5 Items That Should Be On Your Client Sign Off Checklist

Ashore is designed for creatives like you, to make your life a little easier. Our mission is to automate the proofing process and streamline client sign off for your proofs. Much like the tango, though, it takes at least two people to complete the proofing process: a creative (you) and an approver (your client).

We know that in order to make the proofing process simpler for you, we also need to make it simpler for your approvers. For them, the proofing process can be filled with a lot of uncertainty and second-guessing of themselves. Sending a proof to them and asking for their open-ended feedback can lead to some comments or suggestions that aren’t entirely relevant, or they can be confused about the process and provide you with insubstantial feedback. Any misunderstandings or confusion during the proofing process will ultimately drag it out.

So, to speed up client sign off and give you the opportunity to give your approvers more clarity, we’ve introduced Checklists. With this feature, Ashore addresses a pivotal point of communication breakdown between creatives and approvers.

How Do Checklists Work?

Checklists allow creatives to answer the question: What are the responsibilities of approvers during the proofing process? Checklists can be customized, allowing you to tell your approvers anything you want to remind them of or have them acknowledge prior to approving or not approving a proof and providing feedback.

Checklists give you a unique opportunity to help your approvers move through the process, reminding them how they can evaluate the proof and what they need to look for. This also gives you the chance to provide clarity on how revisions will work, what will happen if a proof is not approved, and what they should acknowledge when they decide to approve anything. These checklists can include any items you can think of. Once you start thinking about what you wish you could tell your approvers during the proofing process, your list will probably get rather long.

5 Things to Include in Your Client Sign Off Checklist

1. Proofreading

Proofreading may seem like a no-brainer. You may think your approvers are doing it already — and they might think so too — but in reality, people are terrible at proofreading. When we read, we tend to skim. We recognize the first and last letters of a word and the letters in between, but our brains don’t always pay attention to the order of these letters.

If I told you that I spelt a word wrong somewhere in this paragraph, it would take you a while to find it without careful, close reading of the text. (By the way, I did misspell a word in this paragraph: themselves. Did you notice?)

Proofreading is a skill, and you shouldn’t take it for granted that your approvers have mastered it. Beyond making sure that they have double-checked company names, addresses, and other company-specific items on a proof, encourage them to thoroughly and slowly read all the content. Carefully reading word by word will reveal spelling and grammar errors that others — and even yourself — might’ve missed, especially in longer-form content such as e-books.

2. Acknowledgement of Color Differences From Monitor to Print

While proofs are usually reviewed on a computer monitor, advertising materials such as brochures, mailers, or posters will ultimately be printed. Differences in color, if not addressed, can lead to a dramatic facepalm moment in the future.

Although technology has improved, there will always be differences between how a color looks on a screen versus in print. Even monitors differ, especially depending on brightness settings or the age of the monitor. As a creative, you know this, but approvers may not.

Adding an item to your checklist that asks them to acknowledge that colors may vary in the final product will save everyone headaches. It shows that you’re aware of the potential issue and ensures they are too.

3. Your Policy Regarding Revisions

Your approvers may have already seen your revision policy in your proposal, but it’s still worth reminding them before they click approve without thoroughly reviewing a proof.

Encourage them to give complete feedback in one go. If they’ve already gone through one or more cycles of revision, remind them how many they have left or if additional revisions will incur extra costs. This keeps the process efficient and prevents misunderstandings about project scope or charges.

4. Graphic Design Elements

Graphic design elements can vary by project, so be specific in your checklist about what you want approvers to review.

Some items to include:

Font: Ensure the correct typeface and font style (bold, italic, etc.) are used according to brand guidelines.
Images: Confirm the correct images are used, check resolution, and note any needed cropping or resizing.
Branding & Identity: Review logo placement, size, and overall brand alignment.
Missing Information: Make sure no necessary elements — such as images, graphs, or B-roll — are missing.

5. Formatting

Formatting affects the visual layout of any project, whether it’s a brochure, pitch deck, video, or script. Items to review could include:

Margins and spacing
Page separations
Placement of text, headers, and footers
Overall length and pacing

Ask your approvers if everything is where it should be and if anything should be eliminated or consolidated.

Automate Client Sign Off With Ashore

Ashore automates the approval process and streamlines approver feedback. Our workflow automation system handles proof distribution, sends automated reminders at set intervals, and notifies you of progress. Features like sender modification, email templates, and customizable checklists keep projects moving forward.

You can add as many items as needed to your Ashore Checklist to help your approvers understand the process and acknowledge important details.