(v13) Tiling in the Harlequin Core

This page applies to Harlequin v13.1r0 and later; and to Harlequin Core but not Harlequin MultiRIP

From Harlequin Core v13, the RIP can be configured to split pages into tiles and to render each of those tiles separately. In the same way, large re-used collections of graphical elements can be tiled when using Harlequin VariData in external mode.

Note: This functionality is not supported in Harlequin MultiRIP.

The tiling is designed to address several use cases, many arising from print sectors such as corrugated and décor, where individual PDF pages may be extremely large:

• It allows very large pages to be split over multiple RIPs and processed in parallel.
• Processing each tile has a lower peak VM usage and increases memory efficiency compared to processing very large whole pages in one piece.
• Allows reduction in post-RIP raster size without limiting job “page” size; this can help reduce the bill of materials for the DFE without preventing large pages from being processed.
• Allows the RIPing of pages to be aligned with delivery of parts of the page through separate pipelines post-RIP (for example, splitting for separate inkjet heads or interface boards).

Note: The tiling works with PDF files (including in combination with Harlequin VariData), and with those image file types that are processed using the HqnImage procset, such as TIFF and JPEG. It is not supported for PostScript, EPS, DCS or GIF. A PostScript control file may be used to run files using pdfexec , pdfexecid , HqnImage , etc., and the output will be tiled. But if pages are actually described in PostScript (including EPS and DCS) or in GIF, then the output will be passed through as whole pages without tiling.

When using tiling in combination with HVD you may use HVD in either internal or external mode. If using external HVD (eHVD) in combination with tiling, you should set OptimizedPDFPositionIndependent to true ; non-position-independent eHVD emits rasters the full size of the page and is therefore unsuitable for use with tiling. You may also wish to review the OptimizedPDFElementTileClip PDF param to ensure compatibility with your post-RIP processes. If using internal HVD (iHVD) with tiling, the HVDElement key should not be set in the dictionary provided to settilingparams .

For information on adding new tiling methods, see the Harlequin API Reference Manual .

For information on clrip command-line options, and on delivery of metadata through the HHR raster backend, see the Harlequin SDK Developer’s Guide .

Note: The tiling functionality is not compatible with in-RIP imposition. Certain uses of page device call-backs such as BeginPage and SensePageDevice are also not compatible. Tiling may be used with TrapPro, but overlaps between tiles must be at least twice the maximum trap width and care must be taken in allocating regions of the raster for each tile.