PDF Print Engine

[Falstaff]

Does Rampage use the Adobe PDF Print Engine?

I didn't find Rampage on the Adobe site as a partner. What RIP is Rampage based on?

[MacTwidget]

Rampage has implemented the APPE (Adobe PDF Print Engine) into it's RIPs. It also still has the capability for PS Level 3.
Rampage RIPs are not based upon any other RIP technology, they are their own entity.
I've been using Rampage for over 5 years now and just recently started moving over to the PDF workflow....it is freakin' awesome.

[Falstaff]

Thanks for the quick response.

I have been assigned the task of reviewing the current workflow.
Rampage 10.6 - ROOM, EPS/PDF, & OPI.

We have been requesting PDF v1.3 or original docs to EPS w/OPI.

PDF 1.4 has not been officially adopted but clients are using it. They are also using High Quality Print & Press Quality but the Output tab with the Color settings are giving me headaches.

What have you settled on?

[WharfRat]

I was under the impression
Rampage wrote it's own PDF engine
and did not incorporate the Adobe PDF engine ...
and thusly was still designed with "workarounds".

I would like to hear about this.
I was a Rampager for 8 years before I went with
a full Heidelberg workflow.
I won't get into how solid that is, now.

MSD

[Marktonk]

I was curious and went to the Rampage website. They do have a trapping module that traps transparency but nowhere could I find that they use APPE. I would suggest you call Rampage and ask if they do use Adobe PDF Print Engine....I am under the impression they do not, if they did, wouldn't they publicize it?


Regards,

Mark

[johnny_jay]

We have just converted from Rampage to Prinergy and always had trouble with trap with Rampage. I am pretty sure that WharfRat is correct and Rampage wrote their own code. I think I may have read something to that extent on the "dark forum".

[Stiv]

Have similar Rampage workflow. Not sure about the APPE RIP.

We are not using the PDF Trap Engine, yet.

[almaink]

From what little info I could get out of the tech guys and RAMpage the RAMpage PDF trap engine is based on the Adobe Trap engine. I do know a special version of Acrobat is installed on the rip end for PDF usage. I've been using the PDF trap engine exclusively now for over a year and love it.

[pmhapp]

When I was evaluating workflows a couple of years ago, Rampage had a ROOM workflow, and a PDF workflow.  The PDF workflow was NOT APPE.  But, they did better processing Transparency then Adobe, at that time.  I doubt that they've instituted APPE in the last couple of years, but it's possible.  I would do what MarkTonk suggests and call them... and you can find out exactly why they are known for their great support.

[macphenom]

Rampages core Rip is made by Harlequin. We are on the latest version and I can't say anything but good things about the product. No trapping issues, fast on the new boxes. All around the best workflow I have used in my 30 years in the biz. I have used in order. Screen, Crossfield, Scitex, Contex, Scitex again, Barco, Rampage for the last 10 years.
The only way I would give it up is if they pry it from my cold dead hands.

[Stiv]

I'm going to Jack this thread into a new direction.  :tongue:

I am still trying to persuade the powers that be to go to v11. I have run into a situation and I need to know how others are set up.

Specifically processing RGB images through the PDF Trap Engine. We have our own RGB-CMYK conversion set up in the RGB conversion LUT of the single page RIP for our current .nPDF workflow.

The PDF Trap Engine single page RIP does not offer a conversion choice. The default RGB-CMYK conversion is unacceptable. I cannot set it up to abort on RGB either. I must be able to RIP RGB and convert to CMYK.

How is your PDF Trap Engine Single Page RIP set up to convert RGB to CMYK? What am I missing?

[mattbeals]

If I recall correctly RAMPage is using Callas pdfToolbox Server to handle the preflight and the color conversions.

[almaink]

I think the majority of people convert the PDF to process before the rip stage I know I do. If it's color critical I use Photoshop if it's crapola I export and let Indy do the conversion. Only thing U gotta watch out for is RGB Blacks, they can be a pain if you don't convert to grayscale.

[Stiv]

I figured as much. That kind of defines the PDF export settings to use also.

PDF X-4 does not convert, Press Quality is v1.4 but uses whatever ICC is in the Convert to Destination.

I need to determine which ICC to have clients use when submitting PDFs, and how to make sure that they actually use it.

Hmmm, more questions. (sound of gears running in head)

[mattbeals]

Callas pdfToolbox makes those RGB gray/black vector object problems go away. It also does it if for RGB gray images. And best of all, pdfToolbox is built into RAMPage v11.