It is crucial to meticulously check for quality and accuracy in printing before proceeding to the final production stage.. A single mistake in design, color or text can lead to financial or time loss whether you are printing business cards, banners, signs or brochures. Proofing plays a important role in this type of situation, as it serves as the safeguard to ensure that the final product matches the client's expectations. First of all lets understand the meaning of proof in printing.
Proofing is the process of producing a sample of the product before starting the final production to check for errors. It allows both client and the print company to find and correct issues related to color, quality, text and design. Proofing saves both time and money as well as also ensures client satisfaction. Proofing also helps to build trust between print company and customer by ensuring that what the customer sees is what they'll get in the final product.
Mistakes could be costly in proofing where you have to print hundred or even thousand of copies. You can imagine printing thousand copies of business cards and then you find the color does not match the expectation of the client. Proofing is actually useful in these types of situation. Some major benefits of proofing are as follows:
Avoiding Errors: Proofing helps us to find mistakes such as spelling mistakes and color inaccuracy before committing to full print.
Material Selection: Some proofs, especially physical proofs, help clients to evaluate the quality of the material or paper.
Cost and Time Saving: By finding out the mistakes early, it actually saves the cost for reprint and avoid delays for both company and clients.
There are different types of proofing in printing which have different purpose depending on the project and its complexity.
Soft Proof: A soft proof is a digital representation of the final print product which could be shared online. These types of proofs are mostly on PDF files and mostly used in initial stages of printing.
Hard Proof: A hard proof is a physical version of proof allowing customers to feel and see how the final product will exactly look. This type of proofs is crucial for those projects which depends on color accuracy and materials quality.
Contract Proof: This is a specialized type of proof that serves as a binding agreement between print company and a customer. This is the final step before the order goes to full production. It guarantees the proof will match the final production in terms of color accuracy, quality and other terms.
Press Proof: Press proof is produced on the actual printing press using the final inks and materials that will be used in the full run. This is one of the most expensive type of proofs which are typically used for very high-quality or large scale printing projects.
Proofing is an important part of printing process, it comes with its own challenges and difficulties. Here are some proofing challenges discussed below.
Color Discrepancies: As discussed earlier, digital proofs often struggle to represent true color. This issue may arise due to CMYK color profiles may appear different than the original color. Another reason for color discrepancy is most offices does not have latest color printers which are not calibrated for color-cited works.
Material Differences: Some proofs does not reflect the actual material, weight or quality of the final product
Time Consuming: Proofing can be time consuming mostly for large projects, proofing may have to go through different personnel to get approval. If certain changes have to be done then it will take more time.
Communication Issue: Miscommunication between the print company and the customers can result in errors being overloaded during the proofing stage.
Proofing is equally important as estimating to print shops. When it comes to ensuring the proofing process is smooth and hassle free print company needs strong software that not only makes proofing easier but also reduces the chances of errors. This is where Ordant’s proofing module comes to play. Ordant’s proofing module is designed to keep everything organized and transparent for both print company and customer. Ordant’s proofing module allows for easy upload and sharing of digital proofs. Customers can review their proofs online, leave comments, annotate , disapprove or approve them directly within the software. This eliminates the need for back-and-forth emails and keeps everything centralized in one system. Customers can also compare multiple versions of a proof at the same time. Both the printer and the client can leave comments and feedback directly on the proof. Changes are easy to track, and everyone involved can see the progress in real-time.
Proofing is an essential part of the printing process. It helps to rectify the errors before they become costly mistakes. Whether you are reviewing digital proof or any type of proof, the main objective is to deliver accuracy and quality. Ordant’s proofing module goes step ahead to make the proofing process faster, easier and simpler. Ordant helps print shops save time, reduce errors, and deliver high-quality results every time.