Available with immediate effect, the new release builds on Onyx 18, which was commercialised in June 2018 a month after its launch at Fespa in Berlin.

The US developer said Onyx 18.5 is the first wide-format RIP to embrace APPE 5.1, which enables users to benefit from the latest technological advancements for complete design-to-print workflows including high-impact colour rendering, smoother edges for graphics and enhanced Unicode support.

It also supports PDF 2.0 features including black-point compensation, half-tone origin, special data for spot colours, and page-level output intent.

Other enhancements include performance gains with 2x faster RIP speeds and 5x faster production speeds, increased iccMAX compatibility with support for third-party files, and added spot colour vibrancy with Relative Gamut Mapping chroma preservation.

QuickSet application library management, meanwhile, increases automation, enabling users to get to sellable prints faster.

Onyx Graphics director of product marketing Bryan Manwaring said the new release would enable users to “differentiate themselves from their competition”.

“Helping our customers stay ahead of the curve as well as enabling them to take advantage of unrivalled RIP and production speeds are achievements that can greatly benefit their operations for years to come,” he added.

Onyx 18.5 is available for the company’s entire product portfolio, including its Onyx Thrive print workflow and Onyx ProductionHouse, Onyx PosterShop and Onyx RIPCenter RIP software.

Customers can purchase an Onyx 18.5 software license or upgrade from a previous version by requesting a key update through the Onyx Advantage software maintenance programme.