By Timothy Indarsingh · Updated 15 September 2026

Confirm you have the latest proof

Check that the proof names your product, variant and latest revision, and that its size and date match the order you expect. If several PDFs are in circulation, ask your printer which one needs your decision.

Compare the new proof with the changes you asked for, then review the whole label again: a small amendment can move text elsewhere. Collect comments from everyone who must check the label, and agree who in your team gives the final approval.

Check the content

Check product wording, numbers, images and the variant against your approved source copy. Read ingredients, contact details and other small text word by word.

Confirm the mandatory information for your product and market is on the label. For food this typically means the product name, net quantity with its unit of measure, ingredients and allergens, and the name and address of the business responsible. US retail labels generally state net quantity in both metric and US customary units. If a date or lot code is printed on your filling line, check the proof leaves an unprinted space for it.

Check the smallest text against the minimum size your market sets: EU Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers, for example, sets a minimum x-height for mandatory particulars. Confirm the rule that applies to your product and market, and ask your printer whether very small or reversed-out (white on colour) text will hold on your material.

Check the barcode

A barcode that scans from a screen can still fail on the printed label, because print gain, substrate colour and laminate all affect it. Ask your printer how the printed code will be checked, and whether they can verify it against the print-quality grade your retail customers require.

On a small round bottle, ask whether the bars should run horizontally (ladder orientation) so the code does not wrap around the curve. On the proof itself, check:

The number and check digit match your GS1 allocation for this product and variant
The code is at least the smallest size your retailers accept (GS1 allows EAN-13 and UPC-A from 80% to 200% of nominal size) and the bars are full height
The quiet zones, the blank margins either side of the bars, are free of text, graphics and the label edge
The bars are black or another dark colour on a white or light background; red bars read as blank to a scanner

Check the specification

Compare the size, shape, material, finish and unwind position on the proof with your order. Unwind position describes how the label leaves the roll: wound out or wound in, and which edge leads.

Background colour and images run past the cut line by the bleed, commonly 1.5–3 mm, so a small shift in cutting leaves no white edge. Text and logos sit inside the safe area, usually at least 1.5 mm in from the cut line. The dieline belongs on its own non-printing layer.

Screen and PDF previews show position and content. For a brand colour, give your printer the Pantone reference and compare against a printed Pantone guide, or ask for a printed drawdown on your label material. Check the proof marks where each special element goes: white ink under colours on clear or metallic film, foil, spot varnish or embossing.

Know what your approval covers

Your printer checks whether the file will print: resolution, fonts, bleed and colour setup. Your approval confirms that the content and specification are what you want. A file can pass the printer’s checks and still carry a spelling mistake, an old ingredient list or the wrong variant.

If you are unsure what an approval statement commits you to, ask your printer before you sign. If a technical correction changes visible artwork after your review, ask for the revised proof.

Approve or request changes

Approve the named revision when every check is done. If something needs changing, list each change and review the next proof. A conditional reply such as “approved if you fix the date” sends a label to print that you have not seen.

Keep a copy of the approved proof and your decision for queries and reorders. If the quantity, material or roll details have also changed, tell your printer so the order matches the proof.