Array Technologies develops industrial inkjet solutions for transactional printing, where accuracy and speed are critical. Its architecture requires real-time, random-access rendering - selecting and printing any page from a variable-data PDF instantly at full press speed.

Unlike sequential workflows, there is no opportunity for pre-rendering or caching, creating strict latency constraints. Any delay risks press interruptions, data underruns, and material waste.

As the industry shifted to high-speed, full-color output, data volumes and processing complexity increased significantly, pushing traditional CPU-based rendering approaches beyond their performance limits.

Rather than scaling up costly CPU infrastructure, Array rethought its rendering approach. Building on its existing use of the Mako Core™ SDK, it integrated the GPU-native Apex renderer into its Raptor Controller. Apex enables high-speed, efficient processing of complex color PDFs, addressing the core performance bottleneck. Working closely with Helix, Array implemented Apex quickly by leveraging its existing Mako-based workflows and selectively refactoring its system. This allowed Array to enhance rendering performance without overhauling its entire architecture, while maintaining flexibility and control over its solution.

Apex attracted particular attention because of its ability to scale color rendering efficiently. Vice President of Array Joel Thomas explains: “Processing color data at very high speed is the real challenge. Once you solve that, you get all the benefits you already have for mono printing. Apex scales and handles complex color PDFs faster and more efficiently than our previous RIP.”