Large format printing (LFP) has increased in popularity among businesses, artists, and professionals looking for an accurate, detail-driven, and versatile printing solution. Advances in digital print technology and the move to production inkjet have provided industries such as graphic design, architecture, cartography, and interior design with the ability to produce high-quality prints without the previous waiting times. Keypoint Intelligence predicts that color production print volumes are due to grow at a 6% CAGR from 2023-2027, meaning that more people will move to large format printing as the hardware and the technology continue to evolve.
However, print quality is often at the mercy of the raster image processor (RIP) within a device. The RIP ensures that content is faithfully reproduced on the substrate, which is where Adobe’s RIP offering comes in. Let’s take a look.
What Is the Adobe Embedded Print Engine?
Acting like the printer’s brain, the RIP translates graphics into raster pixels—telling each inkjet nozzle where to deposit ink and in what quantity. This ensures that the content is reproduced exactly as intended. Adobe offers two RIP technologies: Adobe PDF Print Engine, used when a printer performs the rendering on a host system or as a part of a dedicated software workflow solution, and Adobe Embedded Print Engine (AEPE), where the RIP technology is built into the device.
What Are the Benefits of the Adobe Embedded Print Engine?
For advertising and graphic design usage, AEPE enables LFP devices to support spot colors—premixed ink colors used for accurate color matching, rather than CMYK combinations—by helping the device expand the color gamut, add effects and finishes, as well as emulate spot colors with the closest combination when the functionality is not available in the device.
International Colour Consortium (ICC) profiles help to standardize color mapping between devices such as cameras, monitors, and printers—ensuring accurate color reproduction and consistent output across multiple devices. This is particularly helpful for interior décor and fine art, where AEPE can also enable LFPs to convert colors accurately utilizing ICC profiles for the specific job.
The precise replication of CAD drawings is paramount to ensure architectural or product design drawings can be followed with accuracy. AEPE helps to faithfully reproduce fine lines, small-scale graphics, and distinct details in mono and color. With Keypoint Intelligence predicting an increase of a 3.9% CAGR in CAD-related printing by 2025, this feature will become even more valuable.
AEPE and Self-Contained LFPs: A Bright Future
Major OEMs have already integrated AEPE into their self-contained LFP offerings. By doing so, they help users increase productivity, reduce the need to reprint if mistakes are made, and ensure that the printed materials are ready to use as soon as they are output. Many industries are already enjoying the benefits of LFP and AEPE combined; Keypoint Intelligence expects fine art color print volumes to grow at a 14.5% CAGR by 2025, aided by the switch to production inkjet technology. This means that consumers will look for an LFP that contains a versatile RIP built to handle all their needs.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
As consumers in the large format space continue to require precise, high-quality, and self-contained large-format prints, the need for an intelligent and versatile RIP will also continue. The demand for a quick finish and fast turnaround printing that can be handled in-house means that devices need a RIP that can ensure high-quality images and color reproduction with every print. With the self-contained LFP market set to expand significantly by the end of the decade, more OEMs and consumers will no doubt consider utilizing the benefits that AEPE can bring to their printing needs.
