Explain what a proof is and discuss the use of proofs in the printing process.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

A proof is a copy of a document that you can examine to check color, layout, spelling and other details before printing the final copy. A hard proof simulates what your final output will look like on a printing press. Sometimes called a proof print, or a match print, a hard proof is produced on an output device that is less expensive to operate than a printing press. Some ink-jet printers have the resolution necessary to produce inexpensive prints that can be used as hard proofs. Hard proofs need to fit on the page of the proof printer, so it sometimes is necessary to scale the proof. Alternatively, if you need to see a full-size proof, you may be able to tile or poster print the image, printing smaller portions of the image, each on its own sheet of paper, but at actual size. Be careful about judging color with a desktop printer. Less-expensive printers sometimes produce output that does not represent the screen color accurately. For example, lower-quality printers can produce a blue hue that appears lightly purple; red hues sometimes appear orange. Users should be aware that the use of inferior printers could result in somewhat false or misleading output — sometimes indicating problems where none exists. Ask your service bureau about color matching.