomon wrote:
> 
> To add to Pam's description, RIP basically translates any non-postscript
> computer language into postscript computer language; it can be bit mapped
> images or plain text.  It primarily is used if you are sending the file to a
> commercial printer to be mass produced via offset printing or another
> process which uses high quality typesetting and platemaking processes which
> typically have been based on postscript.  If you are sending it to your
> printer for printing, it is not necessary because your printer like most
> consumer inkjet printers - even the top end ones - has its own internal
> program for translating the computer file into a printable file.  In your
> printer case, RIP is primarily for reading and translating, importing and
> exporting postscript files which may be sent to you for printing or which
> you may send out for printing on a high end commercial press.
> 

Actually, as Rafe and Richard pointed out, I mucked up the
first paragraphy of description. RIP's traditionally
translate vector based objects, such as Postscript fonts and
graphics from programs such as Freehand (Illustrator, Quark,
Pagemaker, Framemaker, etc.), into raster notation that a
bitmap printer can understand. I've used RIP's previously to
print from a vector program to an inkjet printer, they're
not needed to print to Postscript printers. What makes this
topic particularly confusing here is that when printing from
Photoshop, which is a raster notation program, one should
NOT need a RIP. From what C.D. has said, I think the reason
it's needed in Photoshop is to talk to the printer in CMYK
notation, because the Epson drivers expect to have RGB
notation input.


> I do not know for sure; but I believe that postscript language and
> mathematical vector files are identical.  I think that even vector files
> also need to be ripped to be translated into postscript language.  In one
> sense Postscript language is like Visual Basic  in contrast to being either
> a bitmap or a mathematical formula; hence, both bitmaps and the vector
> mathematical
> formulas would need to be translated into Postscript language to be used by
> computerized printing presses and typesetters that use and read Postscript
> language.  Your printer, for example can read and print both bitmapped and
> vector written files even if it does not employ Postscript but uses its own
> non-postscript conversion printer language.

No, Postscript is it's own language, a page description
language (PDL), that tells the printer how to layout and
print a particular stream of data. Generally in graphics you
want to talk about vector objects rather than vector files,
Bezier curves in objects rather than files. A file can
contain many objects; and their formats usually could not be
treated as vector objects. Visual Basic is an abomination of
a programming language that should not be in the same
sentence with Postscript. :) Visual Basic appears to have
object properties, but that's just the interface trying to
fool everyone. And the only reason we even have this is
because Basic is the last language Bill Gates learned and/or
used (he's not dumb, just has had other things on his mind
for the last 25 years or so).

Printers do not read bitmapped or vector files. They read
their own PDL (or more than one if the vendor chooses to
facilitate multiple PDL's in one printer); and every program
must translate its internal file formats to the appropriate
language for the printer target. Fortunately, for software
developers, most of this work is done these days in the
printer drivers and operating systems.

Pam

-- 
Pamela G. Niedermayer
Pinehill Softworks Inc.
1221 S. Congress Ave., #1225
Austin, TX 78704
512-416-1141
512-416-1440 fax
http://www.pinehill.com
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