• I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...

proofing

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
"Hi ______________,
Proof is attached. Let me know what you think. "

Thanks!

Occasionally I'll have to explain specific things, like why I was unable to do exactly what they asked for - because it won't work for xyz reasons.
 

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
Here is a generic version of an electronic pdf I sometimes use. I stripped all of the company info out. If you open it in Acrobat, You can click on the box in the center and add a jpg of the atwork.
I rarely use it though. PM me if you would like me to build one for you. I love making electronic forms.
 

Attachments

  • PROOF FORM-Generic.pdf
    275.1 KB · Views: 255

Gino

Premium Subscriber
"Hi ______________,
Proof is attached. Let me know what you think. "

Thanks!

Occasionally I'll have to explain specific things, like why I was unable to do exactly what they asked for - because it won't work for xyz reasons.

This is absolutely perfect. I would substitute 'us' for 'me'.
 

Geneva Olson

Expert Storyteller
"Hi ______________,
Proof is attached. Let me know what you think. "

Thanks!

Occasionally I'll have to explain specific things, like why I was unable to do exactly what they asked for - because it won't work for xyz reasons.
that's pretty much what I do as well.

Here's the next part of the question. ha! When someone sends YOU a design and tells you to print it/cut it "just like I sent you". Do you send them a proof of what they sent you?
 

Stacey K

I like making signs
I sent this 10 minutes ago concerning sponsorship signs for a golf outing.

Good Morning,
I have all the proofs attached.
I adjusted Dimond Bros, Macco's and removed some wording from New York Life so the logo's can be larger. Let me know your thoughts, I can make any adjustments, thank you!
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
By all means. Some things get lost in translation. Not everything always remains how they intended, so send back to the best of your ability and just ask them to simply sign off, date it and be sure of spellings, fonts and any other incidentals. I usually copy and paste the e-mail next to the file I bring up on the screen, just to make sure for myself, most things stayed in tact.
 

Saturn

Your Ad Here!
Hey Jerry!
Attached is a proof showing the cut line for your artwork. If I missed anything or if you have questions let me know. If it looks good as-is, give me a big "GO AHEAD!" and I'll go ahead!
Turnaround is about X many days from approval. I'll follow-up with another email the minute they're ready for pickup.


The key for me is getting them to announce in writing their intention for me to start. I will often send a second email asking specifically for that "go ahead" if they're being at all vague. Anything to prevent them trying to send updated artwork 2 days after I thought they'd approved.

Are there more specific aspects of proofing that you're having trouble with?
 

Stacey K

I like making signs
that's pretty much what I do as well.

Here's the next part of the question. ha! When someone sends YOU a design and tells you to print it/cut it "just like I sent you". Do you send them a proof of what they sent you?
Yes! This guy sent me "I need 11 copies of all these phrases in 1" lettering." Well - one inch to me and you is different than his 1". He chose option 2. I'm pretty careful when people send me exact sizes. I usually follow up with something like this - just to make sure.

1658166414600.png
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
And add
View attachment 160456
to every proof. Too many times we've received an approval and after printing they didn't notice the phone # was wrong or they wanted double-sided etc.


That reminds me of a job about 40 some years ago, before computers and internet. A friend of mine did a bunch of signs, letterheads, invoices, business cards, envelopes and all kindsa stuff for this customer. It was quite a bit. When he was ready to have the stuff delivered, he called the guy and told him to have $ XX amount in a check and he can come get everything or he'll deliver it. The guy said, ahh, yeah. Ahhh, Okay, but I have a question...... why did you call me on this number ?? My friend said, that's the number you have written here. The guy gave him his home phone number instead of the new business phone number and it was on everything...... even his main sign out front. All proof reading was done on B&W paper in pen & ink. No mistake this time.
 

garyroy

New Member
One thing that helps us is to make sure the customer stays in the same email thread that we started.
Anytime they start a new thread, I ask them to go back and continue the original thread for the job.
That way everyone can look back on the history of the discussion. Waaay less questions.
 

Geneva Olson

Expert Storyteller
One thing that helps us is to make sure the customer stays in the same email thread that we started.
Anytime they start a new thread, I ask them to go back and continue the original thread for the job.
That way everyone can look back on the history of the discussion. Waaay less questions.
I keep all my emails. When I have a discrepancy, I will find that email and start stapling it to my paperwork.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
One thing that helps us is to make sure the customer stays in the same email thread that we started.
Anytime they start a new thread, I ask them to go back and continue the original thread for the job.
That way everyone can look back on the history of the discussion. Waaay less questions.
I hate that sh!t. They send me e-mails from 6 years ago and start a new one right within that old one. Then, they hafta pass it around to 27 different people and everyone responds differently and I start getting lost. Who said what and....... who the f*ck are they, now ?? Who cares what Barry thinks or what Nellie likes for a color scheme. Stay with the program people. Stay focused or I'm gonna start charging for overtime.
 

CanuckSigns

Active Member
One thing that helps us is to make sure the customer stays in the same email thread that we started.
Anytime they start a new thread, I ask them to go back and continue the original thread for the job.
That way everyone can look back on the history of the discussion. Waaay less questions.
This is a big one for us. but it's a double edged sword, we have some clients who send us orders and they just reply to the last email they used to send an order with, and on occasion if I'm not paying attention I will make the new order, plus remake the previous order as well, so as a result we require new orders to be made with a fresh email.
 

gnubler

Active Member
LMAO! Yes! And then you have to think how to reply back! "I'm glad you like them! Is there one that sticks out most, I will get the job moving asap once we have a winner!"

"Looks good" or "sounds good" is the new form of approval, you just have to roll with it. If I insisted on having a proof form signed and dated like in the old days it would more than likely annoy people. Written email approval is good enough and 99% of my proofs are approved this way.

My proof template has a line where I type in a brief description of the job: size, qty, single or double sided, etc. Below that are images/mockups of the job. I send all proofs as 150dpi JPGs so there's no vector art to be snagged.
 

Boudica

I'm here for Educational Purposes
My "favorite" is when they reply "Perfect!" Then 30 minutes later reply with "could we change this to that..."
I like to get a formal approval for production. When they reply to proofs with a one word answer (other than "approved") I'll say something like.... "Let me know when these are approved to put into production"
 
Top