RIPs--Directing the Imagesetter

"Inexorably, craft skills like trapping and imposition are evolving into manufacturing processes. Automating these processes within an increasingly modular RIP architecture yields increased overall productivity," states Bob Trenhamp, president and CEO at PrePRESS Solutions. "By providing a data channel that starts with the content creators and extends into the pressroom, today's RIPs are becoming the glue in the modern prepress workflow. Tomorrow's RIPs promise links all the way from asset management systems to advanced imaging technologies, thanks to a relentless adherence to standards, database integration, remote interfaces and data compression."