Soft Proofing: Fact and Fiction

SOFT PROOFING seems to be causing at least some degree of discomfort in the in-plant world. Should we be offering it? How do we do it? What exactly is it?

We use soft proofing a lot at the University of Missouri. Our designers and a good number of our customers really like it.

We send PDF proofs to customers during the design stage. Our designer exports the job file into a PDF as soon as it is designed and sends it to the customer.

Soft proofs save customers money on one or possibly multiple sets of proofs. For example, the least expensive low-res proof you can get from us is $21. This adds up quickly if you proof several versions of a multiple-page newsletter.

When it comes to a final accurate four-color process proof, however, soft proofs very rarely replace a high-resolution printed proof in our in-plant. The main reason is that using soft proofs as final color proofs requires calibration of your customer’s computer monitor to the monitor being used in your prepress department. Many of our customers on campus can’t afford the latest versions of the software they are using. What are the chances of these budget-challenged customers buying an expensive monitor, calibration software, and then calibrating the monitor weekly? Just about zero.

Also, what would you give to your press operator to use as a color guide for the job if all of the color proofing was done on a computer screen? We like having the high-res proof for process color jobs for the press operators to use as a target for color, especially for press checks with the customer.

How does it work?

When we create soft proofs, our graphic designer exports the job in a PDF to a Web-based application we created that contains an electronic log of all of the soft proofs and their current status. Next, the PDF is sent internally as an e-mail to our customer service representative handling this particular job. The CSR reviews the soft proof and sends the customer an e-mail containing a link to our soft proof site. Our CSRs can go to this site any time and check the status of a particular soft proof.

Meanwhile, the customer receives the e-mail, clicks on the link and then views the PDF of the soft proof along with an electronic version of a proof sheet that is sent with each soft proof.

Our customers then handle the job in a number of ways. Our preferred method: the customer reviews the soft proof and returns it to the CSR electronically, either OK’d to print or with proof changes indicated as annotations (using Acrobat Reader-version 8). The customer uploads the PDF back to our site (the link was in the e-mail we sent) along with an electronic “proof sheet” that serves as a signed proof. Our system will alert the CSR that the soft proof is back and awaiting action on our part.

Even though this is the fastest and most efficient method, most of our customers don’t go through these steps since they often don’t have printing or graphic design backgrounds. Our designers usually need to talk the customer through the steps involved if the customer decides to use this method.

Another common scenario is this: The customer prints out the PDF on a desktop printer, notes any changes, signs the sheet and then faxes the printout of the soft proof back to our CSR. This works and still allows for fast turnaround of the proof. It also gives us a signed proof in case there is a question about the proof after the job is printed.

In other cases, the customer looks at the soft proof on his or her screen, calls the CSR and verbally conveys an OK or any changes needed. We don’t especially like this method because it can lead to misinterpretations and relies on verbal communication—something that doesn’t hold up very well if there is a disagreement about changes that were to have been made.

Spot Color: Ideal for Soft Proofing

Soft proofs work especially well with spot color jobs. A brochure using a PMS color + black, for example, is an ideal candidate for a soft proof. With these jobs, the color reproduction should not be an issue, but the design and layout of the job is important. So a soft proof can often be used as a final proof, allowing us to get onto press much more quickly.

We also have some customers who trust us to produce “pleasing color” even on four-color process jobs. This means they can OK the soft proof and we are comfortable proceeding using our press operators’ judgment to get the color right. Obviously you need to know (and trust) your customer pretty well to handle your soft proofing in this way. But it certainly gets the job from design to press in short order, which is very helpful these days.

Our designers tell me that once we’ve reached final approval we usually still send at least a low-res printed proof to most customers even if they have looked at soft proofs early on in the design process. Some customers simply like to look at the actual layout of the piece in its final size. They just can’t get that from a computer screen.

So soft proofing is definitely worthwhile for our in-plant, even if it isn’t utilized as a replacement for final printed proofs. Soft proofing saves our customers money and cuts hours and sometimes even days off the design stage of the production process. And these are hours and days we can really use in the press and bindery departments.