Clashing opinions, poor judgment and other problems could draw the process out for an entire day, not to mention result in a sub-par final product depending on who was involved. In practice, however, it wasn’t so simple. If something needed fixing, they’d work with the pressman to get things up to snuff before the presses were run. Years ago, after a proof was approved but before the presses were run, a few company representatives would travel to the printer for a final in-person press check to make sure everything looked right.

To parse out exactly what killed the press check, let’s briefly discuss what a good press check used to look like and dive into the standards and technology that replaced this imprecise, time consuming task. Less time spent nitpicking the finer details of a project and a higher quality run that mirrors your proof each and every time. Technology that can replace humans when judging accuracy and quality.Industry standards that didn’t exist years ago, and.So, how can companies trust printers to make sure the final product accurately reflects the proof without coming in to check it themselves? In short, it’s a simple combination of: Thankfully for everyone involved, the days of the press check are, for the most part, over. Prior to the high-tech color assessment tools of today, it was a necessary, yet tedious final step to ensuring a great run. Work out a design, approve the proof, and drag yourself to the printer to spend hours checking press sheets before giving the green light. For decades, the press check was a routine part of commercial printing.

Press check before final print