DCS (Desktop color separation)

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; both Harlequin Core and Harlequin MultiRIP.

DCS stands for desktop color separation; it is Quark Inc’s method of image substitution in PostScript language jobs.

Two versions of DCS are described in [DCS1] and [DCS2]:

• DCS1 is always a multiple file format. One file, the DCS main, typically contains low-resolution image data and is placed on a page in a page make-up program. Typically, four other files hold high-resolution, color-separated data for CMYK—to be used for final printing. There may be fewer than four files (for example, in monochrome work).
• DCS2 includes the same model but allows for all of the data to be enclosed in a single file if desired. It also supports the use of spot colors as well as process colors.