Understanding Proofs
Understanding the Arrow “Proofing Process”
Every day, many art proof requests are submitted to our art department. An art proof is a digital image of your processed artwork that we share with you. It’s your responsibility to examine that proof and either approve it or request corrections before the artwork is used to produce your order.
We provide 1 free art proof and 1 free revision. Each additional revision that is a change from the originally submitted design will incur a charge of $20 per revision. Here’s how the entire process works:
How to Prepare
Most Arrow customers process their orders by working with a customer service rep. Please be sure to share the following details with your rep via email:
- Artwork, size, quantity, and specific attributes needed.
To help “grease the skids,” we recommend that you provide as many details as possible to your Arrow customer service representative. This helps ensure you receive the proof you desire in a timely manner.
We are strictly custom when producing products, so please make sure to include any specific details.
After you provide us with the necessary information and your original artwork, you can expect to receive your digital art proof the following business day—unless there are any miscommunications or misunderstandings regarding your art and/or instructions.
Our Art Team’s Process
- We digitize your art: Once we receive your information, it’s forwarded to our art department. Based on the attributes you’ve outlined, our artists digitize the artwork you provided.
- If the artwork is to be embroidered (e.g. for a patch), then it is routed to an embroidery digitizer.
- If your art is meant for a magnet, pin or other product, it’s given to one of our digital vector art experts.
In some cases, our team will simplify your art in order to provide the best quality depending on the product type (for example: on embroidered patches, lettering may be enlarged to avoid run stitching.)
- We send you a digital proof: When completed, the artist uploads a digital proof to your order.
Within 24 hours, generally the following business day, your rep will check the digital art proof and then share it with you for review via email.
Reviewing Your Proof
Once you receive your digital proof, you will want to review it closely to ensure it meets your needs. You may want to have another person on your staff look over the proof (a second set of eyes never hurts) to ensure everything looks the way you desire it. Our staff is not liable for any mistakes that are approved if they are stated on the proof itself.
- Review your proof very closely: Here are some things you’ll want to scrutinize when reviewing:
- Colors—Before approving a proof, make sure all the colors match those which you desire. Please reference a color either using a thread color or Pantone color, which is the most accurate form of color matching we have. If you’re uncertain of a color, we can match to the Pantone color provided.
- Size—Check to be sure the size indicated on the proof is correct. If you are unsure, the PDFs emailed over for your approval print to scale for your reference.
- Text—Please review all text for spelling and capitalization and punctuation accuracy. If there are any spelling errors on the proof, our team will still produce it “as is.” This is where it helps to have a second set of eyes and ask a colleague to help by double-checking the proof.
- Backing Preference—It’s important to double-check the right-side key of your proof. Make sure all of the details are correct. The image below indicates the type of information provided.
- APPROVE or REQUEST REVISIONS: Once you’ve reviewed your proof closely for all of the above details, either APPROVE it by contacting your service rep or request REVISIONS.
- Revisions—If the proof is NOT exactly what you have in mind, feel free to send it back for revisions. Please state what needs to be changed and our team will gladly provide a new proof the next day.
As stated above, Arrow provides 1 free art proof and 1 free revision. Each additional revision that is a change from the originally submitted design will incur a charge of $20 per revision.
- Approval—If everything looks great, let us know! Once confirmed, we will proceed with your order.
- Samples—Some customers desire (in addition to the digital art proof) a physical sample of the product before confirming an order. We do offer pre-production samples by photo or mailed directly to you prior to full production. This is an additional cost that your rep will review with you. This “extra step” may add production time, so please be sure to confirm timing with your rep.
We look forward to doing business with you and helping your orders run smoothly and get delivered on time. Please do your part by reviewing your proof carefully. If you have any questions, contact us and we’ll be glad to step you through the process.