Quick answer
To check a print proof, read every word slowly (ideally two people, separately), then test everything a reader will act on: dial the phone numbers, type in the web addresses and scan the QR codes. Check names, prices, dates and legal lines, then the print-specific details: nothing important near the trim, panels in the right order on folded pieces, and correct page order on booklets. For personalised mail, check sample records including the longest name and address and records with blank fields. Approving a proof is the final step before production, so errors in an approved proof get printed. Download our free two-page proofreading checklist below.
Key takeaways
- Proofread on paper as well as on screen, and have a second person check independently.
- Test every response route: phone numbers, web addresses, QR codes and reply addresses.
- Check folded leaflets and booklets by printing and folding a copy, not just scrolling the PDF.
- For personalised mail, check the longest and shortest records and any with missing fields.
- Under Fretwell's terms, production starts only after written approval, and errors approved at proof stage are the client's responsibility. On-screen proofs do not guarantee exact colour.
Download the proofreading checklist
A proof is your last chance to change anything before the job is printed. The checklist below works through a proof in the order that catches most errors: words and numbers first, then response details, legal lines, design, print-specific points and personalised data, finishing with a sign-off box so you have a record of who approved what.
Free download · PDF · 116 KB
Print proofreading checklist
Two A4 pages with tick boxes for every check, a sign-off section for two checkers and the approver, and space to list changes.
1. Words, numbers and response details
Change how you read
Errors hide in text you have read many times. Print the proof, read it aloud, read headings and numbers separately from body text, and ask someone who has not worked on the job to check it too.
2. Legal lines and design
3. Print-specific checks
A PDF on screen shows a flat sheet. The finished piece is trimmed, folded or bound, so some errors only show up once you picture, or physically make, the final item.
Calibrated proofs you can rely on
Our digital proofing is calibrated to ISO 12647-2, so the proof you approve is an accurate guide to the printed result.
Explore the service4. Personalised and mailed items
With personalised print, every piece is different, so a proof can only show samples. Ask for sample records that test the extremes of your data, not just a tidy example. Our guide to variable data printing explains how personalised jobs are set up and proofed.
What approving a proof means
| Proof type | What it shows | Best for | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft proof (PDF) | Layout, text, images and positions | Checking content and layout quickly | On-screen proofs do not guarantee exact colour reproduction on press |
| Hard-copy colour proof | A printed, colour-managed prediction of the result | Brand colours, photography and colour-critical work | Available on request and may be subject to a charge |
| Personalised samples | Selected records merged with the design | Mailings and variable data jobs | Shows samples only, so choose records that test the data |
Under Fretwell's terms, where a proof is requested or required, production does not start until written approval is received, and Fretwell accepts no responsibility for errors approved at proof stage. Amendments requested at proof stage may add cost and change the delivery date, so it pays to get content signed off internally before the proof arrives.
Free download · PDF · 116 KB
Print the checklist for your next proof
Tick boxes for every check and a sign-off section for your records.
