GMG, a leading developer and supplier of high-end color management software solutions, officially launched the www.proofr.com Internet platform this week. The worldwide network of remote proofing locations makes it possible to provide online proofing services in compliance with the GMG quality standards, and can be used from now on. Paul Willems, CEO of GMG GmbH & Co. KG, says: “We are delighted to have already been able to recruit numerous professional partners for our proofing network. Proofr.com already covers key locations in Europe, Asia, and the USA, meaning that we can literally offer many customers the possibility of sending color-accurate proofs around the globe in a very short space of time. We’re permanently seeking and recruiting new partners to improve the network’s coverage even further.”
Due to the increasing globalization of the working world, even digital hardcopy proofs today regularly have to be transported over long distances, e.g. by courier, if rapid customer approval is needed. That is an expensive procedure in terms of both money and time. GMG is catering to this situation by introducing its innovative Internet platform called Proofr.com. The new development from GMG was recently even nominated for the “German Printing Industry Innovation Awards 2010”, making it into the Top 10 in the “Prepress” category. “This clearly shows that we have come up with exactly what people need,” says Paul Willems.
The working principle is very simple: via an online portal at www.proofr.com, interested users can order a color-accurate contract proof in GMG quality, and select a Proofr partner in their area for the job. This partner then produces the proof in the recipient’s vicinity, sending it out within a matter of hours. The PayPal online payment system is used for payment.
In the opinion of Kristian Wells, Prepress Manager at Think Repro in the UK and Proofr network partner, it is, on the one hand, “no problem at all for a GMG user to become a Proofr partner, because preconfigured workflows can simply be downloaded from the Web site, enabling every partner to guarantee consistent proof quality. On the customer side, it’s very easy to use the online portal, upload data, and select a partner. Since every partner uses the same GMG ColorProof proofing software and GMG ProofPaper semimatte 250, the customer can depend on every partner producing top-quality proofs.”
Maxime Dumesnil from DLW, a prepress company in Paris, describes the business advantages from the point of view of a network partner: “Many of our customers have their printing done outside France. The Proofr community puts us in a position to select a trustworthy partner for our customers at the individual printing locations, and to deliver a color-accurate proof to the print provider on the same day. That results in direct economic and ecological benefits for our customers. Since transport is eliminated, the costs are lower and the carbon footprint improves.” Angela Zoglowek from Oestreicher+Wagner in Munich adds: “Being a long-standing GMG customer, it was instantly clear that Oestreicher+Wagner would join the global platform. Proofr is a very good opportunity for offering our services in cooperation with international partners. We’re pleased to see the network being launched, and look forward to lots of international jobs.”
Proofr.com networks service providers using GMG proofing software with customers around the globe. It creates a network of remote proofing locations that use identical technology and comparable equipment to produce identical proofs all over the world. Proofr.com combines GMG’s technology for producing consistent, reproducible contract proofs with today’s capabilities for networking, data communication and payment via the Internet.
The technological principle of Proofr is based on:
GMG’s calibration technology, which harmonizes the printing characteristics of different printers worldwide,
GMG’s ProofStandards, which enable perfect simulation of all important printing conditions on different printers,
High-quality, globally available proofing media with very narrow production tolerances; an identical white point and identical ink acceptance make it possible to print identical proofs anywhere in the world in combination with GMG ColorProof proofing software.
“Since we already use GMG ColorProof ourselves at various company locations, we know for sure that proofs are output identically and reproducibly everywhere. That’s why we’re also convinced that the Proofr partners around the world will deliver proofs of the same, high quality,” says Jim Kos from Edge Pre media in the Netherlands. “After all, GMG itself tested and certified the proof quality of the partners beforehand.”
GMG users can apply to become proofing providers at www.proofr.com. Customers who would like to use the network in regions where there are not yet any Proofr partners, can send their inquiries to info@proofr.com, since GMG can quickly expand the network in popular regions.