Section 4 | Page 11

Smooth, glossy white paper returns more light to the viewer. The range of colors on a substrate such as newsprint, which is usually rough, uncoated, and yellowish, is more limited. A paper with a bluish cast will absorb some red and green wavelengths and cause colors to appear grayer than if printed on white paper. The effect of the paper base is so important to the appearance of a printed sheet that it can be considered a fifth color.

The Role of a Color Proof

Once a print job is on the press, changes are costly. The primary role of a color proof is to predict what a job will look like when printed. Using a color proofùand knowing what to look for in a proofùsaves time and money by allowing changes to be made before

 a job goes on press. Color evaluation is moving closer to the creative stages. High quality digital proofing systems now allow changes to be made early in production workflow when the cost to correct is least expensive.