PRINTING United Alliance honors industry-first innovations for Mako Core with Apex and PACKZ Max
Hybrid Software has received two 2026 Pinnacle Awards for Technology from PRINTING United Alliance for Mako Core with Apex and PACKZ Max. The award-winning products introduce two industry firsts: the first fully GPU-native renderer for print workflows and the first PDF editor with an integrated raster image processor (RIP). The Pinnacle Award for Technology honors products that advance the printing industry through innovation, improved functionality, and measurable production benefits.
Mako Core with Apex, developed by Hybrid Software Helix, is the first software development kit for print workflows to incorporate a fully GPU-native renderer. Unlike conventional architectures that use GPUs only for selected acceleration tasks, Apex executes the entire rendering pipeline on the graphics processor and delivers rendering performance up to 30 times faster than traditional CPU-based approaches. It also enables post-processing functions, including halftone screening, to be performed directly on the GPU, reducing bottlenecks and providing a highly scalable platform for complex, high-resolution, and variable-data print workflows.
PACKZ Max, from Hybrid Software’s labels and packaging business, is the first PDF editor with an integrated RIP. It combines PDF editing and the Harlequin RIP® from Hybrid Software Helix in a single application, enabling prepress operators to edit, preview, screen, and output files within one environment. Users can see exactly how a job will image before it reaches the platesetter, bringing tasks that traditionally require separate editing and RIP applications into a single workflow.
“These awards highlight innovation across Hybrid Software,” said Mike Rottenborn, CEO of Hybrid Software. “Mako Core with Apex and PACKZ Max demonstrate how we continue to challenge established approaches to print production. We are honored that PRINTING United Alliance has recognized the impact these products are having across the industry.”
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