(v13) SpotsOnly mode

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

SpotsOnly mode offers spot overprint simulation. In some workflows, both transparency compositing and process overprints are also improved. This is achieved by internally rendering objects into a virtual device with these properties:

• the color model is one of CMYK, RGB, or Gray, depending on the VirtualDeviceSpace, (see (v13) Transparency mode ).
• the virtual device is tagged with the output profile from the Profile key of setreproduction. Here, the virtual device is emulating a real device that:
• was characterized with this output profile, and
• can render the spots without conversion to the alternate space.

The virtual device internally renders overprints and compositing without including the effects of calibration and /NextDevice entries in setreproduction, which are applied in the conversion of all colors from the virtual device to the output device. A good simulation of overprinted spots normally results from this.

The conversion of spots from the virtual device to the output device is based on an internally constructed /DeviceN color space with a tint transform which make use of the solid color of the spots, the same as is done for spots in transparency (see (v13) Named colors in transparency groups ). The constructed space is then processed in the same way as normal /DeviceN spaces in the RIP, as described in (v13) Decomposing a DeviceN colorant list . The important point being that NCDs will intercept individual named colorants, while device colorants will be rendered. The constructed tint transform will only be used for other colorants.

When comparing the output of SpotsOnly with the Inactive mode:

• all composited objects will be improved if calibration and/or /NextDevice color management is used because these effects are applied after compositing.
• overprinted spots are simulated, rather than use knockout.
• overprint simulation in other colors are improved if either calibration or /NextDevice color management are used; otherwise, they will be unchanged.
• tints of spot colors may be different because of the internal tint transform.
• the All colorant (register marks) will be subject to /NextDevice transforms.
• other colors, including solid spots, will be unchanged.

The SpotsOnly mode of OverprintPreview is activated using the setinterceptcolorspace operator:

<< /OverprintPreview /SpotsOnly >> setinterceptcolorspace