Global Graphics News

At Print 13 Global Graphics Software, the developers of the Harlequin RIP®, are marking the 25^th anniversary of this versatile print engine that continues to dominate the world’s commercial and newspaper production.

In 1988 Version 1.0 of the Harlequin RIP first shipped as a PostScript®  Level 1 compatible RIP.  Twenty-five years later, at Print 13, Global Graphics is showing Version 10.0, the Harlequin MultiRIP, so-called because multi-threading is one of its new features that has resulted in significant speed gains to improve print shop throughput.

Helps print shops grow into digital production profitably

Version 10.0 of the Harlequin RIP has been developed specifically to enable print shops to grow out into digital print or to expand into digital marketing.  It introduces major new features that speed up the processing of PDF/VT and increase the rate that pages are fed to the press for significant productivity gains.  It’s the ideal print engine to drive short run digital presses profitably alongside CtP.

In 1991 Michigan-based Xitron became one of the earliest customers to licence the Harlequin RIP and is still a very active partner today. Eric Nelsen, Xitron director of product development says. “Harlequin is at the core of what we do.  We have created interfaces to Harlequin that can drive around 350 different printing and proofing devices.  Today, of course, it’s not just about making plates anymore and we see our customers growing into digital print where they need Harlequin’s speed to feed pages quickly to the device.”

In 2013 Cambridge UK-based Global Inkjet Systems (GIS) licensed Harlequin technology to offer the speed and performance needed to meet the requirements of certain customers in labelling, packaging and book printing-type applications. “ Being able to offer the option of the Harlequin products as part of the uniti™ Operating System significantly enhances what we can provide to customers with demanding applications.” Says Nick Geddes, CEO.

A history of innovation

In its lifetime the Harlequin RIP has notched up a number of firsts that have helped print shops to get more out of their presses:

• In 1997 native PDF rendering is first introduced along with in-RIP trapping. In the same year the Harlequin RIP scoops a number of industry awards;
• In 2002 Version 6.0 introduces support for live transparency in PDF files, eliminating the need to flatten files;
• In 2007 Harlequin’s Font Emulation feature wins a 2007 PIA/GATF Intertech™ Technology award;
• In 2009 Harlequin is the first RIP to be PDF/VT ready and compliant with the PDF/VT standard;
• In 2012 RIT measures the Harlequin RIP against a series of independently generated test files and finds that it can deliver pages far in excess of the industry’s highest performing digital presses meaning that print shops can drive a wide variety of devices at full speed only stopping for scheduled maintenance.

See more on GlobalGraphicsTV

Hear what Harlequin customers say about Harlequin technology and the achievement of celebrating 25 years at http://youtu.be/xcAWA65bvGk including: Eric Nelsen, Director of Product Development, Xitron; Andy Grant, Global Director of Software, Agfa;  Nick Geddes, CEO, Global Inkjet Systems;  Sharon Donovich, HP SmartStream Production Pro Print Server, Product Manager.

Come to the anniversary party at Print 13.

Journalists are invited to attend a party to celebrate 25 years of the Harlequin RIP.  It will take place on Tuesday September 10^th from 4pm until 6pm, on the show floor in reception area 3. Entertainment will be provided by award-winning magician Dennis Watkins and Brad Hagen of the Broadway and New York comedy clubs and the son of Global Graphics VP of Print Sales, Paul Hagen. Register here: http://www.globalgraphics.com/print13

Editors notes

About Harlequin
The Harlequin RIP is developed by Global Graphics (NYSE-Euronext: GLOG) is a leading developer of printing and electronic document software and is at the heart of products from customers such HP Indigo, Agfa, Kodak, Xitron and ECRM. Additional information is available at http://www.globalgraphics.com/products/harlequin-multi-rip/Global Graphics, Harlequin,  the Harlequin logo, the Harlequin RIP, are trademarks of Global Graphics Software Limited which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.  Global Graphics is a trademark of Global Graphics S.A. which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other brand and product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

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A party to celebrate 25 years of the Harlequin RIP will take place on the Print 13 show floor on Tuesday September 10^th from 4pm until 6pm.

The Harlequin RIP’s developers, Global Graphics Software, are inviting customers, press vendors and fellow exhibitors to join in the fun as they celebrate the latest in a long-line of technology innovations at Print 13.  Entertainment will be provided by award-winning magician Dennis Watkins and Brad Hagen of the Broadway and New York comedy clubs.

Harlequin is now at the heart of digital print as well as being the leading RIP used in newsprint world-wide and by small and medium sized print shops for general commercial printing.

To pre-register for the party visit: http://www.globalgraphics.com/events/2013/print/

PRINT 13
BOOTH #958

Editors notes

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Groundbreaking new features to handle short runs and variable data

In the year that the Harlequin RIP® celebrates its 25^th birthday its developers, Global Graphics Software, have announced the latest in a long-line of technology innovations with the launch of Harlequin MultiRIP 10 today.

This new version of the Harlequin RIP has been developed specifically to enable print shops to grow out into digital print or to expand into digital marketing.  It introduces major new features that speed up the processing of PDF/VT and increase the rate that pages are fed to the press for significant productivity gains.  It’s the ideal print engine to drive short run digital presses profitably alongside CtP.

Martin Bailey, CTO at Global Graphics Software points out “Harlequin MultiRIP 10  brings the speed benefits that we introduced at drupa for high-volume production presses to allow smaller print shops to use digital presses to maintain profitability even as run lengths decrease. It also helps them handle personalized work efficiently to drive into higher margin markets.”

New features

More speed = print more jobs in a shift: Extensive multi-threading allows maximum use to be made of multi-core CPUs so that pages pass through the RIP faster than ever before. With Harlequin Parallel Pages™ the RIP will interpret one page while it’s still rendering the previous one. A 64-bit RIP build now allows use of virtually unlimited amounts of RAM to ensure that even the most complex jobs run at high speed.

Variable data support: Harlequin VariData™ greatly accelerates the processing time of PDF/VT and PDF files containing variable data, by using a unique method of intelligently recognizing repeated content. Even jobs with single-use images, QR Codes for purls, or personalized graphics can now be output at full engine speed.

Great color “out of the box”: it’s easier to achieve consistent, predictable and repeatable color reproduction across any number of devices by tight integration of Harlequin MultiRIP with third party closed loop color controls for automatic updates.

Like its predecessors Harlequin MultiRIP 10 it contains a range of performance and productivity features for print shops and can be used to drive CtP, proofing, digital presses and wide format devices. It is compliant with industry standards and offers print shops workflow options that run inside the RIP rather than on separate applications, saving time and money.  These workflow options include simple imposition, font emulation, trapping and screening.

Harlequin MultiRIP processes PDF and PostScript® in one RIP engine as well as TIFF™ and JPEG, so handling mixed workflows with consistent output is easy because print shops can use the same screening and color management across all files. The Harlequin RIP has processed PDF files natively since 1997, including rendering of live PDF transparency since 2002. It accelerates the speed of processing transparent pages significantly.

Harlequin MultiRIP is sold via Global Graphics Software’s OEM and system integrator partners, such as Xitron, ECRM, Presstek, Compose and Rampage.

Editors notes

About Harlequin
The Harlequin RIP was first used in a production system in 1988. It is developed by Global Graphics (NYSE-Euronext: GLOG) is a leading developer of printing and electronic document software and is at the heart of products from customers such HP Indigo, Agfa, Kodak, Xitron and ECRM. Additional information is available at http://www.globalgraphics.com

Global Graphics, Harlequin,  the Harlequin logo, the Harlequin RIP, are trademarks of Global Graphics Software Limited which may be registered in certain jurisdictions.  Global Graphics is a trademark of Global Graphics S.A. which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. PostScript is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated which may be registered in certain jurisdictions. All other brand and product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective owners.

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