Hybrid Software program has acquired two 2026 Pinnacle Awards for Know-how from Printing United Alliance for Mako Core with Apex and PACKZ Max. The award-winning merchandise introduce two trade firsts: the primary totally GPU-native renderer for print workflows and the primary PDF editor with an built-in raster picture processor (RIP), a press launch acknowledged.
The Pinnacle Award for Know-how honors merchandise that advance the printing trade by innovation, improved performance, and measurable manufacturing advantages.
Mako Core with Apex, developed by Hybrid Software program Helix, is the primary software program improvement package for print workflows to include a totally GPU-native renderer. In contrast to typical architectures that use GPUs just for chosen acceleration duties, Apex executes the complete rendering pipeline on the graphics processor and delivers rendering efficiency as much as 30 occasions sooner than conventional CPU-based approaches. It additionally permits post-processing features, together with halftone screening, to be carried out immediately on the GPU, lowering bottlenecks and offering a extremely scalable platform for advanced, high-resolution, and variable-data print workflows.
PACKZ Max, from Hybrid Software program’s labels and packaging enterprise, is the primary PDF editor with an built-in RIP. It combines PDF enhancing and the Harlequin RIP from Hybrid Software program Helix in a single software, enabling prepress operators to edit, preview, display, and output information inside one surroundings. Customers can see precisely how a job will picture earlier than it reaches the platesetter, bringing duties that historically require separate enhancing and RIP purposes right into a single workflow.
“These awards spotlight innovation throughout Hybrid Software program,” mentioned Mike Rottenborn, CEO of Hybrid Software. “Mako Core with Apex and PACKZ Max exhibit how we proceed to problem established approaches to print manufacturing. We’re honored that Printing United Alliance has acknowledged the affect these merchandise are having throughout the trade.”