DIGITAL PROOFING -- Taking Measure of a Proof

Soft proofing vendors have created measurement tools, the consultant acknowledges, but he's not sure if they work across systems. "I'm not saying the tools are bad, because they could be very good. I just wasn't ready to jump into that type of testing. We might include them next time," he adds.

The Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) did evaluate soft proofing systems in its original research study. The Pittsburgh-based organization reports finding that the quality of monitor manufacturing "has matured to a point of consistency between devices that enables implementation of soft proofing with confidence in its accuracy." The "GATF 2003 Soft Proofing Study" examines both soft proofing for content (position, spelling, etc.) and contract color.