A free digital proof comes before printing, unless you choose straight to print. A printed proof costs £30 for a paperback or £65 for a hardback, added to your invoice.
Digital proof
Use it to check the page order, text, margins, images and cover layout. Read it carefully and send any corrections before you approve it.
A screen cannot show exactly how colour will look on your chosen paper. If colour or the feel of the stock matters, choose a printed proof.
Printed proof
A printed proof lets you check the printing, paper and trim in your hands. Check photographs, illustrations and important colours in good daylight. Use the proof to check the text and page order too; reading on paper can reveal details you missed on screen.
Printed proofs for hardback orders
Your pages bound as a paperback, plus a cover sample. It shows the printed pages, paper and cover artwork. It is not a finished case-bound hardback, so it does not show the final hardback construction or opening.
Foil blocking and spot UV are not included on the printed hardback proof. To discuss the finished binding, cover materials or special finishes, contact our team or request a sample pack.
What to check
- Page order: every page present, with chapters and sections in the right place.
- Text: spelling, punctuation, headings, captions and page numbers.
- Layout: margins, image positions and anything close to the trim or spine.
- Colour and paper: assess these on the printed proof and cover sample.
- The cover: title, author, barcode and the position of the spine artwork.
Changes and approval
Send any corrected files before approving your proof. Changes after a proof may be chargeable, and we confirm any charge first. Production starts after you approve the proof.
The approved files and agreed specification are used for the run. Normal printing and colour variation can occur, and a printed hardback proof does not reproduce the final hardback binding or every finish.
Switching to Imprint
Our Switch offer includes one free printed proof copy of one title per publisher, arranged with the team. The same proof formats apply. Any production run is quoted separately.