New features and applications unveiled for Harlequin & Jaws RIPs, workflow and Jaws PDF technologies - New Harlequin RIP features, OSX compatibility & world first application - Jaws Embedded RIP in desktop application - Debut of Jaws PDF Courier - Latest version of MaxWorkFlow - Prototype document server Birmingham, April 16, 2002 - Today at IPEX 2002 Global Graphics Software, a leading developer and manufacturer of electronic document management solutions and a division of Global Graphics, announces important developments in its range of RIP, PDF and workflow technologies and shows several new products and applications in association with its strategic partners and OEM customers (Hall 4 stand 729/740). Global Graphics Software develops flexible and open technologies and solutions designed to maximize print and document creation, management, production and cross-media publishing within the high-end prepress sector and the mid-market corporate sector. Its broad range of production technologies are licensed and commercialized by OEMs, system integrators and value added resellers. NEW RIP DEVELOPMENTS & APPLICATIONS The industry-leading Harlequin RIP features a sophisticated and modular system architecture, which provides OEMs with a flexible base upon which to build a wide range of RIP-based products. The Jaws RIP is a compact and highly-efficient kernel interpreter targeted at the middle market including use with wide format and desktop ink-jet printers, color copiers, embedded printer controllers and PDF document creation. New features and applications announced at IPEX include: Harlequin RIP Mac OSX compatibility Global Graphics announces full compatibility with the latest Macintosh OSX operating system. Representing the company’s ongoing commitment to support new technology, the Harlequin RIP keeps pace with new operating systems and platforms to provide OEMs with the latest tools on which to build leading edge production solutions and bring them to market quickly. Both Global Graphics and Apple (4/428) are demonstrating the power and functionality of the Harlequin RIP running on OSX at IPEX. The Harlequin RIP running under Mac OS X offers the same rich set of features that are an industry standard in both high-end print production and the color proofing arena. Among those features is support for a variety of input file formats, screening options that include Harlequin Precision Screening, and the ability to handle a wide range of font types, including CID fonts. Users currently on Mac OS 9 have a smooth upgrade path to the newer operating system. Existing configurations are easily migrated to the Mac OS X RIP version, eliminating the need to manually reproduce page setups after the upgrade. There is also no requirement to exchange the hardware dongles that secure the software, which reduces potential downtime during the transition to Mac OS X. Harlequin ProofReady plugins, which offer superior color control for the Epson and Hewlett-Packard range of inkjet printers, are also available on Mac OS X. Harlequin RIP version 5.5 – latest improvements and color proofing The latest version will be demonstrated featuring an improved in-RIP trapping option, a media saving module to handle automatic scatter-proofing and an InFlight Checker Tool. The production of color-accurate digital proofs from low-cost, wide-format ink-jet printers via the RIP is demonstrated by outputting to an Epson 10,000 wide format printer. This particular functionality is based on the Harlequin Enterprise Edition (EE) RIP and combines an intuitive Java-based GUI with simplified color management capabilities to ensure color accuracy without requiring a high level of user expertise. Agreement results in world-first application A world-first application of the Harlequin RIP is unveiled at IPEX. This OEM product demonstrates the true scalability of the RIP and its unbeatable performance for high-end processing applications. JAWS Embedded RIP makes debut with Destiny Technology Corporation Global Graphics’ will show its new embedded controller software technology which is based on the versatile Jaws RIP PostScript Level 3 and PDF compatible interpreter and offers support for industry standard color management modules/engines. With support for multiple input formats, a compact and efficient software kernel, and sophisticated graphics and color handling routines, Jaws is the ideal software solution for embedded controllers targeted at both monochrome and color peripherals. In addition, Jaws is able to natively interpret and render PDF 1.3 input files, and support most of the PDF 1.4 specification, including transparency, without having to first convert the data to PostScript. Designed to run on a wide range of platforms and operating systems and drive devices ranging from imagesetters and wide format inkjets, to digital copiers and desktop printers. On Global Graphics two OEM partners – Ultimate Technographics and Destiny Technology - are launching new products, which incorporate the JAWS RIP. Destiny Technology Corporation is demonstrating its PowerLeap printer controller running the Jaws Embedded RIP driving a color laser printer on the Global Graphics stand at IPEX. Destiny offers a range of world-class turnkey controller solutions for printers and MFPs, outputting at up to 100 pages per minute (ppm) in mono or 25 ppm in color to its OEM customers who include: Konica, Minolta, Mita, Muratec, Panasonic, Ricoh, Riso, Toshiba-TEC, NEC, and Xerox. Ultimate Technographics Inc previews Full Match, a page-pairing module for its popular Impostrip automated imposition solution for publishers. It also announces XTrap, an easy to use and low-cost OSX/Win XP desktop trapping solution developed for creative professionals and printers using QuarkXpress to trap but who wish to simplify and automate the process. Technology preview: Prototype Document Server In a technology preview, Global Graphics gives an advanced glimpse of how its technology can be integrated into hardware-based print controllers with the display of a prototype document server. The G-Box Document Server is a scaleable server RIP that can drive one or several output devices as standalone units or in clustered configurations. Virtually any type of output device can be used with the G-Box — from office printers to high-speed color copiers and wide-format output devices. During IPEX the G-Box Document Server prototype is demonstrated driving a Xerox DocuColor 12 at its rated output speed for both color and B&W pages. JAWS PDF TECHNOLOGIES Today marks the international debut of Jaws PDF Courier, Global Graphics’ highly configurable tool for customized delivery of print-ready electronic documents launched last month. Please refer to separate press release for full details of this and other news. WORKFLOW TECHNOLOGIES MaxWorkFlow Technologies The latest MaxWorkFlow version 3.6 of this modular visual design workflow tool blends the power of the ultra-fast Harlequin RIP with a number of modules providing intuitive and powerful workflow solutions for a variety of key prepress functions and output management. Key tasks performed include local/remote proofing, high-resolution outputting, EPS and PDF optimization, down sampling, composite proofing, imposition, OPI, and trapping. Version 3.6 features new modules that provide system status reports in real time and can automatically append barcodes to documents, film, or plates to automate the flow of work. Version 3.6 also gives OEMs new tools with which to easily integrate third-party vector software such as preflighting and imposition packages or raster software such as printer drivers, to customize the system to their customers’ unique needs. Global Graphics is well established as an OEM developer. At IPEX more than 20 OEM customers will show products featuring Global Graphics products as an integral component, including pre-press workflows, imagesetters, computer to plate systems, proofers, large format printers, laser printers and digital presses.