In this guide 6 sections
Artwork approval stalls when proofs, versions and replies live in separate email threads. Give each file a job number and version, preflight before the proof goes out, and send one proof with one question. Then record the signed approval on the job and lock the file before plates.
Step 1: Give every file one job number and one version
Version confusion starts with names like final, final2 and really final. Replace them with a fixed pattern of job number, customer, short title and version, so that a file called J4821_Meridian_menu_v3 can only mean one thing.
Each new upload from the customer gets the next version number. Nothing is overwritten. The old files stay in the job folder, because a dispute months later often turns on what version two looked like.
Tell the customer the pattern in the first email. Repeat it in every proof email after that. Keep it short.
- Job number first in every file name
- Version number rises with each upload
- Old versions kept, never replaced
- Customer told the naming pattern at the start
Step 2: Preflight before any proof leaves the building
Run every incoming file through a preflight check. Look for missing fonts, low-resolution images, RGB where CMYK is needed, no bleed, text too close to the trim line and overprint surprises. Record the result on the job.
Fixes belong to someone, and that person’s name goes on the record. If prepress corrects a bleed, the record says what changed and who changed it. If the customer must resupply, the job waits with a clear reason attached.
A proof from a broken file wastes a round of approval. That costs a day. Check first.
Step 3: Send one proof with one clear question
A proof email with six attachments and a vague line like please check is an invitation to reply with half-answers. Send a single PDF proof marked with the job number and version. Ask one question. Do you approve this proof for printing as shown?
State what the proof does not show. A soft proof on screen will not match ink on stock. A spot colour looks different on coated and uncoated paper. Offer a wet proof if the customer needs certainty.
Give a reply date, and say who will chase it. Without one, a proof can sit for weeks while the delivery date creeps closer and the press slot goes to someone else.
- One PDF proof, marked with job and version
- One approval question
- Notes on colour, stock and trim
- Reply date stated in the message
Step 4: Record the sign-off on the job, not in the inbox
A reply saying looks good is thin evidence. Capture who approved, which version, on what date and by what route. A signed PDF, an approval link or a reply from a named contact all work if they are stored on the job.
Include the corrections requested, even trivial ones. If the customer asks for a phone number change, a new proof is needed. Approval with marked changes is not approval of the corrected file.
Anyone in the shop can then answer where a proof stands. They open the job instead of searching three inboxes, and the customer gets a straight reply the same minute.
- Approver’s name and role
- Version approved
- Date, time and route of approval
- Corrections requested and who made them
Step 5: Lock the file and release it to plates or the digital queue
Once the proof is signed, freeze the approved file. Platemaking or the digital press must pick up exactly that version and no other, and any later change reopens the job and demands a new proof.
Check the first printed sheet against the signed proof before the run. A wrong version caught there costs one sheet. Caught later, it costs the whole run.
Start tomorrow with a single rule. No plate is made without a signed proof on the job. Tell prepress, customer service and the press room together, so nobody can claim they missed it, and review the first week of jobs against the log on Friday afternoon.
Proof sign-off log
This single-page log gives every proof round its own row. The columns are job number, file version, preflight result, date sent, sent by, approver, approval route, corrections requested, date approved and plate release date. A footer box carries the rule that no plate is made without a signed row, and a second box lists the three people allowed to override it.
Open a blank worksheet to printQuestions owners ask
Is an email reply enough as proof approval?
It can be, if it names the version, comes from the authorised contact and is stored on the job. A reply that says looks good with no version is weak. Ask for a clear statement.
Who is responsible if the customer approves a proof with a typo?
Terms differ, so check your own. Many print terms make the customer responsible for content errors in an approved proof. A written term helps. A signed record helps more.
How do I handle customers who send many corrections by phone?
Log each one on the job and ask for written confirmation. Then issue a new numbered proof. A change that is not on a proof should not reach the plate.
Do digital short runs need the same process?
Yes, though it can be lighter. A short proof checklist is enough. The cost of a wrong run is lower, but a reprint still takes press time, stock and a delivery slot that another customer wanted.