Samples and proofs: what to approve before a print run

Approving a design on screen and approving a printed label are different acts. Between them sit three kinds of proof, and knowing which one you have prevents most disputes.

The three proofs

Proof	What it shows	What it misses	Cost
Digital (PDF/screen)	Layout, text, positioning	Colour, material, finish	Free
Physical sample (printed)	Colour on real stock, finish, cut	Press-specific variation	Low
Press proof (from production run)	Everything on the actual press	Nothing	High

Digital proof

Useful for catching typos, wrong dimensions, missing bleed and misplaced elements. It says nothing reliable about colour, and nothing at all about how the label feels or cuts.

Approve it for content; never for colour.

Physical sample

A short run on the actual material with the actual laminate. This is the proof that answers the questions that matter:

• Does the colour read correctly on this stock?
• Does the label conform to the container?
• Does the adhesive hold on this plastic?
• Is the cut clean at this shape?

For a first order, a physical sample is the sensible minimum. It costs a little and prevents the expensive version of the same conversation after 5,000 labels.

Press proof

A short run pulled from the production press before the full run. It is the most accurate reference and is usually reserved for colour-critical brand packaging.

If colour matching is the risk, this is the proof that removes it.

What “approved” means

Once you approve a physical sample, that sample becomes the reference for the run. Keep it.

Two practical points:

• Approve one thing at a time. Colour, cut and material are separate approvals; bundling them makes it unclear what was accepted.
• Note the conditions. “Approved on the 250 ml amber bottle, applied by hand” is a specification; “approved” alone is not.

Artwork changes after approval

Any change after a proof — even a text edit — resets the proof. A file that was approved and then edited is a new file, and the printer is entitled to treat it as such.

What this means for buyers

Insist on a physical sample for a first order. It is the cheapest insurance in the process.

Approve content on the digital proof, colour on the physical one. They answer different questions.

Keep the approved sample. It is the reference for the reorder and for any dispute.

Freeze the artwork before the run. Post-approval edits are the most common cause of a mismatch nobody can explain.