Proofing Your Projects

Proofing is perhaps the most important step in the print production process. That's why it should be given as much care and attention as possible. After all, a beautifully-printed piece can be rendered worthless if the message it's trying to convey is lost in misspelled words or poorly-placed graphics and images.

Once we receive your files and final content proofs, we create our own set of proofs and examine them thoroughly to be sure the print production process will go smoothly.

Proofing is accomplished in two stages: during project design, and during prepress production at Springfield Printing. Here are a few tips to help you conduct proper proofing during the design process, prior to sending us your completed files:

Create a Dummy - A pre-production dummy is a great way to verify that your project is set up properly. Once all text and graphic elements are placed in your layout, output a laser-printed proof, spray-mount front to back, trim and fold. Your dummy should mimic the finished product as much as possible, making it a great tool for proofing the positioning of images, text, bleeds, trim and fold margins and other elements.

Label Your Final Proofs - Once all corrections have been made to your files and you're ready to send them to us, output a “final” set of laser proofs. This proof can be kept flat and should be labeled “final content” to let us know that this is the most accurate representation of what is in your file. Keep in mind that this customer original proof is what we’ll use to compare to our own proofs, so it should represent the most current version of your project. If you do have last-minute changes that won't make it onto your final proof, be sure to mark any corrections that differentiate the proof from your files.

Need a Layout? Use Ours! - If you're like most designers, you would rather pay attention to the design of a piece rather than the mechanical details such as where to place folds. If this sounds like you, then let us supply you with an appropriate template for your next project! These "Springfield-approved" layout files ensure that your projects are set up properly, allowing you to simply drop in text and images without worrying about trim margins and fold locations. That can save you time, money and headaches during the design and proofing stages.

The Springfield Advantage
At Springfield Printing, we take proofing seriously. As soon as we receive your files, we output our own laser proofs and compare them to your final content proofs. For added piece of mind, we thoroughly proofread each page of your documents for spelling, grammar, punctuation, tone, clarity and sentence structure. This comprehensive check is just another example of how Springfield Printing makes the printing process as easy and worry-free as possible for you!