NEWS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

7th January, 2008

HAMILLROAD SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES SUPPORT
FOR ESKO FLEX RIP / LEN FILES
IN FIRSTPROOF

Hamillroad Software, the world leader in pre-press soft-proofing products for Harlequin ¹ and TIFF ²based RIPs, is pleased to announce that it has added support for Esko's Flex RIP / LEN files³ as part of the release of FirstPROOF v5.0. This allows operators of Esko RIP's driving CDI output devices to utilize the power of FirstPROOF to accurately proof jobs before printing, thereby reducing errors and saving time and money. Furthermore, with the introduction of the color management capabilities in version 5, color accurate press-side soft-proofing can be used to completely eliminate hard-copy proofs.

Running on both Mac (OS9 and OSX) and PC (NT, 2000, XP and Vista) platforms, FirstPROOF provides extremely high-performance viewing capabilities together with an unsurpassed set of tools for checking jobs before printing. Tools exist for checking content, blank separations, page orientation, positive/negative imaging, object alignment, screening, screen moire, content moire, smoothness of blends/vignettes, line widths, object sizes, OPI image replacement, font usage, traps, overprints, black traps, barcodes, over inking, under inking (minimum dot), cylinder seams, duplex alignment, dot gain, densities and color. Detection of these and many other problems, made easy by FirstPROOF's powerful tools, allows for a substantial reduction in errors and hard-copy proofing, leading to significant savings in time and money.

For further details, please see our web site at: http://www.hamillroad.com/main/products/firstproofguide.htm.

Furthermore, the new color management capabilities introduced in FirstPROOF v5.0 allow for color accurate soft-proofing, which can be used alongside the press for printing to, as well as in pre-press. The innovative method⁴ implemented in FirstPROOF allows for fast spectral profiling of an output device in a matter of seconds (using an inexpensive spectrophotometer such as the Eye-One Pro) without having to print a special press test chart. The need for hard-copy proofs press-side can therefore be completely eliminated, leading to further savings in time and money.

For further details, please see our web site at: http://www.hamillroad.com/main/products/firstproofcolor.htm.

"Over the last few years as the tool set in FirstPROOF has become ever more powerful, we have had a number of requests to support Esko's Flex RIP / LEN file format." comments Andy Cave, Hamillroad Software's CEO. "We're really pleased to be able to announce that we've done just that and offer our product to a wider audience, especially in the packaging and label markets where the power and range of tools available in FirstPROOF are a natural fit".

FirstPROOF v5.0  was released in December 2007 and is available through Hamillroad Software's dealer network.
For further details, please see our web site at: http://www.hamillroad.com/main/sales/dealers.htm.

FirstPROOF v5.0 has also been made available to Hamillroad Software's OEM sales partners.
Specific information on their release plans can be obtained direct from the individual OEMs.
For further details, please see our web site at: http://www.hamillroad.com/main/sales/OEMs.htm).

Notes to the Editor

About Hamillroad Software:

Hamillroad Software is an independent software group, with offices in Cambridge, UK and Cape-Town, South Africa. The company specialises in the development and sale of software products relating to Harlequin and other RIPs in the pre-press industry. Offering real value for money, Hamillroad Software's FirstPROOF is the first in a series of products that will dramatically change the way users work, making them much more productive. For more information on Hamillroad Software and its products please visit their web site at http://www.hamillroad.com.

For further information, please contact:

Andy Cave, Chief Executive Officer.
Hamillroad Software Limited.
Office: +44 (0)1223 236272.
Mail: andy.cave@hamillroad.com
Website: www.hamillroad.com

ENDS

(1) Harlequin is a trademark of Global Graphics Software Limited, which may be registred in certain jurisdictions
(2) TIFF is a trademark of Adobe Systems Inc.
(3) Esko Flex RIP and LEN are trademarks of Esko-Graphics (now EskoArtwork). All other names are trademarks of their respective owners
(4) Hamillroad intends to file at least one patent in the USA on the innovative color management solution found in FirstPROOF.