The HP DesignJet 30 comes without any software RIP to make the device attractive to photographers as well as professional designers who want to proof. Optionally, however, the buyer can opt for a HP software RIP or an EFI/Best Designer RIP. The latter has more features than the HP’s. It is also more powerful in terms of workflow support. The EFI/Best Designer RIP is an instrument that offers almost total control over every aspect of the DesignJet 30. In my opinion, it is a must-have option and a better one to consider than the HP RIP.

On the other hand, the HP RIP costs about 300 Euro for the DesignJet 30 and 400 Euro for the 130, while the EFI/Best Designer RIP costs 330 Euro for the 30 and 750 for the 130. The price difference is not something you can simply put aside, especially not when the DesignJet 130 is your machine.

The EFI Designer RIP supports object-oriented colour management. This means you can choose whether or not to apply a reference profile embedded in your document. This is one of the features lacking in the HP RIP, for example. It is a feature that makes it possible to process correctly PDF/X1, PDF/X1a, PDF/X3, JPEG and TIFF files with embedded reference profiles.

Another feature not present in the HP RIP, but fully supported in the EFI Designer RIP is the addition of profiles. This allows for the use of reference profiles provided by third parties such as your printing company.

The EFI RIP also allows to simulate an overprint of a composite file. When two areas with different colours overlap, there will be knock-out effect. The Overprint preview makes areas of overlapping colour visible.

The HP DesignJet 30 features closed-loop calibration and both RIPs take advantage of this feature. The EFI Designer RIP does offer more control once again. It allows you to set a reminder so that calibration appears at regular intervals. It also features more paper types than the HP RIP. But most important is the EFI Ink Assistant, a separate application that is on the Designer disc. The Ink Assistant enables a visual printer linearisation to further fine-tune calibration results. Not that I found this necessary during the testing period up to now.

Paper profiles are by default those EFI considers as most appropriate or generally available to the user of a proofer type. For example, for the DesignJet 30, EFI Designer has default paper profiles for HP Photo Matte, HP Premium Plus Glossy Proofing papers, etc. You won't find Heidelberg proofing papers in the list, but you can add whichever paper profile you would like by opening the EFI Profile Connector, yet another separate application that comes on the disc.

With this Connector, you will be able to add a paper profile in an external folder to the Designer RIP. Once the profile has been added, it is easy to calibrate the printer using this paper and be ensured of colour-accurate results.

Needless to say the EFI Designer RIP supports in-RIP spearations, uses LAB colour tables internally, and has the features to recognize all spot colours. If a number of images or pages must be proofed, the RIP also allows you to nest these onto one page. Nesting itself has a number of options to make the process painless, both in terms of workflow and money.

Workflow-supporting features include setting up a hot folder (also available in HP's RIP), a preview of the printed result with options on a per-job basis, and the ability to start, pause, and stop the RIP at any time by the click of a button. With its additional applications, the EFI Designer RIP turns the DesignJet 30 into a professional proofing station for medium-sized printing jobs, without becoming so complicated in terms of colour mannagement that a photographer who wants to output accurate colour would be stupefied by the interface.

In terms of colour mannagement, HP also offers the GretagMacBeth Eye-One Display spectrophotometer as an option with the DesignJet 30. This device enables monitor calibration (CRT and LCD), ensuring the colours users see on their screen match those on the paper. With higher-end DesignJet models (large format) HP even delivers the Eye-One Photo instrument, a device that also allows to calibrate scanners and printers.