[Future Technology Research Index] [SGI Tech/Advice Index] [Nintendo64 Tech Info Index]


[WhatsNew] [P.I.] [Indigo] [Indy] [O2] [Indigo2] [Crimson] [Challenge] [Onyx] [Octane] [Origin] [Onyx2]

Ian's SGI Depot: FOR SALE! SGI Systems, Parts, Spares and Upgrades

(check my current auctions!)
SGI Corporate Logo

Indigo2 IMPACT : Solutions for Digital Prepress

[Digital Prepress] The Challenge of Staying Competitive

In the dynamic industry of graphic arts, keeping customers satisfied is as challenging as ever. They expect increasingly complex images and shorter print runs. They'd like to repurpose their print data for CD-ROM, video, and the World Wide Web. And they want faster turnaround times. Meanwhile, some customers are bringing digital imaging services in house - forcing printing professionals to add valuable expertise to stay competitive.

The traditional response to these pressures has been to invest in either a proprietary prepress system, which is closed and expensive, or in a personal computer, which is woefully underpowered. Today, there is another choice: graphics workstations and servers from Silicon Graphics, developed specifically for the graphic arts industry. The flagship of these products is the Indigo2 IMPACT workstation, which sets a new standard in imaging performance for prepress applications.


[Real-time imaging] Indigo2 IMPACT - for Unmatched Imaging Power

With Indigo2 IMPACT, Silicon Graphics brings unprecedented power to prepress applications. It combines a powerful graphics subsystem with award-winning RISC processor technology and system architecture to deliver the highestimaging performance possible in an open desktop workstation.

At the heart of Indigo2 IMPACT are specialized Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) that radically accelerate imaging operations. Benefits of these custom ASICs include:

Because the imaging engine operates independently, the main processor has more time to perform the compute-intensive tasks of memory and I/O management.

Indigo2 IMPACT takes a balanced systems approach, incorporating outstanding performance for all of the necessary components for fast throughput, including I/O, memory caching, and bus speeds.

The system bus alone can route up to 40 million 32bit pixels of graphical data per second. In addition, FAST SCSI-2 controllers enable high-speed disk stripping and connections to a variety of prepress devices.


[Great color] The Power to Perform

You'll trim hours off creative and production cycles with the wide range of world-class applications available on Silicon Graphics systems - from popular, off-the-shelf programs such as Adobe Photoshop to applications that have been specifically developed to take advantage of the powerful Silicon Graphics architecture. These applications - from companies such as Alias/Wavefront, Barco, Contex, and Dalim - offer unprecedented feature sets that include warping, sophisticated masking, and brush control, as well as high-end trapping options and color control. And they excel at managing large, high-resolution files in real or near-real time.

You can also expand your portfolio of services by providing 3D for Print capabilities. Indigo2 IMPACT lets you create three-dimensional images using powerful 3D modeling applications. Specialized 3D hardware accelerators let you rotate 3D solid models in real time and perform rendering at a pace that wont keep you waiting. The power of 3D on Silicon Graphics systems also lets you excel at processing applications for package design.


Beyond Print

All Silicon Graphics systems not only handle the rigors of print but are expertly designed with new media in mind. That's a big advantage to graphic arts professionals who want to differentiate their businesses. New media services may include mastering for CD-ROM disks or video, and creating and maintaining client pages for the World Wide Web. With one of the industrys most extensive patettes of professional video editing, compositing, and animation tools, Indigo2 IMPACT makes it possible for publishers to repurpose characters and scenes for use in a video or convert print data into compelling electronic storefronts for a business on the Web. Authoring tools from Silicon Graphics provide the flexibility of creating Web pages with text, audio, video, images, and 3D objects without having to be a programmer.


Fitting into Your Workflow While Letting You Stand Out

Silicon Graphics systems provide the industry's broadest range in price and performance capabilities, from the versatile yet affordable Indy workstation to the unmatched Indigo2 IMPACT workstation to the CHALLENGE XL server. All systems are binary compatible - so it's possible to run a variety of applications in any arrangement, depending on what your workfiow dictates. Additionally, these workstations and servers are based on flexible, open UNIX architecture designed to work with a variety of scanners and image setters.

Indigo2 IMPACT inspires new solutions for digital prepress. You can now manipulate large images with multiple layers in 12-bit accurate component color on tbe desktop, as well as perform real-time color space conversions including CMYK and RGB with color correction. With the high-performance imaging and processing power of Indigo2 IMPACT, Silicon Graphics solutions keep you ahead of the competition.

Typed up by Ian Mapleson (mapleson@gamers.org)
Original Document Code: I2-Imp-Prepress-IB (8/95)
Last Change: 27/Sep/2004


Ian's SGI Depot: FOR SALE! SGI Systems, Parts, Spares and Upgrades

(check my current auctions!)
[WhatsNew] [P.I.] [Indigo] [Indy] [O2] [Indigo2] [Crimson] [Challenge] [Onyx] [Octane] [Origin] [Onyx2]
[Future Technology Research Index] [SGI Tech/Advice Index] [Nintendo64 Tech Info Index]