Firms that use its core software in their RIPs, which include Agfa, EFI, Esko, Fuji, Heidelberg, HP, Kodak Screen and Xerox were expected to reveal their plans to incorporate the technology in their workflows during Ipex.

"This is the first big revision since PostScript Level 3, well really PostScript Level 2, as the change to PostScript Level 3 wasn't that great," said Adobe senior product manager Mathias Siegel.

This new core RIP (raster image processor) is designed to bridge what Adobe calls the creativity chasm the gap between what can be achieved with the latest design packages and what can be reproduced in print.

"In the past five years desktop applications' capabilities such as transparency have outstripped print production capabilities," said Adobe senior product manager Mathias Siegel. "We would rather enable printers and designers to synchronise rather than compensate."

PDF Print Engine uses the same core libraries as Creative Suite and Acrobat, ensuring consistent handling of the file from the desktop to the final printed output.

At the heart of the new RIP is the concept of using a master PDF that is only made output device specific at the time of actual output. Device specific characteristics of the press digital or conventional such as colourspace, trapping and resolution are all set in RIP with JDF used throughout for those settings.

"In today's workflow there are an awful lot of conversions between formats and colour spaces that are not strictly necessary," said Siegel. "We can save printers money by eliminating that."

As well as eliminating unnecessary steps in the pre-press workflow the use of a common rendering engine component at all stages of the workflow will improve consistency and allow simpler, more reliable and open soft and remote proofing and approval.

"Currently remote proofing is a workaround," he said.  "Today the RIP is the gold standard if we use the same renderer for soft proofing with a plug-in for Acrobat you can get down to bitmap level."

Following the launch of PDF Print Engine at Ipex the firm expects its OEMs to be using a first or second generation product by the next Drupa.

Workflow problems addressed:
Conversions too early in the workflow, transparent object handling, unpredictability, ad-hoc error corrections.
Business problems addressed:
Profitability and slim margins

Technologies:
JDF and PDF throughout, uses same core libraries as Creative Suite and Acrobat to improve consistency throughout the workflow.