Ever picked up a printed product and thought, ‘that’s not what it was supposed to look like?’ Our colour consultants can guide you through the printing process so that every job lives up to your expectations.
What is colour management?
Colour management is all part of the package when you work with Eight Plus. It involves carefully managing the colours you see in digital and printed proofs before a product goes to print, so that it looks as intended when it comes off the press.
Sounds simple? There are a whole lot of variables at play in achieving the desired finish, from file formatting in Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, to monitor calibration and colour profiling, as well as ensuring the correct types of ink and paper are used on the optimum machines.
But with our expert team, you’re in safe hands. Our colour managers are leaders in their field, adept at reproducing consistent, high-quality print that lives up to expectations.
Using industry-leading proofing and colour matching software, we’ll ensure your marketing is on top form, with logos and brand palettes appearing exactly the same across magazines, brochures, point of sale and beyond.
“Through colour management, we can ensure that what customers see on the screen ahead of print, is what they’re going to get when they see the final product.”
Andy Clyde, Technical Director, Eight Plus
What colour management services do we offer?
Colour management in printing is a wide-ranging process. As part of the journey, at Eight Plus, we offer:
Pre-press technical support and advice
Even before your designers get to work, we can be on hand to offer colour consultancy and technical print services, advising on print processes, recommending the best papers for printing and offering advice on sizing, to minimise waste, keep print and postage costs to a minimum and achieve the perfect finish.
Once you reach the proofing stage, our team will delve into more technical details, ensuring the correct colour profiles are installed on your system and helping you to calibrate computer monitors so you can view document colours clearly and realistically, as they will be printed.
“A printer can only print what they’ve been given. We work with customers in pre-press, to ensure their files are created in the best possible way. We check RGB images are properly converted and the document is set up so the end result turns out as expected.”
Andy Clyde, Technical Director, Eight Plus
Workflow management
Print deadlines can be stressful, but our industry-leading pre-press proofing system, InSite helps to streamline and optimise the print workflow and keep everything in one place and on target. Clients can log in to offer feedback, make amends, flag changes or sign off on work ahead of print.
This high-end proofing system also allows colours to be viewed and profiled as accurately as possible so that there are no surprises when the final product comes off the production line.
Proofing
As well as supplying digital proofs via InSite, we can provide printed proofs and hard copies ahead of print, so that our customers can check the content, design and colour quality are up to standard.
File sharing optimisation
Colour matching can go awry when files are converted prior to printing. As a rule, it’s always best to keep image files in RGB until you’re ready to convert the files, so you’re not losing colour in the transition to CMYK for printing. We’ll be on hand to help you achieve this so that files are saved, sent and received in the best possible formats and ICC profiles so that the final proofs look fresh and match your expectations.
Supplier sourcing
Unlike other print management companies, we don’t just act as print brokers and immediately head to the suppliers with the quickest turnarounds or the most lucrative prices. Eight Plus is all about adding tangible value and so we’ll find exactly the right printer for your job, every time. If you’re producing a catalogue full of vibrant colours, or printing on coated paper or an uncoated or unusual stock, we’ll procure quotes from trusted partners we know are capable of producing the work to our usual high standards. We’ll aim to offer you a reasonable price, of course – but we’ll also make sure the job matches your vision.
Press-passing
As your final product comes off the printer, we’ll be there to check it and make sure that everything looks as intended. If the results aren’t up to our standards, we’ll make last-minute changes to improve image and colour quality before the print run continues.
Why is colour important?
People only tend to notice print quality when there’s something not quite right about it. So, when it comes to branding and making an impression, it’s crucial to get colour matching spot on, to ensure your reputation remains intact and you stay memorable for the right reasons.
Brands are often recognised purely by their logos and colour palettes, so if the bright red in your company logo looks orange on some collateral, or burgundy on the front of a brochure, you can run into problems.
Similarly, colour photography can appear differently when presented on different paper stocks whether you go for glossy paper or paper with texture, so your signature style may not come through without some pre-press amendments to the colour profiles.
