Proofing & setup

Digital proof — inkjet, 80–90% color accuracy. Contract proof — calibrated, the run's reference. Soft proof — PDF on a calibrated monitor, for layout not color.

Setup — tuning the press to production state: makeready sheets (50–500) go into offset cost. Digital — no setup, so it wins small runs.

Screen ≠ print: RGB is brighter than CMYK. Pantone — a separate ink, better for brand colors. Dark saturated tones 'dry down' 10–15% in print — allow for it.

Digital proof — $5–30/sheet. Contract — $30–100. Offset setup — 0.5–2 machine hours inside the run price. Skimping on the proof → reprinting the whole run — a bad trade.

The client signs the proof — the shop prints 'as proofed'. A 'wrong color' claim without a signed proof is nearly unresolvable. A proof photo — minimal protection.

Text <6pt, bleed <3mm, 4-color black text (smears), <300dpi photos, RGB files to print. The shop's prepress check catches these — ask for the report.