Have you ever looked at advertising specifications and seen “Accompanied with a SWOP Certified Proof” as a requirement and wonder who actually uses them and why? You might be surprised how important they are to the industry and to you.

Since the late 1970s, SWOP has become a common term in the graphic design and publication printing industry. Color and proofing workflows that revolve around SWOP Specifications ensures that art departments and graphic designers are working on and proofing color that web offset printers can confidently run to.

An ideal color workflow doesn't simply end with SWOP — it begins with it. Graphic designers who work in a SWOP environment calibrate their monitors to match SWOP Specifications, use SWOP color profiles and consistently review SWOP Certified Proofs throughout their proofing cycle. SWOP Certified Proofs are then sent to their web offset printer as contract proofs which the pressman use to match on press.

Publishers who receive advertisements from many different sources often require SWOP Certified Proofs to accompany the files submitted. Publishers will then send the supplied proofs along with their own SWOP proofs to the printer for color matching. Advertisers that do not send SWOP Certified Proofs to the publication they are appearing in have no way of knowing what their final color will actually look like.

Along the same lines, publishers who have paid advertisements, products or have a preference on what their color should be typically submit and review SWOP Certified Proofs prior to approving a job on press. Publishers who do not review SWOP proofs have no way of knowing what their final color results be.

Click Here to get an idea of how many companies currently require SWOP proofs.