What kind of text proof will I receive?

Let me answer that by first going back thirty-five years or so in the printing industry. Then, writers used manual typewriters to create their manuscripts and Linotype operators set type in hot metal. There were several different proof stages before a book got to the printer. The first stage was the galleys. Individual lines of type were keyed in and molded in metal on a Linotype machine. A line of type was as thick as the point size, as long as the specified column width, and about half-an-inch high. That was the “line of type.” Compositors placed these lines of type in long trays called galleys, line by line, and locked them together to keep them from falling apart.

The term leading came from the slivers of lead put between each line of type to space them out on the page. With an order to “increase the leading” a compositor physically added additional strips of lead in between the lines.

Once all the type was in place in the galleys, an ink impression of them was taken on long paper sheets, and these were called the galley proofs. They were then proofread, and had corrections made to them. If a line of type contained an error, the old slug of type for that line was removed and a new line was created and inserted. Corrections at this stage were fairly inexpensive; it was not uncommon to go through two or three sets of galley proofs before going to the next step.

Once the writer or editor approved the final galley proofs, a designer pasted them into page layouts. Based on those layouts, the compositor took the galleys of metal type and composed them into page trays, leaving spaces for the placement of halftones (pictures), maps, charts, pen-and-ink drawings, etc., which were dropped in later at the printer. Once these pages were locked, the page proof was printed from the composed pages of type. Changes at this stage of the process were much more expensive.

After the page proof was approved, a camera-ready reproduction proof, or repro proof, was made from the same metal page type. Repro proofs were printed on better paper, and special attention was given to print quality because the approved repro proof was sent to the printer to make negatives for offset printing.

Once the printer received the camera-ready repro proof, he photographed it on a litho camera making film negatives. These negatives were then taped, or stripped, onto large imposition sheets called film flats. Their layout corresponded to the position of the pages on the press sheet. (A 6 x 9 book with sixty-four pages was typically printed as two 32-page sections, or signatures, on a 38 x 50 sheet of paper.) At this stage, the printer made another proof by exposing the film flats on photographic paper that was developed in a chemical solution, and then hung on a clothesline to dry. When the photosensitive paper developed, the type appeared as dark blue on a white background. Thus the term “blueline” came into existence. The proof paper could only be developed on one side, so the pages were glued together, back-to-back, to show the actual layout of the book. A folded and trimmed book of glued-together bluelines functioned as the final proof before going to press. Printers referred to this book of bluelines as the “bookblue”.

Making corrections at the bookblue stage of production was quite expensive. If an editor caught a minor typographical error, the typesetter had to set a new line of type to replace the flawed one in the page tray. He then had to make another repro proof before the printer shot another negative and stripped that correction into the film flats.

Why am I telling you all this when the only Linotype machines remaining are either in museums or perhaps somewhere in the New York Times or Chicago Tribune building waiting for the last union Linotype operator to retire? The reason I’ve gone into such detail is that we cling to many of the terms from that bygone era, and, out of habit, we sometimes expect to see certain proofs that are not only unnecessary, but no longer exist!

Today, you, as the writer, create the equivalent of galleys as you type away at your word processor. Back in the old days, you didn’t dare change the column width because it meant resetting the entire manuscript. Today, you can change the column width in a few seconds, and make any other changes you want right there on the screen in front of you. Hit your print button and you’ve got a galley proof that you can read on the train, or in bed, or carry around in your briefcase to show your friends. Format your type into actual pages and print them, and you’ve got your page proofs. You can even use your laser printer to print them front and back, just as they will appear in your book. You’re in charge now! You and your computer have replaced the old prepress process.

The final proofs that printers offer today vary depending on the printing method. BooksJustBooks.com makes sure each customer gets a final proof compatible with the printing technology used for his or her book.

Don’t worry about the printer putting the pages in the wrong order—that’s his problem. If you’re a little extra paranoid, ask for a set of F & G’s (Folded and Gathered signatures) before the books are bound—understanding that you will be charged for the shipping cost of the F & G’s, and publication of your book will be delayed accordingly.

What kind of cover proof will I receive?
Your designer’s computer is capable of doing things that only a decade ago were reserved for prepress film houses with millions of dollars worth of equipment. Today in most cases, when your designer finishes your cover, it’s ready for press.

If you are running a one- or two-color cover, your designer’s laser proof should be enough. The printer will print the PMS (Pantone Matching System) colors that you specify on your order.

With a four-color cover, things are a little different. You should not rely on your designer’s laser proof unless you have a fairly wide window of tolerance between your proof and the printed cover. You should also never count on what you see on your computer screen to be more than a general representation of what will be printed on the final product. But what can you rely on?

Your best color proof is a press proof, but domestic printers rarely supply these because of their prohibitive cost. The next best proof is a film proof like a chromalin or matchprint. This type of proof consists of four layers of color film exposed from the negatives used to make the printing plates, mounted on top of each other on paper, giving the full color appearance. The problem here is that the trend in printing is moving away from negatives towards direct-to-plate. No negative: no film proof. That leaves us with a digital proof. Over the past several years, digital proofs have gained widespread acceptance. They are not as good as press proofs or film proofs but that’s progress. Remember that no one but you has seen your original cover. The money you save using today’s technology far outweighs any minor color variation in the final product.

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