A survey in 2005 revealed that 90% of brand managers had never heard of pre-press. This is not surprising given that pre-press has historically been a specialist trade service to the printing industry. However more than ever before, pre-presscan determine whether brand appearance is consistent between different packaging media. It is also the critical link between design and printing that often determines whether or not the final printed pack matches the design that the marketing department originally approved. This paper discusses the benefits of brand managers taking control of their graphic supply chain by having direct relationships with pre-press providers.