How to check a print proof: a 12-point checklist from the client's side

A proof is the last chance to catch a mistake before it is printed a thousand times. Read it on paper at actual size and check what only you can know: names, titles, phone numbers, prices, dates, licence numbers, addresses and legal wording. Order a posted proof when colour or a finish matters, and approve in writing, naming the version.

Most proof advice online is written by printers to explain what they are not responsible for, often in US terms such as eighth-of-an-inch bleed. This guide is written from the client's side. We use the same 12-point checklist on every job, and it is published on our How it works page. Below we walk through it from your side of the desk.

Why should you check a proof if the printer checks it too?

You should check a proof yourself because a printer's prepress check catches technical problems but cannot know whether your details are right. A good prepress check catches technical problems: missing bleed, low-resolution images, fonts that will not print, foil on the wrong layer. It cannot tell whether a partner's mobile number has a transposed digit, whether the auction date moved, or whether the price list is the one approved by the sales director this morning.

That is why we fix what is technical and tell you what we changed, but flag what is yours to decide, and never silently change a name, a number or a word. You know your details. We do not.

What should you check on a print proof that the printer cannot?

Names, contact details, prices, dates, licence numbers, addresses and legal text are the errors that cause most reprints, and no printer can catch them reliably on your behalf.

• Names and titles. Spelling, capitalisation, post-nominals and titles. Have each person check their own card or entry. People notice their own name instantly.
• Phone numbers and emails. Read every digit aloud. Check direct lines against the phone system, not memory. Send a test email to any new address.
• Prices and figures. On price lists, brochures and signboards, check every price against the approved source, including GST wording and "from" prices.
• Dates and times. Auction dates, open-home times, event dates and the day of the week that goes with them.
• Licence, registration and business numbers. ABN, ACN, agent licence numbers, builder or practitioner registration numbers, and any scheme line. You can check an ABN or ACN on ABN Lookup. Point 9 of our checklist flags gaps where we would expect a detail like this, but it is not legal advice, and you or your adviser decide what must appear.
• Addresses and maps. Street numbers, suite numbers, postcodes and any map or directions.
• Legal and disclaimer text. Check it is the current approved wording, not a version from an older template.

A useful habit: print the PDF on the office printer, at actual size, and read it on paper with a ruler under each line. People read more carefully on paper than on screen, and actual size shows whether small type is readable.

What are the 12 points on the Proof & Print proof checklist?

Proof & Print consultants work through the same 12 points on every file, from trim size and bleed to stock, finish and delivery. Here is what each one means for you.

1. Trim size, 3mm bleed and safe area. We check the file. You check that nothing important, such as a phone number, sits so close to the edge that it looks cramped once trimmed. Australia uses ISO A sizes (ISO 216) and 3mm bleed is the usual allowance.
2. Image resolution. We flag images that will print soft. You check they are the right images: the current headshot, the right property, the final render.
3. Fonts. We make sure fonts are embedded or outlined. You check the type looks the way you expect, with no substituted fonts or odd characters.
4. Colour values. We check colour space and your brand values. You confirm the values match your brand guide, and decide whether colour needs a printed proof (see below).
5. Fine text, hairlines and rich black. We check that fine detail will hold. You check that small text, such as a disclaimer, is still readable at actual size.
6. Finish layers. We check foil, spot gloss and raised gloss are on their own layer and above minimum line weights. You check the finish is on the elements you intended, and not on fine text you need to read.
7. Names and titles. We compare them against the list you supplied and flag any mismatch. You confirm the list itself was right.
8. Phone numbers, emails and web addresses. We check they are formatted consistently. You check they are correct.
9. Sector details. We flag where we would expect an ABN or ACN, a licence number or a professional standards scheme line. You decide what must appear.
10. Folds, panel order, page order and binding. We check the imposition. You check the story reads in the right order when folded or bound. Fold your desk print to see it.
11. Quantities, versions and splits. We check them against the order. You check the order: one card per person, the right number per branch, every version of the price list.
12. Stock, finish and delivery. We check they match the approved quote. You check the quote was what you meant, and that the delivery address and contact are current.

What can't a PDF proof show?

A PDF proof is reliable for content, layout, positioning, type and order. It is not reliable for:

• Colour. A screen makes colour with emitted light, while paper reflects the light around it. Screens vary in brightness and calibration, and the same file looks different on a laptop and a phone. Print shops judge colour under standardised viewing light, defined in ISO 3664, for this reason. Uncoated and cotton stocks also absorb ink and show colour softer than a screen suggests. Our guide to Pantone colour matching explains what to expect.
• Finishes. Foil, spot gloss, raised gloss and soft-touch laminate usually appear on a PDF as a flat colour or a marked layer. You can check where they go, but not how they look and feel.
• Stock and weight. You cannot feel 450gsm or a felt texture on screen. Our sample box ($25, credited on your first order) puts our stocks and finishes in your hand.
• Scale on large items. A signboard or hoarding panel viewed on a laptop gives no sense of reading distance. Check the shortest line of text that has to be read from the street, and compare it with the board's real size.

When is a posted hard-copy proof worth paying for?

A posted hard-copy proof is printed on the chosen stock and sent to you. Ours is $75 and adds 2 to 3 business days to the job. It is worth it when:

• colour has to match a brand standard, a previous job or another supplier's work
• you are using a stock or finish for the first time
• the run is large, or a reprint would be expensive or would miss a fixed date
• several people need to sign off and want to see the real thing.

It is usually not needed for a reorder of an approved design on the same stock, or when the only change is a name or number on a card you have already printed.

How should you approve a print proof, and what does approval mean?

Approve in writing, in the same thread as the proof, and name the version. A clear approval looks like this:

Approved to print: Smith Street brochure, proof version 3, dated 17 October, 1,000 copies as quoted.

Avoid "looks good" or "fine" sent from a phone in a meeting. If you are approving with conditions, such as "approved once the date is corrected", ask for a revised proof instead. A conditional approval leaves room for doubt about which version printed.

Approval means you have checked the names, numbers, wording and layout and are happy for the job to print as shown. The printed job is then made to match the approved proof. If something in the delivered job differs from the approved proof and quote, such as the wrong stock, quantity or finish, or a print fault, it is our mistake and we reprint at no cost. If the error was in the approved proof itself, your consultant explains the options and quotes any corrected reprint before anything prints. Our standard sets this out in full.

What is a short routine for checking a print proof?

Six steps catch most proof errors:

1. Print the PDF at actual size and read it on paper.
2. Have each named person check their own details.
3. Check every number against its source.
4. Fold or staple your desk print to check panel and page order.
5. Decide whether colour or finish needs a posted proof.
6. Approve in writing, naming the version and quantity.

A clear brief makes all of this easier, because the proof is checked against something written. Our guide on how to write a print brief covers what to send. To see how proofing fits into the whole job, from consult to delivery, read How it works.