Xitron, a subsidiary of Hybrid Software Group and the developer of Harlequin-based Navigator RIP and workflow products for commercial, flexo, screen, digital, and high-speed inkjet printing, has announced the Version 14 release of their Navigator RIP. Nearing almost 50,000 installations worldwide, Navigator is one of the most popular RIPs in service today and is the foundation for Xitron’s full slate of prepress workflow products.

Under development for more than three years, Navigator version 14 introduces support for PDF/X-6, PDF/X-VT3, and Color Exchange Format (CxF), as well as interpretive speed improvements. It is also the core technology for every product Xitron will demonstrate at the upcoming drupa trade fair in Dusseldorf, Germany, from May 28-June 7. Navigator 14 will begin shipping April 30.

“The Navigator name is recognized by printers around the world as an extremely stable, economical, and performance-oriented RIP platform,” says Eric Nelsen, VP of product development at Xitron. “For those and many other reasons, you’ll find it operating in every printing environment from mom and pop screen printers to mega-printing companies with names everyone recognizes. The improvements in this latest iteration simply cement its legacy.”

“Having Version 14 completed will be pivotal for our introduction of a new product at drupa,” states Karen Crews, president of Xitron. “While I cannot comment on specifics before the official launch, I can say that Navigator will be taking a great leap forward in the commercial prepress market with this release.”

From April 1 forward, all Navigator RIPs sold around the world are automatically licensed for version 14.

Customers will be able to download the installer from a link on www.xitron.com. For customers with older versions of Navigator, upgrade specials will be announced, including incentives to pair the upgrade with Xitron’s recently announced IntelliTrap workflow module. Released in March, IntelliTrap moves trapping out of the RIP and into PDF files as they enter the workflow, speeding up the process and providing interaction opportunities for operators.