The production process is carefully monitored. There are at least two submissions of proof copies to the product development teams—before the product is put into disk and then at first printing[printing?:printing cutting finishing solution]—to ensure the product is designed as was envisioned and can be printed to quality specifications. Pressmen check color, inks, and completed sheets throughout the printing process. The die-cutter is able to watch the process and makes sure the cutting is done correctly so that straight clean cuts are made.
At the printer, greeting cards are printed on a sheet-fed offset printing machine. When ink and a fountain solution are applied to a metal plate that has had the greeting card pages laser burned onto it, the image to be printed accepts ink but repels the fountain solution. The non-image (white or background area) attracts the fountain solution, repels the ink, and is left unprinted. From the plate, the image is applied under pressure to a rubber canvas called a blanket and it is transferred to the paper[paper?:paper sample maker cutting machine]. The sheets of paper are mechanically fed into the printer. The press grabs a single sheet of paper at a time, generally printing all of the black images and words first. A different metal plate is used for each color of the design. Inks are applied in sequence without allowing time for just-applied inks to dry. A top gloss coating is applied as a final step.
folding machine operator monitors the quality of the completed card. He or she is able to now see the card completed and ready for sale; this person has the prerogative to pull inferior cards (poorly printed, badly cut or folded) out of the line and jettison it.
