THE ANSWER PRINT
The Answer Print (or as it is unceremoniously called by some labs, the "check print" or "first print") is the first acceptable print made of your movie.
It usually takes more than one print to reach that stage. You should not approve the first print unless it's perfect! No lab is going to charge you for the cost of one print only when they do the answer print! They're after all timing it on the Hazeltine and they're going to charge extra!
So then you look at the answer print in the lab screening room. You look for the changes and improvements the timer performed as per your instructions. You should be very precise with your instructions, otherwise the lab executives will attack you like a pack of wild dogs. Be a pro, be courteous, but be on your guard, because after the third printing, they're eating their profit!
You want to be able to nail it by the third printing! The reel to reel color consistency has to be there. Don't let a lab bamboozle you into accepting some rolls from an earlier printing, "So then you like rolls two and five -- can we use them in the final answer print?" A resounding, "No!" And be sure they don't slip them in anyway. Believe me they try!
Every processing run has its own characteristics. You're dealing with an organic process, celluloid and chemistry, every print looks a little different. But, what you're looking for is consistency, so that the audience isn't jarred by a shift in the color or texture of the film as the projectionist switches rolls. (Projectors and lenses have to be matched in screening rooms also, so that you don't end up with similar effects during exhibition; but that's another worry.)
Now, your looking for a flawless answer print, one that captures the mood, coloration and texture of what your story demands. Scrutinize it, judge it with all the creative talent you put into your film as you were shooting it. This is the last chance you can set the parameters for what the audiences see on the screens!
Go for a fourth and fifth printing if the lab doesn't give you what they should, but accept the second one if they got it right! Maintain your professional standards and they'll respect you and do business with you again.