The ErgoSoft RIP supports the following raster file formats: TIFF, PSD, BMP, PNG, JPEG (or JPG).
The BMP (Bitmap) and the PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format are internally used in the Microsoft Windows operating system to handle graphics. BMP files are typically not compressed resulting in large files; PNG files are compressed so that they are smaller than BMP files. Typically BMP and PNG file use the RGB color model. Since BMP files do not offer embedded profiles, an external input profile must be selected during for color management processing in order to convert the RGB values into CMYK. Without assigning a suitable input profile, colors in the image can not be properly transitioned and will shift drastically when printing on a CMYK device.
The TIFF (Tagged Image File) format is a flexible and adaptable image file format. The ability to store image data in a lossless format makes TIFF files a useful method for archiving images. Unlike the standard JPEG, TIFF files can be edited and resaved without suffering a loss of image quality through compression. TIFF does offer the option to use LZW compression, a lossless data compression technique for reducing file size. TIFF files can be saved in RGB, Lab, or CMYK including additional spot color channels. The TIFF format natively supports embedding of input color profiles, which the ErgoSoft RIP can use automatically if it is set up accordingly. The embedded profile in TIFF files can ensure that the conversion from the original image color space RGB or CMYK to the Lab color space is done correctly (as long as the correct profile is embedded in the image) which helps to ensure the color fidelity of the printout.
The PSD (Photoshop Document) format is a proprietary file format developed by Adobe Systems for representing raster based images in its raster graphics editor Photoshop. Everything that has been said about the TIFF format also applies to the PSD format.
The JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) image file format is a quality-losing format. The JPEG format supports 8-bit per color - red, green, and blue, for a 24-bit total - and thus, produces relatively small file sizes. Fortunately, the compression in most cases does not detract noticeably from the image, but JPEG files do suffer generational degradation when repeatedly edited and saved. The JPEG compression algorithm is also used for compression in other file formats such as TIFF and PDF, but not recommended to be used in digital printing applications because of the loss of data and color information involved. JPEG files can use the RGB or CMYK color model, but are commonly saved in RGB. If the ErgoSoft RIP is set up to use embedded profiles, they are automatically processed for both CMYK and RGB JPEGs.
The ErgoSoft RIP supports the following vector file formats: EPS, PS, PDF, and AI.
Encapsulated PostScript (EPS) is a graphics file format based on the PostScript language. An EPS file may consist of single elements but also contains support for one or more pages. EPS is a common format for Vector Data and is often used to transfer data between programs as it is widely supported.
PostScript (PS) is a page description language that is commonly created by PostScript print drivers such as Adobe Generic PostScript. The dimensions of the PS file are limited to the paper sizes provided by the PostScript print driver, but may contain multiple pages. While generally supported in ErgoSoft RIPs, certain driver specific commands may not be understood. As such it is recommended to configure the PS output driver for highest possible compatibility when outputting PS files for print.
Portable Document Format (PDF) is an open file format that is created and controlled by Adobe Systems. PDF files do not encode information that is specific to the application software, hardware, or operating system used to create or view the document. This feature ensures that a valid PDF will render exactly the same regardless of its origin or destination (with the exception of fonts, if those are not embedded in the PDF file). PDF files are most appropriately used to encode the exact look of a document in a device-independent way. While the PDF format can describe very simple one page documents, it may also be used for many pages, complex documents that use a variety of different fonts, graphics, colors, and images.
Adobe Illustrator Artwork (AI) is a proprietary file format developed by Adobe Systems for representing vector-based drawings in either the EPS or PDF formats. The .ai filename extension is used by Adobe Illustrator. Up to version 8 of Adobe Illustrator, the .ai file format was an EPS like format. The Adobe Illustrator CS versions save the .ai file in a PDF-like format. As long as there are no Illustrator specific commands in the .ai file, it can be processed in the ErgoSoft RIP.
As opposed to raster file formats which can only contain raster data, vector file formats may also contain embedded raster data, which can lead to problems in color management workflows as the two formats have to be handled differently.
Vector formats not only allow for both raster and vector data, but they may also contain different types of elements from different sources that all have their own color properties e.g. Elements created in different color spaces that are brought together into a single document. To deal with such complex files, ErgoSoft RIPs allow to set specific color management parameters for different types of elements. This makes it possible to use one input profile for text, another for raster images and yet another for vector files, ensuring that each element of a file is handled appropriately.
Another possible issue to keep in mind when using files containing both raster and vector data is scaling. While vector data may be scaled indefinitely and will always retain crisp edges and no loss of quality, raster files are saved at a specific resolution and will lose quality if scaled up too much. In order to avoid running into issues with this, it is recommended to ensure that any embedded raster files are saved with a high enough resolution to work in the final output size. In general, a resolution of 300dpi and a lossless compression algorythm such as ZIP work well.