proofing a collection

[pudlofink]

got a bunch of images that I want to check the output on and using an outsourcer to print for me for the first time.
but i just wanted to check how others do this and if my thinking is right.
I suggested to him I would gang up all my images on a roll and each one would be small, much smaller than the print sizes I will be offering. He said that should work. There's about 80 images in all.

Is it fine to proof images at a small size like this, does it confirm the colors good enough.

they are digital illustrations and I would think that color gradients in some of the images would need a full size print to see the definitive results. but other than that, hope it would work.

Trust this doesn't sound like a silly question but I would use the same paper that the final prints would be? Canson Rag Photographique. I just wonder what cheap proofing paper rolls are for then in relation to this.

I gave up on getting my own print setup for now, but it's something I really want to do.

[LenR]

In my limited experience there are 2 types of tests.
A "Color test" and a "Mag test".

A color test is a print of the whole image as large or as small as you want.
In your case with 80 images it might be 3x5 if you can see enough information about the color at that size.

A mag test is usually a portion of the image you want to see at 100% of the final size to check for sharpness, grain, banding or any other issues that you are concerned with.  A mag test can also be as large or small as you want as long as it represents the final enlargement value.  So basically I might take a 3x5 section of each image to test.  More than likely after seing the color tests you probably won't need a mag test for each image if your really familiar with the files.  Sometimes I make a mag test that's 6-8" tall and as wide as the roll but it depends on the job.

All of the above is only valid if nothing on the output side changes from tests to finals... Know-what-I-mean?

[pudlofink]

I certainly do friend, and, well the finals will be printed by the outsourcer and sent off directly to the client, so I'll just have to trust him. that's a cool idea with the image portion too, and I'll get that at 3x5 next to each mini full, on a length of roll as long as it takes. The first time each full version is printed ie I get an order I'll go in and check it out. after then it's out of my hands.