Artwork and Proof Approval Emails With AI

What's a proof, and why email about it?

A proof is a preview of the finished job. Wikipedia says its main goal is to let the customer verify that the whole job is accurate.¹

A soft proof is the simplest kind. Wikipedia describes it as "the simulation of the print result on a monitor".¹ If you send a PDF to check on screen, your email is where you ask the customer to check the PDF and confirm it.

Mistakes found late hurt. Wikipedia says that "If errors are found during the printing process on press, correcting them can prove very costly to one or both parties involved".¹ A clear email is cheap by comparison.

How do I write a proof approval email?

Say what's attached, what you need, and what happens next. Keep it short. One request per email works better than a list of five.

Ask the AI for a draft like this: "Write a short email sending a proof PDF. Ask the customer to check spelling, phone numbers, sizes and colors, then reply 'approved' or list changes. Say printing starts after they reply. Don't mention a price."

Make sure the final draft:

• Names the job and the proof version
• Asks for one clear reply word, such as "approved"
• Lists what the customer should check
• Says plainly that screen colors can differ from the printed result, if that's your policy

How do I explain an artwork problem without jargon?

Name the problem, say what it will look like if printed, and say what you need. Leave the trade term out, or explain it in a sentence.

Bleed is a good example. Wikipedia says it's printing that goes past the trim edge. Without bleed information, finished pieces can show a thin white edge.² A customer will follow that better than "your file has no bleed".

Try this prompt: "Rewrite this note for a customer with no print knowledge. Say in one sentence how the problem would look when printed. Ask them to send a fixed file."

If you'd offer to fix the file for a fee, put the fee in yourself. Don't let the tool guess.

What should I check in the AI's draft?

Look at facts, not style. Does it name the right file, size and quantity? Does it promise a date or a fix you haven't agreed?

AI tools can state false things as fact.³ In a proof email, that might be a made-up technical reason a file failed. Only describe problems you've seen on the file yourself.

Should I paste the customer's artwork into the tool?

Think twice. Artwork can hold names, faces, addresses and unreleased products. Describe the problem in words instead. The last page in this set covers privacy in more detail.

The next step is updating the customer. To collect the right details up front, see a form for the counter.