The Joy of Press Proofs
That may seem like an overstatement, but it’s not.
A proof is a printed sample of your book. The proof gives you a final chance to make changes to your book before final production. It also sets expectations related to the appearance of the final print run.
There are two kinds of proofs. If your book is printed on our digital equipment, you will receive an actual "press" proof. A "press proof" is produced on the identical digital equipment that will be producing the final print run. This means that the proof will represent the exact print and paper quality of your final book. "What-you-see-is-what-you-get"
If your book is printed traditional offset, you will receive a "simulated proof". It's called simulated because it is not made on the printing press that will actually produce your books. The proof comes from a high quality, color calibrated laser printer. While the proof for traditional offset printing are of the highest quality, you simply need to be aware they are not "ink on paper".