Hi Paul_M,
Yes, we only ever send out cmyk files, we usually supply PDFx files and that is what we use to produce the progressives. It is really just a visual check that the file we are supplying is separating how we expect it to. I understand many different printing presses will be producing plates from different RIPs and will produce different levels across the 4 plates, we can only do as much as we can at our end. So far, we have never had any problems, but if we do, we have somewhere to start investigating.
Yes, soft proofing would save on clicks, but its a very small cost, I'm used to viewing the prints as a hard copy, its just personal preference, the hardcopy progressives can then remain in the job bag for future reference if necessary, until the job is completed.
I will certainly try out using image viewer though and selecting particular plates to print, it may work fine for me.

Originally Posted by
Paul_M
Hello again, Jones_Ed
You have a good, interesting user case.
Is my interpretation correct? You are not really using “progressives” for its original purpose, i.e. a sequential view of the plates. You are using it as a way to isolate the K separation from CMY, in order to visually confirm that specific objects you specified as black will use only K ink.
If this is the case, is ImageViewer a reasonable replacement for Progressives? You can save click charges by not printing. If you need printed proofs, you can still print from ImageViewer.
If I may ask: in the scenario you are describing, do you provide your supplier with CMYK-only documents? Are they using a press or a Fiery printer like yours? If their color-management is different than yours, there is no guarantee K will be preserved in production. Tell me if this is a frequent problem. I’ll be glad to propose additional help.
Xerox Versant 3100 | Fiery EP3100 | CWS 6.1.0.28 | FCPS 4.9.0.21