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Graphic Design vocabulary · Print Production

Soft proof

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

nounAdvanced term

In graphic design, soft proof means: An on-screen simulation of how colours may reproduce under a specified output condition.

In Turkish: ekran provası

How it is used

Use for colour-managed simulation, not simply viewing any PDF on screen.

Example sentences

  1. The soft proof showed that the bright green would become duller.

    The preview estimates colour changes for the selected output condition.

  2. We changed the paper simulation before comparing the soft proof.

    The simulated substrate influences the displayed print appearance.

Common collocations

  • soft proof setup
  • evaluate a soft proof
  • print-readyDescribes a final file that meets the printer's requirements and can go straight to press, with correct size, bleed, colour mode, image resolution and fonts.
  • proofA trial version of a design, on paper or as a PDF, that the designer and client check carefully for mistakes and colour before the full print run starts.

More terms: Print Production

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