Get Your Proof On: Free Prepress Proofs for Your Projects

Free prepress proofs from PrintFirm.com

Today is your lucky day inkheads.

We know that as much as you dig print design and typography, the actual process of putting your artwork on paper can be quite painful.

Maybe you’re fresh out of art school, and your courses didn’t cover technical printing knowledge.

Perhaps you’re a veteran rushing to meet a deadline, and in your hasty file prep, you forgot to adjust your CMYK values to rich black.

Whatever your circumstances, we can all use a helping hand now and then. And it’s comforting to know that if you do make a mistake, someone’s there to catch it.

That’s why proofs are so valuable— they provide 1 last opportunity to spot errors. We always recommend getting a proof for this reason and to physically print out the artwork with your home or office printer to check for common file issues, such as poor color contrast.

Trouble is that proofs add another $10 to your order, which makes a big difference when you’re on a tight budget.

At least they used to cost $10…until today!

We want you to be able to print with confidence, so we’re pleased to announce FREE PROOFS FOR EVERYONE!

What is a design proof?

PDF proofs give you a chance to review your artwork again before it goes into print process. Here are the 3 main things you want to watch out for:

  • Spelling, grammar, and punctuation: No one knows your copy better than you. Go over all text in your design to check for typos, etc.
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  • Text size: Is your type too small to read? Print out your PDF at actual size (if possible) to make sure your letters are large enough to be legible.
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  • Color contrast: Is your background color too similar to the text? Do you have a hard time reading because the text is too dark? Give your copy and design elements the final once over.

If you spot any problems at this stage in the order process, don’t worry—you’ve still got time to make corrections and upload new artwork. Simply decline the proof, and follow the resubmission procedure outlined below.

What does the PrintFirm prepress department do to my artwork/file?

Great question! We have an automated pre-flight software system that scans your file for the basics, such as CMYK color mode, bleed, and image resolution. Our technicians use this info to perform a manual inspection of your artwork. The humans also consider the finer points that elude machines, including font size, color management, contrast, etc. You’ll find more information about changes or potential problems in the comments section of your PDF.

Is there anything your prepress technicians don’t touch?

I’m so glad you asked because this question often creates confusion.

Our prepress techs will do their best to make technical adjustments to your artwork. For example, we will convert from RGB to CMYK color mode, add bleed (so long as it’s possible to do so without interfering with your design), and adjust color values on design elements to suit our procedures.

As you can see, we do our best to fix common errors; however, there are certain elements we won’t lay a finger on and for good reason. Prepress will not do any of the following edits:

Copy/text: We have no way of knowing how to spell your name properly or what you want your copy to say. We’ve also seen intentional misspellings and grammatical errors for creative purposes. We don’t want to ruin your mojo, so we leave the copy up to your team.

Low res images: There’s not a whole lot we can do about image resolution. A poor quality image isn’t going to magically turn into a masterpiece after a few adjustments in Photoshop. Your best bet would be to replace the low res visuals with high resolution photos.

Note- this is by no means a complete list of stuff our prepress team won’t do to your artwork without consulting you first. Basically, we don’t make major technical or aesthetic changes.

How to order your free PDF proof from PrintFirm.com

We already provide complementary proofs for custom design jobs as well as artwork you create with our online design tool. The new service applies to those of you who plan to utilize our printing services alone and upload your own artwork.

After you select a product, get your instant pricing quote, and hit the big green ‘Upload Your Files and Order Now’ button, you’ll land on the ‘Upload your design page’ seen below:

Add a free prepress proof to your order

In the highlighted area to the right of the ‘add files’ button, you’ll find the ‘Proof Options’. Select ‘FREE PDF Proof’ and you’re good to go!

How will I receive my complementary PDF file?

You will receive your proof via email. Be sure to add prepress@printfirm to your contacts list or else your proof could end up in your spam box!

The email will contain a link. Click on it to visit your digital proof page, which shows you 3 easy steps to follow. Click the orange button under Step 1 that says, ‘download proof’.

Step 1 download pdf proof

You’ll probably receive a pop up prompt on your computer asking whether to save or open the file now. Choose your preference and thoroughly inspect your artwork.

As I said earlier, you’ll want to print out your design to perform your inspection. It will be much easier to find errors with a physical copy in front of you!

After you’ve triple checked every aspect of your artwork, go back to the download page to accept or reject your proof.

How do I approve or reject the PDF proof?

On the download proof page, select either the green ‘approved’ button or the red ‘not approved’ button. Make sure you agree to the terms and conditions by typing your name and checking the acceptance box below the approval button.

Accept PrintFirm terms and conditions

What happens if I don’t approve the file?

Did you spot a mistake? Phew, at least you have a chance to fix it. After you hit the ‘Not approved’ button, you’ll have 2 options: ‘upload new file’ or ‘request changes’. Just ignore the ‘request changes’ part unless you want one of our creative team to make the changes for you. Otherwise, select either ‘upload new file now’ or ‘upload new file later’.

Decline printing proof

If you can’t make the necessary changes right away, you’ll receive another email with a special link where you’ll go to upload your updated artwork. The upload page will look quite familiar by now, so simply follow the instructions to receive your new proof via email.

Do I have to get a prepress proof with my order?

No way, Jose! While we strongly urge you to take advantage of this free service, you’re certainly not obligated to do so. We understand that every minute counts when you’re in a rush, so we give you the option of not getting a proof with your project.

Will a printing proof change my turnaround time?

It might…

There’s no one size fits all answer to this question because a variety of factors come into play.

Let’s say you upload your artwork during business hours and you choose standard turnaround time; you’ll receive a proof via email within 8-12 hours. Proofs go out much faster for rush or same day orders, but let’s stick to this scenario for now.

As long as you approve the proof asap, your turnaround time will remain on schedule.

Now let’s backtrack a bit and say we sent you the proof via email, but you don’t check your inbox for a couple of days. Your login to your email, and quickly approve the proof. Unfortunately, you’ve just lost 2 days on your project turnaround! That’s why it’s super important to keep an eye out for that email. And if for some reason you don’t receive the message within 8 to 12 hours, call us so we can get that proof over ASAP.

Now let’s backtrack again and say that you didn’t check your email for 2 days and you need to decline the proof. Your designer isn’t around, so you have to wait 3 days to submit a new file for another proof.

You’ve just restarted the clock on your turnaround time!

Yes, that’s the way print production works. Every time you submit a file, we have to start the whole prepress process over again.

Don’t let this discourage you, though. You’ll only run into trouble if you neglect that email. Stay on top of your inbox, and your turnaround time will stick to schedule.

I hope this eases some of your commercial printing pains. Do you have any suggestions to improve other aspects of our order process? Leave your feedback in the comments below!

Published by Katherine Tattersfield

Katherine is a professional copywriter and social media manager at PrintFirm.com. She fell into online marketing in 2010, and built her career around this dynamic field. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Northridge (Summa). When she's not writing, Katherine enjoys photography, skateboarding, graphic design, and chasing her dog around with her husband. Connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Plus.