Colour Proofing
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• Colour proofing is a critical stage in the development of a computer file to the finished job. During the design phase, you may have approved a colour laser output mock-up of your piece and your expectation is that what you see is what the final printed piece will look like.
The truth is that the colour from a colour laser printer may not exactly match the colour from an offset press.
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PROOFS FOR DIGITAL PRINTING
• With a digitally printed proof for a job which will be printed on our digital presses, it is very straightforward; the proof is the actual printed copy. So what you see is what you get.
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PROOFS FOR OFFSET PRINTING
• Colour proofing methods for offset printing are improving all the time. The printer must maintain colour consistency from the file to the proof to the plate to the printing press where the ink is put on the paper to closely match your desired colour. Offset printing is not an exact science; not surprising considering that the process is mixing oil and water.
Xerox Laser Proofs • Xaser proofs are a very economical way to proof offset printwork. They provide a close representation of what will be printed. Laser proofs are ideal for jobs that are not colour-critical.
Emailed PDF Proofs • PDF proofs are a great way of speeding up the proofing process. They don’t however provide a colour-accurate representation as every computer monitor is callibrated differently.
Hi Res Digital Plotter Proofs • These proofs are made using a digital process whereby our colour plotter has been callibrated to match as closely as possible to our offset presses. The final piece produced on the printing press using CMYK or PMS spot colour inks may not always match exactly due to the difference between the proofing and printing processes and variables such as substrate and inks used.
Press Proofs • If colour accuracy is a high priority for you, then consider coming in to our printing plant for a “press proof” to see the actual printed sheet as it is being set up before the actual print run commences. This is the best way to see what you are going to get.
