Introducing VIRTUAL CHECK: A time-saving answer for old-fashioned press checks

Our biggest takeaway from 2020? Flexibility matters.

Press checks have long been a rigid sticking point in the label engineering process. And yet it’s a crucial quality control step for business owners.

After all, this is the last chance to scrutinize label details such as ingredients lists and embellishments like foil and embossing. They’re especially important when color is crucial to your product. For companies like Coca-Cola or Tiffany, the wrong red or blue isn’t just a mistake — it’s an identity crisis. The color is the brand.

Most customers don’t feel comfortable moving forward with printing thousands, or even millions, of labels without verifying that the order meets their specifications. But conducting press checks in person is inconvenient, if not downright unfeasible.

Schedules must be coordinated across teams. Change requests can cause further delays in production. And to further complicate logistics, few businesses are located conveniently near a label printer. This means additional travel time and expense just for a site visit.

Enter, VIRTUAL CHECK™.

The new answer to an old problem

In a nutshell, Virtual Check eliminates the need for in-person press checks.

Our process takes about 30 minutes. That means no more costly travel. No more wasted time.

Everything happens at your pace, whether that’s from your home office or your actual home.

Our modern light-box complies with the following industry standards: ISO, ASTM, AATCC and BSI visual assessment requirements. Combined with powerful 4k cameras, Virtual Check spares you the inconvenience of on-site press checks.

How it works

After submitting your label’s artwork, we’ll create a mock-up and print two physical samples — one for us and one for you. During a Virtual Check session, we’ll magnify your label in our state-of-the-art light booth while you compare what we share on the monitor to the physical proof in your hand.

It’s just that easy.

What about accuracy?

New technology can be glitchy. But we have processes in place to build confidence around our Virtual Check process.

Color calibration

Remote customers often express uncertainty about color accuracy on their monitors.

Every time your physical proof goes out, we’ll also send you a color card. This is the calibration guide for adjusting your monitor to match ours. And whether that means changing color profiles, Pantone values or white balance, our team can assist you with any necessary troubleshooting steps during your Virtual Check session.

Magnifying “flaws”

Most of us are familiar with the shortcomings of video conferencing.

But as long as your internet connection is stable, Virtual Check’s risk isn’t that the image will be poor. Quite the opposite.

Our state-of-the-art cameras are powerful. The trade-off is that after a certain level of zooming, they can falsely exaggerate blemishes such as smudges or scratches that are not visible to the human eye.

In short, our equipment is too good.

For this, the physical proof is key. The version in your hands and ours allows us to double-check for quality. A skilled label partner can explain any perceived imperfections. And if they persist, we will fix them on-site.

Examining embellishments

Certain labels have tactile details like screen-printed foils and embellishments. Checking these features virtually may seem counterintuitive. But our professional series light booth makes it easy.

Settings in our light booth are adjustable. During Virtual Check, we’ll display your label under a range of settings, from “natural light” to “ultraviolet,” to demonstrate how its appearance may vary under real-world conditions. During this step, we’ll also tilt the label back and forth to illustrate any reflective qualities due to the use of foils or metallics. This close examination also offers an opportunity to observe the shade and dips that define embossing.

Preparing for your Virtual Check session

During your session, dual cameras enable you to see both your RLG representative and the label at the same time. If requested, additional internal RLG support team members can also attend. Prior customers have requested the attendance of production supervisors, press operators and members of the pre-press art department.

We encourage you to include everyone needed from your organization. For some businesses, that may be the procurement team. For others, the entire art department.

Our high-definition cameras and remote technology support both PC and Apple, Zoom and Teams.

Requesting changes

We’re here to help you make informed decisions about even the most minute details of your label.

Late-stage changes are not uncommon. Small adjustments, such as brightening text or emphasizing contrast, are simple and we can usually conduct these changes during the meeting itself. Larger changes, such as redesigning grape leaves on a wine bottle, may take another 24 hours.

This is one of the benefits of Virtual Check. Depending on the change complexity, waiting for revisions during a site visit can be time-consuming. But with Virtual Check, it’s easy to reschedule to regroup later that same day or week without disrupting your own day-to-day operations.

We’re so much more than a printer

There are thousands of places to print a label.

But when it comes to maximizing your time and resources, you don’t just need a label printer. You need a label partner.

With multiple locations from coast to coast, we’re already nearby. We provide the capabilities and reach you’d expect from a national company, with the dedication and touch of a local partner.

And we’ve transformed our industry’s most outdated process into one that maximizes efficiency at every step.

The speed and accessibility of Virtual Check allow you to uphold your quality expectations and save time. No more disruptions. No more sunk costs. With Virtual Check, we literally meet you where you are.