Return to Assistance contents page Assistance - print issues How do I choose the right paper? There are hundreds of different materials available in a variety of weights (thicknesses). The material you select will affect the appearance, feel, and cost of your job. We understand that most normal people are not paper experts, so we would be happy to suggest an appropriate material for your job and send you a sample if you require. How can I check how the job will look before printing? There are a variety of ways in which we can "proof" a job before printing starts. The main purpose of proofing at this stage is usually to check that colours will print as expected (you should already have made checks for content, spelling mistakes, etc, and we can supply laser proofs for this purpose). A Cromalin proof is quick and relatively cheap to produce, and unlike digital colour proofing systems, is made from the actual film that will be used to create the printing plates. Things you should bear in mind when assessing a Cromalin are that colours are usually stronger and more saturated than they will be on the final job, and secondly that a Cromalin will not show you the effect of the colour and surface texture of the final printing stock. The most accurate proofing method is known as "wet proofing", where a small number of copies of the job are printed on a litho press, onto the actual material specified. This is naturally more expensive and can take longer than other proofing methods, but is the only way to accurately proof certain jobs. We can supply both kinds of proof, and would be happy to advise on the most suitable proofing strategy for your work (in some circumstances it can be argued that the expense of a colour proof is not justified). Please note that we cannot accept responsibility for colour reproduction in situations where colour proofs were not produced, or were not in our possession at the time of going to press. If I ask for 500 leaflets will I get 500 leaflets? Due to the unpredictable levels of wastage involved in printing, it is frequently the case that the quantity delivered turns out to be slightly higher or lower than the quantity requested. This is particularly true on small runs. If you require, we can guarantee exact quantities, but you must notify us at the time of ordering.