“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.

Working with Transfer Film

So far, proofing on original substrate was conducted with a transfer film. A real breakthrough in the history of proofing! The transfer film can be applied to many different substrates. From steal to carton – a wide range of proofs and mockups is simulated color-accurately and shows how future products look like.

The advantages of this technic are obvious: Thanks to the Roland printers which are used and their extended gamut inks (XG INKS) a huge color space can be used – and all kinds of finishing effects are possible.

That means, no matter if you like to have matte, semi-matte, or glossy sections on your packaging proof – partial or all over – all effects can be covered easily. Also, varnish, embossing, or sealing effects can be displayed which allows showing all details a designer planned.

Working with Transfer Film: Advantages at a glance

• Proofing on original substrate with Transfer Film
• Huge color gamut
• Integrated cutting function (label)
• Multi-pass printing
• Low-cost ownership
• Compact printer (30“)

Working with Resin inks

For a short time, a new system is available which allows to proof directly on the individual production substrate. No transfer film is needed. This innovative approach the industry has waiting for a long time uses newly developed resin-based inks (“Multi-Purpose XG INKS”).

In this manner packaging proofs and mockups are produced which exactly look and feel like the final product.

This technology is especially interesting for very thin films or shrink foils as the distortion of an artwork can be exactly checked in advance with the original substrate. But it is also suitable for other materials like cartons or metal.

Users are speaking about great cost and time savings when they produce packaging proofs or prototypes with this system. And they even had a lot more competitive advantages, won new customers, and entered new markets.

More information about the exclusive “Direct-to-substrate proofing” system is available here.

Advantages at a glance

• Direct-to-substrate proofing
• Fine print
• Highly stretchable inks, no cracking
• Motorized take-on unit for unattended operation (depending on the flexibility of media)
• No media cost
• Alternative flatbed model available (hybrid roll-to-roll/flatbed), prints up to 16mm thickness (10µm)

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.