RIP Software: ONYX vs HP PrintOS

Most wide-format printers come with a manufacturer driver and a cloud print platform -- for HP machines, that's HP PrintOS. For many users at moderate volume, that's enough. Where colour consistency and production throughput matter more, a dedicated RIP changes what's possible.

What a RIP does that a driver doesn't

A RIP (Raster Image Processor) sits between your design file and your printer. It applies colour management profiles and media calibration independently of the application you're printing from, rather than leaving that work to the application and the printer firmware. In practice that means an accurate on-screen preview before you print, ICC profiles built for your specific printer-ink-media combination, and consistent colour across different jobs, operators and days.

ONYX: where it earns its place

ONYX RIPCenter is a standard platform for professional wide-format production. Its strengths: thorough ICC profile management, a nesting engine that reduces media waste, job queue management across multiple machines, and per-job cost accounting -- useful if you recharge print costs to client projects. HP Latex printers with built-in i1 profiling can calibrate and build ICC profiles directly, with no external spectrophotometer required, and ONYX works with that built-in capability so calibration and printing happen inside one workflow. ONYX also gets driver support for new printer hardware quickly after launch, through direct access to manufacturers' development kits.

HP PrintOS: where it's enough

HP PrintOS is a cloud platform included with HP wide-format printers, giving you remote monitoring, mobile job submission and basic workflow tools at no extra cost. For a single HP machine at moderate volume with straightforward colour needs, it's a genuinely capable starting point. Its limits: it's HP-only, and its colour management and job-costing tools are less developed than a dedicated RIP.

A RIP is not an accessory. For any environment where colour consistency, scale accuracy or production throughput matters, it is the engine.

Which one fits

HP PrintOS suits a single HP machine at moderate volume with basic colour requirements. ONYX suits multiple machines (including mixed-brand fleets), demanding colour management, production-level throughput, or job costing and client charge-back. We're an authorised ONYX reseller and can talk you through what either option looks like for your own setup -- call 01483 596 200 or see our Signage & Display range.