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Understanding job flow
Spooling, processing, and printing
To understand job flow through the Fiery X3e, it is helpful to consider the three main
stages of printing.
Spooling
—When a job file is sent over the network by a remote user or imported from
disk, it arrives at the Fiery X3e and spools to a location on the hard disk drive. After
spooling completely, the job is held on the hard disk drive, where it awaits further
instructions from the operator.
Processing (RIPping)
—When the operator releases the job file, it undergoes raster
image processing (RIPping) at the Fiery X3e. During processing, the job file is
interpreted as a raster image. This raster image contains the data required by the
copier/printer to print the job the way its originator intended. In the raster image, data
associated with each dot is rendered on the copier/printer. The raster data tells the
copier/printer whether or not to apply toner to each position on the page.
Printing
—After processing, the job typically moves on to the printing stage. During
this stage, the raster image associated with the job is transferred from the Fiery X3e to
the copier/printer at a high speed. The raster image is then rendered onto paper, and
the job is printed.
While original job files are saved to the Fiery X3e hard disk drive, raster images are
typically deleted after printing. The operator can issue commands to save and hold the
raster image on the hard disk drive along with the original job file. Saving the raster
image to the hard disk drive offers two advantages: raster files are already processed, so
they print quickly, and each part of the raster file is still identified with a page in the
original document, so you can access individual pages of a saved raster file.
Spooling
Processing
Printing
