In today's complex packaging landscape, efficient proofing and artwork management can mean the difference between smooth product launches and costly delays. In this blog, we will explore best practices for optimizing your artwork management processes using specification data management.
What is Proofing and Artwork Management?
In its simplest terms proofing and artwork management refer to the checkpoints packages must pass through before they go into print. The goal is to ensure that designs and packaging are perfect before they hit the store shelves.
During the proofing stage, teams must carefully review copy, graphics, colors, barcodes, and regulatory information that will appear on a product or packaging to ensure accuracy. The proofing stage is essential in catching any errors - from typos and incorrect labels to blurry images or inconsistent branding.
Artwork management systems help to streamline this process by creating a single source of truth for all design files. In cloud-based systems like Specright, teams are able to seamlessly move from the design & proofing stage to the business workflow stage in order to track artwork file updates, manage approvals, and maintain version control across multiple products and teams.
With this process in place, companies can not only prevent expensive reprints and regulatory issues but also build brand integrity and deliver the highest quality products safely to consumers.
1. Integrate Your Specification and Artwork Systems
One of the most common challenges organizations face is managing multiple disconnected systems. Many companies operate with several systems across different business units to manage artwork files - or in some cases, management systems don’t exist at all. As a result, artwork versioning and information are siloed, leading to inefficiencies and errors.
When packaging specifications and artwork files live in separate systems, teams waste time searching for information, risk working with outdated files, and lack visibility into the status of projects - all of which can cause very costly errors down the line.
Companies that integrate their artwork proofing process into purpose-built specification management systems are able to create one source of truth for cross-functional teams to work off of.
With Specright’s PageProof integration, you can run your end-to-end artwork proofing and approval routing seamlessly alongside specification data management. For example, Specright's pre-built integration with PageProof enables you to manage both the graphic & design proofing stage and the business approval workflows. This can all be done without leaving Specright, as PageProof can be accessed from within the same interface.
By integrating proofing and artwork with specification management systems, teams are able to:
- Access both packaging specifications and related artwork in one location
- Ensure designers always work with the latest structural files
- Maintain clear connections between packaging components and their associated artwork
- Simplify communication between packaging engineers, designers, and brand managers
2. Implement Version Control and Historical Comparison
Artwork revisions are inevitable, and in the absence of adequate version control, these changes can quickly become a source of confusion and errors. When stakeholders across internal and external teams are unable to easily track changes between versions or compare interactions side-by-side, modifications can be missed, or designers could be working off of outdated versions.
This can all lead to compliance issues or costly reprints - causing a ripple-down effect where companies are unable to supply products to the businesses or customers in need.
When teams implement purpose-built specification data management systems, version control is no longer an issue. With tools like Specright, companies are able to:
- Maintain a complete history of all artwork versions
- Track approval status for each version
- Document all comments and feedback associated with specific versions
- Provide easy access to historical records for audits or reference
This capability becomes especially valuable when dealing with regulatory requirements or when teams need to look back at which changes were requested and implemented to see if anything was missed or done incorrectly.
3. Streamline Review and Approval Workflows
In many organizations, the review and approval process for artwork involves numerous stakeholders across different departments, which can cause bottlenecks and delays. This process is held up even further in the absence of standardized workflows and systems for managing artwork.
Without one system for all teams to work from, approvals can stall, feedback can get lost, and tracking who is responsible for each next step becomes challenging.
By implementing purpose-built specification management systems, companies can take on a more proactive approach for reviews and approvals. With a spec-first approach, companies can accomplish the following:
- Create standardized workflows with clear roles and responsibilities
- Enable real-time collaboration between designers, brand managers, legal teams, and other stakeholders
- Provide immediate visibility into the status of each artwork file in the approval process
- Automatically notify relevant team members via email or within Specright when action is required
This approach significantly reduces the back-and-forth communication typically required during artwork reviews, allowing teams to spend less time searching for artwork issues and more time innovating and creating amazing things.
The Power of Specification Data Management for Proofing and Artwork
By implementing best practices through an integrated specification data management approach, companies can overcome common artwork management challenges while taking artwork and design to the next level.
With one purpose-built solution for managing artwork specifications, teams can reduce complexity while improving collaboration between technical and creative teams. This integration enhances visibility into artwork status throughout the entire process, enabling faster time-to-market with fewer errors.
Access to artwork data and history can also help teams meet any regulatory needs when it comes to packaging labeling. The integration of specification data and artwork management isn't just about efficiency—it's about creating a more cohesive process that connects your packaging structure, design elements, and regulatory requirements in one system, ensuring that everyone works from the same information.
For packaging professionals looking to streamline their operations, focusing on these best practices can deliver substantial improvements in both process efficiency and output quality. To learn more about how Specright can help streamline your proofing and artwork processes, check out our artwork page or request a demo with our team today.
