You’ve removed or reduced the obvious costs in your workflow. Here’s one that is often overlooked that can have a significant impact on your bottom line—securing proof approvals.

Securing proof approvals is a constant challenge for quick and small commercial printers. Time spent chasing after approvals, deciphering customer comments, and tracking and archiving detailed records or audit trails to minimize disputes can prove labor and time intensive.

Although the costs are very real, few printers know what they spend to obtain proof approvals. Considering overnight mail, couriers, delivery by hand, and other costs associated with traditional methods, cost estimates range from several thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Effectively deploying an online proofing and approval management technology can be among the most worthwhile workflow management tools for delivering immediate and sustained return-on-investment for quick printers and small commercial print shops. The newest technologies streamline workflow for you and your customer, reducing costs, improving job turnaround time, and eliminating expensive errors. Most beneficial is the gain in control online proofing can deliver to the overall approval process. This article will provide you with a number of considerations for how to select an online proofing and approval solution that best fits your particular business needs.

Defining Online Proofing and Approvals

Online proofing goes well beyond electronic proof delivery, which for the most part consists of a reviewer receiving a proof as an email attachment or downloading a proof from an FTP site for static review. Online proofing is an interactive process combined with an element of communication that enables reviewers to not only view a document or image, but to make comments, mark-ups, and return an approval status—all in their Web browser.

Securing proof approvals online may be used in both the creative process and at the production level. However, they are deployed in significantly different ways. Online proofing for the creative stage usually requires no special equipment and, depending on the solution deployed, may require no special software, hardware, or downloads. Press check and color critical proofing often require specific color calibrated monitors and equipment and is set up in a custom designed environment created specifically for this process.

Does the technology choice meet the desired need? Use the list below as points of consideration when identifying and selecting an online proofing solution.

Overall Considerations

Proofing Early in the Creative Stage or Later in the Production Process: Establish whether you need a solution for creative or production level approvals. Is the approval needed for idea and concept? Is the approval needed for design, content, and layout? Or, is the approval needed for production considerations such as bleeds and traps? Many quick and small commercial printers deploying online proofing tools use the technology through all creative and prepress processes.