Andy Cave Email & Phone Number

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Gb

Went back to doing what I love the most - working with RIPs, CtP, plates, presses, etc...Started Hamillroad Software Ltd in the UK as a sister company to Hamillroad Software CC in SA, creating / developing three products over 12+ years. Involved in just about everything - software development, testing, qa, documentation, marketing, sales, contracts, web site, support, finance, business development, etc...Developed a significant amount of FirstPROOF, a high performance virtual pre-press soft-proofing product packed with a large number of sophisticated pre-press tools; in particular developed most of the core engine.Developed LightningTIFF, a high-performance replacement for the Hqn TIFF plugin which runs significantly faster (around 2-4x or more).Researched and developed Auraia, pioneering work into Digitally Modulated (DM) Screening (DMS). Auraia DMS is by far the highest quality, most robust screening solution that exists, out-performing Staccato (Kodak), Sublima (Agfa), Concentric (Esko), etc... It is a genuine hybrid-stochastic screen, taking advantage of the best attributes from AM (structure), FM (high image detail), XM (guaranteed hilite/shadow dots), CS (ink saving) and GS (interlocking dots) screening. It's main key attributes are high image quality (400-500 lpi equivalent) and easy to run on press, along with inherent ink saving of 10-20% (on top of any from GCR / ink saving s/w).Auraia is now rolling out and being implemented/used by numerous printers on a worldwide basis, including companies such as Crystal Media (commercial / lenticular - Australia), Horton Media (newspaper - New Zealand), Knopp (commercial - Germany), Cuno (commercial - Germany), Times Colonist (newspaper - Canada), StarPress (newspaper - Canada), La Voz de Galicia (newspaper - Spain), Sharmans (newspaper - UK), Parkes (commercial - UK) and at many more commercial / newspaper printers all around the world.

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, Gb

Despite having no background in h/w or asic design, took over running / leading the development at ART, which covered high level s/w, low level s/w, h/w design and asic design. Put in place a team of group managers to lead each area and build the team from around 15 to around 30 people.Got directly involved in improving the s/w development methodology, learnt C++ and worked on some of the internals of RenderDrive. Also make significant changes / improvements to the Maya RenderDrive interface plugin.Left when an expected funding round didn't materialise at the time of the dot-com crash and several investors got into trouble and pulled out, effectively forcing the business into administration. Subsequently the business was bought out, but by then I'd moved on.

Joined Harlequin when it was a small 12 people company specialising in AI / LISP. Brought my University project of a PostScript RIP with me and founded the Harlequin RIP / division. Developed all the initial Level 1 PS interpreter, rasterizer and screening, including both band device and frame device. Designed all the highly efficient display list structures and rasterisation methods which are still broadly used to this day - the Hqn RIP is widely recognized as being the fastest there is.Built up the s/w development team over 12 years from 1 to something around 40. Continued to develop high performance additions, such as the initial PDF reader, HPS2, basic image handling code, parts of Level 2 and parts of Level 3 PostScript interpreter.In addition to the s/w development work, assisted in the sales & marketing, helping to build up a large OEM base that included lots of well known industry names - Autologic, ECRM, Xenetron, Linotype, Xitron, etc...Left when Global Graphics took over and it was time for a change.