Proofing - online vs color vs B&W

scotts

Well-known member
We use a variety of proofing methods for our customers. As a commercial printer, we serve a wide range of clients—business, education, government, and personal—with very different skill levels and expectations. There’s no magic bullet when it comes to proofing. It often feels less like a precise solution and more like shooting a recurve bow at a car going 60 mph: even if you hit it, the arrow might bounce off—or break.

At this point, we’re simply re‑evaluating how we handle proofs. We want to understand how others are approaching customer proofing and get a sense of where the market is headed. No need to name specific services.

Currently, most customers receive a PDF via email. Some also get a black-and-white laser proof to show imposition or backup. We use GoFoldIt to demonstrate folding or pagination, and some customers receive a physical book proof. Those can come from our inkjet book proofer, our digital press, and occasionally an Epson color proof as well.

As you can imagine, this can involve a lot of steps and a lot of proofs moving back and forth. In today’s environment, that process can be time-consuming. And, of course, there are always customers who don’t want proofs at all.
 
A spectro calibrated Epson can get you pretty close. Generally a pdf with pantone call outs gets the job done since most customers don'twant to pay for a press proof. I have used Esko webcenter at larger shops for online proofing but now you're looking at enterprise software. Do you charge for digital press proofs?
 
A spectro calibrated Epson can get you pretty close. Generally a pdf with pantone call outs gets the job done since most customers don'twant to pay for a press proof. I have used Esko webcenter at larger shops for online proofing but now you're looking at enterprise software. Do you charge for digital press proofs?
Yes, we do charge for digital press proofs.
 
What Epson do you use and do you find that it needs to be calibrated frequently? In the past, I have used the P9500 with inline spectro and that was the best device I have ever worked with for reliable results.
 
We have a P5000 (small) and a P9570 (large), both with an inline spectro. And the color stays pretty consistent. The P5000 gets most of the work and also most of the repairs. I believe we have replaced one in the past 3 times under warranty. The current one has only been replaced once. Really nice to have the extended warranty.
 
We have a P5000 (small) and a P9570 (large), both with an inline spectro. And the color stays pretty consistent. The P5000 gets most of the work and also most of the repairs. I believe we have replaced one in the past 3 times under warranty. The current one has only been replaced once. Really nice to have the extended warranty.
Majority of our proofs are Digital. We have a 9570 with inline spectro also driven by fiery XF. Ours stays pretty consistant also. Think we've had it for 3 years at this point. Sometimes our customers will request an Epson proof, but we mostly use those to the press so they know what to shoot for. What kind of rip do you run your printers with?
 
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