👕 Caldera Direct-to-Garment RIP V2.0 - Changelog

Adobe PDF Print Engine: Integration of the latest generation of this tool (V7).

Automation: Caldera Direct-to-Garment RIP now includes an automation module that loads and prints files automatically.

You can set an input folder, configure the printing parameters (including printer, media, and preset), and choose the action to take if a job is successfully printed or stopped due to an error (options include ignoring, deleting, or moving the job).

This module also allows the automatic generation of an XML job ticket, named after the input file, for both successful and failed automated jobs when the configured action moves processed jobs to another folder. 

Color Management: Added the final version of the "TextileRGB_FOGRA58" RGB input profile to the global input preferences. 

After upgrading the software, both the beta and final profiles remain available to avoid potential production issues. On new installations, only the final profile is included.

Destination Module: Added quick access to device, media, and preset settings directly from the Destination Module. Users can open the relevant configuration panel via the    gear icons next to the printer, media, and preset selectors.

Devices and Presets: 

• A new "Printer Calibration" wizard has been introduced to the software, guiding you through each step of the calibration process (droplet, linearization, ink limit, and ICC profile) to ensure that you can print true and accurate colors in your production.
• New "Ink Channel Configuration" tool for assigning, reordering, or removing ink slots, accessible from printer configuration via the "Edit" option on the inkset:
  
  The tool also includes an "Ink Order Check" section that allows printing slot‑identification test charts to verify ink‑to‑slot mapping.

Image Module: Added "Start Opacity" and "Stop Transparency" controls in the Image Adjustments section:

These sliders allow operators to rescale per‑image alpha values by defining thresholds for transparency and opacity. 

Pixels below the Start Opacity threshold become fully transparent, while pixels above the Stop Transparency threshold become fully opaque. Intermediate values are proportionally rescaled, helping correct images with inaccurate alpha channels and reduce visual artifacts such as white halos.

File Manager: 

• Fixed an issue where very large PDF files (over 200 inches) could display an incorrect file size or preview due to limitations in the underlying libraries when parsing extreme page dimensions. 
  Size handling has been improved to the maximum supported limits, and a clearer error message is now shown when the file cannot be opened: “Can not open XXX: it may be corrupted. Use PrimeCenter to fix it automatically or open your preferred designer tool to fix it.” 

    Info

  You can convert the file to PDF/X in PrimeCenter or design the image at a lower scale and upscale it in Caldera Direct-to-Garment RIP.

• Fixed an issue where links to file paths failed silently when the file was moved, renamed, missing, or blocked by permissions. The software now displays a clear error message when the selected path cannot be accessed and, when possible, provides the original folder path to help locate or restore the file.
• Fixed PDF page dimension handling by using CropBox when present and MediaBox as a fallback, improving size accuracy in File Manager and Studio and ensuring consistent rendering and print output across scaling and rotations.

Print: 

• Fixed an issue where some jobs with multiple nested or rotated images could show repeated lines or missing parts in the same positions, especially on Windows and when ripping to a network share, by improving how image data is processed and filled during ripping.
• Fixed an issue where some print jobs could fail because the driver exited with a Signal 11 (segmentation fault), especially with printer drivers using IP connections or file-based output. This could interrupt printing or result in incomplete printouts. Printing with these drivers now works as expected.

Spot Colors Module: 

• Fixed an issue where black patches or line artifacts could appear in Layers Preview and printed output for some files using Spot Color Strategies (Simulated: Process, Simulated: Lab, Ink: Blend, Ink: Overwrite). Spot color rendering is now functioning as expected.
• Fixed an issue preventing files without spot colors from printing when a base channel had a favorite spot mapping applied.

Studio: 

• Fixed an issue where the media was not automatically resized when inserting an image into the Studio after initializing the software. The media now adjusts to the inserted image whenever a media is selected.
• Fixed an issue where images inserted in Studio were removed when switching devices in the Destination tab.

User Experience: 

• Fixed excessive RAM usage when opening certain AI files. In some cases, the backend could retain a large amount of memory after an image was loaded and removed, potentially leading to instability or software crashes. Memory is now properly released after the image is closed.
• Fixed an issue where temporary job configurations created during printing were not deleted, causing them to accumulate over time and potentially leading to performance degradation and stability issues.

Color Management: 

• This version introduces new RGB and CMYK input profiles, offering experienced operators additional options for achieving more vibrant color reproduction in prints:

  RGB	CMYK
  PrintWide2020_-_Idealliance.icc ISOcoated_v2_300_eci.icc CoatedFOGRA39.icc	eciRGB_v2.icc

  These profiles are designed to optimize color management and can improve the richness of color output based on the specific printing setup.

• A new "Advanced Settings" area allow you to customize ICC profile generation, by adjusting the parameters for saturation, contrast, and grey neutralization:
  

Devices and Presets: 

• A new Custom droplet manager is now available in the main settings of your presets. This new feature allows you to adjust the density and size of ink drops globally and customize the values for each ink, based on your production needs.
• When using a printer that supports special inks, you can now apply the existing strategies for white inks to other special inks, such as primer or optimizer, through the presets.

File Manager:

• A new visual feedback feature has been added to the image import process, displaying the loading status for large files and multiple files:
  
• Now it is possible to sort files by name or import date, in ascending or descending order:
  

Spot Colors Module: 

• The module can now provide an estimated "Best Guess" for spot colors unavailable in the library. Instead of defaulting to unprintable values, users will receive a "Simulated" approximation based on the preview color. This improvement simplifies color selection, saving users time and improving accuracy.

    Info

  The module processes preview colors by directly setting Lab values or converting RGB and CMYK values to Lab using ICC profiles, defaulting to sRGB.icc and CalderaCmyk.icc, respectively.

  

• You can now save the mapping of spot colors in your files. A new button allows you to categorize your preferred mapping strategies as favorites:
  
  
  When configuring another image with the same spot color name, the favorite mapping is applied automatically, saving you valuable configuration time.

Destination Module. 

• In Print Configuration, media are now organized so that those with an associated preset appear at the top of the list, while those without an associated preset are displayed at the bottom:
  
• We have significantly improved the Layers Preview performance, reducing generation time by approximately 90%.
• We also made technical adjustments to improve the layer preview when using spread or choke, ensuring it accurately reflects what is printed.

Devices and Presets: 

• We have integrated new DeviceLinks profiles and linearization targets to enhance printing capabilities. This update allows print operators to utilize 10 or 12 inks (see the Printer drivers chapter).

• Devices not included in your license will no longer be displayed during device creation. Additionally, the manufacturer value selected in the device editor has been corrected for licenses without an assigned driver.

    Info

  Existing devices that are not assigned to the license will still be visible and editable, but they cannot be used for printing.

• The linearization modal now allows adjustments to coat ink output for improved print quality and reduced ink consumption. Also, support for crafting measure curves for non-measurable coat inks has been added, along with color information for retrieved measure curves.

File Manager:

• Improved software functionality to support TIFF files with JPEG compression. Users can now successfully open and print these files, avoiding previous issues such as error messages stating "JPEG compression support is not configured" and images loading as blank.
• The image information area now also includes an “import date” field, which lets you know when an image was added to the application.

Print Tracking: To improve the visibility of jobs that may have encountered an error, the micro spooler included in the software now displays jobs in the following order:

"Failed" jobs (if any) "In process" jobs  "Queued" jobs "Completed" jobs "Aborted" jobs (if any)

Spot Colors Module: 

• If a channel is ignored and the pixel no longer has a color value, the transparency (alpha) is now set to zero, so a white layer is not printed where the channel was.
• You can now drop an image with spot colors directly into the Studio, where the appropriate color mapping strategy will be selected automatically. Spot colors will be mapped to output channels using the "Ink: Overwrite" strategy when their names match.

User Experience: 

• We improved the spacing of interface icons in the devices, presets, and media lists. This adjustment ensures that buttons, such as those for exporting media and presets, appear properly aligned, improving overall usability.
• To minimize onboarding time, this version includes new preloaded settings:
  • In the Global settings, the "Display one more decipal places" option is enabled and the File Manager is set to display 100 files per page and 5 files per row.
  • In Media, there are three generic supports (Black, Color, and White) linked to their corresponding garments, sizes, and pallets.
  • For several generic printer drivers, the default preview format is now BMP.
  • At the Preset level, initial white settings are preloaded for printers that use white ink.
  • Additionally, the Color Management settings include recommended configurations for most production environments.
• For users experiencing the error "API response error: LIC_USED", which could occur in specific scenarios (such as trying to use both Caldera Direct-to-Film and Direct-to-Garment RIP simultaneously), we have added a clearer message to the splash screen. This update informs users about the exact issue with their license and provides guidance on how to resolve it:
  
• A new notification (a blue toast) now appears when printing linearization or ICC profiling targets. This notification is similar to the one displayed prior to v2, indicating that your job was being processed.
• We have improved the functionality of the pop-up windows for confirming changes in the presets. Previously, these windows sometimes failed to appear or could not be closed using the "Esc" key.
• We have removed the blue "job processing" notification, as jobs being processed are already displayed in the corresponding micro-spooler area.
• In the Spot Color Module, we have improved the functionality of the fields. You can now switch between the "Ink: Blend" and "Ink:Overwrite" mapping strategies without changing your selected destination channel.
• The font size of the user interface has been reduced, and settings forms now use right-aligned labels.

Destination Module: 

• Fixed an issue with Layers Preview that caused similar images or images with similar file names to not display and print correctly.
• Corrected an issue with 16-bit TIFF files that caused extra channel inversion, resulting in incorrect color and white overlay in the Layers Preview.
• Fixed an issue in the destination panel where changing the device did not correctly display the selected media and preset in use. The selected printer, media, and preset now accurately reflect what is being used in the studio, layer preview, and printing, even after a restart of the GUI (Graphical User Interface).

File Manager: 

• Fixed an error that occurred when attempting to add more than 100 images to the File Manager simultaneously.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the opening of TIFF files with specific values in the tag that indicates the number of rows of pixels in each strip of image data. This fix improves compatibility and simplifies working with an increasing number of file types.

Installation: 

• On Windows, if you deny or ignore the UAC prompt during installation (administrator access), a clear error message is now shown instead of silently completing a broken installation.

   Caution

  If you skipped the UAC prompt, you must reinstall the software. Otherwise, it may not start, access network shares, or work as expected.

  You may be interested in reading: How to disable UAC to avoid installation issues in Windows?

• Fixed an issue where the software's backend failed to start after a fresh installation due to a missing required data folder.

User Experience: 

• We have resolved a performance issue that could occur for Windows users with AMD processors. The software can now rip jobs significantly faster under various conditions.
• Fixed a behavior error that caused the software to remain open during the installation of a new version on macOS and Ubuntu.

CNTOP Rival:

• A new "Job Ticket" toggle is now available in the device configuration when using the File output mode. When enabled, an XML job ticket will be generated in the output folder, containing the following metadata:
  

  RipID FilePath PreviewFilePath (if preview is enabled) Media Width/Height (contains the sizes of the media) Image Width/Height (contains the sizes of the printed image/layout)

  Margins (includes the margin of the image from the top left corner) Header (includes the margin of the image from the top left corner) Copies Output Mode (see next) Remarks (see next)

• When "Job Ticket" is enabled in the device creation, the user can now select an "Output mode" (Color & White, White then Color, White then White & Color, Color only, or White only) and add "Default remarks" (e.g., comments for production staff) at the preset level, and in the Destination module:
  
   
• This update also improves backend functionality, enabling the software to communicate with the physical device. As a result, the number of copies selected on the device (if supported) is now reflected in the Destination module of the software. The number of copies is included as part of the metadata in the job ticket (XML file generated alongside the print file).