Printing is both a skill and an art. On the technical end, operators monitor the temperature of the water running through the press and the humidity in the air on the day of printing. Then there is the art side where tweaking the amount of magenta makes the difference between flesh tones in a magazine. All functions within a print shop require hard-core skills and ingenuity. Through each process, though, quality is always the final objective.
How is quality maintained so that you receive your print project as you envisioned it? A high-performing printing company ensures they have the appropriate quality checks throughout all stages of your project.
4 Types of Quality Checks Your Print Project Goes Through
Once you have properly packaged your art and sent it to your G7 certified printer, the magic-making process begins. While you may not see all of the inner workings, it is helpful to know the care and dedication your printer uses through their ISO-based quality assurance program:
- Quality checks begin with the proof. This representation of the final product will be used throughout the printing process to ensure you get what you expect. When a prepress technician prints out a version of your piece, they are looking for proper dimensions, page count, and artwork orientation.
- First Piece Inspections occur at all stages of the process. Quality Control (QC) personnel look for different things along the way:
- Press – any imperfections, including ink density, offset, and backup
- Cutter – sheets cut to proper dimensions for the next stage
- Folder – margins and folios fall consistently throughout
- Stitcher – proper number of pages, booklets fan properly, meets final dimensions
- Final Inspections happen at the end before shipping to the end-user. The primary goal is to ensure that the final product matches the proof according to size, basic layout, and page count.
- First Article Inspections happen per customer request and entail a more detailed course of inspection. A first article inspection is particularly helpful when you have a piece that you run regularly, for example, a booklet that accompanies the product you produce. It consists of pulling a predetermined sampling of the product from the first run. Quality Control personnel take the samples and conduct a more thorough page-by-page review of the entire sampling. They look for dropped characters and other potential issues with readability, without proofreading the pieces.
Choose World Arts for Your High-Quality Printing Needs
Finding a printer who cares for your project as much as you do is possible. World Arts believes that quality matters, and we have the processes in place to ensure it happens. From our technicians to our quality control personnel, we aim to exceed your expectations via ISO quality standards. Contact us today for laser-focused service.
