Industry insiders agree that the price/performance of the current proofing technology has been significantly improved over the past. In the words of Martha Stewart: "This is a good thing." These changes have transformed the proofing process from an island-like simulation process to a modern technology that can be integrated with all digital workflows. Proofing has penetrated every step of the creative, prepress and printing process we use today.
The advancement of technology has strengthened the communication between people, but the successful implementation of color management not only requires the printing companies to introduce advanced tools, but also requires users to have the ability to use and manage these companies. The lack of any one aspect will lead to the inconsistency of industry standards and the failure of color management in the proofing process. Although the concept of using a unified standard to verify proofs has been recognized by most people in the United States and Europe and has been widely used, a print customer in Europe stated: “There are 80% of jobs in When it was sent to the printing factory, it was unimaginable that it was not equipped with qualified proofs. A printing factory was actually a manufacturing factory. It used industrial processes to reproduce products that were consistent with the originals, and the printing factories and customers The only contract document is a signature proof. Just as no one will drive an uninsured car, you can't start printing before you get proofs that have been validated."
The purpose of proofing
In a particular production environment, the type of color management depends mainly on the location of the proof and how it is used in the workflow. At the creation or design stage, the computer's display can provide designers with a certain degree of proofing. Next, the file inspection or preflight software "validates" the file. Although this may not be proof in the traditional sense, it is indeed a proof. After the user has checked whether the font in the file is correct, the high-resolution image is clear, and the page is regular, the file can be used for RIP output.
During the prepress process, staff often need to use a rough proof to quickly check the page element so that it can correct its color before sending it to the customer for inspection. Although the same sheet and initial proofs are generally produced on the same device, sometimes we can produce colors that are very close to the original on a less-prepared color printer.
In the next workflow, the staff will check the content and format of each page with content or typesetting. In this case, whether it is a color proof or a black and white laser proofing, can meet the user's requirements.
Depending on the workflow and the product, people may also use the same sheet in later programs. This proofing can be used as a contract document between the printing house and the printing customer, making clear provisions on the final color and page content of the printed matter. After printing customers can sign proofs, the printing plant can be officially put into production. In addition, the operator of the printing press also needs to use the same sheet as a reference to adjust the printing color.
Imposition proofing (formerly known as "blue line proofing") is mainly used to determine whether the proofs meet the processing requirements of the job, such as: double-sided printing before and after the registration, imposition order, folding, cutting and binding Wait. Historically, imposition proofing has also been used by people to correct the copy and content in the final stage.
For some important jobs, printers or print buyers may still require the use of proofs produced on the press, and even go to the shop for on-site inspections during print production. For example, consumer product packaging companies may check whether the printed page matches the previous product before signing the sample.