What should you look for in a proof?

Making sure your proofs are correct before you job is printed can save you a world of headaches. Here are some pointers.

The most important thing you can do to make sure that your printing order turns out the way you want is to ask the printer for a proof. A proof is a printout of how your order will look, complete with graphics, text and layout.

Although this depends upon the complexity of your order, proofs don't have to be much more than black and white computer paper printouts. Basic proofs are usually called pre-press proofs because the printer typically shows them to you before sending your order to the press to be made into printing plates. Pre-press proofs are cheap to produce - most printers will provide them to you for free.

Press proofs, that is, samples of how your final product will look with your chosen paper, are more expensive, especially if it is a full-color order.

Size
Are both the flat and folded sizes of the proof correct?

Folding
Is the blueline folded correctly?
Does all copy read correctly when the paper is folded?
Are all required scores and perforations indicated?

Copy
Are there any spelling or grammatical errors?
Are there any missing characters or broken type?

Page Order
Are the pages, including blanks, in the correct order?
Is all copy in the proper position on the page or panel?
Is the page number in the correct position on each page?
Are all margins straight or consistent?

Photos and Illustrations
Have all photos or illustrations been shot at the proper size and placed into position?
Are there any upside-down or flopped (mirror) images?
Does each image have the proper caption?
Do photographs fully touch the outline rules?

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