The Anti-Alias Page Feature smooths out rough edges created by ripping a file at lower resolutions. (e.g. 300 DPI and below)
This is commonly seen when using the PDF Raster output plug-in to create "soft proofs". If you are using the PDF Raster plug-in at resolutions which create rough or jagged edges, try installing our anti-alias page feature and compare your results.
The attached zip file contains 5 page features which differ only in sampling size for the anti-aliasing.
Explanation of the anti-aliasing feature.
When the RIP is producing a contone raster, and one of these page features is used, the raster will be down-sampled (anti-aliased) during rendering. Anti-Alias 2x2 will make each final pixel the average of a 2 x 2 cell of original pixels. Anti-Alias 3x3 will make each final pixel the average of a 3 x 3 cell of original pixels, and so on. This results in smoother and more visually pleasing edges when the output is at low resolution.
The larger your resolution, the more anti-alias you can handle. Our tests show that at 720dpi the 8x8 looks better than the 2x2. When in doubt, start with 2x2 and work your way up. If you experience VM errors, move to a lower numbered page feature. Or buy a new computer.
Installation
1. Download the attached zip file.
2. Extract or unzip "Anti-Alias Page Features.zip"
3. Open the extracted folder and copy the contents. These will be copied into the folder in step 5.
4. Locate the proper RIP folder.
This will be at a path like c:\Navigator\Navigator 11.0r7\SW\Page Features\
5. Paste. Your Page Features folder will look something like this:
6. If you are using Navigator Client then skip to step 8. If you are using a plain ol' RIP, then follow along.
Open the RIP and go to the Page Setup Manager. Open your PDF Raster Page Setup. Or create one.
7. In the Page Setup make sure the device is PDFRaster. Under Separations, Screening & Color/Style: select “CMYK Composite (Contone)”. It must be Contone or it will not work. You will then check the Enable Feature checkbox, and, finally, select the level of Anti-Alias that you will be using. (2x2, 3x3, 4x4, 6x6, or 8x8).
8. Apply the Page Features in the Client Workflow. Open the Navigator Client, and edit/create the RasterPDF workflow.
9. Select the RIP Tab, then click on the Page Feature drop down menu to select the proper Anti-Alias setting.
10. Now that you have selected the proper Anti-Alias Page Feature, click on the "Workflow Editor" button to close and save the edit.
Enjoy.