An integrated approach to PostScript Ripping, color control, and production management that maximizes the productivity and color fidelity of Cymbolic Sciences Wide Format Digital Printers and Film Recorders.

System Manager XL, Version 4.1, is a new edition of Pictographics System ManagerÅ.
It is a powerful, production oriented front-end imaging software system designed specifically for Cymbolic Sciences LightJet 5000, LightJet 2000 and Fire 1000 printers and film recorders.

Developed in cooperation with Cymbolic Sciences, the new System Manager XL 4.1 software incorporates features and capabilities of previous System Manager products with features of Cymbolic Sciences FireWare software product. FireWare users can now benefit from the productivity features and StealthRipÅ "Rip-and-Image-On-The-Fly" PostScript ripping capabilities of System Manager's advanced color technology.

Pictographics PCMS film and paper linearization technology
Selectable custom CMYK to RGB conversion (TIFF and PostScript files)
Advanced interactive color adjustment tool: CMY/RGB-Brightness slider adjustment and a "curves adjustment"

Third-party Color Management software support for closed-loop scanner calibration
System Manager XL 4.1 runs on either Intel Pentium II or Digital Equipment Alpha processors under Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Workstation operating system.

Advanced Color Technology

Film and Paper Linearization
Pictographics new PCMS film and paper linearization (gray balance) technology creates custom look-up tables (LUTs) for E6, C41, and photographic paper (LightJet 5000). A variety of custom density targets are available, each uniquely designed for a specific material type. All photographic materials, including C41, are measured directly on-line with X-Rite densitometer models 811TR and 882/892. The Auto-Reading 882/892 is required for the LightJet 5000.

The PCMS calibration process is designed for operator simplicity and optimum LUT quality. It is an iterative process guided by a Microsoft Wizard. The Wizard leads the operator through a step by step process to set up a configuration, a group of settings specific to the film recorder, gray balance target and material type. After each new set of densities is entered into System Manager, the software provides feedback in the form of a convergence factor to indicate the accuracy of the gray balance.

CMYK to RGB Conversion
System Manager XL 4.1 includes Pictographics' exclusive selectable CMYK to RGB conversions for all supported file types, including PostScript. The selectable conversions, generic, Photoshop (SWOP) and Picto (custom quality) have been designed to provide optimum real-time conversion between CMYK and RGB color spaces without relying on Photoshop or other application programs.

Color Adjustment
An advanced interactive color adjustment tool is incorporated into System Manager XL 4.1 and provides two levels of color correction. The first is a CMY/RGB-Brightness (density) slider bar adjustment with a digital readout which applies "CC-like" tonal corrections to an image or page. The second is a "curves adjustment" that allows the operator to accurately adjust color within an image by altering points on the image color curve or enter numerical color corrections to points on the RGB curves. Also, a visual feedback of the color corrections and a before/after digital read out of the RGB values at any point on the image is provided. The adjusted color transform is dynamically applied to each image file independently while imaging. This color adjustment tool may be used with all file types supported by System Manager, including PostScript files.

Color Management and Closed-Loop Calibration
System Manager XL 4.1 is compatible with Candela ColorCircuitsÅ generated by ColorSynergy, a Macintosh-based color management software package developed by Candela, Ltd. ColorSynergy employs industry standard IT8 reference targets and digital data to calibrate scanners, monitors, film recorders, and printing devices. Color correction transforms, ColorCircuits, can be applied on a Macintosh workstation to TIFF (CMYK and RGB) image files from a calibrated scanning device to create color corrected TIFF image files prior to being sent to a calibrated imaging device. ColorCircuits (RGB) may also be dynamically applied in System Manager while imaging.
Pictographics StealthRipTM PostScript RIP

StealthRip is a PostScript Level 2 RIP based on the JAWS PostScript technology from 5D Solutions, and is integrated into System Manager XL 4.1 to provide seamless rasterizing and imaging of PostScript files. Features include:

• RIP and imaging On-The-Fly*
• CMYK to RGB conversion
• Single and multi-page PostScript file support
• 90, 180, 270 degree rotation
• Fast image preview prior to imaging
• Color adjustment prior to imaging
• Selectable resolution and anti-aliasing levels
• Optimized anti-aliasing technique for increased speed and image quality
• RIP to TIFF file prior to imaging option
• Macintosh and PC PPD's

*Note: Actual RIP and imaging times are dependent on hardware speed of the computer and imaging device, file complexity and ripping resolution.

Productivity Features

File Formats

• TIFF (RGB, CMYK)
• PostScript Level 2, single and multi-page, (RGB, CMYK)
• Scitex CT
• RAW -- Pixel or line interleaved raster data (RGB, RGBX, CMYK, CMY, CMYX)
• CSI (RGB, CMYK)

Note: Image files with different file formats and/or color space may be imaged on the same page when imaging multiple images per page.

Page Layout Features

• Templates for placing multiple images per page
• Multi-copy command automates the production of multiple copies of the same image
• Auto Scaling/interpolation (up and down): bi-cubic scaling and interpolation applied per image (multiple images within a frame can be scaled independently). Software scaling range is 25% to 400%. Hardware scaling range is 100% to 1000%.
• Exact sizing: automatic scaling and interpolation on-the-fly to specific dimensions
• Image cropping: this feature may be used to crop unwanted area from image
• Fast image preview: any file type may be previewed prior to imaging. Image may be color corrected using color adjustment tool. Interactive color feedback of color corrections.

Other Features

• Title text
• User selectable sharpness for LightJet users
• Network compatible: Win NT and Novell, FTP support for AppleTalk
• LightJet Explorer diagnostic software for the LightJet 5000
• An on-line operators manual is included with System Manager XL 4.1

Recommended Computer Configurations

• Pentium II (300 MHz or higher) with 512 KB cache minimum, or Digital Equipment Alpha 433/500 MHz with 2MB cache minimum. Note: Pentium II configurations are recommended because they have up to twice the SCSI data rate capability of the DEC Alpha
• 128 MB RAM minimum 17" color monitor
• Video driver: 4MB RAM, 1024x768 pixels, 16 million colors
• 9 GB ultra-wide (SCSI-3) hard drive for image data, with a separate 4 GB disk for operating system and applications programs
• Adaptec 2940UW (SCSI-3) controller for the hard drive
• Windows NT 4.0 Workstation operating system
• CD-ROM drive, keyboard and mouse
• Jaz and SyQuest drives, and 100 Mbit network card for data input and transfer

LightJet 2000 and Fire 1000 installations

• Dedicated Adaptec 2940U (SCSI-2) controller
• Paralan Model SD10B differential converter
• Cable: SCSI-2 to SCSI-1 to connect host to Paralan. The Paralan converter is a SCSI-2 device but uses SCSI-1 connectors.

LightJet 5000 installations

• Dedicated Adaptec 2940U (SCSI-2) single-ended with a 20-foot SCSI-2 cable (Paralan part number SQ22-020) for fastest data transfer, or
• Dedicated Adaptec 2944W (SCSI-3) differential controller with a 50-foot (15-meter) differential cable. This configuration has a significantly lower data transfer rate (up to 50% lower), and should only be used is the SCSI cable length between the host computer and the LightJet 5000 must be more than 20 feet.
• An Apple Macintosh is required to run ColorSynergy color management software. ColorSynergy must be purchased separately, it is not included in System Manager.