In French we call it "bon à tirer" (ready to shoot), this is the reason why the French tittle speaks about hunting.
Your project is in the hands of your favorite graphic designer and now he or she asks you to validate the final proof or press proof document... But what is it?
It's all good!
Not so long ago, many steps preceded the printing of your document. In France, you had to sign the "good to engrave" for the realization of the printing plates, the "good to print" (BAT) for the validation of the rendering of the document with a paper proof (cromalin) and the "ready to roll" for the start of printing after the adjustment of the machines.
The techniques having evolved, today we only speak of the press proof document which concerns the client, the graphic designer and the printer.
From the project to the file ready to print
You have an idea for the creation of a document and your graphic designer works on your project. For sure, the result will not please you the first time. You will therefore exchange so that your project becomes the reality you want. These exchanges will often be called press proof document.
To avoid having too many round trips, it will be better to prepare your file well in advance. Your graphic designer will help and advise you in this preparation. On average, there are 3 proofs before document validation.
This validation, whether digital or printed, is contractual. It indicates that you agree to the production of the document as it is on this proof (digital or paper). Then you have to be vigilant and to look at the document from every angle (layout, colors, illustrations, typography, etc.) and above all to read it well.
The best is to show your document to someone who has never seen it: a fresh eye can see things that you would have missed.
Your document will only be sent for production once you have validated the print proof and given your consent.
Make a good impression
For the manufacturing part, you can opt for your graphic designer to follow it. In this case, he or she will send his files to the printer or manufacturer and will manage the part of the proof for printing. It will then be up to him or her to check that the proof sent by the supplier corresponds to the proof you sent.
Final corrections can still be made but this will then delay the manufacturing times.
If your document requires precise tracking, your graphic designer can ask to make a press proof. He or she then goes to the printer or the manufacturer to check the correct reproduction of the colors and the technical conformity of the rendering. The only corrections accepted then are those concerning the inking by varying more or less, by zone, the cyan, the magenta, the yellow and the black (see the article "Hervé B, the star of your screens").
You can also choose to follow the process by yourself. The proof will then be sent to you directly. It can be digital or paper.
It rarely makes it possible to validate the chromic rendering because if it is digital, the colors will depend on your screen and if it is on paper, it will be on standard paper and from a printer and not from the machine which will produce the 'impression.
On the other hand, it makes it possible to carry out a last control to be sure that the texts and images are well placed, that no error slipped into the file.
Here again, this proof is contractual. In case of arguing, BAT will be used as reference.
Once this proof has been validated, production can then begin and all that remains is to distribute your documents!
