Digital Prints

11
Special Printing
Techniques
While the majority of people are content—and adequately challenged—to output a normal
digital print, there are others who want to step outside the box, to go beyond the
basics, and to stretch their abilities. Here are some ideas for doing just that.
RIPs and Special Printing Software
While virtually all digital printers come ready to print with the required software, there
are options that can take you to a different level of printing.
RIPs
Some people swear by RIPs (Raster Image Processor), some swear at them, and the rest
just don’t understand what all the ruckus is about.
Very basically, a RIP is a group of software tools that allow you to have more control over
your printer. In the past, RIPs were primarily associated with CMYK inkjet proofing and
printing for commercial graphics. However, RIP makers have wised up to the booming
interest by photographer-artists in high-quality digital output (primarily inkjet), and there
are now many more RIP options aimed at this growing market. (For monochrome choices,
see “The Secret World of Digital Black and White” below.)
All printer drivers (also known as “raster drivers”), in fact, act as RIPs, converting a file
(“ripping”) for printing. Ripping includes telling the printhead where and how to place
the dots and remapping the RGB colors to CMYK or whichever subtractive colors are
used. RIPs, however, go a few steps further, becoming, in essence, the brain of a digital
printer, taking over that role from the normal printer driver. Here are just a few
advantages of RIPs.