Global Graphics Focuses On Windows Print Project

Global Graphics is providing consultancy and proof of concept development services to Microsoft to help deliver new printing and electronic documents systems for new XML-based document technology.

Global Graphics is providing consultancy and proof of concept development services to Microsoft to help deliver new printing and electronic documents systems for new XML-based document technology, code-named Metro.

The new format is planned for availability in Microsoft's next version of the Windows operating system code-named 'Longhorn'.

As an extension of that work, Global Graphics is debuting its own new generation of Raster Image Processor (RIP) and Page Description Language (PDL) that will be made available under licence to hardware and software vendors to support the new print and document format in their products.

For almost two years, Global Graphics' technical services consulting group has been working with Microsoft's Windows development teams on the specification for Metro, said Global Graphics.

Unveiled yesterday by Microsoft, Metro is said to be an open format that allows users to share, print and archive paginated layout documents and used in document workflows.

As a Page Description Language (PDL), it is claimed that Metro will offer significantly improved screen-to-print fidelity to meet knowledge worker demand for documents rich in graphics content as well as the high fidelity needs of the digital imaging marketplace.

As an integral part of the consulting project, Global Graphics has been developing a print reference implementation RIP that will be shipped with a Microsoft Windows-based developer toolset, enabling hardware and software developers in the evaluation and benchmarking of printed output.

Jim Freidah, Global Graphics' chief operating officer, said: "It is exciting to have been involved right from the earliest stages of this project and today, be at the leading edge of a new technology that will have a beneficial impact on a huge user base.

We will offer products based on this next generation RIP technology and make them available under license to printer manufacturers and software integrators worldwide.

Customers will reap the commercial benefit of our early involvement and development because they can get their own products to market earlier.

In effect, we have made an investment on their behalf in an emerging print path and electronic document format that they will need to process in the future." Madelyn Bryant McIntire, product unit manager for the Windows digital documents platform and solutions group at Microsoft, commented: "We are working closely with the team at Global Graphics to ensure our printing and document systems for 'Longhorn' address the needs of the print industry and that our design can be implemented by the hardware and software industries.

Global Graphics' expertise makes it a well-rounded company to work with on 'Longhorn' printing and our proof-of-concept project.

" Jim Freidah, added: "The expertise that Microsoft has drawn upon relates to our print and document technology, where we have very strong credentials and a wealth of experience.

In particular we are well-known for the speed and quality of our Raster Image Processing and Page Description Language technology.".

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