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Proof & approve

Proofs your customers approve in one visit

Send a private link — no account, no seat. Reviewers pin comments to the exact spot, check separations, barcodes and ink with the densitometer, or turn the folded carton in 3D, and approve the version you'll print. Every decision is recorded against the exact file.

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On every plan

A carton proof on a Simple link: the PDF, the comments and the Approve button

Today, and with AutomatePrint

Today: Approvals arrive as “looks good!” in a text message.

With AutomatePrint: An approval records who, when, the exact file (SHA-256) and which views they opened.

Today: The customer approves v2 while you print v3.

With AutomatePrint: Approving closes every link of that version, and a newer version closes the old links.

Today: Nobody sees the white knockout or the overprinting varnish until press.

With AutomatePrint: Advanced links proof from the separations, up to 600 dpi, plate by plate.

In numbers

reviewers on every plan; they never need an account
∞
separations proofs
600 dpi
of the approved file
SHA-256
invitations per send
50

How it works

  1. Send the link

    Upload a version or choose it from Files and email a private Simple or Advanced link. Cartons are shared in 3D from the 1-up editor.

  2. They review in the browser

    Pin comments, check plates, barcodes and ink, turn the carton in 3D. No account, no seat.

  3. Approve the exact version

    A ticked confirmation records the decision against the file's SHA-256, and every link of it closes.

Check it like the pressroom

  • An EAN-13 on the carton read by the barcode reader: the decoded number and the code type
    1. Decoded, with its type

    Barcode reader

    Draw a box around a code and it's decoded; on separations proofs each plate is tried alone too.

  • A densitometer reading on a plum flood: each plate, the total ink and the spot's defined build
    1. Total ink
    2. The spot's defined build

    Densitometer

    Point or area readings with total ink and the spot's defined build.

  • The Plates list grouping inks, finishes and technical plates, with the copper foil plate shown solo
    1. Finishes as their own group

    Plates

    Inks, finishes and technical plates in their own groups; solo any one.

  • The proof's Content tab: a named group and a nutrition table the customer can approve or reject

    Label copy with the proof

    On Plant, scan the label, keep the copy you want and send it with this version. The customer approves a block or a group. Food, personal care and pharma use the same list.

Composite or one plate

The same wordmark with only the copper foil plate shown
All plates Foil-Copper only

Comments pinned where they belong

Point and area comments on the exact spot, per page and version. Reviewers edit, move or resize their own.

A point comment and an area comment pinned on the carton, with their thread in the comments panel
  1. A point comment
  2. An area comment

3D proofs

Share flat and 3D behind one link. Reviewers turn it, fold it and pin comments that stay on their panel as it folds.

See 3D up close

A 3D proof on the customer's page: a comment pinned to the carton's lid, with its reply

A decision you can stand behind

Approving takes a ticked confirmation. The decision records who approved, whether their email was verified, the SHA-256 of the exact file, the link and the views they opened — 3D included — plus IP address and browser. The History dialog shows the decision; the whole record is in the API.

  • The Approve dialog with the reviewer's name and email and the confirmation to tick

    Approve, with a confirmation

    The reviewer ticks what they checked.

  • The History dialog of an approved carton: the approval, its comment and the status after it
    1. Who approved which version

    History

    Every decision, its comment and the status after it.

One list from proof to press

Status, preflight, comments and “v2 available” on one list — and Send to imposition when it's approved.

The Approvals list: cartons, a mailer and labels with proof status, preflight, comments and versions
  1. A newer version is ready
  2. Preflight result

What's in it

  • Simple and Advanced links
  • Overprint always proofed from separations
  • Ruler in pt, in and mm
  • Personal invitation links, verified for 2 years
  • Up to 50 emails per send
  • Approvers and viewers
  • Reset to pending with a reason
  • Choose from Files; “v2 available”
  • Approvals API
  • Wipe between this version and the previous one

Specs

Links
Simple (PDF) · Advanced (separations, deep zoom, densitometer, barcode reader, ruler) · 3D
Resolution
Separations up to 600 dpi
Barcodes
  • QR
  • Data Matrix
  • Code 128
  • Code 39
  • Code 93
  • EAN-13
  • EAN-8
  • UPC-A
  • UPC-E
  • ITF
  • Codabar
Comments
Point and area, up to 5,000 characters

What we don't do

  • Label copy is the wording you kept and sent. It is not a regulatory sign-off. An image-only carton often does not yield a Drug Facts panel, and the scan does not read braille, compare pixels or color, or use a camera on the press.

Works with

Read the docs: How approvals workReviewing a proofDecisions, locking and resetArtwork inspectionLabel copy by industry

On which plan

Compare every plan
Capability FreeShopProductionPlant
Proof links with pinned comments and e-approvals Included Included Included Included
Decision record: the exact file (SHA-256), views opened, IP and browser Included Included Included Included
Advanced links: separations to 600 dpi, densitometer, barcode reader, ruler Not included Included Included Included
3D proofs customers can turn, fold and approve Not included Included Included Included
Label copy scanned from a PDF and approved with the proof Not included Not included Not included Included

Customer reviewers are free on every plan; Advanced links and 3D proofs from Shop. Label copy sent with the proof is on Plant.

FAQ

Questions, answered

Anything else? Email hello@automateprint.com and a person who knows print will answer.

Do reviewers need an account or a seat?

No. They open a private link. Reviewers are unlimited on every plan.

Simple or Advanced link?

Simple shows the PDF. Advanced proofs from the separations, with plates, the densitometer, the barcode reader and deep zoom. A file with overprint is always proofed from its separations.

What stops an old version being approved?

Approval closes decisions on every link of that version, and a newer version closes the older links.

What does the decision record contain?

The reviewer's name and email (and whether it was verified), the SHA-256 of the exact file, the link and the views they opened, the confirmation text, the time, IP address and browser.

Can reviewers comment on the 3D carton?

Yes, from Shop: comments pin to the carton and stay on their panel as it folds.

How do I check a small change, or the words on the label?

Previous and next step through versions. Compare wipes the previous file over this one, and Flip shows one version across the page. On Plant, scan the label, keep the copy you want and send it with the proof. The customer approves a block or a group. Food, personal care and pharma teams use the same tool. Approving the copy is separate from approving the artwork.

Put every job on one platform

Start free, with 14 days of every Production feature. No card, and your customers review for free.

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