"As PDF technology has become more complex we've had to adapt," said Shiraz technical director Farshad Eshraghi. "Although it is expensive to integrate we decided to opt for the true Adobe engine as it uses the same core technology as InDesign and Acrobat and ensures that as new Adobe software is released our RIPs keep up to date."

The UK-based business has been working on the technology since April with beta testing over the summer. The plug in supports Acrobat 9 and PDF 1.7.

It claims it is the first vendor in the wide-format RIP space to ship a product, although Eshraghi said he expected other vendors would follow suit.

The adoption of the APPE makes it possible for the Shiraz RIP roadmap to incorporate forthcoming PDF technologies including PDF/VT for variable data personalised workflows.

Eshraghi said it had opted for the plug-in rather than a full upgrade of the core product as it was the quickest route to market and allowed customers more flexibility in trialling and buying the update.

"Some customers might not want it immediately and this way they can test it before upgrading," he said.

The plug in adds around 20% to the price of a RIP, costing £350 for the 64 Server version, the firm's £1,750 package for printers up to 64inches wide, and £450 for the £2,500 XL RIP, which supports any printer width.