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See Apex renderer in action: Multi-page performance with GPU speed

Following on from his announcement of Mako Core v8, which introduced Apex™, David Stevenson, product manager at Global Graphics Software, is back with a second video — this time showing how Apex handles multi-page rendering.

In case you missed it, Apex is Global Graphics’ new technology for rendering PDFs and other Page Description Languages (PDLs) natively on a GPU. It’s available as a powerful add-on to the Mako Core SDK and is designed to deliver exceptional performance and accuracy for modern high-volume workflows.

In my first demo, I showed Apex’s incredible speed when rendering a single page. In this latest video, I push Apex further — rendering hundreds of pages in just a few seconds.

Testing Apex on a 500-page Job

The demonstration begins with a label job created using STEPZ from Hybrid Software, consisting of 1,200 personalized pages. For speed, the demo focuses on the first 500 pages at 600 dpi.

First, I render the job using Jaws, Mako’s standard renderer. Jaws completes the task in about one minute — an impressive result in itself.

Then it’s time to switch to Apex.

Using the GPU-native renderer, Apex processes all 500 high-resolution pages in under 19 seconds — showcasing the extraordinary speed advantage Apex delivers when handling complex, multi-page jobs.

Rendering accuracy: Ghent Working Group test

To ensure that speed doesn’t come at the cost of accuracy, I also demonstrate Apex rendering the well-known Ghent Working Group (GWG) test PDF. This file is packed with challenging transparency, overprint settings, and complex graphics specifically designed to test rendering engines.

Apex generates a wrapped-raster PDF that can be easily proofed and printed without further processing. Reviewing the output in Acrobat Reader confirms that Apex maintains complete fidelity — no rendering errors, no artifacts, just perfect results.

See it for yourself. Watch the full video to see Apex in action!

To find out more about Apex visit: www.globalgraphics/apex

About the author

David Stevenson, product manager for Mako Core SDK at Global Graphics Software

David Stevenson is the product manager for Mako Core™ SDK and responsible for the performance component in Global Graphics Software’s SmartDFE™, the AI-accelerated Digital Front End for high-speed, single-pass, roll-to-roll inkjet presses.

Further reading:

  1. Introducing Mako Core v8 now with a revolutionary PDF renderer
  2. Film: Choosing a print Software Development Kit (SDK)

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