Platform
Proof sheet software
A proof sheet is the document a job is approved against: specification, artwork view, limitations and a sign-off block. ProofScene keeps that document consistent — and puts the finished product one link away from it.
The document, done properly
Every job proofed the same way
Inconsistent proof sheets are a quiet liability. The fields that go missing are always the ones you need six weeks later.
A consistent sheet, every job
The same layout, the same fields, the same job-number placement — whether the proof was built by your senior prepress operator or somebody covering on a Friday.
Job references that hold
Your job number is the spine of the document and the key the 3D proof is filed under, so the sheet and the model never drift apart.
A real sign-off block
Name, date, version and an unambiguous approve or amend. A proof sheet without a decision box is a specification, not a proof.
The 3D companion
A link on the sheet opens the interactive product model, so the specifications and the object live one click apart.
Warnings where they belong
Bleed, safe area, minimum type, overprint and color-limitation notes on the page the customer is actually reading.
Version stamped on the page
Round number and date printed on the sheet itself, so a superseded PDF sitting on somebody's desktop identifies itself.
Anatomy
The eight blocks of a proof sheet worth signing
Drop any one of these and the sheet stops protecting you. Most disputes trace back to a field somebody left blank.
- 01
Job identity
Job number, customer, contact, order reference and date. The first thing anyone looks for and the first thing that goes missing.
- 02
Product specification
Finished size, flat size, substrate and weight, quantity, and the construction or dieline the job is built to.
- 03
Print specification
Process, ink set, coverage, any spot colors called out by name, and the sides printed.
- 04
Finishing
Lamination, varnish, spot UV, foil, emboss and deboss, die-cutting, folding, binding — with coverage and position, not just presence.
- 05
Artwork view
The flat artwork, at a legible scale, with bleed, trim and safe-area marks shown so the customer can see what falls where.
- 06
Notes and limitations
Color-representation caveats, customer-supplied-artwork disclaimers, and anything agreed by phone that would otherwise vanish.
- 07
Approval block
Approved / approved with changes / not approved, plus the name, role and date of the person making the call.
- 08
The 3D link
One URL that opens the finished product, so the sheet stops being the only thing standing between the customer and understanding.
Sheet plus model
Two documents doing two jobs, filed as one
The proof sheet is written for the record. It is precise, dense and slightly forbidding, and it needs to be — quantities, stock weights, spot color names and finishing coverage are contractual details that belong on a page. Most customers skim it.
The 3D proof is written for the customer. It is the product, in their hands, answering the questions the sheet answers in numbers. Most customers spend real time with it.
Sent together, under one job number and one revision, they cover both halves of an approval: the shop has its specification signed, and the customer has genuinely seen what they agreed to. That is a much stronger position than either document reaches alone.
ProofScene was built inside a working print and card-manufacturing operation, from the proof-approval workflow used on real production orders.
Related
Field-by-field guidance and the approval documents around the sheet.
Include a specific color note on every sheet: a proof represents appearance, placement, materials and finishing, and is not a calibrated contract-color proof unless a color-managed workflow has been agreed.
Proof sheets, answered
What is proof sheet software?
Proof sheet software produces the document a print shop sends a customer for approval — job number, product and print specification, finishing, an artwork view and a sign-off block — consistently for every job. ProofScene pairs that document with an interactive 3D proof of the finished product.
What should a print proof sheet contain?
At minimum: job identity, finished and flat size, substrate, quantity, print process and any spot colors, finishing with coverage and position, a legible artwork view with bleed and trim marks, limitation notes, and an approval block with name and date. Our detailed guide walks through each field.
Why does the sign-off block matter so much?
Because it converts a document into a decision. A proof sheet with specifications but no approval block leaves you with no record of what the customer accepted, which is exactly the record you need when a delivered job is questioned.
Do I still need a proof sheet if I send a 3D proof?
Yes. The 3D proof carries understanding; the proof sheet carries specification and the paper trail. Quantities, stock weights, spot color names and finishing coverage belong on a document, not in a viewer.
Can the proof sheet and the 3D proof get out of sync?
They should not, because both are generated against the same job reference and revision. When artwork is updated, the sheet and the model are regenerated together — that is the whole reason to keep them in one system.
Should the proof sheet include a color disclaimer?
Yes, and it should be specific rather than boilerplate. State that the on-screen or printed proof represents appearance, placement, materials and finishing, and that it is not a calibrated contract-color proof unless a color-managed workflow has been agreed.
Early access
Give every job the same proof sheet
ProofScene is opening early access to print shops and product suppliers. Join the list and be first to turn your proof sheets into interactive 3D approvals.
No credit card · Built by print people · Launching soon