The Art of Business: In Praise of Proofing

Eric J. Adams

If you’ve been in the design world for any length of time, you’ve probably winced more than once at a content or visual error that somehow escaped your eagle eye and made it to the published page. Lord knows, we’ve had our share here at Creativepro, some so minor that only a professional copy editor would catch it, others so glaring Shakespeare’s monkeys could point them out.

Whether you’re creating a simple newsletter or a complex four-color magazine, proofing is an imperative step in the publishing process, and a critical step, we would argue, in the business process as well. If your work is punctuated by an obvious error or a pattern of errors, you will, at best, be the object of some serious anger, and at worst, you’ll lose the client.

Proofing also has a financial dimension; it can save you big by helping you determine before publication who should be responsible for the fix — you, the content provider, or the printer. For this reason alone, designers should have some expertise in the tedious art of proofing.

And here it is in a nutshell.

Proofing 101
The kind and quantity of proofs you need depends on a number of factors including the complexity of the publication, the media, color accuracy needed, internal or external approvals required, the technology used, and your production values.

Proofs can be generated on any number of devices from office ink jet printers and laser printers to specialized high-end inkjet and dye-sublimation printers designed specifically for digital files.

Of course, proofing can be done directly on your monitor, a method that can be of great assistance because you can zoom in on problem areas. On the other hand, monitor color will never exactly match ink on paper and there’s just something about hard copy that helps you spot discrepancies and errors.

Here are typical proofing stages, though you may find the need for several more, depending on the scope and quality of the project:

• Comprehensive presentation materials. “Comps” show design and color intent, and are typically prepared digitally to show article layouts.
• Initial client proof. These show formatted text and graphic elements in their position, designed to give design and content providers a first look at pages.
• Corrected client proof. These are proofs following the corrections made in last round; consequently you may end up with several corrected client proofs.
• Final client proof. The most important elements on this proof are the signatures of those involved in the approval cycle, indicating there are no more changes to make.
• Final prepress proof. If needed, these are made from film and will represent as best as is possible the final look of the publication.It’s not enough just to generate proofs. Everyone in the proofing process has to do his or her part. You, as well as the client’s art director, should review and approve all proofs, manage the status of proofs and make sure the right types of proofs are being used. Content providers, meanwhile, are responsible for checking for content errors and reviewing all subsequent proofs to verify that any preexisting mistakes have been corrected.When making changes to a proof, use a permanent marker or pen in a color that has not already been used by the printer. Stay away from “sticky notes” that can fall off when making changes. Mark directly on the proof (preferably outside the image area) or on notes taped securely in areas that do not obscure copy. Provide hardcopy of all replacement pages (along with appropriate electronic media).

  Proofing Checklist
  Here’s a proofing checklist provided, in part, by www.printbuyersonline.com:

  1. Proof ticket: Check the proof ticket to make sure quantities, PMS colors, substrate (i.e. paper type and brand) and other specifications are listed accurately.

  2. Design: Do all design elements work as planned (rule length, thickness, type placement, etc.)?

  3. Copy:

  • Are there any typos or grammatical errors?
• Are there any missing characters or broken type? Widows or orphans?
• Are company name, address, phone and fax numbers, or other easily missed items correct?4. Pages:
  • Are the pages, including blanks, in the correct order?
• Is all the copy in the proper position on the page or panel?
• Is the correct page number in the correct position on each page?
• Are all margins straight and consistent?5. Dust Spots/Crop Marks: Are there any dust spots, crop marks, registration marks, editor’s marks, or dirt marks showing?6. Photos/Illustrations/Strip-Ins:
  • Have all photos, illustrations, or other strip-ins been shot at the proper size and placed in the correct position?
• Has all FPO (For Position Only) art been replaced?
• Are there any upside-down or flopped images?
• Does each image have the proper caption?
• If outline rules are being used, do photographs fully touch them?
• Do any photos or illustrations require any additional kind of proof to show image quality?7. Solids/Screens/Bleeds/Reverses :
  • Are there any dust spots, holes, or uneven light/dark areas in solids or screens?
• Are all screens in place?
• Do all bleeds extend to the edge?
• Have all reverses been made?8. Color Breaks and Registration:
  • Are the correct colors of ink indicated properly?
• Do areas of different ink colors align (“register”) properly?9. Paper/Ink Color/Quantity: Does the approval slip correctly specify paper, ink, and quantity?Take the time to proof your work properly, and you’ll cut down dramatically on the number of avoidable, and potentially embarrassing mistakes. Someone later will inevitably bring them to you’re attention (did you catch the mistake in the second to last word of this sentence. If you did, good job!).