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Proofing
Hi All
When you guys proof artwork to the customer do you always do hard copy or PDF proofs via e-mail if they have e-mail?
Also, do you get a signed proof from the customer (if hard copy) or insist on an e-mail to advise artwork is approved before proceeding with any orders?
How do you show the customer acurate colours, esspecialy for digi prints, what if he doesn’t like the colour you went with if the PDF or printout looks totally different?
What do you do to ensure the customer approves the artwork being used and what problems have you had in the past regarding this issue?
Cheers
Warren
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6 Replies
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Hi,
I’m only young at this stuff, however…
We send Visuals via Email or post, the Customer always has to approve visual either via email or signed if sent in post, we then print the email or print a copy of the signed visual, a copy of this info is kept with the job card.
We find colours are easier if you send a sample, what we usually do is send a visual and include a separate carded visual with actual off cut samples of the vinyl colours used.
We don’t do digi yet as we are only small small and as yet no had any issues.
I hope this may help.
Cheers
GarrieP.s. For what its worth on all our Visuals we have the standard disclaimer, advise if our artwork is used elsewhere we will charge for design time etc
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Hi Warren
It’s always best to get your customer to approve your artwork, either by pdf or fax or letter – anything to say he’s seen what is proposed and agrees. (Colours are best done by sending actual samples of vinyl if necessary).
Very recently I had a customer return a set of 12 signs done asking me to completely alter the layout and wording as his wife was not happy with it! (Effectively he was asking me to re-make all 12 signs).
I showed him the fax he had signed off as proof I had done what was suggested – only to be told he never actually checked it (But I had no way of knowing what I had suggested was correct) !!
Needless to say I charged him again for re-doing the work and he didn’t argue 😀
Proofs are essential and ensure no one wastes your time.
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Mate, I’ve lost count of the number of proofs I have got signed, only to find the client missed a spelling error, or once it was up, decided the colours were not what he was wanting/expecting.
I always send a pdf or jpg proof, and I don’t start a new job until I have a signature (Estimate send out a quote and has a area for the client to sign for approval)
I did a 3600mm x 1200mm sign in a continental deli for a maltese gentleman, with all these ‘foreign’ meat names (never heard of half of them). The guy signed the approval, I did the job, put it up, and his son said "got a few spelling errors there"
I told him that his father approved the artwork and showed him the signature. The son looked at me in disbelief. "erm" he said "my dad can speak english, but he can’t read it"
Sorry I said, he shouldn’t have signed the approval without checking it first. I suggested I’d have to charge for my time to make the charges. Needless to say it never got done.
Point is, some people will sign anything without reading the document. You need to be covered tho.
I even had a Private School approve artwork with a signature, and then realise that I had a typo (the word ‘one’ instead of ‘once’ – spelling checker didn’t have a problem) when the job was done. They accepted it was their error and paid me to redo it.
Always pays to cover your back.
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Drew I’m maltese 😛
Back onto topic.
We email and give hard copies of most of our jobs we do. We usually email the proofs in the initial stages to get feedback from the client and to show them sample layouts designs etc.
When the final design is nearly done we print out a hard copy and give it to the client. If it’s a vinyl job we take in the swatches sit down with the client and map the colors on the artwork to the vinyl. Most of our clients give us free reign in this area.
When they are happy with it, we then give them a quote with an attached proof of the job we are going to do. We don’t use any signatures, we shake on it, the good old fashion way.
In terms of colour accuracy for digital prints. If we are using digital for say a large flood color or logo colours, we have a printed CMYK chart that we use to let the customers select the closet matching colour and remap this to the artwork. We explain to them the inconsistencies in monitor calibration and even our proofs on our desktop inkjet printers. If you need these CMYK charts I’m pretty sure Roland have them on their website as a PDF.
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quote jxuereb:Drew I’m maltese 😛
you don’t drive a falcon by any chance?
… never mind 🙂
Shane
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Nope a holden.
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