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Proofreading in a Paperless World

I would like to know how proofreading and signoffs are handled in different environments. Do you use a job bag or a file folder to keep copy revisions together with the job? How is the physical whereabouts of the job bag tracked? Who is responsible for checking the final sign-off before the art walks out the door or posts to the web? At what stages do you proofread, and if you don't have an in-house dedicated proofreader, then how is proofing handled?

Thanks for your input.

Alex Luken Traffic Manager

Alex-

We use a job folder to keep hard copy of everything, concept rationales, creative briefs, copy documents and layouts. That way as it routes through the agency for sign off everyone has all the materials they need to refer to in one place.

The physical whereabouts of this folder are tracked by the traffic manager using C&P. Basically if the folder is on your desk, you're supposed to be working on it. (This works for everyone but the Production Manager, who might be bidding the job simultaneously with other steps, so the folders don't route to her except later in the process.)

The traffic manager proofreads the first draft of any document. From there she proofs any changes made to it every time it routes across her desk. (All jobs route back to her at every stage. She then enters any data about the schedule in C&P and routes to the next stage. This way she always knows where it is and always checks all changes. Often she catches things that were missed and saves AEs or Creative Directors the time of looking at something twice.)

After the final sign off from the client, we route the job to the Production Manager, who is also an experienced proofreader. She proofreads the entire document one last time, which works well as it is a fresh set of eyes looking at it. She often catches tiny things that others have overlooked on two or three drafts. I've found that having someone see it who has never seen it before, or at least proofed it in depth, really helps.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Lisa Vorst