Digital Color Proofing -- Proof or Consequences

It's a pay now or, maybe, pay more later scenario. In general, the closer a digital proof comes to matching all the attributes (color, halftone dots, substrates, special colors, etc.) of the printed sheet, the more it will cost. Conversely, the smaller the investment in proofing, the greater the chance that there will be an unexpected result in the printed piece, which could necessitate a costly remake.