Faster Turnarounds Require a Truly All-digital Workflow ? Including Soft Proofing
Soft, or monitor-based, proofing was a logical step towards a truly all-digital workflow that helped in cutting down considerably the turnaround times in the printing industry. As deadline pressures tighten, print designers and printers needed better faster way to collaborate and approve the files for approval. BargainPrinting.com has been using PDF technology for soft proofing that allow print buyers to review content and layout, enabling the art department to have the files approved and printed faster. Although PDF proofing is not meant for color proofing , it does serves its purpose well. Soft proofing is perfect for sharing, fast distribution within a team, and simultaneous viewing. It is especially functional for those customers that have several locations throughout the country and collaboration between them is also needed. What is soft proofing good for?
• Check that the file used is the correct one: Dealing with multiple files it is human that errors might occur and the wrong file might be uploaded. Or when dealing with a third party designer you might want to make sure that the file used for printing is the one approved.
• Check the layout / pages layout for multi-page items: Make sure that the two sides of a brochure or postcard are aligned correctly and the pages of a catalog are set up in the correct order especially when page numbers are not used throughout.
• Check for bleeds and margins: The proof will include folding lines and crop marks to assure that your text and other elements of your design do not get cut off.
• Check fonts: If you are using a non-standard font, you might want to confirm that the correct one was used.
• Check spelling and content: You get the chance to do a final spelling check and confirm that the correct content appears.
Soft proofing is a great way to proof files in today’s fast-paced industry. Proofing can be done fast, and will save considerable time.

