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Print Workflow and Processes: Tips for Automating Proofing and Approvals

Print Workflow and Processes: Tips for Automating Proofing and Approvals

Tips for Automating Proofing and Approval – Episode Summary

In this solutions-focused episode of The Print University, Ryan McAbee and Pat McGrew break down one of the most persistent bottlenecks in print production: proofing and customer approvals. Whether you’re upgrading prepress automation training (Kodak Prinergy, Esko), building printing industry training programs for new employees, or improving MIS software training for print production, this course outlines how automation reduces delays, errors, and labor costs.

The episode covers the spectrum of proof types—soft, prepress, hard copy, contract, and press proofs—and explains their costs, timing, and ideal use cases. McAbee and McGrew emphasize how soft and prepress proofs, when color-managed and paired with trusted workflows, can replace costly hard-copy or press proofs for most clients.

They highlight modern approval tools built into web-to-print, MIS, and dedicated systems. These tools offer PDF-based markup, notifications, escalation paths, and multi-level approvals. You’ll also learn how automation can nudge clients to act—via emails, SMS, or even WhatsApp—while maintaining audit trails for compliance-heavy accounts.

The five key tips shared include: selecting proof timing per client, offering soft proofs by default, standardizing customer communications, automating nudges, and triggering next steps automatically once approval is received.

You Will Learn:

  • The pros and cons of soft, prepress, hard-copy, and contract proofs

  • Tools and strategies to automate customer approvals across workflow stages

  • How to create audit trails, manage multi-level sign-offs, and avoid production delays

  • Where to integrate automated nudging, escalation paths, and communication templates

  • Why eliminating manual proof follow-ups improves throughput and margins

Who This Course Is For:

Prepress teams, CSR leaders, software admins, and operations managers building prepress automation training, print shop employee onboarding templates, or outsourced training for print production staff

Time to Watch:

Approx. 25 minutes

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