Perfecting Proofing

As is the case with any worthy goal, getting there is the challenge. With proofing, it requires shifting our attention to process control and calibration as the keys to achieving the best possible press-to-proof match. "Chasing" the proof on-press has always been problematic—not to mention time-consuming and expensive—for the simple reason that proofing devices typically behave much differently than printing presses. Absent appropriate process controls, errors in packaging preproduction can be carried through and multiplied across the various print disciplines, substrates, and color sets employed to identify a given brand and its extensions. This could have disastrous—and costly—consequences in terms of time, labor, waste, and rework.