Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

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Comments
Formed in 1995 with the purpose of creating a RIP aimed at the large-format market,
AIT’s Shiraz is now used in over 30 countries by more than 5,000 customers. It is based
on the Jaws RIP engine from Global Graphics, and is available online from Macro Enter
Corporation (www.macroenter.com).
Version: Shiraz 6.4 (2008)
OS: Windows 2000, XP, and Vista; Mac OS X 10.4.8 and above; Linux Red Hat or Suse
RAM: 1GB
Supported file formats: PostScript Level 1, 2, and 3, not in Photo edition, PDF, EPS, TIFF, and
JPEG
Price level: Lite $650, Server $850, Server Plus $1,050
Address: Applied Image Technology, 30 Churchill Square, Kings Hill, West Malling, Kent, ME19
4YU, United Kingdom
www.applied-image.com
SoftRIP
The Digital Photographer's Software Guide
Vendor: Wasatch Computer Technology
Purpose: Software RIP with high-definition output using a 16-bit color pipeline
Description
SoftRIP formats image files for both small- and large-format inkjets, and for specialist
applications such as textile printing, labels, sportswear, and contour cutting. It offers
Wasatch’s proprietary Precision Stochastic Screens (PSS) half-toning and 16-bit rendering
for high-definition color quality. The vendor claims that even files that arrive to the
RIP only 8-bits deep also show substantial benefit, being promoted to 16-bits prior to
color management and maintained there for half-toning. PSS works especially well with
dye sublimation and other processes that involve extreme dot gain, helping to eliminate
artifacts such as “stairstepping” (banding) or “rainbowing” (banding in different colors).
Wasatch SoftRIP comes as a full edition for large-format inkjet printers, and in special
editions for small format and desktop printers. The special editions have the same
features as the full version, differing only in the size of printers they support.
The vendor has also brought out a range of “exclusive editions,” each dedicated to a
specific brand of printer: Canon, HP, Epson, Mutoh, and Roland. It you have just one
brand of printer, this is a good option as you get SoftRIP’s premium RIP features at an
entry-level price.