So your design is finished and you’ve sent it to the printing company. When is it a good idea to press check, to be there in person to OK the printed sheet before the whole job is complete?
When is it a Good Idea to Press Check?
- When achieving a certain color is critical.
- When printing some pastels and certain metallic colors.
- When using a specialized coating or a stock shade that can change the color of the ink.
- When Moving an existing job from one printer to another and the new run needs to match the old run.
Color Critical Issues:
Some colors can be difficult to accurately render on a proof. If your print job has a critical color that needs to be matched, talk with your printer ahead of time and discus your objective prior to the press check. When it comes time to press check, the printer can be prepared and the press check will run smoothly and efficiently.
Many PMS colors don’t render accurately on proofs. Have the printer provide actual ink samples (known as “draw downs”) on a sample of the actual stock. Review the printers proof for everything but the PMS color accuracy. Then, review the ‘draw downs’ to ensure the color is exactly what you want. If you need to have the color changed, do it now before you get on press!
Moving a job from one printer to another:
If you are moving an existing job from one printer to another and the new run needs to match the old one then, provide one of the press sheets printed sample from the prior run along with the electronic files to the new printer. If you have a press sheet with the “color bar” (that’s the strip of colors that runs along the edge of the sheet before being trimmed), all the better. Many times the old press run does not match the proof and this way your printer can match the proof or match the prior press run.
If you would like to discus your particular situation with a Clear Print representative (at no charge, whether we are printing this for you or not), please call (818) 709-1220 and ask for Geoff, Blaine or Vanessa.
