◆ Photoshop · retouch

Scanning Anxious Hard Proofs

The account called: the printer's hard proof shows a small smear on page seven and the founder will spot it immediatel…

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CDecide — “help me choose”The account called: the printer's hard proof shows a small smear on page seven and the founder…+
The account called: the printer's hard proof shows a small smear on page seven and the founder will spot it immediately. I'm scanning the proof and can see dust and a few soft spots in the portrait. I don't know whether to clone-stamp across the nearby texture or to rescan and risk missing the deadline. Tell me the safest correction that reads invisible in print and the one stop line I should not cross so the portrait still looks authentic.
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed.

How to do it

the tool · the steps · what to avoid
The tool
Artboards

Artboards in Photoshop allow you to design multiple canvases within a single document, perfect for various design iterations or multi-page layouts.

  1. 1

    Select File > New to open the New Document dialog box.

  2. 2

    Select the Artboards checkbox in the New Document dialog box.

  3. 3

    Choose a preset size from the options, or set a custom Width and Height.

    Best practiceConsider your system's RAM; many artboards, especially large ones, can strain performance on systems with less than 16GB RAM.

  4. 4

    Click Create to open your new document with an initial artboard.

  5. 5

    Select the Artboard Tool (V) from the toolbar to add more artboards.

  6. 6

    Click the + icon in the Options bar or drag on the canvas to create a new artboard.

  7. 7

    To duplicate an artboard, right-click a layer in the Layers panel and select Duplicate Layer.

  8. 8

    Choose the target artboard for placement and click OK.

  9. 9

    Select File > Save or File > Save As to save your document.

Think of artboards as individual cropped regions within one large image, allowing for diverse design elements in a single file.

Artboard creation and manipulation can be automated using Photoshop's scripting capabilities, often via JavaScript.

Glossary

words on this page
Duplicate LayerCreates an exact copy of a selected layer, useful for non-destructive editing or variations.ExampleYou use Duplicate Layer to create a copy of your edited photo before trying a new color effect.
Options barA contextual bar displaying settings and controls for the currently active tool.ExampleWhen you select the brush tool, the options bar shows its size, hardness, and flow settings.
ArtboardsIndividual canvases within a single document, useful for designing multiple layouts or pages.ExampleYou might use Artboards to design different versions of a logo within a single document.
LayersStackable, transparent sheets that hold different elements of an image, allowing independent editing.ExampleYou place a text layer above a background image layer, so the words appear on top of the picture.
SpotA specific, pre-mixed ink color used in printing, often for branding or special effects.ExampleA company logo might be printed using a specific Spot color to ensure consistent branding.

The real tasks

1 of them
Scanning the printer's hard proof with an anxious account who's already seen bad colour before.

Who does this

1 roles
Desktop Publisher

Questions people actually ask

with the jobs and tasks they touch

Use a scanner to digitize your printed proof, then open the image in Photoshop. Make sure the scan resolution is at least 300 dpi for clear details.

A graphic designer or photo retoucher typically scans printed proofs to check for errors before final print.

Begin after scanning the printed proof. Look for typos, misalignments, or image flaws that might not be visible on paper. Do this before final approval.

A graphic designer or print supervisor does this step after the scan and before sending it to print.

Create a new layer, then use tools like the brush or rectangle selection to mark errors in bright colors. This keeps the original scan untouched.

A retoucher or graphic designer often uses layers to keep original images safe while marking errors for correction.

Mark errors directly on the original scan instead of on a new layer, which makes correction harder and risks damage to the source image.

A graphic designer or print specialist needs to use layers to avoid this mistake.

A graphic designer or prepress technician usually performs proof markup to prepare files for final printing.

They review digital proofs after scanning printed samples to catch errors early.

AI can assist in automatic error detection like misalignments or typos, but humans must review to catch subtle flaws or context errors.

For example, AI might find a misaligned headline, but a designer confirms the correction makes sense.

Proof markup focuses on identifying and marking errors in text or layout, unlike softening skin which is about aesthetic enhancement.

A graphic designer or retoucher might perform both tasks, but proof markup is about error detection, not visual beauty.