Is there anything you can’t do with a smartphone these days? You can unlock your house, track packages, book a hotel room, play games, and even make phone calls anywhere in the world.
One thing you cannot, or more correctly should not do, is check pdf proofs submitted to you by Copresco for approval prior to print. Here’s why.
Checking color on any uncalibrated screen is highly inaccurate (see article below) but viewing color on a smartphone is certain to be downright wrong. There are several reasons for this.
The foremost reason is that, unlike desktop monitors, there is no reliable method for color calibrating smartphone screens.
Secondly, phones are rarely used under ideal conditions. If you are using a phone, you are probably in your car, your home, outdoors, or in a restaurant. The ambient lighting in these conditions only serves to make the problem worse.
Thirdly, many smartphones are equipped with light filtering utilities that attenuate the blue hue. This is a healthy insomnia preventative that has the unfortunate byproduct of completely ruining color accuracy.
72 or 96 dpi resolution graphics are common onscreen whereas color printing requires a minimum of 300 dpi (and 600 dpi for black only artwork.) On screen, you can’t tell the difference. This perception problem is exacerbated by the tiny screens on phones, tablets, and even laptops.
Copresco will alert you if your furnished artwork contains low resolution graphics, but when you view your proof onscreen you may be lured into thinking that these will print acceptably. Trust us, they won’t!
As we’ve mentioned before, tiny screens mean tiny images, but also tiny type. Typos and font issues can easily be overlooked, especially in subscripts, superscripts, or footnotes.
Save the cellphone for taking candids, sending texts, and checking weather and traffic. Use that big desktop monitor to check pdf proofs prior to printing.
Better yet, request a printed press proof, which is the only way to tell what a printed piece will truly look like. Copresco will be happy to oblige.
“It doesn’t look anything like it did on my screen.” We hear that often.
Technically, it is physically impossible for your computer monitor which transmits Red, Green & Blue (RGB) colors to match a printed piece which uses the reflective colors Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black (CMYK.)
There is, however, a way to make the best of the situation, and it is pretty easy to implement.
All you need is: 1) a high quality monitor that has controls allowing you to customize color settings and 2) a display calibration tool. This toolkit consists of a hardware sensor (sometimes called a spyder) and calibration software.
Cost runs about $300. Popular vendors include Datacolor, X-Rite, and Calibrite. Installation is simple. Calibration usually only takes a few minutes and need only be performed once every six months.
The result is not perfect color, but it will give you a display that is “in the ballpark” with printed color.
A calibrated monitor still does not take the place of a printed press proof, but does provide a reasonable starting point for accurate color reproduction.
A press proof is an actual sample of the printed piece, produced on the actual press and paper that will be used to print the project.
Anything else, including pdfs or samples printed on a different model of press, are merely attempts to simulate the final product.
Traditionally press proofs were very expensive, but Copresco’s highly efficient digital on-demand processes allow us to include press proofs with every project.
Yes, it usually adds a day to the schedule (we can’t email you a printed proof!) but 9 times out of 10 it is well worth the extra time.
Copresco will be closed Thursday July 4 and Friday July 5 to give our hardworking employees a four-day weekend to celebrate the 248th anniversary of American Independence. Have a great weekend!