[FauxCaster]

A company I freelance for get's it stuff printed in China. Is there such a thing as a CMYK proof-sheet thingy that has a range of colors and their CYMK percentages printed on them. When I worked at a newspaper, the printing press printed out the big newprint sheets with a range of colors swatches on them and the numbers for the CMYK combos on the side so we could see what the actual printed colors would look like. Since newprint is so messy, I wonder if this was an atypical practice.

I'd like to request such a swatch-sheet from the Chinese printer printed on the glossy card-stock we use for future work. So I don't look like a complete idiot, what do you call such things if they are indeed common and a typical costumer request?

[teszeract]

You wouldn't be talking about a process colour chart, would you? or perhaps a pantone book with process breakdown?

[godzookie2k]

well, if your stuff is calibrated properly and their stuff is calibrated properly, then a Pantone swatch book is all you need.

[andi*pandi]

I would call it a press sheet. But even though that would show what CMYK looks like on your special paper, there are so many variables (dirty press, ink gain, sloppy work) that could change the color on your job.

Really, it's up to them to match your color (as long as you've used real cmyk values/pantone book and not just gone by your screen looking pretty). Get a Matchprint or Polaproof of your job, and the printed job should match it very closely. If it doesn't, bounce it. It's hard to do a press check in China (would your company pay? s\/\/e3t!) but there are ways via FedEx.

However, if the colors of your pix look bad on the Match/Pola, be assured they will look that way printed and it won't be the printer's fault.