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		Adobe PostScript 3 Capabilities Printing systems equipped with Adobe PostScript 3 offer state-of-the-art capabilities to meet the demanding requirements of both professional publishing and office environments. Read more about the new capabilities available in Adobe PostScript 3: Advancing the Worldwide Imaging Standard Enabling an Efficient Digital Workflow Delivering a Complete Printing System Advancing the Worldwide Imaging Standard Adobe PostScript 3 technology advances the state-of-the-art to improve print quality, enhance efficiency, and increase reliability for users in enterprise, graphic arts, and production environments. New graphics capabilities include:
		Smooth shading - A new Language Level 3 operator that renders gradient fills at the resolution of the target device, producing better and more efficient blends, reducing banding on high resolution devices, and providing significant performance improvements on selected types of graphics. Extra grays* - A capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that provides up to 4,096 levels of each colorant in gradient fills, eliminating banding on high resolution devices such as imagesetters, platesetters, and high resolution digital proofing devices. Idiom recognition - A capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that automatically replaces PostScript generated by older applications and converts to new LanguageLevel 3 functionality. This provides immediate access to the smooth shading feature, even when using older applications that don't support LanguageLevel 3 directly. Masked images - A new LanguageLevel 3 operator that enables the printing of images clipped to a raster mask, treating them as layers instead of using a series of points. This allows designers to cut out images using as many points as necessary for high quality images, without sacrificing speed or print reliability. Finer Color Controls* - A capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that provides new Device Independent Color (DIC) functions. This allows device manufacturers to provide more accurate color management capabilities, including handling of CMYK data. Superscreens* - A capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that allows printing of photo-quality grayscale images and graphics with up to 256 levels of gray on network monochrome devices. Fast Image* - A capability of Adobe PostScript 3 devices that downsamples high-resolution color data before printing on desktop monochrome devices. This optimizes memory usage, reduces network bandwidth requirements, and accelerates the processing of photographic image data.

		Enabling an Efficient Digital Workflow Adobe is making the concept of a fully digital, composite prepress workflow a reality. Composite files are files that contain all color data in one single datafile. This is unlike separated files where each channel of color (e.g. cyan, magenta, yellow, black, or spot colors) are contained in a separate file. Composite files are compact, efficient, and easier to use than separated files, and can be delivered and printed on a broader range of devices. Adobe PostScript 3 provides the enabling technology to help users in press environments take advantage of composite files and move to a fully digital workflow. The capabilities include:
		DeviceN - A new LanguageLevel 3 operator that handles any number of colors, from duotones and tritones, to Haxachrome(TM) and beyond, in a composite workflow. This feature is supported by Adobe Photoshop 5.0. It makes prepress applications easier to use and more efficient, representing all color on one single page, instead of using one page per color. In-RIP Trapping* - An optional capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that executes trapping command at the Raster Image Processor (RIP), automating complex and time consuming prepress tasks. Trapping is specified, then rendered at print time rather than as a separate production step prior to RIPping. Direct PDF Printing* - An optional capability of the Adobe PostScript 3 interpreter that improves workflow productivity by allowing the RIP to accept and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files without printing through an application.   Adobe Trapping White Paper (PDF: 113 KB / 6 pages)       Adobe's In-RIP Trapping Technology Press Release

		Delivering a Complete Printing System Adobe PostScript 3 takes the PostScript standard beyond a page description language to a complete printing system. Value-added software and printer drivers available through Adobe and its printing system partners complete the solution by increasing workflow productivity, improving ease-of-use, and making printing systems more accessible around the world.
		136 fonts - All Adobe PostScript 3 printing systems come standard with 136 fonts, including those packaged with leading operating systems and application suites. These fonts ensure cross platform reliability and compatibility, letting Mac and Windows users share source documents without impacting the page layout. In addition, these fonts provide distinctive and stylish choices for users who might not have large type collections at their fingertips. PlanetReady(TM) printing - Adobe PostScript 3 printing systems are designed to provide full support for international printing needs, making it easy for international corporations to set establish a single printing technology standard worldwide. The standard fonts include support for eastern and Central European language requirements. AdobePS(TM) printer drivers are available in a wide variety of languages to support high quality printing of both Roman and Asian fonts and documents worldwide. Compatibility with PDF - Adobe PDF has the same imaging capabilities as PostScript because it is based on PostScript. The underlying architecture of both is the Adobe Imaging Model. What this means is that you can be assured of the highest level of compatibility when printing PDF files on Adobe PostScript printers. Your files will print correctly, with the highest quality and, in many cases, optimal performance as well. AdobePS printer driver - provides advanced capabilities with a new easy-to-use interface, as well as exceptional flexibility and reliability. Advanced features include watermarks, multiple-up printing, custom paper size handling*, improved color management, and automated creation of Adobe PDF files when Adobe Acrobat software is present on the system. Drivers for Windows NT feature full support for TrueType fonts and PostScript Printer Description (PPD) files. Plug-in architecture - AdobePS drivers are extensively customizable. All manufacturers can implement custom PostScript code to support all of their unique printer features.   * This is an optional feature and may not be available for all Adobe PostScript 3 devices.

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