Print proof approval checklist for customers and shops

Read every name, phone number, URL, date, price, address, legal line, and call to action. Test QR codes from the proof at a realistic size. Confirm spelling and punctuation rather than assuming approved source copy was placed correctly.

For multipage work, check page order, covers, blanks, spreads, crossovers, and orientation. A flip-through view catches sequence problems that isolated thumbnails can hide. Customers should know whether they are viewing single pages or printer spreads.

Check that important content stays inside safe areas and away from folds, binding, grommets, hems, pockets, or wrap zones. Confirm the final dimensions and quantity shown with the proof. A visually correct design at the wrong size is still the wrong job.

Show crop and bleed guides without letting the guides obscure the artwork. For front-and-back, multipage, or variable pieces, make navigation unmistakable. The approval must apply to a named revision, not whichever attachment someone happens to open later.

A screen proof is strong for content, layout, crop, and sequence. It is not a contract for exact physical color unless the workflow includes a calibrated contract proof. State how paper, substrate, coating, lighting, and device can affect the result.

When color is critical, identify brand values, spot colors, profiles, or approved physical samples. Record exceptions and customer decisions in the job instead of leaving them in a private inbox.

A production-ready handoff should contain one clearly named current file, the finished dimensions, the expected bleed, and a short record of what was checked. If a warning remains, describe the decision instead of hiding it. For example: the customer accepted 170 effective PPI because the banner will be viewed from across a room. That note is more useful than a folder containing five unexplained exports.

Keep the editable source separate from the approved output. The source is where future changes belong; the approved PDF, PNG, TIFF, SVG, or machine file is the artifact that moves into production. When a revision arrives, create a new version and preserve the approval trail. This small discipline prevents an old attachment, an unapproved crop, or a mystery color conversion from becoming the file that gets printed. It also gives estimating, customer service, prepress, and production the same answer when a job returns.