{"id":60442,"date":"2020-05-18T10:36:52","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T07:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/?p=60442"},"modified":"2023-07-24T14:15:48","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T11:15:48","slug":"online-proofing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/online-proofing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Online Proofing? Review and Approval of Creative Content"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The speedy growth of digital channels increased the demand for high-quality creative content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, turnover has shortened in time, and the pressure on creative teams to produce more\u2014and more quickly\u2014is growing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since creative content needs to be reviewed before approval and release, often more than once and by several decision-makers, the days of the convoluted traditional proofing methods\u2014such as endless email chains and untrackable threads of instant messaging\u2014are numbered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we explore the benefits of online proofing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method gets the efforts of multiple team members or even cross-team collaborations under one roof.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That way, your teams can finally work together like the well-oiled machines they were always supposed to be.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Is Online Proofing?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online proofing is the process of reviewing and approving creative content, which has the purpose of helping marketing teams collaborate more effectively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teamwork is, by definition, a joint effort, but we all know that wouldn&#8217;t be possible without loads and loads of individual work hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-60507 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-1024x525.png\" alt=\"Online Proofing File Sharing\" width=\"1024\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-1024x525.png 1024w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-600x308.png 600w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-150x77.png 150w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-1536x788.png 1536w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing-770x395.png 770w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-File-Sharing.png 1540w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And marrying the solo work of each contributor with the team&#8217;s ultimate goals is the Achilles heel of any collaboration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One missed feedback can give birth to miscommunication, days&#8217; worth of wasted time, and even build unnecessary costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, you know the kind of meeting that should have been an email? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the use of online proofing software, you can reduce the unnecessary white noise to even less than that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It only takes a quick comment or helpful suggestion in the right place and at the right time, and your entire team can move on to the issues that truly benefit from your invested time and energy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who Should Use Online Proofing?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing teams working within brands or agencies can benefit from using online proofing software.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is simply the nature of any creative work\u2014it&#8217;s hard to lay out clear expectations of the end result because the best ideas can often surface as you go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Therefore, any job that requires the input of several people will benefit significantly from using an online proofing platform.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the applications in marketing campaigns are perhaps the most accentuated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>These are the key benefits of using online proofing:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Clarity. <\/strong>Improved status tracking and stronger version control<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Ergonomy.<\/strong> More fluid review and approval<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Control.<\/strong> Trackable edit history, clear audit trail<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Time.<\/strong> Faster turnover<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Money.<\/strong> Fewer revisions\u2014fewer expenses<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Motivation.<\/strong> Instant results, no repetitive administrative tasks<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a general rule, the higher the volume of creative work and the more team members are involved in the <a href=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/simplify-design-process\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">design process<\/a> (including agencies as well as clients), the more tangible are the benefits of online proofing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online Proofing in Marketing and Design<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-60506 size-large aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-1024x525.png\" alt=\"Online Proofing Workflow\" width=\"1024\" height=\"525\" srcset=\"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-1024x525.png 1024w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-600x308.png 600w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-150x77.png 150w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-768x394.png 768w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-1536x788.png 1536w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow-770x395.png 770w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Online-Proofing-Workflow.png 1540w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In marketing and design, it&#8217;s the ideas that really make or break a project, so allowing <a href=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/collaboration-and-creativity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">space for creativity<\/a> is paramount to long-term success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s not to say execution is secondary, but that&#8217;s something you can guarantee for the long term by having a talented team. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping your team inspired, on the other hand, is an ongoing effort that requires some thinking outside the box.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A growing number of companies and agencies are finally beginning to take this thinking outside the box quite seriously, and have started trading the old cubicle for a more relaxed <a href=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/working-from-home\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">remote work<\/a> policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cloud-based online proofing solutions allow team members to collaborate from wherever they feel most inspired as long as they have internet access. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The work process itself is not much different from working side by side. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Still, it&#8217;s all the more important that all the essential steps are implemented seamlessly, flawlessly, and intuitively on an online platform:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Communication<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jumping on a conference call every now and then is fine, but online proofing is all about efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An online team collaboration platform such as Creatopy, allows adding punctual comments directly on designs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, you can tag other people so they can add their input as well if it&#8217;s needed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Especially if it&#8217;s a relatively simple task, these precious resources are much better used for the actual solutions than setting up a meeting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-60500 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/design-agency-workflow-and-proofing-software.png\" alt=\"design agency workflow proofing software\" width=\"621\" height=\"524\" srcset=\"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/design-agency-workflow-and-proofing-software.png 621w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/design-agency-workflow-and-proofing-software-600x506.png 600w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/design-agency-workflow-and-proofing-software-150x127.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 621px) 100vw, 621px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. File sharing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping everything in sync and everyone focused is one of the biggest perks of using cloud-based online proofing software. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>With Creatopy&#8217;s Automate plan, you can upload and share as many designs as you want with your team.<\/p>\n<p>By doing this, you can keep everyone on the same page and avoid misplacing valuable creative materials.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Collaboration<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Careful planning is the backbone of any project. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a strong backbone that you can build on, it&#8217;s essential to keep everyone in the loop at every stage of planning, without the need for constant reminders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Creatopy,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your entire marketing team is always aware of the progress of each task, thanks to the activity log.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Approval<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Centralizing all these efforts also makes project updates redundant.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whenever one of your graphic designers finishes a design, they can let the copywriter or your social media manager know that the visuals are ready to go live. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/creative-collaboration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Creative collaboration<\/a> platforms like Creatopy all<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ow this while making your creation process even more streamlined.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Does Online Proofing Work?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online proofing solutions provide a structured, secure portal for different versions of work to be shared, reviewed, and compared in real-time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being web-based, collaborators have quick and easy access to their shared work through a link.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They can add comments, request a modification, or give the green light to move the project into its next phase, and everyone involved is continuously in the loop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.creatopy.com\/collaborate\/creative-approval\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">creative approval<\/a> process step by step:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. The proof<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since it all revolves around creative visual content creation, online proofing always starts with none other than the content itself, or at the very least, the first draft. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We call this the proof.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. The team<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Online proofing only makes sense if all the creators and decision-makers involved in the project can access the content. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project owner can share the work with collaborators, either from the very beginning or at any given phase, depending on the nature and the development of the project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborators can have different roles and different rights. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some might only have viewing access, others can be allowed to add feedback in the form of comments, while the creators themselves usually have the full bandwidth to edit the content down to the smallest detail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, collaborators from outside your organization can view the creatives thanks to the branded share link option available in Creatopy.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-65909\" src=\"https:\/\/newblog.creatopy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/creatopy-share-link.jpg\" alt=\"creatopy share link\" width=\"665\" height=\"623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/creatopy-share-link.jpg 665w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/creatopy-share-link-600x562.jpg 600w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/creatopy-share-link-150x141.jpg 150w, https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/creatopy-share-link-18x18.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 665px) 100vw, 665px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. The workflow<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the proof is ready and the owner shares it with the team, collaborators receive notifications, all securely linked to the proof.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Notifications are also sent whenever someone adds a comment or approves a suggestion. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to social media platforms, creative approval software allow collaborators to tag each other and assign subtasks to specific individuals or teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tracking the status of each phase, and what actions remain to be taken, adds a further element of transparency.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Edit history and version control<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your first proof may be a diamond in the rough, but it still needs a fair amount of polishing until it becomes a brilliant gem. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The more ideas are being thrown around, the easier it is to lose track of the different versions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With traditional proofing methods, that is.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the most substantial assets of online proofing software is that you can use it to keep a detailed edit history. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This way, comparing versions and spotting even the smallest oversights in the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">creative approval process<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> becomes a breeze.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Deployment and approval<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After successful and satisfying teamwork, all conducted online and in real-time, all that&#8217;s left is to flag each milestone and, ultimately, the entire project as being finished or signed off. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The final notifications sent to each collaborator are like a sigh of relief and a well-deserved pat on the back for everyone involved.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conclusion<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power of online proofing is in its simplicity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rather than adding something new into your workflow, it takes away what&#8217;s unnecessary. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It removes the technical and practical barriers that stunt progress and gives way to a more engaged and modern approval journey that is accessible from anywhere, at any time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, online proofing is the smart, cloud-era replacement and aggregator of traditional ad-hoc feedback channels such as email, instant messaging, and even lengthy team meetings where it&#8217;s all too easy to lose focus.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use it to make your collaborations more streamlined, efficient, intuitive, and satisfying\u2014no doubt, a quick win for your team and a decision, after which you&#8217;ll never look back again.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The speedy growth of digital channels increased the demand for high-quality creative content.\u00a0 At the same time, turnover has shortened in time, and the pressure on creative teams to produce more\u2014and more quickly\u2014is growing.\u00a0 Since creative content needs to be reviewed before approval and release, often more than once and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":186,"featured_media":60443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3328],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60442"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/186"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60442"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60442\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82106,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60442\/revisions\/82106"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60442"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60442"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/creatopydevelopmentblog.kinsta.cloud\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60442"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}