~~~ Proofing Guide ~~~

Proofing Guide



	A "Printer’s proof" is a preview of your press-ready file, allowing you to examine and confirm layout, text and content before your order is printed.


	We rely on your thorough inspection of these proofs to detect and correct errors. Orders will not go to press until we receive your proof approval. While we do our best to ensure that every project is done right, only you know your project well enough to make sure all the elements are in place.


	Different types of proofs are available and discussed below so you can choose the proof that fits your project best. We urge you to take the proofing phase seriously and check every document carefully. Once you have signed off on a final proof, you are giving us authorization to proceed with printing. After you have given us the approval to proceed, we will not re-print your job for any error you did not notice.


	Unless otherwise noted electronic PDF proofs are automatically included in your project’s cost. Electronic proofs are not intended to be accurate for colors; in fact we can safely say that the color won't closely match the final printed piece y. If accurate colors are important to you, please check the various hard copy proofs available. If you need further explanation, please contact our customer service department.

	Please Note: For your own protection as well as ours, we will not proceed to printing without your written approval of the final proof(s) provided by us.


	As electronic files are transferred over the internet, they can become corrupted, fonts substituted, images swapped. We don't want you to be, dissatisfied with your final printed product, so please take the time to thoroughly inspect the proof before you give your final approval.


	We have prepared a Proofing Checklist which you may want to use to better detect potential print problems. Please, don't hesitate to contact us with any questions concerns you may have.


	Printup Press & Graphics is currently offering the following soft and hard copy proofing options to meet the needs of a wide range of projects. The cost and time needed for each type of proof differs please be sure to check with us for costs and availability



Electronic Soft Proof

PDF proofs: (Portable Document Format) are files created in Adobe Acrobat Distiller and readable with Adobe Acrobat Reader. PDFs are the industry standard for file transfer and are our preferred format. Color fidelity of PDF files is affected by monitor calibration, lighting and use of Pantone® colors (Pantone® colors do not always appear as true on your screen). Therefore the color you see on screen may not appear as they do in print. However, PDFs provide a reasonable means for checking the accuracy of your files for print. If color accuracy is imperative for you project, you will want to select a hard copy proof. However, please be aware that there is an extra charge for a hard copy proof. Adobe Acrobat runs on both PC and Apple platforms and can be downloaded for free from www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.



Hard Copy Proofs

	Digital Imposition mock-up proofs: are useful when you need to make sure that pages or components of your design align properly. It is not usable for proofing colors. Printup Press & Graphics automatically includes a digital imposition proof for all projects to verify composition and content of your project. This type of proof is NOT intended as a color guide. Imposition proofs are printed on a light paper to check all artwork and text in position, as well as the trim and binding edges. However, Imposition mock-up proofs do not reflect the final paper stock.


Digital Epson Color Proofs: are more accurate for color than PDF soft proofs, which are viewed on your monitor. These proofs are especially useful for CMYK images, such as photographs, but are less accurate for illustrations, solids and specific Pantone® colors. Printup Press & Graphics does not guarantee that Epson proofs will match press sheet color. We only recommend them as an approximation for how your final job will print. Epson proofs are an additional cost. This type of hard proof has good color accuracy; however it should be considered a close approximation. When you approve and return the hard copy proof, we will strive to match the color of the proof when printing your final piece. However, we print to industry-wide "pleasing color" standards using standard ink densities. Also, paper brightness, paper type, applied coatings and ambient light can and will affect color.


	Press Proofs: are for projects where color and accuracy is critical to the piece; a press proof is the only proof that accurately shows what the final print job will look like. Press proofs are the most expensive proof alternative, but accurately show how the paper will affect the colors, the folding, trimming, etc. of the project.


Delivery of Proofs: Electronic PDF proofs are accessible to you online. They are viewed from a designated site on our server (we'll send you the URL when the proofs are ready for review) or by email. Hard copy proofs will be available to you in our facility or via delivery service for your approval as soon as possible, so that we can begin printing your project.


Corrections and Changes:

	If there are changes or corrections; you may proceed making the corrections yourself and send us new files we then may charge to reprocess the new files. Or you can ask us to make the changes for you we may charge for additional time. If you make any modifications to your original files, we will prepare a new round of proofs for you up until you approve the final proofs to print. Please remember that print production for your projects will not begin until we receive written sign off on the proofs and all agreed deliveries are time dependent on proof approvals.


Tips for Selecting Proofing Options:

	PDF proofs accurately render document layout, but are not necessarily dependable for judging color accuracy. Monitor calibration, lighting and the use of Pantone® colors can affect the color fidelity of PDFs.

	Epson digital color proofs offer a level of color fidelity consistent with "pleasing color" and are suitable for most color projects. Epson color accuracy and resolution are better than PDF but not as good as press proofs.


	Proofs will not match a specialty Pantone� color when that Pantone� color falls outside of the CMYK gamut. This means that certain Pantone� colors will never be completely accurate when converted to CMYK. If you need to have your PMS colors matched accurately, the job will need to be printed with Pantone� spot colors, not CMYK. This is usually more expensive and requires a custom quote. Be aware that hard proofs add time and cost.


	While hard proofs provide a better sense of color than online proofs, they are not intended to be, and cannot be, a precise color match to your final printed piece.

CUSTOMER PORTAL

printup press & graphics

1725 Berkeley Street
Santa Monica, CA 90404

t 310.453.8888

f 310.829.5500

info@printup.com