We are happy to supply your proof with the current UGRA/Fogra media wedge CMYK V3.0 with test report.

The UGRA/Fogra media wedge CMYK V3.0 is the worldwide control tool for colour-accurate test prints. According to the Media Standard Offset Printing, a colour-accurate proof must have a media wedge whose colour values comply with the tolerances of ISO 12647-7. The colour patches of the current media wedge CMYK V3.0 provide increased sensitivity in the highlights and shadow areas compared to the previous version 2.X, which is still used by many other proof service providers.

In order for a proof to be colour-accurate and legally binding, it must be provided with a media wedge. However, since hardly any printing company or agency has the measuring technology to verify a media wedge on site, we offer you the option of providing the media wedge directly with a test report. This test report certifies that the media wedge and thus the proof is within the ISO tolerances and is colour-accurate and legally binding.  

Your proof options: 

• without media wedge
• one media wedge without test report per page (surcharge € 2.- / page)
• one media wedge with test report per page (surcharge € 4.- / page)
• one media wedge with test report per order (surcharge € 4.- total)

You can order the media wedges per page directly when selecting the respective proof format. To select one media wedge with test report per order, please select it as a separate item and place it separately in your shopping basket.

 

 

For each item you can upload one or more files after completing your order.
Each file can be up to 2 GB in size.

For example: You order 10 in DIN A3 format and 2 in DIN A2 format. After completing your order, you can upload a file with 10 pages in DIN A3 format for the 10 in DIN A3 format and upload two files each with one page in DIN A2 format for the two in DIN A2 format. If we are to make multiple copies of one, please let us know in the item message for the item.

https://shop.proof.de/admin/categories.php?cPath=1&pID=15&action=new_product#

The image shows what the upload area for an A4 proof looks like before uploading.

 

Now select the file to be proofed and upload it, or drag it into the upload window.

 

After uploading, you can check, download, delete or upload your proof data again.

 

 

Now complete your order by clicking the "UPLOADS READY, COMPLETE ORDER" button.

Your order is then no longer editable for you. We receive the message that we can now begin data checking and proofing.
 

Even after completing your order, you can view your order at any time, but you cannot change it.

If your data should be faulty during data checking, we will reopen the order so you can delete the faulty data and upload new data. After that, please close the order again.

Your uploaded data will remain on our server for at least 1 year and can be viewed and downloaded for verification during this period.

Shipping costs and delivery times

Packaging and shipping Germany:

Up to DIN A4+ format:	From DIN A3 format onwards:
DHL small parcel: € 4.70  UPS Express Saver: € 13.- (delivery by end of business day) UPS Express by 12:00 noon: € 15.- UPS Express by 10:30 AM: € 25.- DHL / FedEX Express by 9:00 AM: € 75.- DHL Express with Saturday delivery: € 49.-	UPS parcel: € 9.- UPS Express Saver: € 13.- (delivery by end of business day) UPS Express by 12:00 noon: € 15.- UPS Express by 10:30 AM: € 25.- DHL / FedEX Express by 9:00 AM: € 75.- DHL Express with Saturday delivery: € 49.-
The standard delivery time for shipments within Germany is 1 to 4 working days*, in exceptional cases longer. Express shipments are usually delivered the next working day*. Orders with data entry by 4 PM are shipped on the same working day*. Orders with data entry after 4 PM are shipped the following working day*. An express delivery by 9 AM is not possible to all areas of Germany. Please enquire briefly before placing your order.
Packaging and shipping EU:
Up to DIN A4+ format:	From DIN A3 format onwards:
DHL small parcel international: € 10.- UPS Express Saver: € 35.-	UPS parcel: € 19.- UPS Express Saver: € 45.-
The standard delivery time for shipments to EU countries is 2 to 5 working days*, in exceptional cases longer. Express shipments to European economic centres are usually delivered the next working day*, but can also have significantly longer delivery times.
Packaging and shipping, non-EU Europe and North America:
Up to DIN A4+ format:	From DIN A3 format onwards:
DHL small parcel international: € 10.- UPS Express: € 45.-	Parcel or package DHL/UPS: € 25.- UPS Express: € 55.-
The standard delivery time for shipments abroad is 2 to 5 working days*, sometimes significantly longer. We have seen delivery times of 6 weeks to New York. Please therefore choose express shipping especially for shipments to the USA that should arrive promptly. Express shipments are delivered the next or second working day*, but sometimes only a few days later.
Packaging and shipping rest of world
Up to DIN A4+ format:	From DIN A3 format onwards:
DHL small parcel international: € 10.- UPS Express: € 55.-	Parcel or package DHL/UPS: € 25.- UPS Express: € 75.-
The standard delivery time for shipments to worldwide destinations is up to 15 working days*, in exceptional cases longer to several weeks. We ship here by Post Priority registered mail or DHL international parcel. Please therefore choose express shipping, especially for shipments that should arrive promptly. Express shipments are usually delivered within four working days*, in exceptional cases also longer. Island locations and remote regions in the destination countries can significantly delay delivery.
The shipping zones are regulated by Deutsche Post, DHL and sometimes differently. To determine your exact price, please log in and add the required items to your shopping basket. After entering your delivery address, the shop will display the individual shipping options and calculate the shipping costs correctly.  In individual cases we reserve the right to recalculate significantly higher shipping costs. This can happen with bulky and large shipments such as roll-ups or very large proofs, but sometimes also for orders to remote regions or special economic centres: Example Croatia: Express shipping to a Croatian island costs four times as much as shipping to Zagreb. We must therefore recalculate higher shipping costs in some cases than those displayed in the shop, as we can only take the country into account during shipping cost calculation, but not the region. However, we will always inform you of any additional costs before shipping.  If you have any questions, please call us. *Working day = Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in Germany and Baden-Württemberg. Please note the regulations in the different federal states (Wikipedia). No shipping and no delivery on public holidays.
Country assignment for shipping by Post or DHL / UPS Standard You will find the country assignments for shipping detailed here.

To the proof prices

 

 

Customers usually send us PDF data. We accept PDF, EPS, TIF and JPEG files for proofing. 

Black and white, CMYK or files with PANTONE and HKS spot colours. PDF files in PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3 or PDF/X-4 format are optimal for proofing.

PDF/X-1a (widely used outside Europe) and PDF/X-3 are traditionally the PDF files optimised for printing. These ISO standards ensure, for example, that fonts and images are embedded. They are recognised and desired by most print shops as the standard for exchanging print data. 

PDF/X-4 is the new print standard for PDF files. In contrast to PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4 files can contain transparencies. PDF/X-3 was also a media-neutral standard, but 99% of all X-3 files contain only CMYK colours and spot colours. PDF/X-4 is still rarely, but increasingly, desired by print shops because X-4 data allows separation to be placed as late as possible in the process chain. The standard offers many advantages, but also risks. 

Proof GmbH is the only company in Germany certified by PDFX-ready for proof output of PDF/X-4 data and has been a member of PDFX-ready for several years.

Those who want to learn exactly about the advantages and disadvantages of each format are advised to visit the PDFX-ready website. You will find all information, guides for PDF creation and Acrobat creation and Acrobat test profiles for PDF/X-4 files. 

PDFX-ready guide to PDF/X creation
PDF preflight tests for Adobe Acrobat
Creator workflow for sheetfed offset, web offset and newspaper printing

All three PDF/X standards can be selected and created when exporting in all common layout programmes. 

 

How we handle your colour data

For us, a proof is absolute colour accuracy. Therefore, it is important that you know exactly how we handle colours in your supplied files in detail during proofing. 

CMYK colours

With CMYK colours, the rule is simple: All CMYK colours contained in your proofs are output with their exact colour values in your ordered output colour space. 

Example: You supply a PDF in ISOCoated (Fogra27) and order a proof in ISOCoatedV2 (Fogra39). A colour value of CMYK 100/70/0/0 in your PDF file will be output with its exact colour values 100/70/0/0 in your ordered colour space ISOCoatedV2. A conversion from ISOCoated to ISOCoatedV2 does not take place. This also applies to CMYK TIFFs or JPEGs.

RGB colours

If your PDF files contain RGB colours, we first check whether your PDFs conform to either the PDF/X-3 or PDF/X-4 standard and whether your RGB images are correctly marked with colour profiles and rendering intents. If this is the case, we check whether your PDFs also have the correct output colour space. If this is also the case, we proof your PDFs taking into account the input profiles, converting all your RGB data directly during proofing according to your markings from RGB to CMYK. If your images are in Device RGB, you will receive a "Data faulty" email with a note because we cannot reliably interpret your RGB data. If your images are correctly marked, but your output colour space does not match the ordered proof output colour space, you will also receive a "Data faulty" email.

Example: You supply a PDF/X-4 file with sRGB and AdobeRGB images with the output profile PSOCoatedV3 and order a proof in PSOCoatedV3: We proof your data and take all your contained RGB colour spaces and rendering intents into account correctly. However, if your file has ISOCoatedV2 as the output profile, we send a "Data faulty" email because we would now have to "override" your output colour space stored in the PDF, and thus would have to make colour transformations that are not clearly traceable for you.

If you do not send us PDFs but pure TIFFs or JPEGs in RGB profiles, we send a "Data faulty" email. If we should output your TIFFs or JPEGs in RGB profiles such as "sRGB" or "AdobeRGB" in these colour spaces or output these for example relatively colourmetrically in your ordered output colour space, please let us know in the "Notes on your order" field that you will find during order processing. 

For photo prints in RGB colour spaces, it is best to choose our fine art prints, which are perfectly suited for this. Pure RGB output is not really intended for proofs. 

Spot colours

We can simulate all spot colours very well - whether PANTONE, HKS, Toyo or custom, individual spot colours. The only exception: metallic colours and neon colours.

When your file contains spot colours such as PANTONE and HKS colours, our proofing software recognises these colours by their colour names. As long as your spot colours are correctly named like "PANTONE 123 C" or "HKS 15 N", we use the digital colour reference data stored with us from the PANTONE and HKS master standards and bring your spot colours to the proof.

If you use a PANTONE "U" colour for "Uncoated" uncoated paper in a proof for glossy paper standards such as ISOCoatedV2, we send a "Data faulty" email. We can also simulate PANTONE "U" colours on a proof for glossy paper, but an offset printing shop could not print that because glossy paper printing will always result in PANTONE C colouring. The same applies to HKS K or PANTONE C colours on proofs for uncoated papers such as PSOUncoatedV3: Here too we would send a "Data faulty" email to you because we often cannot achieve the coated colouring even on our uncoated papers for proofs. Some examples:

Proof: ISOCoated V2 | Colours: PANTONE C / HKS K | Result: Perfect proofable and offset-printable
Proof: ISOCoated V2 | Colours: PANTONE U / HKS N | Result: Difficult, as proofable but not offset-printable
Proof: PSOUncoated V3 | Colours: PANTONE U / HKS N | Result: Perfect proofable and offset-printable
Proof: PSOUncoated V3 | Colours: PANTONE C / HKS K | Result: Difficult, as mostly not proofable and not offset-printable

When proofing spot colours, you should also note: For spot colours, we only have the respective solid, i.e. the 100% spot colour area stored in the proofing system. A 50% area of PANTONE 123 C or HKS 15 N would thus be calculated by the proofing software, as we do not have real, measured colour data for the 50% value in our system. These values are calculated very intelligently by the proofing software, but are still only a clever calculation and not a simulation based on a metrologically recorded reference. The same applies, for example, when a spot colour is semi-transparent and overprinted by another spot colour or by a CMYK image. 

Greyscale

We treat greyscale in PDF files as if they were on the black channel of the ordered proof output colour space. A 50% grey is thus output as 0/0/0/50 in CMYK, this applies to images in Device-Gray as well as to all other greyscale data in PDF files. Even if you do not send us PDFs but pure TIFFs or JPEGs in greyscale, we would proceed so that we treat them as the black channel of the ordered output colour space. If we should output your TIFFs or JPEGs in grey profiles such as "Dot Gain 15%" or an "EPSON Gray Gamma 1.8" in these colour spaces or output these for example relatively colourmetrically in your ordered output colour space, please let us know in the "Notes on your order" field that you will find during order processing.

proof papers

We proof on four certified paper types, two without optical brighteners for "classic" and two proof papers with optical brighteners for Fogra51/Fogra52 and Heaven42. All proof papers are certified by Fogra as proof substrates::

For the simulation of glossy paper we use EFI gravure proof paper with 245g/qm. It feels very high quality and is also perfect for customer presentations.
The 4245 is a coated universally usable semi-matte and smudge-resistant paper. This proof paper, specially developed for offset and gravure printing, is compatible with paper types 1 and 2 of ISO 12647-2 and is almost without paper simulation for these papers. The EFI 4245 is certified as 4245 GRACoL/SWOP #3 and for the gravure printing area (S1 and S2) and for the offset printing area (PT3) this paper is also certified by FOGRA. 
 

EFI Gravure Proof Paper 4245 Semi-matte:

• Semi-matte coated paper
• Very large colour gamut
• One-sided printable
• Very good fading behaviour
• Very low content of optical brighteners
• Weight: 245 gr/ qm
• Thickness: 260μ
• Opacity: 96%
• L*a*b paper white: 94.8 / 0.3 / -1.5

Those who need a proof for uncoated paper, we offer a proof on matte EFI 9120XF 120g/qm paper. This proof paper contains virtually no optical brighteners. The special colouring and the high L value are ideal for simulating matt prints. It is perfect for simulating uncoated papers as it is very similar in feel and thickness to letter paper.
 

EFI Proof Paper 9120XF Matte

• Large colour gamut
• Easily foldable
• Low content of optical brighteners
• Weight: 120 gr/qm
• Thickness: 150μ
• Opacity: 95%
• Gloss: 6%
• L*a*b paper white: 96.7 / 0.2 / -2.4

The ECI (European Colour Initiative) states in its practice recommendation "Uncoated":
"A further special feature to note when proofing for printing on uncoated paper: the semi-matte proof paper usually used for "coated" results in poor visual proof-print agreement even with very good metrological results of media wedge evaluation. The use of uncoated proof paper prepared for printing on proof printers results in the best possible metrological agreement with the target values from the characterisation file and also provides the best possible visual agreement between proof and print."
http://www.eci.org/doku.php?id=de:colorstandards:offset
 

proof papers with optical brighteners (OBA)

EFI Proof Paper 8245 OBA Semi-matte
For those who need a proof for glossy papers with optical brighteners, we offer a proof on semi-matte EFI 8245 OBA semi-matte with 245 gr/qm paper. The EFI Proof Paper 8245OBA Semi-matte was specially developed for proofing white and brightened, coated publication papers. The white point of this semi-matte paper is very close to the values of the FOGRA51 profile and thus enables proofing to FOGRA51 almost without paper white simulation. It is also well suited for simulating print conditions PC1 according to ISO 12647-2:2013.
 

• Weight: 245 g/m²
• Thickness: 245 μm
• Opacity: > 95 %
• Gloss: 22 %
• CIE L*a*b* (M0): 95.8 | 0.9 | -4.3
• CIE L*a*b* (M1): 96.0 | 1.1 | -5.6

EFI Proof Paper 8175 OBA Matte
For those who need a proof for uncoated papers with optical brighteners, we offer a proof on matte EFI 7175 OBA matte with 175gr/qm paper. The EFI Proof Paper 8175OBA Matte was specially developed for proofing uncoated, heavily brightened publication papers. It is very well suited for proofing to Fogra52.
 

• Weight: 175 g/m²
• Thickness: 230 μm
• Opacity: 97 %
• Gloss: 5 %
• CIE L*a*b* (M0): 96.8 | 2.5 | -7.7
• CIE L*a*b* (M1): 97.0 | 3.0 | -10.8

The two uncoated papers are FSC certified, the 8245OBA paper is PEFC certified.

Feel free to contact us at any time with any questions about proofing.  

Telephone: +49 (0) 7071-7952740 
Mon - Fri: 9.00 - 6.00 PM

• Which profile is right for me?
• How do I create the PDF file?
• How quickly can you ship it?
• ...?

Outside our business hours, you can send us an email at any time with your questions, which we will answer as quickly as possible: info@proof.de
We have compiled the most important questions for you here: Frequently asked questions about
You will also find lots of knowledge on the topics of proofing, digital proof, online proof and colour proof directly here: Proof.de

Matthias Betz and the Proof.de team