useful information

How to check proofs
your guide to foolproof proofing

Changes are a normal and desirable part of the creative process. You probably make many changes in your design before you send your job to Jade.

The following checklist should help you know what to look for each time you proof a dieline or colour proof.

First of all, is the piece the right size? Measure both dimensions.

Is it repaginated correctly? Are the page numbers right and in the proper position?

Does it fold correctly? If not, refold it and mark the folds. For example, A folds to A, B folds to B.

Do your crossover photos line up from page to page? Whenever an element jumps the gutter, there's the potential that the separated pieces will not meet exactly as they should to form one continuous image.

Are your photographs and graphics placed correctly?

Does the colour on your proof match the colour of your original separations?

Look at your photos by themselves. Do they look good even though they don't exactly match the originals? Does it matter that his shirt is a little more blue in the reproduction?

Do you have screens where you want them and are they at the correct percentages? If you ask us to build a PMS colour using process inks, make sure you are satisfied with the match.

Are there any obvious registration problems?

This is also a good time to do one final proof reading. Check your copy for any mistakes that may have not been corrected during your final proofing.

Also, if you ask to see a second proof after the initial changes have been made, assure yourself that your changes were made and check the entire proof again. It's possible to create an error while correcting another. Now that you know what to look for, how do you mark the changes?

First, lay down your pencil. Make your corrections with something that will call attention to them and be permanent. Don't use 'postit notes', they fall off.

Don't scribble out a mistake or cover it completely. It'll still be there! Just draw a line through it or circle it and pull the line out to the edge where you can write the correction (neatly). It helps us to know what is being corrected if we can actually see it.

If you want something moved up or down or left, tell us how much you want it moved. If you tell us to move a photograph down, it's up to us to determine how much. But if you tell us to move it down 5mm, there's no guessing involved.

Circle all holes or specks; please don't fill them or put an "X" through them.

Dieline paper is light-sensitive and will fade when overexposed. Keep it out of direct sun and protect it from strong light.

If you keep in mind that strange-looking acronym WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), and correct anything you don't want, there won't be any surprises during a press view. A good rule of thumb is to circle and question anything and everything that looks suspicious - assume nothing. Keep this handy and pull it out whenever you're faced with the tedious task of proofing and use it as a checklist. If you're a seasoned pro, review it once in a while just as a reminder.

SYMBOLS FOR CORRECTING PROOFS

PREPARING ELECTRONIC ART
Your checklist

• Have you included all screen and printer fonts used on both your document and within any EPS files imported into your document?
• Have you checked your separated lasers to make sure your colours separate and trap correctly?
• Have you all imported graphics files - EPS, TIFF, etc - (original Freehand illustration files as well as their EPS files should be supplied).
• Have you checked colours to process separate for 4 colour process printing (if required)?
  Note: All Photoshop scans supplied for 4 colour printing must be CMYK not RGB.
• Have you deleted unnecessary colours not used in document from colour palette?
• Have you supplied a composite FINAL laserproof with colours indicated and a complete set of separated laser prints?
• Have you included all your pictures to be scanned, with scalings, positions and cropping clearly marked?
  Note: Client supplied material for electronic prepress output is not archived by Jade unless arranged.

IMPORTANT

Files with insufficient data cannot be processed.
If requested, and agreed to by Jade, any additional work required on computer files will be charged on an hourly basis and will obviously incur delays.
Please check your files carefully before supplying them to us, as Jade is only outputting artwork prepared by you. Our staff take great care with your work, but we cannot be held responsible for technical inaccuracies or errors generated from your files.
Please ring if you have any concerns, and make us aware of any possible problems with your documents

PAPER SIZES

The introduction of greater regularity into paper sizes stemmed from the fact the old sizes of paper grew out of the days of hand made papers, sizes had names such as Royal, Crown, foolscap, post, Demy etc.

In the 1920's Germany began the standardisation with the introduction of “Deutsche Industrie Normen” (D.I.N.). DIN was subsequently replaced by “International Organization for Standardization” (I.S.O.).

The advantages of standardization are obvious for efficiency of paper production and printing equipment, print production, storage, etc., hence “International Paper Sizes” (I.P.S.) was born.

The standardized system produced paper sizes based on 3 series A, B & C, but all of the same proportion.

“A” series are the most popular and most practical, “B” series was intended for larger items such as posters and Maps but is not very popular or practical and the “C” series are the envelope sizes designed to compliment the “A” series.

The “A” series uses the AO sheets as its starting point. AO has an area of one square metre, each succeeding size smaller is exactly half the area ans retains the same proportion ie. A2 is half A1 and so on. All the sizes have the rectangular proportions of 1 to the square root of 2 (1.4142), thought by the ancient Greeks to be “The Golden Square”, (The Perfect Rectangle).

PAPER & ENVELOPE SIZES