Introducing Mako Core 8.0 SDK

“We’re excited to unveil Mako Core 8.0 with an option for Apex, which we see as a real game-changer for high-speed printing. Print software vendors are constantly seeking to improve performance. Users expect fast rendering, even for large or complex documents,” explains David Stevenson, product manager for Mako Core. “High-resolution images, embedded fonts, vector graphics, and transparency effects can all make PDFs slower to render, but this is no challenge to Apex, which is particularly effective in rendering large and complex PDFs. It leverages the GPU to handle this task so users can quickly inspect layout, colors, fonts, layers and other elements before printing.”

Many modern PDF workflows are browser-based (e.g. online PDF editors or cloud printing solutions) and the fast rendering offered by Apex ensures seamless interaction without long loading times or excessive server requests. For exceptional color accuracy, Apex uses Hybrid Software’s ColorLogic Color Management Module and supports extended gamut, ensuring vibrant and true-to-life results.

Apex is the first fully GPU-native Page Description Language (PDL) renderer to handle the entire rendering workload on the GPU, maximizing speed and freeing the central processing unit (CPU) for other tasks, such as imposition.

The freed-up CPU can also be combined with the GPU renderer to create a hybrid renderer. To do this, Global Graphics Software leverages its patented, AI-powered Autotune™ technology to intelligently analyze each job and direct the hybrid renderer to the optimal processor, ensuring maximum performance and efficiency.

“Making use of the GPU offers the possibility to scale rendering capability in a new dimension,” continues David Stevenson. “Up until now, we have just had the CPU-based renderers. With Apex, we can render on a GPU as an alternative, but the real benefit comes from a hybrid approach, whereby we make use of both CPU and GPU simultaneously to improve throughput.”

Mako Core is a versatile solution for building prepress workflows in managed print services and many more applications. It provides access to every aspect of a document’s composition, including fonts, images, vector art, layers, metadata and more. It supports all major platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux (Ubuntu, Alpine). For more information visit: www.globalgraphics.com/mako.