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Proofing is a vital part of the production cycle and in a situation where the quality of print is para-mount, it’s especially important that the proof matches the final sheet. However, in recent years, customers have started to demand quicker and cheaper solutions.

For printers, this means that they face two basic options: they can continue to deliver traditional hard proofs on cheaper digital machines, which allow customers to physically see how the printed job will turn out on paper, or they can head down the soft proofing route, which allows customers to view their jobs online.

A decision such as this will usually be driven by the demands of an individual company’s client base. However, which road should you take if you’re starting from scratch?

Hard proof preference
In recent years, there has been a discernible push towards soft proofing with publishers particularly keen to take advantage of technology that can save time and deliver files quickly. But Paul Samuels, technical director at pre-press company Zebra, says that for the moment at least, hard proofs are still largely the order of the day.

“We can handle both soft and hard proofing,” he explains. “But around 90% of our work is quality driven and that means a lot of clients still want to see a hard copy proof.”

This is echoed by Rob Thompson, product specialist on proofing and large format at equipment distributor Litho Supplies. “Soft proofing has not caught on in the B2 commercial print sector.”

However, for publishers, soft proofing is an attractive alternative. “Publishers have more to gain from soft proofing because of the high output of pages they produce,” explains Agfa systems solutions specialist Chris Burns. “They can view the ripped pages through an online portal.”

BBC Magazines is one publisher that has invested heavily in what it calls “smart repro”. Having moved its pre-press in-house, the organisation put together a “dream team” of experts and suppliers to make sure its soft proofing set-up ran smoothly. This included colour expert Paul Sherfield from The Missing Horse Consultancy and software integrator Turning Point Innovation (TPI), which supplied software and hardware.

But hard copy proofs haven’t totally been replaced at the Beeb – an Epson Stylus Pro has been installed with GMG ColorProof software. The switch to a combination of soft and hard proofing has cost BBC Magazines £300,000, although in one year alone, it’s likely to save £500,000. BBC Magazines has gone for a highly sophisticated set-up incorporating automated workflow and remote proofing software Dalim Dialogue.

“We selected Dalim because it has an immense amount of functionality and comes with an impressive pedigree,” explains BBC Magazines production director Mal Skelton. “The system has to be bullet proof.”

But it’s not just publishers that are spotting an opportunity with soft proofing. Food and beverage giant Nestlé has installed a version of Dalim’s Mistral online production management software. A total of 26 countries have taken on the software and users can track the progress of jobs in realtime, view pieces of work, attach comments and make final approvals online. It means that proof approval time has been cut from two weeks to one day. Hard copies are now only produced once final online approval has been given.

For companies such as Nestlé who are looking to go into soft proofing seriously, there are several key things to consider. One challenge is the screens used to view proofs. Software specialist GMG says that stringent requirements need to be imposed on the ambient conditions and the hardware. Screens need to have the correct ISO colour standards and need to be calibrated regularly.

“You can attempt to calibrate any screen, but success depends on the screen itself,” says Burns. “Before getting into soft proofing, you need to make sure your client is making the investment. They have to have the machinery and the knowhow. Then the printer has to have some sort of software for the client to view the proof from.”

It’s the visual equipment that can be the biggest hurdle that stops you from receiving an online proof that has accurate colour, argues Litho Supplies’ Thompson. “You need to spend a fair chunk of money to get good colour accuracy and calibration is vital,” he says. “Also many organisations have so many different monitors so it’s difficult to get that consistency.”

Easy to use
But TPI managing director Steve Emerson believes that moving to soft proofing doesn’t throw up that many hurdles. “You don’t need a whole number of new monitors and you certainly don’t have to sit in a battleship grey room to view proofs more accurately,” he says. “We are having more conversations about soft proofing as the barriers are gone. If you have a browser, then you can soft proof and most businesses have a decent internet connection these days.”
Soft proofing also has numerous advantages from an environmental point of view. There is less paper waste and you can also cut down on the CO2 churned out when transporting hard proofs from one site to another.

Hard proofs have by no means had their day though. Many people still want a hard copy to view, even if it only becomes the final proof. “Most of our clients prefer to see a proof in their hand,” adds Zebra’s Samuels. “We have done a job for a client in Italy and they still needed to physically see a final proof.”

And the good news, according to Thompson, is that the costs of hard proofing are on their way down. He says that a 24in wide Epson 7880 proofer with PC and basic software can cost around £6,000. Throw in a colour quality control tool and it still only comes to £6,700.

“We are not talking about vast amounts of money and it can work out at £3 per proof,” adds Thompson.

When considering buying a proofer, the first consideration is size. “Once you decided on the width of the printer, whether it’s 17in, 24in or 44in, the rest is fairly straightforward. For example, EFI have a basic package of software and you can have various options such as spot colour. You can add on more expensive colour management tools.”

Digital proofers are now considered to be very accurate in measuring colour and meet the highest ISO standards. Such hard proofing technology is often used in the production of high-quality items, such as report and accounts documents. Getting colour spot-on for corporate branding is vital in that area and schedules aren’t always as tight.

Ultimately, soft proofing, will more often than not, sit comfortably alongside hard proofing. The signs are that clients still demand a hard copy final proof although Zebra’s Samuels and TPI’s Emerson have noted that some companies have switched to 100% soft proofing.

But that’s still a rarity and the signs are that while soft proofing is starting to gain momentum, it is not at the expense of hard proofing. It’s horses for courses as to what options are best and they are usually dependent on the client’s demands.

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PROOFING HARD VS SOFT
Soft proofing
Pros
• For major contracts that require high volumes of work to be produced, proofing online can save time. If a customer operates in separate countries then it’s almost a no-brainer; checking proofs can take a matter of days, not weeks
• Technology has now been developed giving users more control. Calibration tools can ensure that monitors are showing a proof that will look like the final printed sheet
• Based on the experience of BBC Magazines, the ROI of soft proofing is very fast
• Good for the environment as it cuts out paper waste

Cons
• Investment in the right equipment isn’t always cheap. Clients will also need to have similar equipment, such as screens, installed
• The colour gamut of many monitors isn’t always good enough for the ISO printing standards on coated stocks. Also lighting can affect how a proof is viewed on a screen

Hard proofing
Pros
• Quality of colour is high and matches the ISO accreditations giving an accurate proof
• Cost of equipment has come down while the price of producing individual proofs has come down significantly
• The majority of clients still demand a hard proof for the final stages of production

Cons
• Transportation costs are incurred and the logistics can slow down the production process. Sending proofs to be approved by mail or courier isn’t always the best option in today’s time sensitive world
• If people want to be more environmentally friendly then reducing the use of hard proofs can cut waste