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As the graphic arts industry moves to an all-digital workflow, there needs to be a fundamental change in the
way we prepare and process files for print production. Highly productive, automated tools are transforming
our industry from a labor-intensive craft to a finely tuned manufacturing process. The need for automation
of everyday tasks such as printing, spooling, OPI, and preflight is becoming a fundamental requirement in
print operations. Specifically, fast, accurate trapping of complex printed pages is becoming a vital component
of an all-digital workflow and necessary for a profitable print operation.
Over the past several years, Adobe Systems has developed a full set of products to enable the vision of an alldigital workflow. One of these offerings is Adobe trapping technology. Adobe trapping technology consists of
three main components:
Trapping engineAdobe in-RIP trapping and the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) Trapper
Trapping standards for describing controls and results of trappingAdobe PostScript 3 and
Adobe Portable Job Ticket Format (PJTF) technologies
Trapping controlsincluded in professional publishing applications like Adobe Acrobat InProduction,
Adobe InDesign, and Adobe PageMaker
This white paper describes the trapping technologies now available from Adobe Systems and certified OEM
partners. This paper explains how Adobe trapping technologies work with Adobe PostScript 3 and Adobe
Extreme technologies. This paper also describes both Adobe in-RIP trapping and Adobe PDF trapping
workflows. Finally, the paper highlights some of the unique features and strengths, as well as, some of the
new features of Adobe trapping technology and how users can control these settings.
Since the scope of this white paper is limited to a description of trapping technology, you should refer to
the Adobe PostScript 3, Adobe Extreme, and PDF for Prepress Workflow and Document Delivery white
papers for additional information. These white papers are available on the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com.
Background
Trapping is a prepress term used to describe the compensation for misregistration between printing units on
a multicolor press. As the printed sheet passes through each printing unit, a unique ink color is applied.
Ideally, each color should touch or butt fit, and there should be no shift during the printing process. Several
variables in printing can cause this shift to occur. These variables include the high speed of the printing press
and the poor dimensional stability of paper, which stretches as it is moistened by ink and water. This
misregistration causes unsightly gaps on the final printed piece. Gaps become especially obvious when two or
more elements with contrasting color mixes abut.
Trapping involves creating overlaps (spreads) or underlaps (chokes) of objects during the print production
process to eliminate misregistration on press. A well-trapped page must have sufficient compensation to
avoid visible gaps under the actual printing conditions, without introducing new artifacts that are themselves
unsightly. Quality trapping requires detailed analysis of the ink properties, the press characteristics, and the
content of the page.
a.
b.
In-RIP trapping
The simplest solution for Adobe trapping technology is an Adobe PostScript 3 RIP that includes Adobe inRIP trapping. With in-RIP trapping, users need not change their existing workflow. Users simply print to
their output device in the regular manner; files are trapped as part of the PostScript interpretation process.
Controls for trapping may be specified at the RIP through a device-specific user interface or through one of
the application-based user-interface options described later.
Adobe in-RIP trapping provides many benefits in a print production workflow, including:
Support for composite Adobe PostScript 3 and PDF printing. This includes support for all PostScript 3
features including smooth-shading, DeviceN colorspace, and masked images. Therefore, advance
graphic constructs such as Hexachrome color, duotones, and custom color gradients can be trapped in
a composite workflow.
Automation. Once traps have been specified, there is no additional operator intervention required. Traps
are executed in the PostScript RIP before the file is imaged to paper, plate, or film.
Speed. Efficient use of CPU and system processing resources, which is integrated with the PostScript interpretation process, minimizes the increase in overall printing time.
Quality. In-RIP trapping traps all elements in the document, includes all the necessary features to create
quality traps, includes support for unlimited custom colors or varnishes, and supports rich blacks, gradient
and imaging trapping, and sliding traps.
Ease-of-use. A consistent user interface is available in several desktop applications. In-RIP trapping can be
easily integrated into an existing print production workflow without the need for a dedicated or comprehensive prepress system or additional training.
PDF trappingFuture
An additional future workflow option is the Adobe PDF Trapper. PDF trapping is a more robust workflow
in which content-specific information is separated from device-specific information to provide greater flexibility in the workflow. The key to the PDF Trapper is the use of the Adobe Portable Job Ticket Format
(PJTF). PDF/PJTF-based workflows are the basis of Adobe Extreme technology. Extreme systems use PDF as
their internal file format.
When trapping a PDF file in an Extreme system, users specify trapping controls in PJTF. The trapping is
executed by the PDF Trapper, which generates the traps and stores them as a special annotation in the
PDF file. The PDF file can then be printed to the Adobe Printer Job Ticket Processor or an Adobe
PostScript 3 RIP. This implementation allows users to selectively print or proof the trapped PDF.
Adobe PDF trapping will provide many additional benefits, including:
Support for all the features in todays Adobe in-RIP trapping
Support for trapping composite Adobe PostScript 3 and PDF printing
The ability to view trapped PDF files in Adobe Acrobat software
Round-tripping, which means traps can be specified, executed, edited, deleted, and stored in a PDF file, and
PDF files can be retrapped
By building a solution around the same core technology and user-experience, Adobe has enabled production
facilities to combine the automated solutions of in-RIP trapping and PDF trapping to gain a great deal of
flexibility in the workflow.
Some trapping technologies available on the market today, first convert vectors objects to bitmaps, then
analyze for traps on a pixel-by-pixel basis. However, the Adobe Trapping Engine uses patented technology to
create traps for both vector objects and bitmap elements without rasterization. This significantly improves
the quality of the resulting trap shape, as well as, the overall speed and accuracy of trapping.
In addition, the trapping engine provides features whereby trap settings can be controlled by trapping
zones. A trapping zone is composed of a region of the page, or the entire page, and the parameters for trapping in that region.
The result from the trapping engine is a trapping network. This network is an overlay of small fills that add
traps to the current page. In the case of in-RIP trapping, the trap network is imaged along with the file. In the
case of the future PDF Trapper, the trap network is placed in the PDF file in the annotation layer. When the
PDF file is viewed or printed, the traps in the annotation layer are included. By building a family of solutions
around the same trap engine, Adobe offers the assurance of consistent results, regardless of the specific
workflow.
Specifying Traps
The modular architecture of Adobe trapping technology allows for a consistent user interface for trap
specification in a wide range of environments. Trapping parameters can be specified through plug-in interfaces to applications like Adobe Acrobat InProduction, Adobe InDesign, or Adobe PageMaker*. Dedicated
tools such as an Adobe Acrobat plug-in or desktop trapping applications will have the same user-interface
attributes. Independent software developers can also offer prepress solutions that integrate control for
trapping using a similar user-experience.
Figure 2: The Adobe InDesign in-RIP trapping plug-in, Trap Style dialog box.
Users of an Adobe trapping solution are presented with three basic tasks. They must describe the properties
of the inks to be used, select the parameters for trapping, and designate zones or regions in which to enable
or disable trapping. By basing all user interface experiences on the same three aspects, there is no challenge
when moving from one trapping solution to another.
In some implementations of the Adobe trapping technology, trapping parameters are specified in the
PostScript RIP, either in the user-interface customized by the licensing partner or through the use of user
definable hot folders, which are also used as print queues.
Ink properties
The definition of ink properties is purely descriptive. For each ink, users must specify the ink density and
transparency/opacity of the ink as well as the order of ink lay-down. These parameters are all selected
through an ink settings dialog box. Adobe trapping technology supports trapping of unlimited process and
custom color inks, including varnishes.
Information about the printing or lay-down order of the inks is used to determine the correct behavior of
opaque inks, such as custom or metallic colors. Inks placed on the paper first will always spread or choke
under overlying opaque inks. This ensures that the resulting traps are concealed by the overlaying opaque
ink.
Trapping parameters
Trapping parameters are defined via trap styles. Each trap style describes a set of parameters, including trap
width, image trapping, trapping of gradients, and others elements. Once trap styles are created, they can be
used throughout a document or saved and exported for use in future documents. Furthermore, trap styles let
users apply different settings not only to different jobs, but also to different trap zones (pages or groups of
pages) within a single document.
* The Adobe PageMaker 6.5.2 plug-in for in-RIP trapping is available free of charge from the Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com.
Trap Zones
Finally, users specify trap zones. By default, a trap zone is the size of page. However, for greater trapping
control a user may wish to apply a different trap style to a particular section of a page or element on a page.
In this instance, regional trap zones must be created. In application(s) such as Adobe Acrobat InProduction,
regional trap zones can be defined within the page using the rectangle and polygon trapping tool. In either
case, once users define trap zones, they can assign a different trap style to each zone.
a.
b.
Figure 4a: With no black width, support screens may show through.
Figure 4b: Adding a black width chokes back the support screen.
Sliding traps
Adobe trapping technology uses neutral density of inks as its method of comparison for lightness and darkness. Neutral density is a measure of inks light-stopping ability or, more simply, a measure of its opacity.
When colors have similar neutral densities, neither color determines the direction of the trap. To trap these
colors, the trapping engine adjusts (slides) the trap position from spreading the lighter color into the darker
one by straddling the centerline between them. A sliding trap prevents abrupt shifts in trap placement, for
example, along a gradient edge. Gradients are also known as blends, degrades, or vignettes.
a.
b.
Figure 5a: A gradient touching a solid color can cause traps to shift abruptly.
Figure 5b: Using a sliding trap creates a gradual centerline trap.
Like trap join styles, different trap end styles may be used depending on the printing conditions, the type of
ink, or the substrate being used. For example, a miter trap end style may be used in lithographic printing
and an overlap trap end style may be used in flexographic printing. If no trap end style is selected, the trap
end stylemiter will be used, in order to ensure compatibility with pervious versions of Adobe trapping
products. Earlier versions of Adobe in-RIP Trapping, only supported miter trap end styles.
Conclusions
The Adobe trapping technology that is currently available in Adobe in-RIP trapping and the Adobe PDF
Trapper is one of the most robust product offerings for trapping available today. This full-featured trapping
technology offers a flexible, automated, and distributed workflow that produces quality traps. With implementations of this technology in both Adobe PostScript 3 and Adobe Extreme, this all-digital trapping
workflow supports both composite PostScript files and PDF. By continuing to provide a family of solutions
around the same trapping technology and utilizing a consistent user-interface, Adobe offers the assurance of
consistent results regardless of the specific workflow.
Several Adobe licensing partners are shipping Adobe in-RIP trapping solutions. They include Agfa Bayer
Corporation; Autologic Information International Inc.; FUJIFILM Electronics Imaging; IPTech;
RIPit Computer Corporation; and Xitron, Inc. Adobe is working with OEM and ISV partners to develop
additional products incorporating Adobe trapping technology.
For additional information on Adobe PostScript 3 and Adobe Extreme licensing partners, please refer to the
Adobe Web site at www.adobe.com.
Glossary
Adobe PostScript 3 is the latest version of Adobes page description language used for document printing.
Adobe Extreme is the most advanced version of Adobe PostScript offering a fast, flexible, scalable, and productive printing architecture for the graphic arts and production printing environment. Extreme accepts
both PostScript and PDF, but uses PDF as its internal file format and PJTF as the control mechanism.
PDF is an abbreviation for Portable Document Format. PDF files are created in Adobe Acrobat software.
They are used to represent a document in a manner independent of the application software, platform, and
operating system used to create it.
PJTF is an abbreviation for Adobes Portable Job Ticket Format. PJTF is a format based on PDF that describes the device-specific printing parameters of a PDF document, including trapping parameters. A Portable Job Ticket can reside within a PDF document or as a stand-alone file.
This brochure was created with Adobe PageMaker software and font software from the Adobe Type Library.
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