Proof approval checklist

Progress

0 of 12 confirmed

12 still to confirm.

Every check confirmed. This proof is ready to go out for sign-off.

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Artwork & files

Artwork is final and internally approvedThe file on the proof is the last version, not a working draft. Every outstanding customer amend has been applied and re-checked.
Press-ready file supplied and preflightedCorrect PDF standard for the process, fonts embedded or outlined, no missing links, no RGB images left in a CMYK job.
Image resolution holds up at production sizeEvery placed image is adequate at final scale — including any artwork scaled up after the design was signed off.
Copy proofread and legal content verifiedNames, dates, prices, phone numbers, URLs, mandatory regulatory copy and any small print checked by someone who did not write it.

Dimensions & color

Dimensions and dieline confirmed against the specFlat and finished sizes, panel positions, fold and crease lines all match the die or cutter guide being used on this job.
Bleed, trim and safe area checkedBleed extends far enough for the process, nothing critical sits inside the trim tolerance, and the safe area accounts for how the piece is finished.
Color mode and spot colors specifiedCMYK versus spot decided and named. Every Pantone is called out by number and appears in the file as the same named swatch.
Overprint, knockout and trapping reviewedNo unintended overprinting white or light elements, and trap settings appropriate to the substrate and press.

Production & sign-off

Substrate, weight and grain direction confirmedStock, thickness and orientation agreed in writing — including how the grain runs relative to folds.
Finishes specified and positionedSpot UV, foil, emboss, deboss, varnish and lamination named, with separate layers or keylines showing exactly where each one lands.
Barcodes and variable data verifiedBarcodes scan at production size with adequate quiet zone and contrast; any personalization, numbering or version data checked against the source list.
Customer sign-off captured in writingA dated, attributable approval against this exact version — not a verbal yes, not a reply to an older proof.

Why the list ends where it does

The last item is the one that protects you

The first eleven checks are craft. The twelfth is evidence. When a delivery is disputed weeks later, what settles it is not whether the file was preflighted — it is whether you can show what the customer approved, when they approved it, and that the approval was against this version and no other.

That is also where flat proofs are weakest. A customer can genuinely sign off a PDF and still be surprised by the finished piece, because the PDF asked them to imagine the fold, the foil and the finish rather than showing them. ProofScene puts an interactive 3D model of the actual product in front of them instead, on a branded link, and records the sign-off against it.

One honest caveat: a 3D proof represents appearance, placement, materials and finishing. It is not a calibrated contract-color proof unless your workflow includes formal color management — so item seven on this list stays your responsibility.

Using the checklist

What should be on a print proof approval checklist?

At minimum: final artwork version, a preflighted press-ready file, adequate image resolution, proofread copy, confirmed dimensions and dieline, bleed and safe area, color mode and named spot colors, overprint and trapping, substrate and grain, specified and positioned finishes, verified barcodes and variable data, and a dated written sign-off against that exact version.

Who should run through this checklist?

Usually prepress or the account manager, before the proof leaves the shop. The last item is the one the customer owns — everything above it is your side of the job.

Is my progress saved?

Your ticks are stored in your own browser so the page survives a refresh. Nothing is sent to ProofScene. Use the reset button to clear it before you start the next job.

Why is sign-off its own checklist item?

Because an approval that is not recorded is not an approval you can rely on when a delivery is disputed. A dated, attributable sign-off tied to a specific proof version is what turns a conversation into documentation.

Does a 3D proof replace any of these checks?

No — it strengthens some of them. Dimensions, finishes, substrate and artwork placement are far easier for a customer to verify on an interactive 3D model of the finished product than on a flat page. Preflight, trapping and color specification remain prepress work either way.

Can I use this checklist with my customers?

Yes. Many shops work the last few items through with the customer on a call. The whole page is free to use and free to share.