“Traditional” proofs or “flat” proofs help in an easy and fast way to check printouts before the production starts – irrespective of the printing machine or the printing approach which is used in the real production.

Texts, graphics, and colors are checked the last time as well as the entire look and appearance. Is everything in line with the corporate design guidelines and easily legible?

Therefore, proofs are a key element for agencies, printing companies, and many other players in the printing industry as well as their customers. Exhibition banners, business equipment, advertising, flyer, bottle labels, and signage are just some examples that require contracts proofs for decision making and approval processes. They still offer the best basis to visualize the print production fast, reliable, and cost-efficient.

With a professional proof software, they can also be displayed virtually or are printed at different locations worldwide. This leads to great cost and time savings and allows common and binding decisions at the same time.

To work very efficiently, it is recommended to rely on professional proofing media which was specially produced for this purpose. Today, the variety of proof paper in different weight categories, sizes, with diverse surfaces and white points is really huge. You can choose from proofing substrates with or without optical brighteners or different price categories.

Anyway, it always makes sense to choose professional proofing papers with unique coating and optimized properties, which are certified and particular standards are achieved (additional information about CGS ORIS proofing media is available here).

Based on the cooperation with global players in the packaging industry and intensive development, a new era of proofing started. From now on, it was finally possible to produce color-binding packaging proofs and prototypes that show all finishing effects of the final product. True mockups can be created, which are three-dimensional and allow a real check of the appearance and the “look and feel”.

All details and effects packaging designers created on a new product are shown. This makes it a lot easier for the people who are involved in decision-making processes to get a reliable impression of the new packaging before the production starts.

Glossy, matte, or metalized surfaces, partial embossing, varnish, or sealing effects – any finishings can be simulated easily. No extended explanations how which part of the product will look like are needed as everybody can just see and feel it.

Thanks to additional technics like heat sealing realistic welding lines are perfectly simulated as you can see in this gallery.

Nothing seems to be impossible: Today, many printing companies are printing on a very huge range of substrates and materials like textiles, wood, ceramics, etc. Even many components of the interior decoration sector like floor grounds, kitchen units, (garage) doors, or exterior wall panels.

To see the designs in advance of production, to touch and feel the structure of faux wood, even in this area proofs are popular. Flooring manufacturers are producing samples on demand which customers can take home to see if particular designs work in their home – without time pressure or the need to bring the samples back.

Haptic proofing has a new dimension here – this kind of proof really brings the structure of wood, stone, or other surfaces to live. They are achieved easily by proofing software that contains special features to cover the characteristics and requirements.