The color correction process
In graphic arts, a colored material, substrate or dye is used to simulate the subtractive printing primaries of cyan, magenta and yellow and black (CMYK) as well as the other colors. The colorants used in these proof materials should render process colors with no apparent hue error. When the proof colors are combined in registration they will show the approximate printing values, colors and hues of how an original will look when printed.

Topps trading card proofs were made from separate plates in process work, usually during a press proof, showing the sequence of printing and the result after each additional color has been applied. They were used most effectively to determine if any problems exist and were used as a basis for corrections or future reprinting.

Different Types of Proofs

PROOFS were created during the production process of the original card set. Therefore, a proof card for a 1980 Topps Football card would have been printed in 1980, before the actual card set was released.

Color Separation proofs:
Proofs featuring prints of a single or a combination of the CMYK color scheme. These are usually printed on card stock, but are also found on paper, and slick stocks.

A Full Color (minus black) proof	A Yellow/Cyan tone proof

Color Key (Acetate) Proof sets:
Consists of four separate semi-transparent acetate (plastic-like) layers of the 4 primary printing colors: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The color key layers are stacked on top of one another to produce the final card image.

The four separate color key layers	The layers combined

Blue Line proofs:
Usually found on paper stock, these are used for corrections in the printing process.

Blue Line Proof

Camera Ready art
Paste-up artwork (mechanical) in which all type is set, sized correctly and pasted up in correct position. All corrections have been made and the piece is set to be photographed and reproduced in the final card form.

Camera Ready art

Original art
The original hand-created piece used to produce the image appearing on trading cards. Examples range from original hand-painted Wacky Packages and Garbage Pail Kids art, to drawings used to produce the illustrations on the backs of older sports trading cards.

Garbage Pail Kids Original Painting	Original Football Ink Art

Uncut sheets
In the final production process, trading cards are printed on these large sheets. The sheets then go through a cutting process where individual trading cards are produced.

Topps Football Uncut Sheet

Film Positives & Negatives
Film shot by Topps photographers used in creating the player's image on a trading card. These range from actual film negatives to film-related products.

Baseball Color Film	Football Color Film

Test issue sets
Test issues were products released in limited areas of the country used to determine collector interest. Test issues were printed in limited quantities.