Print is unforgiving in a way screen work is not. A typo on a website is fixed in thirty seconds; a typo on ten thousand printed brochures is a skip full of money. Print proofing is the last checkpoint before that irreversible moment, and it deserves a level of care that matches the cost of getting it wrong.
Check the things screen work ignores
Print has its own failure modes. Confirm the artwork has adequate bleed so nothing important sits at the trim edge, check that colours are set up for the right process (spot or CMYK, not screen RGB), verify the resolution is high enough for print, and make sure fonts are embedded or outlined. These are the errors that look fine on screen and ruin a print run.
Proofread as if it is final, because it is
This is the last time anyone reads the text before it is permanent. Proof every word with the seriousness that finality demands — headlines, body copy, captions, the small print, the phone number, the URL. There is no editing a printed page. What you approve is what tens of thousands of people will read.
Get every stakeholder to sign off the same file
Print jobs often involve a client, a brand manager, and sometimes legal — and the disaster scenario is each approving a slightly different file. Everyone must review and approve the exact same final artwork. Reviewing it in one place, where each person comments on the same version and signs off on the same version, is what prevents the wrong file reaching the press.
Keep a record of what was approved
When a print run comes back wrong, the first question is always 'who approved this?'. A documented approval tied to the specific artwork that went to press settles it instantly and protects everyone in the chain. Without that record, a printing dispute becomes a matter of conflicting memories and lost emails.
“Print is unforgiving. A typo on a website is fixed in thirty seconds; the same typo on ten thousand brochures is a skip full of money. Print proofing is the last checkpoint before that becomes permanent.”
Print proofing checklist
- Confirm adequate bleed and safe margins
- Check colour setup (spot or CMYK, not RGB)
- Verify resolution is high enough for print
- Ensure fonts are embedded or outlined
- Proofread every word as final
- Get all stakeholders to approve the exact same file
Frequently asked questions
What should I check when proofing for print?
Confirm adequate bleed, correct colour setup (spot or CMYK rather than RGB), sufficient resolution, and embedded or outlined fonts. Then proofread every word as final and get all stakeholders to approve the exact same artwork file.
Why is print proofing more important than screen proofing?
Because print is irreversible. A screen error is fixed in seconds, but a printed error is reproduced across the whole run at real cost. Print proofing is the last chance to catch mistakes while fixing them is still cheap.
How do I stop different people approving different print files?
Review the artwork in one place where every stakeholder comments on and approves the same version. A single source of truth, with a documented sign-off tied to the exact file, prevents the wrong artwork reaching the press.
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