Jaws
gDocGlobal Graphics® Software delivers a variety of technology development tools designed to help OEMs integrate the Harlequin® Server RIP into their own applications and solutions. These tools allow OEMs to customize and expand the RIP to create their own unique digital pre-press and production solutions. The development tools are also important enabling technologies for our own development of new products. Not only do we provide our OEMs with a complete set of Harlequin RIP SDKs, we also provide them with products and system building blocks that were developed using those same tools.
Harlequin Plugin Technology
Developer's toolkit for implementing input and output plugins. Each input plugin provides support for a specific hardware channel and protocol through which a job can be delivered to the RIP. Each output plugin allows theRIP to output to one or more types of printer or file type. Input plugins can also be used to add new codecs.
PostScript® Language Extensions
The Harlequin RIP includes a number of extensions to the PostScript language that OEMs can use to alter the processing of individual jobs or to control overall RIP behavior. These include provisions for flexible imposition techniques, special handling of spot color jobs, including defining the spot color values, controlling output queues to allow for prioritizing and collation, and many other actions. Together, these language extensions provide a very flexible and powerful tool set for responding to application-specific problems, for meeting customer-specific requirements and for developing complete sub-systems such as in-RIP OPI and DCS image substitution.
Localization Kit
Harlequin RIP OEMs deliver products around the globe. The Localization Kit allows OEMs to address the needs of users worldwide, regardless of the language that they speak, by providing straightforward mechanisms for translating the Harlequin RIP GUI text, error messages and printed control strips into any language supported by the system's operating system. When the RIP is booted, the user simply selects the language he wants to see and the appropriate translated strings are loaded and used.
Extensive imposition support
The Harlequin RIP includes a variety of technologies to assist with imposition. Global Graphics’ “Simple in-RIP Imposition” provides a complete solution, with user interface, but for more custom requirements two APIs are also included:
HqnImpose
This very rich API enabling pages to be imposed, watermarked and annotated on-the-fly during RIPing. It supports out-of-order page placement for PDF jobs, and will impose pages in order from all supported input file formats, including placing pages from multiple source files.
FlatOut™
FlatOut provides an API (Application Programming Interface) that can be used by an OEM developer to create customized, page-based applications within the Harlequin RIP environment. FlatOut provides the ability to stitch together individual pages (Harlequin RIP PGB files) into larger flats after the pages have been RIPped. Because it requires less memory to RIP individual pages than large, assembled flats, FlatOut can significantly accelerate workflow performance. It also allows individual pages in a flat to be replaced at the last minute, without re-RIPing the entire flat.
Color and calibration
In support of the excellent color quality provided by ColorPro, the in-RIP color management module (CMM) in Harlequin RIPs, Global Graphics also provides a number of additional tools. Accurate and consistent color is achieved without excessive operator time by the use of ICC profiles, combined with regular updates to calibration curves to account for day-to-day variation.
Harlequin SetGold Pro™
SetGold Pro automates the process of establishing the golden state of a color printer, enabling high-quality color control based on a robust implementation that respects grey balance and achieves maximum use of the printer’s gamut without over-inking.
GenLin™
The GenLin utility provides an easy way to use automatic and semi-automatic densitometers and spectrophotometers for calibrating and profiling color output devices. GenLin reads the color measurements directly from the measuring device and makes the data available for use in linearization and color profiles within the Harlequin RIP system.
Push-calibration API
An API is provided to allow utilities built by OEMs and third-parties to install and replace calibration sets in the RIP without manual intervention in the RIP. This allows fully automatic, closed-loop color control.
Managing fonts and configurations
Installing fonts and configuring RIPs are processes that must be done carefully, and that might take considerable time to reproduce. Global Graphics therefore provides tools to assist with the process.
Migrate Utility
The Harlequin Migrate utility is a self-contained, Java-based utility that transfers the majority of settings from an installed Harlequin RIP (version 4.1r4 or above) to a freshly installed Harlequin RIP of a newer version. The Java component provides an easy to use interface that is consistent across all Harlequin RIP platforms. The utility's platform-dependent packaging removes the need for any user knowledge of Java. For UNIX and PC platforms, there is no need to install a separate Java environment, as it is loaded automatically with the utility. On the Mac, all necessary software is supplied and the installation is simple and straightforward.
Configuration backup
The Harlequin RIP provides a tool that allows the complete configuration of a RIP, including all page setups (pro-forma job tickets) to be backed up. The backup can then be used if the RIP must be moved from one machine to another, or if the same configuration must be used on multiple RIP installations.
Font backup
A tool to back-up all installed fonts is included, including PostScript Type 1, OCF, TrueType, OpenType etc for both single- and multi-byte scripts. This can be used when upgrading a RIP, or to set up multiple RIPs with exactly the same font set (users must ensure that they comply with their font licenses; encrypted fonts may require explicit installation to function in RIPs using a different serial number from that on which they were first installed).
Harlequin Display List Technology™ (HDLT™)
HDLT enables OEMs to edit and manipulate objects on the display list, providing a hook for customization between interpretation and rendering. In effect, HDLT allows the OEM to modify an input file, in any Harlequin RIP compatible file format, after it has been interpreted but before it is rendered in the RIP. It even supports the export of the display list through an OEM-defined API, or to a file format for processing outside the Harlequin RIP environment. The HDLT developer's kit includes detailed documentation about the use of HDLT operators, object classes, callback procedures, etc., as well as a set of example HDLT programs in source code.
