Above: Hybrid Software’s Brenton King (l) and Jacques Staelens (r)

Hybrid Software has released version 10.5 of PACKZ, with the prepress software now including several interactive new tools and features to elevate processes and enable seamless automation of the workstation.

Hybrid Software Australasia sales manager Brenton King hosted a webinar for local attendees, highlighting the new and improved features.

PACKZ is a PDF editor for labels and packaging that makes designs print-ready for any printing process. PACKZ aims to enrich designs with priming and finishing separation, handles ink sets and object-based screening, applies trapping and generates dynamic marks and panels.

The application also produces unique seasonal packaging and personalised labels with the VDP wizard, produces warp and 3D visualisations, and optimises substrate utilisation using numerous step and repeat solutions.

In this new dot release, the company has included 98 unique features and enhancements, including colour management such as improved colour profiles embedding spectral data, enhanced barcode functionality, advanced step and repeat capabilities, and some smaller changes to layout and functionalities.

It includes a new Packzimizer option for free nesting for carton and sign and display. In the webinar, King described how to utilise Packzimizer to efficiently handle complex shapes and optimise layouts – ensuring maximum practicality and cost-effectivity.

In addition, more automation is enabled with Content XML syntax and Pactions, such as text box and barcodes controls.

“All of these enhancements – big or small – make a user’s life easier, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” King said.

“These enhancements help to take your prepress to the next level.”

Any user that has a maintenance contract with Hybrid Software that is valid from 1 January this year can download PACKZ 10.5 at any stage.

The PACKZ product family also includes PACKFLOW, a prepress automation product with CLOUDFLOW, and PACKZVIEW, which is a free application for instant preview of complex multi-page PDF files.  

Here are some screenshots of some of the software’s capabilities: