See what your jobs will look like
BEFORE they are printed.
Our proofs are printed in accordance with ISO 12647-7, on an Epson 7900 10-colour inkjet printer, or an Epson P7560 12-colour inkjet printer, onto approved stock, using a GMG RIP.
Full A1 size, colour accurate proofs can be printed, to FOGRA standards – on coated, uncoated and newsprint paper stocks.
Press proofs, printer’s proofs, contract proofs…
Our colour-accurate proofs can be output to match the most commonly used Australian and international standards (including the most recent FOGRA 51, FOGRA52, FOGRA 59 and IFRA26v5 Newsprint profiles), as well as a wide range of alternatives.
If your printer doesn’t accept the latest standards, perhaps you should ask why? If you are unsure what standard to specify, feel free to contact us to dicsuss your needs.
We know that the graphic design, prepress, photography and printing industries are characterised by rapid decision-making and demanding time constraints.
Our average turnaround time is 2-3 hours from receipt of your file(s), although large jobs may take longer.
Courier delivery times may actually be substantially longer than the time taken to print your proofs. If your job is time-sensitive we recommend pre-booking your own courier, or coming in person to collect your proofs. Otherwise, we can arrange delivery by:
All proofs are printed to the requested standards and bear a colour control strip which is analysed with a spectro-photometer. A label summarising the results of the analysis is printed on each proof, verifying its compliance to the relevant ISO standard.
If a print doesn’t meet the standard, we will re-calibrate the device and reprint the proof! You will never receive a proof that is not verified.
Most spot colours can be matched and verified. Spot colours are printed using the full gamut of the inks in the printing device so that 98% coverage of colours in the Pantone Matching System can be achieved. Sadly, metallic and neon colours are not supported.
The International Standards Organisation (ISO) is responsible for creating and maintaining standard procedures for a wide variety of processes, not just for printing.
ISO 12647 relates specifically to a family of standards that apply to a variety of printing processes. ISO 12647-7 specifies the requirements for systems that are used to produce hard-copy digital proofs intended to simulate a printing condition defined by a set of characterisation data.
The most recent update of this standard was in 2016. All our proofs are compliant to ISO 12647-7-2016.
Fogra is an internationally recognized graphic-arts institute, based in Germany, that works within the design and print industry as a certifying body, especially for display colour accuracy. They have created a wide range of standards for printing processes using various inks and paper stocks. A Fogra certified proof can be matched by any printing company in the world that adheres to the ISO 12647 standards.
ISO 12647 specifies standards for a wide range of paper types – including gloss coated, matt coated, light-weight coated, uncoated white, uncoated yellowish and newsprint stocks, with and without “optical brighteners added” (OBA) – and there are SWOP and FOGRA profiles that exist for each and all of these.
However, for proofing the choice of paper stocks is limited to approved and verified papers – usually restricted to coated gloss, coated satin, uncoated and newsprint papers only.
Unfortunately not. In order to be verified to ISO and FOGRA standards, the choice of proofing paper is limited to those stocks that have been approved and measured spectrophotometrically. Proofs on the actual stock you want to print on would require creating very expensive custom profiles and submitting them for verification by the relevant international standards organisations.
If the printer is adhering to the appropriate ISO standards in all their processes, and if the printing condition (paper, inks and colour profile) matches that specified for your proof – then YES, any printing company anywhere in the world will be able to achieve a good match to our proofs.
Our proofs are printed to an industry-accepted standard. If your printer claims they cannot match our proofs, perhaps you should question their workflow standards.
The file(s) you send to us for proofing should be exactly the same file(s) that you intend to send to your printer, for final production. Before sending file(s) for proofing, you should check with your printer what profile they use.
PDF files, correctly set up to your printer’s requirements are best. All objects must be defined in CMYK or spot colours. Elements in RGB or Lab colour will be rejected, and objects tagged with ICC profiles different to the output intent will generally be prohibited. All fonts must be embedded or outlined.
We strongly recommend that you supply your file(s) in PDF/X format. The latest variant (PDF/X-6) relates to PDF 2.0 standards that are still very new (March 2022). If you are unsure how to set up your file, please call to discuss your needs.
Yes, indeed. We offer photo retouching, photo restoration, image manipulation, colour matching, colour conversion, PDF editing and conversion… please call to discuss your needs.
QED stands for the latin phrase “quod erat demonstrandum”, meaning “which was to be demonstrated”. Mathematicians traditionally put this initalism at the bottom of an arithmetic proof, to declare that they have indeed proven what they set out to prove.
It seemed like a good logo to use for our colour-accurate proofs!
Press proofs, printer’s proofs, contract proofs…
Press proofs, printer’s proofs, contract proofs…
In order to qualify as an internationally recognised contract proof, a print must bear a colour control strip and a verification that the control strip has been measured and that the ∂E values of the print fall within the ISO standard for the profile chosen.
If the print does not have a control strip and verification it is technically not a contract proof. Perhaps unkindly, such prints have been described as “nothing more than a pretty picture”.
Nevertheless, if a calibrated device is used to print such jobs, the result can be used as a “validation print”.
Using the same printing device, software and hardware, calibrated to the required profile, we can provide validation prints that do not have a control strip, without the higher cost of a contract proof. Please note that validation prints do NOT qualify as contract proofs and cannot be used to justify colour-accuracy. They cannot be verified, either at the time of printing or at any later time, such as during a dispute with your printer.
However, a validation print is perfect as an intermediate proof, for colour retouchers, photographers or graphic designers who only need to check their work internally, or in other situations where a contract proof may not be necessary.
Prices below are for proofs printed to standard ICC profiles.
Custom profiles (such as MX4 or MXN profiles) incur a 50% surcharge.
| Size | First copy |
Extra copies or multiple pages |
|---|---|---|
| A5 (148 x 210mm) | $40.00 | $25.00 |
| A4 (210 x 297mm) | $50.00 | $35.00 |
| A3 (297 x 420mm) | $65.00 | $50..00 |
| A2 (420 x 594mm) | $100.00 | $85.00 |
| A1 (594 x 841mm) | $175.00 | $160.00 |
Once we receive your order and artwork file(s), we will review your job, advise you of any issues, confirm a delivery time and issue an invoice. Invoices can be paid by:
Because we aim to produce an accurate product, in record-breaking time, payment terms are COD. However, trade accounts may be available for selected clients. Please ask one of our staff for details.
Press proofs, printer’s proofs, contract proofs…
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