The idea is pretty simple – to give our ColorProof users a platform to provide “proofing as a service” for people anywhere in the world. 

Because of the unique calibration properties of GMG ColorProof, all ColorProof systems worldwide are able to print identically – so with proofr, ColorProof users build a strong, global network of companies who can print proofs that perfectly match each other.

 

Who profits from proofr?

 

Customers 

Customers save a lot of time and money cutting out traditional methods of delivery i.e. couriers. Instead of taking days to deliver a proof the traditional way (and paying a lot of money for the privilege) they can extend their own deadlines by using proofr to deliver proofs anywhere in the world within hours and pay local prices into the bargain. As well as this, people who do not maintain their own proofing system and are not color management experts, are now able to deliver a color accurate high quality proof rapidly to any client they may have anywhere in the world. 

 

 

 

Partners (ColorProof Users) 

ColorProof users in the proofr network can share their already existing equipment with others. Without any extra investment, they get paid for every page they deliver. The work they currently carry out calibrating and maintaining their printers now also benefits in another way. 

Companies who sign up to Proofr benefit from a constant supply of work and money from all over the world without having to spend valuable time looking for it, or building their own web services. 

Simply by being part of our network there is the potential for work to come the partners way. 

Being a certified partner of proofr shows the partners proofing expertise. Every partner can put a “certified partner” banner on his website or email signature. 

 

 

 

 

 

Requirements for Partners 

General requirements 

We want to ensure our partners get orders frequently, not only once in a while. For this reason, we want to start with partners who are situated in big cities and areas of interest to our customers – locations with lots of printing and graphic arts companies where proofs are sent to regularly. As and when we need to, we will expand the network with the ultimate aim of offering every single GMG user the chance to add extra profitability to their business. 

Proofing must be part of the partners main business – partners should make Proofs for their own internal use every day, so that theydo not have to calibrate their printer “only” for the proofr jobs, but have your system in a good state for their own needs. 

Partners must be familiar with, and regularly perform, printer calibration and ProofControl verification. 

Partners do not need to employ color scientists, just be very comfortable with GMG software. GMG provides preconfigured hotfolders so that the operation is really easy and foolproof. 

Because Proofr is an international, worldwide platform, Partners should have basic knowledge of the English language, to be able to contact GMG support or the customers via email or phone and to use the proofr.com website.

 

 

Software and Hardware requirements 

• GMG ColorProof 5.1 (or 5.2) 

• Original GMG semimatte 250 proofing paper 

• Proof Control with i1 measurement device 

• Printer: o Canon iPF 

o HP-Z 

o Epson x800, x880, x900 series 

 

 

Paypal 

Every Partner needs a free paypal business account. 

 

 

 

 

Certification 

Partners must prove that they meet the proofr requirements. Proofr will regularly test for correct equipment, proofing quality, response time and reliability. Only ColorProof users who meet the criteria will be part of the proofr network. This is documented by the listing at the proofr.com website. Partners may also use the “GMG-certified proofr” badge at their company website. 

Partners who do not meet these criteria, or deliver bad quality to customers will be excluded from proofr.

 

Proof Quality Criteria 

A certified proof must fulfill three criteria, which are very easy to check: 

• Printed on GMG semimatte paper 

• Verified with ProofControl, passed and signed 

• Printed with official GMG ProofStandards, indicated by the Badge in the proof text label 

 

Color Standards/Hotfolders 

GMG issues preconfigured hotfolders for partners to download and import into ColorProof. These configurations are available for download at www.proofr.com/download 

This ensures that all proofs worldwide are printed using the same profiles, to the same standard and makes you certain that your settings are perfectly ok, configured by the color management experts of the GMG headquarters. 

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How Proof works 

Workflow for the customer 

• The customer logs on to proofr.com and gives us the address of the person that he'd like to deliver the proof to. 

• The website displays the destination and a list of available partners within a 250 mile/kilometer radius. 

• The customer chooses the partner he'd like to print and deliver his proof. 

• He uploads his file/s and chooses the specification, size, quantity and delivery time that he requires. 

• He then pays via Paypal. 

• He gets informed about the current progress and delivery via email. His proof will be printed in perfect quality and arrive at the destination in a few hours. 

 

Workflow for the partner 

• When a proof job is assigned to you, you will automatically get informed via email. 

• A quick response is required for all the obvious reasons, not least that speed is a main part of our advantage: 

• Log in to the proofr.com website. Here you will see a detailed overview of all jobs and job details – including the amount of money you will get for every order. 

• Download the files for the current order, and put them in the correct hotfolder. ColorProof will print them automatically with correct settings. 

• After the print has finished, verify every proof with ProofControl, put the proofControl sticker on every proof and sign it. 

• If a proof fails verification, please make sure that the printer nozzles are not clogged, check the calibration, and reprint the proof – we need our customers to absolutely trust the high quality standards of proofr and we can’t accept anything other than the highest quality. 

• When all proofs are fine, call a courier service who delivers the proof to the receiver. 

• After every step of downloading, printing and delivery, please update the job status, so that both customer and receiver can track the progress. 

 

Finance and Payment 

Proofr supports Paypal for orders. If an order is placed the partner is immediately payed by the customer. GMG issues an invoice for its share monthly. 

The partner will keep 80% of the price charged per proof not including delivery, 20% will go to GMG. 

For small orders with a low price, proofr will charge an extra fee (extra charge for small amounts). The customer has to pay this fee in addition to the proof price. This fee is shared by 50% between GMG and the partner.

 

 

 

 

Advantages to Being a Partner 

Companies who sign up to Proofr benefit from a constant supply of work and money from all over the world without having to spend valuable time looking for it, or building their own web services. 

Simply by being part of our network there is the potential for work to come the partners way. 

Being a certified partner of proofr shows the partners proofing expertise. Every partner can put a “certified partner” banner on his website or email signature. 

The existing proofing equipment is useful for longer and for more output, decreasing the time for return on investment. 

 

 

 

 

FAQ for Partners 

Can I configure my own prices? 

Proofr wants to have comparable prices everywhere in the world. We want to deliver identical quality for identical costs worldwide. However, we know that production costs vary so are willing to receive input on this from partners and also that delivery costs are different at different places, so that delivery costs may vary for different regions.

 

 

Can I configure additional products/specifications? 

Proofr provides proofs in the most common specifications, easy to use and to understand for the customers, easy to match for partners and identical everywhere. So, you can’t create individual products for now. However, if you see a high demand for any kind of proof standard or paper we do not support, let us know, we want to keep the network evolving.

 

 

I have company vacation once a year and won’t be available for 2 weeks. What do I do? 

You must inform us about this so that we can make sure that you won't be allocated any jobs during this time.

 

 

How much time do I have to deliver a proof? 

This will be decided by the customer and what they require; we suggest that you have several different timescales available to customers.

 

 

What happens if I can't deliver the proof on time? 

First of all, inform the sender as soon as possible. He counts on you and needs to know what has happened. 

Second, inform us at proofr.com. We will see if we can re-assign the proof to a different partner who is close to you. 

If the proof is delivered much too late, we will deliver it for free and refund the money to the sender. 

We know that sometimes there is bad luck, the proof printer has a hardware defect, you are out of ink and your second cousin has a broken leg at the same time. But this should not happen very often. 

Partners who deliver proofs unreliable several times will be removed from our network.

 

 

What happens if the customer lives in a different time zone? 

This will be something that will happen quite frequently, but in most cases shouldn't really matter as the recipient will be in the same time zone as you!

 

 

Can I contact the customer directly? 

Yes. if you have a question about the order, missing spot colors, problems with defective equipment, etc, feel free to contact the customer to provide perfect service. 

What do I do in case of problems, e.g. because my printer is defective? 

If your printer is defective, meaning that you cannot deliver a proof on time, you must immediately inform both us and your proofer customers so as to allow another partner to be selected.

 

 

Do I Have To Use GMG 5.1? 

ColorProof 5.1 comes with built-in proof standards that will help you to print perfect proofs without possible misconfiguration of mx4 profiles or calibration. So ColorProof 5.1 or 5.2 is required.

 

 

Does Every Proof Have To Be Verified? 

Yes, every single one that is delivered has to pass the relevant verification in Proof Control. This product relies on quality and speed, we cannot afford any bad proofs to slip through the net.

How do I become a partner? 

It is easy. Just answer a few questions in this questionnaire. We will contact you quickly!