PrintPreview UB+

Local and Remote Proofing on Monitor and Printer
PostScript 3 / PDF* Compatible Preview Rendering

HELIOS PrintPreview UB+ enables everyone to create precise proofs without needing to own a final output RIP. It renders accurate color-matched proofs of PostScript and PDF* print jobs which are saved as bitmapped pages in a PDF file. Ideal for pre-flighting, for local and remote proofs throughout the production cycle, and as a final job check prior to printing.

PostScript/PDF RIP allows proofing of composite, host or in-RIP separated print jobs. Previews include a color matched recombined color preview as well as all separation plates. Previews are based on the final output devices’ PPDs and are true representations of the final output in all aspects regarding completeness and accuracy of page elements, correct colors, typography, and font usage. Today's printing features like transparencies, DeviceN, smooth shadings, knockout / overprint, ICC-CRDs, PostScript, TrueType and CID fonts are fully supported.

Color Fidelity can be verified on a monitor, or inkjet bitmap or PostScript color printers. The recombined and ICC color matched proof simulates the final printing color and paper on the monitor or printer.

Full Job Control via printer queue based remote administration automatically opens the PDF preview files in Adobe Reader. The operator can check the jobs on screen or proof printer and release them for production, e.g. with a simple “drag and drop”. Previews can automatically be saved into custom folders to be checked by other users or remote customers.

RIP Tool allows preflighting jobs and generating raw bitmaps of EPSF and PostScript jobs. HELIOS ImageServer option allows conversions to TIFF, PNG, JPEG, JPEG2000, and other formats.

PrintPreview requires HELIOS PCShare or EtherShare, or WebShare to receive print jobs from clients. HELIOS WebShare allows web based proofing. HELIOS PDF HandShake adds PDF support.

Product Highlights

Supports any PostScript Job

It does not matter on what platform and from which application a PostScript/PDF job was created. Standard separated jobs, jobs with any number of spot color plates, composite and in-RIP separation jobs are supported.

Structure of Preview Files

For each PostScript job sent to a HELIOS spool queue with previewing enabled, PrintPreview renders each page and saves the resulting bitmap proof pages into a PDF file.

Separations are combined to provide an ICC color-matched composite proof of each page. The resulting PDF preview file includes a job ticket, and a chapter for each document page, containing the bitmapped separation plates (including spot colors) and the composite page preview.

Accurate Proofs

The preview file provides an accurate representation of the final output in all relevant aspects: completeness of page, correctness of page elements including OPI resolving, proper typography and fonts, color fidelity, and page geometry according to the final RIP’s PPD. The previews allow reliable production checks just before the jobs are issued to the final RIP or press – a must for direct-to-plate/press/paper workflows or short-run digital color printing.

Preview Queue Options

A PrintPreview queue is in essence a virtual printer, which saves a bitmap proof into a PDF file. It utilizes the final printer PPD and ICC profiles to accurately preview the final output.

Available options include:

• PPD specifies PostScript version, fonts, paper size, etc.
  
• In-RIP separation including DeviceN
  
• Inclusion of separation plates
  
• Inclusion of composite color pages (from composite and separated jobs)
  
• Resolution of preview bitmap
  
• Anti-aliasing of preview
  
• On-the-fly ZIP or JPEG compression of output bitmap
  
• ICC profiles for printer and proof
  
• Spot color editor allows specifying composite colors of spot names
  
• Output folder and hold/error queues
  
• Supports overprint and shadings
  
• Correctly renders transparencies and drop shadows
  

Preview's Job Ticket Information

PrintPreview includes text-based job information at the beginning of each preview document. It tells the necessary details about the job, including:

• HELIOS spool queue used
  
• Print client’s name
  
• Date, time, and name of print job
  
• Number of pages in the job
  
• Preview resolution and color space
  
• ICC printer and proof profile settings 
  

Remote Proofing

Web-based color-matched proofing of any job, page, resolution is supported with the HELIOS WebShare option.

Preview files are stored in the queue’s spool directory or in a shared volume. Jobs can be viewed and handled by any client with proper access to these directories using a PDF viewer.

ICC Color Proofing

PrintPreview queues can be set up to simulate the color capabilities of the final device on a monitor or printer. This offers convenient soft-proofing of the whole document with all its colors – be it raster images, vector graphics, text, graphical elements, etc. – on screen as well as easy hard-copy color proofs. Even color proofing on suitable, non-PostScript PC ink-jet printers is an option – achieved by printing the preview’s proper RGB or CMYK bitmap with Adobe Reader.

Preview Handling in HELIOS Admin

For viewing in Adobe Reader, previews can easily be checked within HELIOS Admin and released for final output.

Flexible Licensing Scheme

The PrintPreview license is tied to a specific machine. The total number of licensed HELIOS users per day is permitted to use PrintPreview.

This is how it works: