Print Environments in Ergosoft RIPs can be thought of as a package of settings relating to a specific printer / material / ink combination. Print Environments are sometimes referred to and thought of as Printer Drivers, but that is only one of their functions. Besides the basic driver architecture, they also contain several other settings and aspects that make them a very versatile solution for managing different printers and Ink / Media combinations:
The settings for for the printer such as resolution, pass modes, heater settings, etc. Anything that can be set on the printers panel can usually be controlled by the Print Environment, provided the manufacturer allows it.
The port configuration so the RIP can communicate with the printer and send Data.
The Density Linearization and Printer Profile that describe the behavior of the printer with this Ink / Media combination, the most important component for output color management in the Ergosoft RIP.
The Ink Slot assignment for the printer, i.e. which ink sits in which cartridge.
Cost information relevant for cost calculation.
Output altering functions such as mirroring and automatic size correction for flexible materials.
And that’s not even all! In short, Print Environments can be thought of as containers with all the information, settings and data that directly concerns the printer. Where the Print Job is WHAT the Ergosoft RIP sends, the Print Environment is the TO WHO and HOW.
Since Print Environments are not limited, we recommend to create a separate Print Environment for each of your applications or set of parameters that you intend to use. Stick with the automatic naming conventions or choose custom names to easily identify which Print Environment to use to switch between sets of parameters within a second.
The modular nature of Print Environments also makes them highly portable. Want to move installations to a different system but keep your printer relevant settings? Export the Print Environment and you have your printer settings, density, profile, etc. in one neat file. Want to ensure consistent Print behavior across multiple installations running the same printer? Export the Print Environment and share it across installations to easily bring them on the same page.
Add and Manage Print Environments
To manage the different Print Environments the Ergosoft RIP features the Print Environments dialog. The Print Environments dialog is used to create new Print Environments, modify existing ones, Import and Export Print Environments, delete unused ones and download preconfigured Print Environments from Ergosofts FTP server.
The left hand side of the dialog shows all Print Environments currently available in this installation of the Ergosoft RIP. They Print Environments can be displayed either as a simple list, or in a Tree Structure that groups Print Environments for the same printer together. To toggle between the different views, use the Checkbox Tree Structure at the top left of the dialog.
Description
The right-hand field will display the description of the Print Environment as
defined in the General section of the
Print Environments Settings. If no description is defined, the field will be shown empty.
Manage Write Protection
Activate the Manage Write Protection checkbox to lock Print Environments from
being accidentally edited. Once the checkbox is activated, you’ll be able to
place lock icons next to the Print Environments you want to protect by clicking
in the empty area to left of the Print Environment in the list.
A locked Print Environment can still be used and the Print Settings can be opened to look at the settings, but the settings cannot be altered without removing the protection (You’ll notice you can make changes, but not confirm the dialog to save them). Also, locked Print Environments cannot be deleted.
Once you have selected all the Print Environments to protect, deactivate the Manage Write Protection Checkbox. The Print Environments will still be protected, but the locks can’t be removed anymore (Locked Environments are now designated with a special icon).
To remove the protection from a Print Environment, simply enable the Manage Write Protection checkbox again and remove the locks.
Settings
The settings button at the bottom of the dialog will open the Print Environment Settings dialog where you can edit
the parameters of the Print Environment such as printer resolution, etc. For
more information on Print Environment Settings the article in this chapter.
Add...
Lets you add and configure a new Print Environment with the assistance of a
multi step Wizard. Click on Add... to begin the Print Environment setup.
Set a different name for the currently selected Print Environment.
Delete the currently selected Print Environment. Note that this can not be undone.
Import an existing Print Environment (*.PrEnv) file into your installation. Clicking Import opens a file browser that lets you select the Print Environment files from any custom location.
Lets you export the selected Print Environment to a desired location as a *.PrEnv file. Exported profiles contain the settings, density linearization, color profile and named color profile, making them easily portable to other installations or great for backing up your printer calibrations.
Create a duplicate of the currently selected Print Environment including the settings, density linearization, color profile and named color profile.
Accesses the Ergosoft Web Server and lists the available, print ready Print Environments offered by Ergosoft. These Print Environments come preconfigured with Density Linearization and Color Profile made by Ergosoft for a specific resolution and ink/material combination, making sure to match the high standards of the ErgoSoft applications team.
Since the Ergosoft applications team requires hands on access to the respective printer and material combinations, please note that Ergosoft can not provide print ready Print Environments for all Printer / Settings / Ink /Material combination. If your specific printer or material is not listed, then the Ergosoft Applications team probably hasn’t had the chance to create profiles for it at that point.
Print Environment Settings
Besides the basic driver architecture, Print Environments also contain several
other settings and aspects that make them a very versatile solution for
managing different printers and Ink / Media combinations. These settings can be
found in the so called Print Environment Settings and the settings are used
every time something is printed with this Print Environment.
To access the Print Environment settings, select a Print Environment in the Tools > Print Environments... and click the Settings button. Or select one from the Print Environment drop down menu of the JobComposer toolbar, then click on the Print Environment Settings button.
The Print Environment settings are split into different section depending on the application they are about.
General
This section features the Print Environment Name, Description and the suitable
media list. It also displays some technical details about the driver and
licensing the the Print Environment is based on in the bottom section.
Name: The name of the Print Environment. You can set a custom name to identify the Print Environment, or use the Auto button to auto-generate a name and description for the Print Environment using the settings. Note that the name and description don’t auto update when you change settings, so you’ll need to update the description by pressing Auto again.
Description: A text field allowing you to enter a description of the Print Environment and its intended purpose. Can be auto filled with information about the Print Environment using the Auto button.
Media: Lets you define a list of suitable materials for this Print Environment and create new materials. These materials are only relevant to cost calculation and ascosciating them with a Print Environment helps filter out unsuitable materials. Media sizes etc. are not affected by this list. To add a suitable material, select it from the dropdown menu and click the Add Media button.
Print Data Type: The internal type of data that is being sent to the printer. Basically what machine language the data is being sent in.
Create Version: What exact version of the RIP was used to create this Print Environment. Can help with troubleshooting in some cases.
Build Changed: What exact version of the RIP was used the last time changes were made to this Print Environment.
License: Identifies what license item is required to run this Print Environment. This can help in troubleshooting license issues.
BaseDriver: Identifies the driver that this Print Environment is based on.
Quality
This section focuses on Quality settings such as print resolution, dithering
method and output color management in the form of density and printer profile.
Resolution: Set the printing resolution from a list of resolutions supported by this printer. In some Print Environment this may be greyed out, if so check the Device Options tab for the resolution setting as some printers require the resolution to be set differently. Some Print Environments also don’t display the resolution in clear text but instead offer settings such as Quality, Production, Draft, etc. in such cases please consult the printers manual or contact the printer manufacturer to find out what resolution corresponds to what setting.
Dithering Method:
Density Linearization: Sets the density linearization file that should be used for this Print Environment. Usually this will be either the default density (Marked by «Initial Density» in the description) or if you already created a density linearization with this Print Environment selected, it will be embedded automatically. If the selected density shows Embedded, this means that the density is embedded as part of the Print Environment itself and not currently saved as an external file.
External: If you wish to select a different density linearization from an external file, check the External box. This will enable the dropdown menu and allow you to select from the currently available density linearization files for this installation of the Ergosoft RIP (I.e. all Density linearization files located in C:\Users\Public\Documents\EsRip\15\Data\Color\Density).
Delete: Deletes the currently selected Density Linearization file.
Export: Exports the
currently selected Density Linearization as a .pdn file and makes it selectable
in other Print Environments using External.
External: If you wish to select a different printer profile from an external file, check the External box. This will enable the dropdown menu and allow you to select from the currently available printer profiles for this installation of the Ergosoft RIP (I.e. all Printe Profile files located in C:\Users\Public\Documents\EsRip\15\Data\Color\Printer).
Delete: Deletes the currently selected Printer Profile file.
Export: Exports the currently selected Printer Profile as a .icc file and makes it selectable in other Print Environments using External.
Import: Lets you import an ICC profile into the Ergosoft RIP. The imported profile will be stored in C:\Users\Public\Documents\EsRip\15\Data\Color\Printer and instantly become available in the Printer Profile dropdown menu when External is checked.
Apply Total Ink Limit: The Total Ink Limit controls the amount of ink that may be applied to create color mixtures. The default Total Ink Limit is set to 300%, which means that 3 colors (e.g. CMY) may apply 100% ink. A lower limit such as 240% can help with overinking and bleeding in mixed colors as it reduces the maximum ink application allowed for the combined channels. Using the CMY example, 240% would allow an even spread of 80% for each channel, or more individual distributions such as 50% C, 100% M, 90% Y. The distributions and ink mixtures themselves are still controlled by the Printer Profile and color management, but the Total Ink Ink Limit gives us a powerful tool to influence these mixtures even after the profile has been created.
Note that the Total Ink Lmit does not affect single color channels, as values should always be way over 100%. Generally values below 230% are not recommended and should be used with care as they drastically reduce the color gamut.
For more information on how to determine the correct Total Ink Limit, see the chapter Ink Limit Chart in Output Calibration.
Controls the port that is used to communicate with the printer, PrintQueue behavior, Spool folders for temporary data and Printer Pools.
Printer connections in Ergosoft RIPs use two different components: The port itself that is used to communicate with the printer (E.g. USB, TCP/IP, Firewire, etc. this determines where the data is sent to be printed). The PrintQueue is a sort of waiting Queue where jobs are stored before they are sent to the printer. The PrintQueue is a powerful tool that allows you to manage Jobs waiting for production, reprint old Jobs, survey workload on a machine, and so on.
Both the Port and the PrintQueue work in tandem to combine functionality and utility for the user. While older Ergosoft RIP versions allowed printing «directly» without using a PrintQueue, in Ergosoft RIP every machine connection in the Ergosoft RIP requires a PrintQueue or CutQueue to connect to the machine (With the exception of some specific cut devices).
To define a Print Port and PrintQueue to connect to the printer, click the + Icon to the right of the Printer dropdown. This will bring up the Printer Port configuration window.
Either select an existing Port from the dropdown menu or click Add Port to configure a new one. Remove Port will delete the Port currently selected in the dropdown menu.
Add Port will display a list of suitable Ports for this printer. Select the appropriate port type, and configure it according to your setup.
Status Monitor: An optional utility tool that communicates with the printer and displays information such as cartridge fill state, media width etc. The status monitor is manufacturer specific, so select the appropriate printer manufacturer for your printer.
Folder for Spool Files: Designates a folder where to store spool files (temporary files created during Job processing). By default these will be stored in the ErgoSoft RIPs user data folder. You may of course choose a custom location, but make sure that there is sufficient space available on that drive as spool files can several GB in size. Also make sure that communication with the spool file location is fast. Using network drives for spool folders is not recommended.
Cost Factor: Lets you set an hourly cost factor for running this printer. This cost factor will be used for Cost calculation for this Print Environment. The value can later be changed in the Cost Factor tab of the Print Environment settings. The cost unit can be changed in Tools > Options > User Interface Preferences.
Once you are satisfied, confirm the dialog with Ok. You will then be asked to set a name for your new PrintQueue. Enter a descriptive name to identify your PrintQueue and confirm again.
You’ll notice that your PrintQueue is now selected and the dialog displays the details of the PrintQueue you just set up. You edit your PrintQueue and Port settings at any time using the button next to the dropdown.
Below the PrintQueue parameters, you’ll also find two useful settings for your PrintQueue:
Start PrintQueue
Controls in what state the PrintQueue starts when it is launched. These different settings can be useful for different cases and applications.
Offline: The PrintQueue starts in Offline mode and does not communicate with the Printer until it is set to Online mode. Jobs sent to print will be rastered and added to the waiting queue but not sent to the printer until the PrintQueue status is changed to Online by the user.
Online: The PrintQueue starts in Online mode and immediately establishes communication with the Printer. Jobs sent to print are rastered and immediately sent out from the PrintQueue to the Printer until the PrintQueue is closed or set to Offline mode.
Manual Start: The PrintQueue establishes connection to the Printer, but does not automatically send out Jobs. Jobs sent to print are rastered and placed in the waiting queue. From there every Job must be launched individually using the start button in the PrintQueue window to begin sending it to the actual printer.
Start Printing after having ripped: Controls when printing of a Job actually starts.Using a setting of e.g. 100MB will postpone printing until the RIP-Server has processed 100MB of raster data. So the start of the printing process is held until the specified amount of data is ready. This can be useful to avoid head pausing during printing by ensuring that enough data is ready to be sent out in a continuous stream. Depending on processing speed of the system, data size and data complexity, higher values may be necessary here up until the All Data setting which will raster the entire file first before sending the rastered data to the printer.
Printer Pools are a powerful tool to automatically distribute print Job across multiple print devices of the same type. For example, imagine you have several of the same printers. You can then configure a Printer Pool and assign these printers to it. Now whenever you send a Job to that Printer Pool, the RIP will automatically check which printers are currently idle and send the Job to that one, ensuring that your printers are being used optimally with minimal downtime and minimal operator interaction.
To configure a Printer Pool, select Printer Pool from from the options above the drop down menu and then click the green + button to add a new Printer Pool. In the Printer Pool Members segment, use the dropdown menu to select from your existing PrintQueues and click Add to assign the PrintQueue to your Printer Pool. You’ll notice that the PrintQueue now appears in the list at the top. Repeat for all the printers that are supposed to share the same pool.
Next, set up a Spool Folder for your Printer Pool in the Folder for Spool Files section by clicking the Browse button and selecting a folder from there. This Spool folder is specific to the Printer Pool and separate from the spool folders already set up for your individual PrintQueues. Make sure to select a path that is stable and has enough free space available to store the temporary files.
Finally you may enter a description for your printer pool to easily identify it later, such as the involved printers for example.
When you are satisfied with the settings, confirm with Ok and enter a name for your Printer Pool when the prompt appears to complete the setup.
Contains special settings specific to the Print Environment. These parameters are always applied when using this Print Environment.
Mirror
Mirrors images in the Job or the full Job horizontally. Note that this does not
create image copies, but instead flips the image itself.
Image by Image: Applies the mirroring to each image individually. The images placement within the job is not affected.
Job Optimized: Mirrors the entire Job width, also affecting the order of the images (First image left will end up on the right, etc.). But will remove empty space on either side of the images to save material.
Job in Full width: Mirrors the entire Job width, also affecting the order of the images (First image left will end up on the right, etc.). Empty space on either side of the images is preserved and mirrored along with the rest of the job (E.g. empty space on the right side of the job will end up on the left).
Size Changes caused by additional processing
Some processes applied to a material such as steaming will cause size changes
in the material, distorting printouts. This feature allows to compensate for
such size changes by altering the image size beforehand so it comes out in the
correct dimensions/aspect ratio after processing. So e.g. if your treatment
shrinks the printout by 10%, this feature allows you to automatically scale the
printout up by 10% so your product output is correct after treatment.
Horizontal / Vertical: Sets a correction factor in % for horizontal and vertical size changes. Note that the entered value should reflect what the treated dimensions are. So if your product shrinks by 10% horizontally, enter 90% in Horizontal. To determine the correct setting, you may also use the Calculator using the button. Simply enter the intended output size and the actual measured output size to get the correct percentage value for your size correction.
Named Colors Profile
Sets a named color profile for automatic named color (Spot Color replacement)
replacement. By default this will be set to none. Defining a Named Color
Profile will automatically embed it into the currently active Print
Environment.
External: If you wish to select a different Named Color profile from an external file, check the External box. This will enable the dropdown menu and allow you to select from the currently available Named Color profiles for this installation of the Ergosoft RIP (I.e. all Named Color Profile files located in C:\Users\Public\Documents\EsRip\15\Data\Color\NamedColors).
Delete: Deletes the currently selected Named Color Profile file.
Export: Exports the currently selected Named Color Profile as a .icc file and makes it selectable in other Print Environments using External.
Import: Lets you import a Named Color Profile into the Ergosoft RIP. The imported profile will be stored in C:\Users\Public\Documents\EsRip\15\Data\Color\NamedColors and instantly become available in the Printer Profile dropdown menu when External is checked.
For more information on Named Colors Profiles and Named Color Replacement, please see Named Colors in Color Replacement.
This is a legacy function and has been replaced by Simulate Target Printer in image Properties & Actions. It is generally recommended to use the new function, as this one will not be developed further.
Simulate Target Printer sets a color profile to be simulated by this Print Environment for proofing or to ensure similar behavior between different printers. By setting a simulation profile, the Print Environment will attempt to mimic the color gamut of the simulation profile and it’s color behavior using the current Print Environment.This is achieved by first converting a printed image to the LAB color space using the input color management settings for the respective filetype. Then, the LAB colors are transitioned into the color space of the profile that is set in Simulate Target Printer. From there the color values are again transitioned into the printers actual color space (i.e. the Print Profile of this Print Environment) to match the Simulated Printers colors as closely as possible.
To use Simulate Target Printer, an accurate
Density Linearization and Color Profile need to be set in Print
Settings/Quality, as a description of the actual printers behavior is needed to
accurately simulate a different printers behavior on it.
Also make sure that the Input Color Management settings in either
Tools/Application Defaults or Image Properties & Actions match the ones
used for printing on the original system that is being simulated. Different
input color management settings can have very noticeable effects on the color
conversion and may falsify the output results.
Ideally, the current Print Environment should have a larger gamut than the one that should be simulated, otherwise many colors may not be correctly simulated since they are out of the actual gamut of the physical printer.
To use a profile for simulation, make sure it is exported as an individual file in Print Settings/Quality by clicking the Export button for the Printer Profile. This will save the profile as an individual icc file and make it available in the Simulation Profile dropdown menu.
Select the ICC profile that should be simulated from the dropdown menu or import it using the Import button if it not yet available in the dropdown.
Set a intended rendering intent for the simulation to determine how out of gamut colors should be treated during the simulation (See Color Management/Rendering Intents for more information on Rendering Intents and their behavior)
Apply your settings by confirming with Ok. The Printer Simulation is automatically applied to every printout that uses this Print Environment.
Printing Ink Assignment
Assigns the different ink colors to the respective slots on the printer to let
the RIP know which Ink is where. The Ergosoft RIP comes preconfigured with the
most common Ink Assignment order for each model, but all Ergosoft RIP Print
Environmnents allow for custom Ink Assignments to give users more freedom in
customizing their processes and workflows.
To change the color for a slot, click the dropdown menu and select the correct color for the slot. The most common colors are already defined with by name (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Blue/Violet, Red/Orange, etc.). If the color you want is not present by name, there are several custom types of colors that you can assign depending on the intended use of the color/ink. Note that some types of colors have additional settings and features available that can be accessed through the Settings button that appears next to the respective ink slot when the color type is selected.
Cyan, Magenta, Yellow Black, Red/Orange, Blue/Violet: The most common profile channels are predefined as with their names in the RIP for easier understanding. Internally these are simply treated as Profile Channels 1-7. Note that Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black are required in every ink setup unless the Ink Assignment is set to Monochrome.
Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Light Yellow, Light Black 1-5: Light colors for the most common profile channels. Light colors are automatically used together with their corresponding main color to enhance gradients and the gamut of the color. They do not appear as individual colors in the density linearization as they are always printed together with the respective main color.
Profile
Channel 8-12: Defines a channel containing a
profile color. This color will be treated as a regular color channel and
included in the density linearization and profile. It will be automatically
used in printouts according to its spectral value determined during profiling,
but keep in mind that it will not be used if no color profile is present, as
the RIP has no way to determine what color it is and where it should be used.
Profile channels can also be used if e.g. your ink set up includes both Blue
and Violet, in such cases you may assign one slot to Blue/Violet and the other
to Profile Channel 8. Both settings will behave exactly the same.
Spot Color 1-6: Defines a channel as a spot color. Spot Color channels can be adressed either by specifying the Spot Color name in the channel settings, or by using the channel in Named Color Replacement. For more information on Spot Color printing, see the corresponding article.
Spot Color White 1-4: Defines a channel as white color. White color channels can be adressed either by specifying the Spot Color name in the channel settings, by using the automatic white generation in the channel settings, or by using the channel in Named Color Replacement. For applications where print order is relevant, this can usually be found in the Device Option of the Print Environment if the printer supports it. For more information on White color printing, see the corresponding article.
Midlayer: Defines a channel as a Midlayer ink. Midlayer color channels can be adressed either by specifying the Spot Color name in the channel settings, by using the automatic channel generation in the channel settings, or by using the channel in Named Color Replacement. For applications where print order is relevant, this can usually be found in the Device Option of the Print Environment if the printer supports it. For more information on Midlayer color printing, see the article on printing White, as the processes are the same.
Primer 1-2: Defines a channel as a Primer ink. Primer color channels can be adressed either by specifying the Spot Color name in the channel settings, by using the automatic channel generation in the channel settings, or by using the channel in Named Color Replacement. For applications where print order is relevant, this can usually be found in the Device Option of the Print Environment if the printer supports it. For more information on Primer color printing, see the article on printing White, as the processes are the same.
Finish/Varnish 1-4: Defines a channel as a Finish or Varnish ink. Finish/Varnish color channels can be adressed either by specifying the Spot Color name in the channel settings, by using the automatic channel generation in the channel settings, or by using the channel in Named Color Replacement. For applications where print order is relevant, this can usually be found in the Device Option of the Print Environment if the printer supports it. For more information on Finish/Varnish color printing, see the article on printing White, as the processes are the same.
Light Spot Color 1-6: Defines a channel as a Light Spot Color. The assignment should correspond to an already assigned Spot color in the printing ink assignment, e.g. Light Spot Color 1 will automatically be used together with Spot Color 1 to enhance its gradients and gamuts as the ErgoSoft RIP assumes that they are shades of the same color.
Light Profile Channel 8-12: Defines a channel as a Light Profile Color. The assignment should correspond to an already assigned Proifle color in the printing ink assignment, e.g. Light Profile Channel 8 will automatically be used together with Profile Channel 8 to enhance its gradients and gamuts as the ErgoSoft RIP assumes that they are shades of the same color.
Determining the correct Slot Order
It’s important to note that the order of inks in the Printing Ink Assignment
does not necessarily have to be the exact same as the left to right order of
the printer itself. The Printing Ink Assignment always uses the internal slot
assignment of the printer which might not be the same as the order of
cartridges visible from the outside.
To determine the correct Ink Assignment order, it is recommended to print the Ink Assignment Chart from Tools > Linearization & Profile Tools > Print Ink Assignment. This chart will print color samples in the available dot sizes from each channel in the internal slot order. Looking at the printed chart, you can then simply assign the colors in the order they appear in on the chart. So if the leftmost color is cyan, assign your first slot to Cyan, if the second color from the left is Magenta, assign the second slot to Magenta, and so on.
Enables assigning the same color to multiple Ink slots, e.g. if you are using two slots of Cyan or white to enhance density of the color. There are two modes available to control how the duplicate channels will be used:
As Layers: The two color channels are applied separate, one after the other, as layers.If multiple Dot sizes are available for this printer, the dropdown lets you select which dotsizes should be used (All, Medium and Large, Only Large).
Distributed: The two color channels are applied at the same time, dots evenly distributed among them.
Toggles between the regular color model and Monochrome. Monochrome lets you assign inks without requiring the main CMYK colors to be assigned, making monochrome color setups possible.
Configures control stripes that are printed vertically alongside every printjob. They can serve as a visual control for the individual color channels, letting you easily detect color inconsistencies or as a way to ensure all color slots are in use to avoid printhead clogging.
Check to enable production stripes. Prints continuous stripes along the side of the material to ensure the specified printheads are in use and don’t clog up.
Sides: Set which side the stripe should be printed on.
Width: Set the width of an individual stripe.
Horiz Distance: Set the horizontal distance between the stripe and the actual printed image.
Strips Count: Sets the number of stripes to be printed. This is limited by the number of ink slots in the print Environment. Assigning a number of stripes will always print the different ink channels, e.g. setting 4 will print slots 1-4 of your ink assignment.
Coverage: Sets the density of the production stripes.
Check to enable production stripes. Prints colored boxes along the side of the material as a visual check to ensure color consistency during long printjobs.
Sides: Set which side the stripe should be printed on.
Width/Height: Set the width and height of an individual color box.
Horiz Distance/Vert. Distance: Set the horizontal distance between the boxes and the actual printed image and the vertical distance in between individual boxes.
Shades Count: Sets the number of color shades to be printed.
Mode: Different types of printing Visual Control Strips.
Automatically calculates how much of the printing width is taken up by the currently configured Strips.
Sets Media Size for this Print Environment. The Media Size of the Print Environment determines the width of the Job Area and how much space you have available to place images in the Job. The Media Size set in the Print Environment should usually correspond with the media size that is loaded in the printer. It is not recommended to set a Media Size that is larger than the material currently loaded in the printer, as that could have unforseen effects and might even damage your printer.
Available Media Size formats are limited to the maximum printing width of the printer. Media Sizes that exceed the printers maximum size are automatically filtered out and not displayed.
Also keep in mind that when contour cut is active, the maximum printing width is automatically limited to the width of the cutter to ensure that the printed image will fit into the cutting device. Turning off contour cut will return the maximum printing width the printers width.
Note that there is a second setting for Media Size in Tools/Application Defaults. However if active, the setting in the Print Environment will always take priority. To use the setting in Tools/Application Defaults, uncheck Use as default for this Print Environment at the top of the dialog.
You can select the appropriate media size from the dropdown menu at the top. Either select from a range of predefined media sizes. Selecting Maximum will automatically use the largest possible size for this printer, while selecting a smaller size will restrict the material to that size. Or set up your own custom size by using the buttons on the right side of the dropdown. Custom media sizes can also be edited at any time, but may not exceed the maximum printing width of the printer.
Width/Height: Displays the width and height of the currently selected Media Size.
Rotated: Switches the width and height of the material, indicating that the
material has been rotated. Only Available for Sheet Materials.
Save Paper: Only Available for Sheet Materials.
Get
Media Size from Printer: Attempts to contact the
printer in order to retrieve the media size. If successful, it will
automatically select the closest media size setting in the RIP (Note that it
will not create an exact match media size).
This feature is only available if a
Status Monitor is configured in the PrintQueue and connection is established.
If the button is grey, make sure you have configured a status monitor in Output
Device, that your PrintQueue is running and set to online, and that the printer
is on. Some printers may also not
support this feature.
Show Media Sizes: Filters media sizes in the dropdown menu. Currently Appropriate only displays media sizes equal or smaller to the printers maximum width. Roll Media Only will only display Roll media. Sheet Media Only will only show Sheet materials.
Export/Import: Export the currently selected media size to an .msz file or import a media size in .msz format.
Left/Right/Top/Bottom: Sets a media margin on the respective side, these margins are applied from the materials edge inwards. Some printers might have minimum margins that can not be removed. In such cases the fields will display preset margins and it will not be possible to set the margins to 0.
Minimum: Sets the margins to the minimum possible for this printer. In most cases this will be 0, but some printers might have minimum margins that can not be removed.
Borderless: Activates Borderless mode for printers that support the feature.
After confirming Media Size changes, the RIP will ask to adjust the current Job to the new media dimensions. Confirm to adjust media size and rearrange images accordingly, deny to keep the current Job dimensions.
Sets cost factors for use in cost calculation. You can enter costs for Inks that are used to calculate ink caused by counting printed dots and applying the ink costs to it. Printer Costs applies a cost per m2 printed to account for the costs of running the printer itself. Note that printing material costs are defined in the general tab of the Print Environment Settings.
For more information on Cost Calculation and how it works, please see Cost Calculation.
Define different Ink types and set cost factors either overall or individually by color. The ErgoSoft RIP will then use the number of printed dots from the rastering process to calculate the ink costs of printed Jobs.
If you already have Ink types set up, simply select one from the drop down menu. To set up a new Ink type, click the + button on the right side of the drop down menu. This will open the Ink type dialog.
Here you can define a cost per unit for the ink (e.g. Euro per ml), either for all inks overall, or for each ink individually (e.g. if you know your Cyan is more expensive than your Magenta). Use the dropdown menu that initially shows «All Inks» to select individual inks to adjust. By default the dropdown will only show colors that are in the current Printing Ink Assignment of this Print Environment. Check Show all Inks to display all colors instead.
You may also enter a description of the ink into the respective field to more easly identify the type of ink later on.
Once you are done, confirm with Ok and enter a name for your new ink type and make sure it is selected from the dropdown menu in Cost Factors.
Sets an additional flat cost for running the printer per m2 printed. To use the printer cost, check the box Use Printer Cost calculation based on m2.
Enter the cost per m2 you want to use in the respective field.
You can change the units of measure for currency and and volume in Tools > Application Defaults > User Interface Preferences by changing Currency and Unit of Measure
Deals with printer panel specific settings such as passes, uni-bidirectional printing, dot sizes, paper feed, heater settings, etc. Available Device Options are different from printer to printer depending on what features the printer supports and if they can be overridden remotely.
Since these features are printer specific, the amount of control the ErgoSoft RIP has over the individual settings is determined by the printer and its firmware. As such we cannot document every possible feature that might be available in device options. For details on the different features and settings available for your printer, please see the printers manual or contact the manufacturer. ErgoSoft RIP will use the official designations from the manufacturers documentation whereever possible.
In order to send data to a Printer, the RIP has to know where to send the data to and where to save the data in the meantime. The ErgoSoft RIP PrintQueue combines the port settings for the printer, the spool settings for temporary data and waiting queue for printjobs into one entity so you can configure and monitor everything together.
When adding a new Print Environment through the Print Environment Manager, the ErgoSoft RIP will automatically launch a Wizard application to guide you through the setup process. This process will help you set up a new Print Environment and PrintQueue or a create a new Print Environment using an existing PrintQueue.
To start the Wizard, open the Print Environment Manager and click the Add.. button.
In the first window, choose if you want to create a new Port and PrintQueue with your new Print Environment or if you would like to use an existing Port and PrintQueue.
Add Queue
Select this if you have not yet set up a Port and PrintQueue for this printer, or if you would like to use a separate, distince Print Queue for the Print Environment you are creating.
Click on Add Queue and click Next to continue.
The next window lets you select the base driver for your Print Environment. You can also think of this as choosing your printer model. Navigate through the list and select the driver that matches your printer model and color setup. Note that this list will only display the printer models that are currently featured in your ErgoSoft RIP license. If you feel a driver is missing, please get in touch with your ErgoSoft RIP vendor.
When you have selected your model, click Next to continue.
This window configures the printer port. Either select an existing Port from the dropdown menu or click Add Port to configure a new one. Remove Port will delete the Port currently selected in the dropdown menu.
Add Port will display a list of suitable Ports for this printer. Select the appropriate port type, and configure it according to your setup.
Status Monitor: An optional utility tool that communicates with the printer and displays information such as cartridge fill state, media width etc. The status monitor is manufacturer specific, so select the appropriate printer manufacturer for your printer.
Folder for Spool Files: Designates a folder where to store spool files (temporary files created during Job processing). By default these will be stored in the ErgoSoft RIPs user data folder. You may of course choose a custom location, but make sure that there is sufficient space available on that drive as spool files can several GB in size. Also make sure that communication with the spool file location is fast. Using network drives for spool folders is not recommended.
Cost Factor: Lets you set an hourly cost factor for running this printer. This cost factor will be used for Cost calculation for this Print Environment. The value can later be changed in the Costing tab of the Print Environment settings. The cost unit can be changed in Tools > Options > User Interface Preferences.
Finally, set a name for your Print Environment and PrintQueue. You may also enter a description for your PrintQueue to more easily identify it later.
Once you are satisfied, confirm the dialog with Finish. Continue from Finishing the configuration.
Select this if you have previously set up a Port and PrintQueue for this printer, for example if you are creating a new Print Environment for a different material on an existing printer. Note that with this option, you will only be able to select from bas Print Environments that are compatible with printers you already have PrintQueues for.
Click on Add Queue and click Next to continue.
The Select Queue window lets you select which PrintQueue you want to use for your new Print Environment. Select one of the Queues from the dropdown menu and verify if the description and port match the PrintQueue you are looking for.
When you are satisfied, click Next to continue.
The next window lets you select the base driver for your Print Environment. You can also think of this as choosing your printer model. Navigate through the list and select the driver that matches your printer model and color setup. Note that this list will only display the printer models that are currently featured in your ErgoSoft RIP license and that are compatible with the PrintQueue you selected. If you feel a driver is missing, please check if you selected the correct PrintQueue and get in touch with your ErgoSoft RIP vendor.
When you are satisfied, click Next to continue.
Finally, set a name for your Print Environment and PrintQueue.
Once you are satisfied, confirm the dialog with Finish.
Finishing the configuration
From there, the RIP will automatically bring up your Print Environment
Settings, allowing you to configure the print parameters for your new Print
Environment. If you wish to just print with default settings at this stage or
configure the settings at a later time, you can just confirm with Ok.
For more information on the Print Environment settings, see the Print Environment Settings article in this chapter.
To configure a PrintQueue without creating a new Print Environment, open the PrintQueue setup through the button in the Toolbar or Tools > PrintQueues > Setup.
From there, you can either start an existing PrintQueue by selecting it from the dropdown menu at the top and clicking Start Client, or you can set up a new one by clicking the Add button.
After pressing Add, you will first be prompted to select the printer model you intend to use. Select the appropriate printer and model from the list, and confirm with Ok.
The next window lets you select the base driver for your Print Environment. You can also think of this as choosing your printer model. Navigate through the list and select the driver that matches your printer model and color setup. Note that this list will only display the printer models that are currently featured in your ErgoSoft RIP license. If you feel a driver is missing, please get in touch with your ErgoSoft RIP vendor.
When you have selected your model, click Ok to continue.
This window configures the printer port. Either select an existing Port from the dropdown menu or click Add Port to configure a new one. Remove Port will delete the Port currently selected in the dropdown menu.
Add Port will display a list of suitable Ports for this printer. Select the appropriate port type, and configure it according to your setup.
Status Monitor: An optional utility tool that communicates with the printer and displays information such as cartridge fill state, media width etc. The status monitor is manufacturer specific, so select the appropriate printer manufacturer for your printer.
Folder for Spool Files: Designates a folder where to store spool files (temporary files created during Job processing). By default these will be stored in the ErgoSoft RIPs user data folder. You may of course choose a custom location, but make sure that there is sufficient space available on that drive as spool files can several GB in size. Also make sure that communication with the spool file location is fast. Using network drives for spool folders is not recommended.
Cost Factor: Lets you set an hourly cost factor for running this printer. This cost factor will be used for Cost calculation for this Print Environment. The value can later be changed in the Costing tab of the Print Environment settings. The cost unit can be changed in Tools > Options > User Interface Preferences.
Finally, set a name for your Print Environment and PrintQueue. You may also enter a description for your PrintQueue to more easily identify it later.
Once you are satisfied, confirm the dialog with Ok. Set a name for your PrintQueue when prompted and confirm.
This will take you back to the PrintQueue setup window. From here you can selected the Queue you just set up and start it using Start Client.
Note that at this stage, your PrintQueue is set up, but not assosciated with any Print Environments yet. So while it can be started, no Jobs will be sent to it. To assosciate the PrintQueue with a Print Environment, open the Print Environment settings for the Environment and go to Output Device.
Select your new PrintQueue from the
dropdown menu and confirm with ok. From now on, all Jobs printed with this
Print Environment will be sent to the new PrintQueue we just defined.
PrintQueues can also be individually added to existing Print Environments, e.g. when the port to adress the printer changes.
To add a new PrintQueue to an existing Print Environment, open the Print Environment Settings and go to Output Device.
With Printer selected, click the Add button to configure a new PrintQueue and Port. By default the RIP will copy the settings of the currently selected PrintQueue and fill them out, but you can of course adapt any settings as you wish.
Port: To configure the port, click Add Port..., then select the appropriate port type from the menu (e.g. TCP/IP. Configure the port as you normally would, usually most settings can be left at their default value as they work for a majority of systems. Once you’ve made your settings, confirm and make sure your new Port is selected.
Folder for Spool Files: Designates a folder where to store spool files (temporary files created during Job processing). By default these will be stored in the ErgoSoft RIPs user data folder. You may of course choose a custom location, but make sure that there is sufficient space available on that drive as spool files can several GB in size. Also make sure that communication with the spool file location is fast. Using network drives for spool folders is not recommended.
Status Monitor: An optional utility tool that communicates with the printer and displays information such as cartridge fill state, media width etc. The status monitor is manufacturer specific, so select the appropriate printer manufacturer for your printer.
Description: Lets you enter a description for the PrintQueue to more easily identify it later.
Cost Factor: Lets you set an hourly cost factor for running this printer. This cost factor will be used for Cost calculation for this Print Environment. The value can later be changed in the Costing tab of the Print Environment settings. The cost unit can be changed in Tools > Options > User Interface Preferences.
Once you are satisfied, confirm the dialog with Ok. A prompt will appear asking you to set a name for your new PrintQueue. This will be used to designate and identify the PrintQueue troughout the RIP. Confirm with Ok again to finish the configuration. Your new PrintQueue will then automatically be selected in the Print Environmen