DIGITAL PROOFING -- Bouncing a Process Check

"Individual printers can print sheets that meet the standard and the color will look totally different," Birkett agrees. That's because the standards are still lacking in some respects, he believes.

From a business standpoint, DeBone says there also can be a less obvious downside to implementing standards. "As we are running to density numbers, more clients are just going with an imposition proof. We've lost a profit center in color proofing," he explains.