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Your workflow is the process an image follows from the original file to the printed job. RIP-Queue uses many different ways to reach those results, and although the end result is a printed image, your actual workflow depends on the type of printer, desired output, and the image itself.
The most basic workflow is opening an image and printing. Of course, the actual process is much more intricate and detailed. Before you can print an image, you need to provide specific information to RIP-Queue about how the image should be printed. This information, known as Settings, determines how an image is printed.
Following is a brief description of the basic steps in a simple workflow. Your workflow may or may not include every step, but most workflows will follow a similar path.
 Original Image File:
An original image file is only an image file and has no settings associated with it. Before RIP-Queue can use the file, you must define those settings. Typically, you would use a Quick Set to apply the settings.
In a basic workflow, a applies the job settings, and then you can manually modify them as needed in RIP-Queue or Job Editor. Whenever a job enters RIP-Queue, a Quick Set is applied to the image even if it is only the generic Default Quick Set. Because different types of images need to be processed differently, you can and should create Quick Sets to match your needs.
Images with settings become Jobs:
After the Quick Set is applied, the image becomes a Job. A job is an image that has job settings. When you apply the settings, the image itself is not modified, but the job is. The new job is sent to RIP-Queue where it is ready to be processed.
NOTE: If you need to modify any of the job settings, this is the most efficient time to do it. You can always modify the settings after the image has been processed, but most modifications will require the image to be reprocessed. This wastes time.
Processing Jobs:
The job settings determine how each job is processed. The time it takes to process a job depends on the job settings and the original file. For example, a job with complex settings will take longer than a job with few settings. A larger image will also take longer than a smaller image.
- The method by which jobs are processed is called Ripping. RIP stands for Image Processing or Raster Image Processor. Raster data, a collection of dots that make up an image, is the type of data that is sent to the printer. When a job is processed, the original image data is read and raster data is created.
PostScript Files - PostScript files are different than raster files because they are not created from pixels or dots. Instead, they are a set of instructions that describe how to create raster data. When PostScript files are processed, they are read instructions first. This is called interpreting. After the file is interpreted, RIP-Queue creates the raster data (rendering).
Ready to Print:
Once RIP-Queue process the job, it is ready to print. At this stage in the workflow, you can still modify the job settings, but certain settings require that you reprocess the job.
Printing Jobs:
By default, jobs are printed in the order they are received. Depending on your settings, a job may wait until other jobs are also ready or until you manually start the printing. You can also configure the printer to start printing automatically, when a certain percentage of media is used, or when a time-out value has passed.
Reprinting Jobs:
Once a job is printed, it moves into the Buffered Jobs area. You can reprint jobs in this area at any time, or you can modify the job, reprocess, and print.
Because the processed data has been created for files that were printed, you can reprint without reprocessing. You can even delete the original source image and print a job relying only on the processed data. However, you can only reprocess a job if you still have the original source image.
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Settings, determines how an image is printed.