Created Date: 16 Mar, 2022 15:12
Last Modified Date: 27 Oct, 2023 14:19


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

The following examples show the necessary settings to handle some common situations.

The intention of these parameters is to allow flexibility in configuring the best response from the RIP to output from a certain application. We recommend that you take advantage of this flexibility by making settings to match particular jobs or sources of jobs. The possible mechanisms include using control PostScript code generated by a plugin, a page feature, or a PPD (or PDF). It is also possible to make settings when the RIP starts up, but this is less flexible.

Dynamically remove and add separations in a multi-page job

If all colorants encountered in a Separation or DeviceN color space should be produced, set the Add key in SeparationDetails to true.

            <<
              /SeparationDetails <<
                /Add true
                /Remove true
              >>
            >> setpagedevice
TEXT

These settings remove spot color separations after each page as well as add them where required. This stops a spot color on a particular page producing a blank separation on all following pages.

When the /Add key in /SeparationDetails is set to true, the RIP automatically turns off HVD (Harlequin VariData) Internal Mode, as this is incompatible with dynamic spots (regardless of whether outputting to separations or in composite mode).

Output only non-blank separations

This is done using the /Omit subdictionary:

            <<
              /SeparationDetails <<
                /Omit <<
                  /Monochrome false
                  /Separations false
                  /Process true
                  /Spot true
                >>
              >>
            >> setpagedevice
TEXT

These settings output relevant separations as opposed to strictly blank ones, because the unshown defaults ignore marks likely to be page ornamentation. Relevant separations have non-blank page content.


You can add the line /ExtraSpot true to omit dynamically added separations: in HMR, these separations are described as (Other colors in job) in the Edit Style dialog box for the separation style. These separations are likely to be non-blank so this added line may not be necessary.

Another likely setting (for all versions of the RIP) is to use all the Omit options, which by using default settings can be done as concisely as this:

            <<
              /SeparationDetails <<
                /Omit <<
                >>
              >>
            >> setpagedevice
TEXT

Prevent unintentional auto-separation

These settings limit output to the supplied monochrome or pre-separated pages if they are sent mistakenly to an input configured to auto-separate.

            <<
              /SeparationDetails <<
                /Omit <<
                  /Monochrome true
                  /Separations true
                  /Process false
                  /Spot false
                >>
              >>
            >> setpagedevice
TEXT

Abort a job unsuitable for separation

            <<
              /SeparationDetails <<
                /Abort true
              >>
            >> setpagedevice
TEXT

These settings reject everything except composite jobs. While this is an extreme reaction, it may be appropriate when the submitted jobs come from many different sources because it allows inspection of the rejected jobs to assess the need for modification before resubmission.