Why human proofing is important for web-to-print
A business' pre-press department, whether it is outsourced to another company or contains one in-house employee, is an essential part of the printing process. Web-to-print software allows direct mail marketers to create any type of advertising material, from postcards to newsletters, completely in-house.
However, while web-to-print software allows companies to easily submit jobs for immediate production, manually proofing the marketing pieces before they are sent off to the printer continues to be one of the best solutions for companies to enhance direct mail campaigns and avoid any potentially damaging mistakes in copy or design. Small businesses may rely too much on design software to notice errors in color or spelling within the materials; remembering to have a professional look over the material before it is delivered to the printer is a vital step in the print workflow process.
According to Print Week, an online printing site, web-to-print is significant to the printing industry due to its affordability and its customization. But small businesses should remind themselves that while the software combines parts of the pre-press process into one portal, having a professional eye look over the piece before jobs are entered into the system is important to the success and continuity of direct mail campaigns.
Web-to-print solutions offer companies the ability for humans to handle printing jobs on an exception-only basis, so reducing the amount of errors in marketing materials can prevent future headaches. The software is an effective way to handle rising workloads for direct mail marketers, but when a problem does occur, small businesses should remember that intervening and proofing the materials is important for customer retention and satisfaction. Consumers who notice mistakes can develop a negative perception of the company because of the errors, so ensuring there are as few as possible may lead to happier customers.