TWGA has released its special report, "Proofing: The Customer is Always Right…Right?," the first update to this study since 2003. Earlier versions of this study hinted at impending shifts in proofing methods away from halftone dot-based proofing methods toward online and/or PDF-based proofing (with or without color management) and the current update shows how those trends are starting to reach their logical conclusion.
The report looks at proofing in the context of each of the graphic arts markets TWGA regularly surveys-commercial printers and prepress shops, graphic design and production firms, publishing companies, and Internet design and development firms. For each of these markets, the report asks, What is the role of proofing in the workflow? How much of challenge is color proofing? Why is color proofing becoming more or less of a challenge? What proofing techniques and technologies are used-and which are increasing and which are decreasing?
The 150-page report draws on a variety of sources, including TWGA’s regular surveys of the graphic arts markets, TWGA Demographic Atlases, and TWGA’s own voluminous 10+-year historical database of trends and changes in the industry, to provide the past, present, and future states of proofing, as well as investment projections for an array of proofing technologies.
According to the Report
Between Fall 1997 and Fall 2005, the percentage of print and prepress establishments planning to invest in digital halftone proofing equipment declined from 7% to 2%;
Internet design and development firms have emerged as the biggest market for desktop printers and proofers-in Summer 2005, 61% planned to buy a printer or proofer-almost 20 percentage points higher than other graphic arts markets;
In Spring 2006, 45% of all graphic arts professionals said that they used PDF files attached to e-mail for final contract proofing, while 42% said that they used desktop inkjet or laser printers for final contract proofing.
Highlights
In Summer 2006, 24% of design and production firms were challenged by "color proofing," the lowest level since 1998;
In Summer 2005, 25% of Internet design and development firms were challenged by "color proofing for Web pages"-and 28% were challenged by "color proofing for print";
In Fall 2005, 55% of print and prepress establishments said that their use of online proofing had been increasing in the past 12 months.
Researcher’s Comments
"Back in the old days of analog print production, proofing used to be relatively easy, but the advent of desktop publishing in the 1980s and the subsequent 20-year shift to all-digital production have made proofing much more of a challenge, as graphic arts pros wrestle with trying to find out what a digital page file really looks like. And yet, this challenge is being mitigated by other changes internal and external to print production, like a shift to digital printing, online print procurement, a shift from print to electronic media, the pressing need to reduce costs and, of course, the fact that color reproduction technology gets better."
https://www.trendwatchgraphicarts.com
This article was last modified on May 11, 2006
This article was first published on May 11, 2006
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