LOVELAND, Ohio, September 6, 2007—For many print professionals and their customers, remote proofing is seen as a technology that’s still not ready for prime time.  It remains cumbersome—and typically is laden with hidden or unreasonable costs.
xpedx, joining with Cary, N.C.-based PROOF-it-ONLINE, is changing that.  xpedx now offers print professionals, their customers and suppliers anywhere in the world, an easy to use online proofing technology.  The service is being demonstrated at Graph Expo Chicago Booth 3808, Sept. 9-12.
The online proofing service provided by xpedx is available for only $1 per page, approximately one-tenth the cost of a typical charge for an accepted page proof.  There are no extra charges and no special software or hardware is needed. Reviewers can markup and comment directly to the proof online and the printer can post the updated proof as many times as needed.
“We believe that a good online proofing solution allows for a very low one-time per proof posting fee, as well as a way to easily approve content and layout of a print project,” said Dan Wish, xpedx general manager and director of the xpedx National Technology Center in Twinsburg, Ohio.
He added that once the print project has been fully proofed online, the printer can then create a final color-matched proof locally and send it to press, speeding workflow and greatly reducing time and expense.
“We’ve pioneered a technology that eliminates the need for traditional email sharing of PDFs, faxing or overnight mail,” said Rob Munz, CEO of PROOF-it-ONLINE.  “Our solution adds control to the approval process by providing for easy online tracking, versioning, archiving and routing.  Most importantly, it increases efficiency, productivity and work-product excellence in the print and creative worlds.”
xpedx customers can log onto their secure account and post projects via the Internet.  Proofs are reviewed and edited with standard annotation and mark-up tools.  When the reviewer is finished, they set the approval status and the proof is returned.  The PROOF-it-ONLINE application tracks all changes and incorporates time/date stamps on all activities.  It provides reporting and archiving for management control.