By Betty Ann Krischan, Production Manager
I love the smell of varnish! I love being on the press room floor surrounded by all the sights and sounds and smells. To me it’s a little like being in the delivery room and you’re just about ready to see your baby. All the time and effort, stress and strain of getting a project this far is so worth it when you get to see and be part of the final result.
But what if you have a large four-color project going to press and you don’t really know what to do at a press okay? While there’s not much point to showing up if you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s an important step that should be taken to ensure the quality and accuracy of your project - especially if you need to match corporate colors or have a product being shown where color is critical.
Here’s a quick list of what you should be looking for when reviewing a press sheet:
1. Confirm your basic specifications. Is it being printed on the correct paper? Is the size and pagination correct? Believe or not, I’ve been on press and discovered that the incorrect stock was ordered.
2. Read and confirm that the content is correct. Is all the copy there? Have all the corrections been made? Is the correct logo being used? Is there any legal copy or register marks missing? Are the fonts correct? Are fonts used properly in terms of color, size, and format?
3. Check for consistencies. Are there uniform spaces between lines, headlines and copy? Are graphic elements or copy blocks lining up correctly? Have abbreviations been used consistently throughout the piece?
4. Look at the quality of graphics and photography. Check the resolution - make sure nothing is bitmapped or fuzzy. Is the color banding in areas with tints or gradations? Look at fit and registration. Is the trapping correct? (No white areas where two colors butt together.)
5. Check the quality of the color. If you’re using a PMS color, check it against a color swatch to make sure it’s correct and running up to density. Make sure the color is balanced and in registration and consistent over the sheet. Check against the matchprint or color samples. Look at the flesh tones on people for pleasing/natural color; faces shouldn’t look too pale, too red or too yellow. Look at areas of neutral color (tan or gray) to see if they have an overcast of red, yellow or blue. Is black type up to density and not gray? Do crossovers match in color?
6. Don’t be afraid to rely on the expertise of the pressman or press room manager - it’s part of their job to guide you through the process!