How Can Each Printing Proof Improve Your Approval Process?

Though the digital landscape has exploded into the omnipresent power that it is today, we still (assuming the Matrix isn’t real) live in a material world. This isn’t to say the two aren’t deeply intertwined – they are. Advancing technology impacts every aspect of our lives, and it has led to higher standards for both the digital and physical spheres. How then, do we keep printed material up to par with digital material? Attention to detail, good design, and a rigorous printing proof process.

The importance of a printing proof cannot be understated – a reprint can be a financial disaster. Luckily, reprints are usually avoidable. According to printing professionals, 90% of all reprints are caused by poor proofing – so if you adequately proof along the way, the risk of needing a reprint is significantly reduced.

Types of Proofs

Printing proofs, early versions of a printed project, are a great way to get an idea of what you’re making. A thorough printing proof process will help make sure your vision and your final product are aligned. Which type of proof you use will vary depending on your project and where you are in the process. You don’t have to include all of these different proofs in every project, but you can use any combination to tailor the process to your requirements.

Soft Proofs

From an economical standpoint, soft proofs are the best option. These electronic proofs come in the form of a PDF or similar digital file to be viewed on a computer screen. This allows for a much faster turnaround compared to other proofing options; once created, they can be immediately sent out via review link for approval through email, Slack, or even AirDrop if you’re in the same room. If you’ve ever had to wait around for a dozen people to approve your work (or more realistically, completely change it), you know that saving time in that process is something to be cherished.

From a quality standpoint, soft proofs are not the best. As they are viewed digitally instead of physically, the colors don’t tend to provide an accurate representation of the final printed piece. This doesn’t make them useless—they just shouldn’t be the only proof you use, and they definitely shouldn’t be the final approval before printing.

Soft proofs are perfect for early iterations of your work. They can offer you a good idea of the final product, but not an exact replica. Since they are easy to create and share, soft proofs are excellent for working out design elements with customers in the earlier stages, such as fonts, text, images, graphics, placement, and layout. They are also ideal for simple projects with only a few pages, minimal colors, and straightforward design elements (like flyers, business cards, or coupons).

Hard Proofs

Hard proofs are similar to a rough draft in printing. These proofs are physically printed, but on a cheaper printer than your final project will use. Though the colors aren’t exactly the same (due to the different printer), hard proofs look very close to the real thing.

Almost every printed project should be preceded by a hard proof—especially projects with more complex elements, such as folded pamphlets, brochures, and books. Some things just don’t translate well from digital to print, and since hard proofs are inexpensive to make, they’re a smart safeguard.

Plotter Proofs

Plotter proofs are created on a high-quality ink-jet printer. Unlike hard proofs, these can be trimmed, bound, and printed in various sizes so you can see if your work scales well to the intended size. Though they cost more than hard proofs, they’re less expensive than high-resolution proofs and provide a close approximation of the final work.

The downside is that they are still a low-resolution proof, meaning colors won’t be perfectly accurate. Still, they are a very good indicator of what the final piece will look like.

High-Resolution Proofs

High-resolution proofs, also known as digital proofs, show a near-exact representation of the final printed colors and design elements. They are more expensive than other proof types, but they offer a reliable preview of the final result.

These should generally be used only once the design is close to finalized, as creating multiple high-resolution proofs can be costly. They are especially useful for making sure colors are accurate in the late stages of production.

Press Proofs

Press proofs are the crème de la crème of printing proofs. Made on the same printer as the final job, they are virtually identical to the finished product. However, they are also the most expensive and time-consuming to produce.

Because of their cost, press proofs are usually reserved for the very final stage of approval—particularly for large or high-stakes projects where a reprint would be costly. They are the last opportunity for customers and designers to catch mistakes before committing to a full production run. Spending a little extra at this stage can prevent wasting your entire printing budget on unusable work.

Improve Your Proofing Process With Ashore

Creating beautiful printed work often requires multiple proofs, many approvals, and countless iterations before landing on the perfect design. If you have a decade or two to spare, that’s fine—but most of us don’t. As a digital proofing software, Ashore isn’t going to help with your physical proofs, but we have everything you need for any type of soft proof—PDF, JPEG, IMG, or even a large digital prepress proof.

Our markup tools, contextualized comments, and version control make soft proofing smooth and efficient. No more vague feedback or messy email threads. You can pinpoint exactly what needs to be changed, and keep every revision organized.

Sign up for your free Ashore account today and start proofing smarter.