Sending Work to a Commercial Press: How to Get Color-Accurate Results

Converting and proofing your images at home before sending them off to a commercial press for mass reproduction.

Nervous about sending your work off to a commercial press? Scott Martin, a print workflow expert, explains how you can use Photoshop and smart paper selection to simulate a four-color press look and proof your prints at home with a printer like the Epson 3880.

• Converting your image to SWOP
• Black point compensation – matching a four-color press’s capabilities
• The necessity of trial and error
• Papers designed specifically for proofing
• Ordering proofs from print vendors instead
• SWOP 5 vs. SWOP 3 vs. GRACoL – Three quality tiers
• How does this process change for digital presses?
• Printing to match a printer that doesn’t allow custom ICC profiles – a tricky situation
• Much more!

Listen in to learn about sending work to a commercial press

Show Notes

• To learn about Scott Martin and his services as a workflow consultant, check out his website.
• Listeners featured in this episode include Ed and Adam.
• Quick reference: printer specifications mentioned in the episode include SWOP 5, SWOP 3, and GRACoL ​
• Follow Scott’s instructions for simulating a four-color press at home by downloading our Proofing Walkthrough
• Love the show? Have some feedback for us? Leave us a review on iTunes

Audio Transcription

Prefer to read over listen? Want to save this conversation for reference later? We transcribe all of our shows for these reasons!