Print service providers in India are seeking higher quality output to meet the growing needs of their customers, and the key is output software tools, including the prepress workflow. RIP software provider Onyx has been supplying to Indian printers over the past 30 years. It currently has several India based dealers and vendors, including some of the leaders in both signage and digital textile printing.Â
While the wide-format signage and print industry has grown and developed in India, it is the digital textile industry which now seems to be the fastest developing segment. Traditionally a major cotton producer, consumer, and exporter of textiles, digital textile offers excellent versatility as well as sustainability. In addition, many print service providers in all the segments – signage, POP, and textiles are seeking out new and exciting opportunities with new digital inkjet print applications.
Role of RIP software in the printing workflow
In its most basic definition and function, RIP (raster image processor) software in print takes the ‘code’ from a design file and renders the information contained within it into the printed ink dots. However, RIP software products today do so much more than basic image handling. RIP software can take design and prepress steps and make them automatic and repeatable. What this means for a business is that with the right RIP software, the print output will match customer’s expectations in terms of quality and color.
For print service providers in the apparel print industry, RIP software with automation, nesting, and color management tools can make production much more manageable. Automation helps remove manual errors and speeds up production capacity. Nesting features such as large previews or automatic settings to conserve media help reduce waste, and color management tools help optimize output to meet customer brand color needs so that the design matches the printed product.
Onyx 19
Onyx Graphics offers wide-format RIP and print workflow software for all wide-format print applications, including soft signage and textiles. The latest version released this year, Onyx 19, introduces the Spark Engine and DeviceLink+ to go bigger, bolder, and beyond the limitations of wide-format print. It is available for the entire portfolio of Onyx software products, including Onyx Thrive print workflow with network licensing and Onyx RIP products, including Onyx Poster Shop and Onyx RIP Centre software.Â
PosterShop and Onyx RIPCenter RIP software
Onyx Thrive is a scalable end-to-end workflow solution with network licensing to optimize any size print shop, maximize production, and avoid costly downtime. The network-based license is a long term solution where users can easily add RIPs, printers, workflow modules, and job editors to meet the demands of any print environment. With 100% Adobe technology throughout, Onyx Thrive enables users to print right the first time.
Onyx PosterShop and Onyx RIPCenter provide a versatile toolset with color-managed output that is easy to use. Automated finishing tools can complete print-and-cut workflows. Onyx RIP products now include the latest Adobe PDF Print Engine for shops with up to two printers.Â
Improved print quality, process, productivity, and consistency
The Onyx software is designed to enhance the entire end-to-end workflow. It is designed to fully integrate with the printer to control all options and maximize what the printer can do. Overall, it helps print service providers to optimize their output quality, the material used to reduce waste and provide real-time feedback in the software to monitor the print production process from start to finish.Â
In addition, the software provides the ability to control ink usage and color management settings on the printer as well as cutting options for cutting equipment. Combined with automation controls for entire print-and-cut workflows, the software enables print production to be fast and reliable.
Color management
Onyx software provides tools to easily create ICC profiles as well as fine-tune them. For instance, some tools that are exclusive to Onyx software to assist in ICC profiling include AccuBoost, to fine-tune ICC profile accuracy with iterative profiling. ColorCheck, to ensure brand colors are met, consistently, and to industry standards. DeviceLink+, to automate color management settings such as ink savings without the need to re-profile. GCR+ for ink savings without compromising color output quality and detail.
Costs and savings estimatorÂ
Onyx software is integrated into the print workflow process and provides tools to ensure ink savings. Its Onyx Hub, is a business intelligence tool that provides real-time, historic, trend, and cost data to help printers make better business decisions. Users of Onyx Hub can see print production data across an entire production site, including ink usage, media waste, labor and machine rates, and actual job costs. All data is aggregated into an intuitive browser-based dashboard to address ways to improve production efficiency and reduce costs.
Digital textile color accuracy
Onyx software includes a wide variety of color tools for color accuracy, consistency, conformance to standards as well as ink savings and color management automation capabilities. For dye-sublimation applications and a way to automate color management to improve production efficiency, the tools often used by Onyx include ColorCheck and DeviceLink+.Â
ColorCheck, which helps users meet customer brand color needs, ensures output is consistent, and that it meets industry standards such as G7 and FOGRA (Fogra Graphic Technology Research Association). ColorCheck output checks can be automated as often as needed as an internal process control measure to ensure the printer output is consistent, avoiding costly mistakes and reprints from issues such as color drift.
