Written by Gouri Sasidharan
Content Specialist, Esko
Artwork Management
5 Signs It’s Time to Move Away from Manual Proofing
Every brand has a hawk-eyed proofreader or a team who’s really good at catching typos, an extra comma, or a missing allergen in seconds. However, with growing SKU counts, tighter timelines, multilingual labels, complex compliance requirements, and global market distribution, your artwork process has more moving parts than ever, which is enough to tire even the sharpest eyes.
And the stakes for one missed error? They’re higher than most teams realize. According to a report by AMR Research, which cites FDA statistics, 51% of 455 product recall notices were caused by mislabeling. Something that was missed out while reviewing the labels manually.
Manual proofing might have worked fine when your portfolio was small, or your review cycles were slower. But as your product lines grow and timelines tighten, depending on human checks alone starts to break down.
5 Signs to Move Beyond Manual Proofing
While every team has its own processes, these are the most common red flags that indicate your current approach to proofing is holding you back.
1. You’re Proofing the Same Artwork on Repeat Mode
If the same file goes through multiple rounds because someone “just wants to double-check”, that indicates your process lacks clarity. It doesn’t give you transparent version control, clear audit logs, or automated reporting.
And the result you get? Feedback loops, duplicated effort, fatigue among reviewers, and lost time.
2. Errors Still Slip Through to Print
If typos, missing allergens, incorrect barcodes, or outdated claims still make it to print after multiple reviews, it’s not because your team isn’t careful, it’s because the process is flawed.
Manual proofreading relies heavily on human attention, which is inconsistent under tight deadlines and dense, multilayered artwork. And when your packaging files evolve constantly with new SKUs, updated ingredients, or fresh claims, it’s only a matter of time before something gets missed.
3. Feedback Lives in Too Many Places
If comments or feedback for an artwork are sent via email threads, annotated PDFs, Slack messages, sticky notes or even Excel trackers, your proofing process is clearly fragmented.
Designers may act on outdated versions, regulators may review wrong files, and task accountability remains weak. When feedback isn’t centralized, proofing becomes less about accuracy and more about finding the latest version of feedback.
4. Proofing Takes Longer Than Design
When your designers or packaging engineers spend more time managing comments than creating or editing an artwork, that’s a clear red flag.
Manual proofing introduces unavoidable delays such as waiting for reviewers, reconciling feedback, tracking versions, and resolving conflicting opinions. It slows down your go-to-market process, frustrates various teams, and blurs accountability.
5. Compliance Checks Are Still Manual
Your packaging must comply with evolving labeling and regulatory standards while looking good. But if you’re still checking claims, allergen statements, or local language requirements manually, you’re walking a tightrope.
Each regulatory update means rechecking every artwork by hand, across multiple SKUs and markets. It’s slow, error-prone, and risky. One missed declaration can mean a costly recall.
Why Proofing Isn’t the Only Problem
If you recognize one or more of the signs above, it’s tempting to think “we just need a better proofing tool”. But often the root cause lies in the workflow architecture. Ask yourself these questions:
- Who owns each step? Design, proofing, regulatory, or packaging?
- Are files stored in a single source of truth or scattered across drives and email?
- Are version histories and change logs transparent for review and audit?
- Do you have role-based approvals, deadlines, reminders, and escalation paths?
You can’t fix these by adding another standalone proofing tool. What you really need is structure, a single system that connects proofing, version control, and workflow automation.
How WebCenter Go Brings Structure to Proofing and Beyond
WebCenter Go is built for packaging teams who’ve outgrown manual proofing and disconnected tools. It brings automated accuracy and structured workflows together in one collaborative workspace.
Here’s how it helps:
Built In Automated Proofing
- Compare and track changes in text, images, barcodes, and dielines directly within the platform. No exports, no side-by-side PDFs, and no missed details.
- You can leave precise comments on the file itself, measure spacing between label elements, and verify font sizes with accuracy that’s hard to achieve manually.
- This smart proofing tool enables faster turn-around and fewer rounds of manual correction.
Centralized Review & Versioning
- All stakeholders (designers, regulatory reviewers, brand managers, and printers) work in one system.
- Comments are in real-time, version history is visible, and everyone sees the “latest” version.
- The audit trail is clear: who reviewed what, when, and what the action was.
Workflow Automation
- It allows role-based routing where once the design is complete, the suitable reviewers are automatically notified.
- Deadlines, reminders, and escalation paths keep the process on track.
- No tasks can proceed until required reviewers sign-off.
- Collaboration with external stakeholders such as suppliers/print partners means the hand-off is smoother and validated.
Compliance Guardrails and Rulebooks
- Define brand and regulatory guidelines once and run them against your artwork in seconds to find labeling errors.
- Flag missing mandatory symbols, incorrect claims or sizes, missing languages.
- Prevent packaging from going to print without meeting internal and external standards.
In Summary
Manual proofing might feel safe because it’s familiar. But as your product lines grow, it quickly becomes slow, inconsistent, and risky.
If your team is still spending hours on checks, chasing feedback, or fixing post-print errors, it’s time to evolve.
Bring structure and automation to your packaging process with WebCenter Go, where accuracy and efficiency go hand in hand.
About the Author
Gouri, a content specialist at Esko, loves adding a dash of creativity to everything she writes. She dedicates her craft to creating and optimizing content for clarity and impact. On weekends, you can probably spot her exploring new cafés or at movies.
