Hi List This might be a contentious issue with so many pre-press List members but I am involved in a serious publishing problem and I'd appreciate advice, after all we are all working towards high standards in colour management and photographers and publishers should be protected against those who fall short of supplying such standards.
Dear Brenda
Whilst I share your sentiments there is no way we can be protected against cowboy operators or those whose standards are found wanting.
Your best protection is to always submit a print with your material that's a reliable expectation as to how the pictures should print given good workmanship. You should assure yourself that these aim prints are not going to fade or suffer from metamerism or you are going to be in another sort of argument!
A few weeks ago I attended a proofing meeting for a new book containing our aerial photographs, also present were the publisher, designer and the repro house. I had been sufficiently alarmed by the garish colours of the sample jacket to show it to 2 highly experienced fellow List members, one of whom kindly accompanied me to the meeting.
Can you tell us which party commissioned the scanning/proofing? There is no excuse for un-sharp proofs. How were the scans made, what sort of proofs are involved, how is the job to be printed? Is this a CTP job?
It was soon clear we had a serious problem. What amazed me was that the repro house felt they could present these proofs as being the best they could produce; two were simply out of focus - and hadn't been noticed.
Says it all unfortunately. I wonder why this repro house was selected to do the job...presumably someone had seen their work first.
Long story but the work is being rescanned by another repro house and of course there is a dispute about the invoice submitted by the first. Publication delayed by a month. I deliberately haven't gone into too many details because my question is this.
How do List members tackle disputes about what constitutes 'good repro'?
By checking their abilities before placing work, by doing it yourself, by setting quantifiable standards. By having them run a sample job first.
With such a subjective topic, how are disputes best resolved?
By being polite but very firm and using the above to support your position and having everything in writing.
I already know several List members whom I could approach for a professional opinion upon the quality of the proofs but is there an acknowledged independant colour management expert / panel whom both sides would accept as a final arbiter over quality?
Unlikely!
Is there an 'Expert Witness' (legal term) on colour issues and can anyone suggest such a person?
Sorry, no idea but it does remind me of a job we commissioned about 25yrs ago with a very well regarded UK printer now no longer.. It was for the production of 100K A2 posters. The proofs were fine, and I attended the print run and signed off the press sheets, but when the job was delivered it varied all over the place. The London School of Printing was contacted and one of their people supported the stand we were taking and a substantial reduction was effected by standing firm. These days we now have the means too measure colour bars and can more easily lay down what deviation in delta e is within acceptable limits and have that written into the order.
Hope that helps.
Cheers
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