How to Manage Artwork Versions and Approvals
Most label errors in the market were approved by somebody in a hurry who assumed someone else had checked. Version numbering, a written checklist, a named sign-off and a batch link. Four controls that prevent nearly all of it.
Why Label Errors Reach the Market
This guide is for brand owners in India managing packaging artwork.
Label errors are rarely the result of nobody looking. They happen because several people each looked at part of it and each assumed someone else had checked the rest. The designer checked the layout, the brand owner checked the claims, the manufacturer checked the batch coding area, and nobody checked the net weight declaration.
They also happen because of version confusion. A corrected file exists, an older file also exists, and the press runs the older one. Or a correction was made to the label and not to the carton, so the two disagree.
And they happen at the last minute, when a launch date is fixed and a proof arrives needing approval the same day.
The fix is procedural rather than technical: number every version, check against a written list rather than by eye, have one named person sign off, and record which version went with which batch.
Version Numbering
Simple and strictly applied.
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Every artwork has a version number | So any file can be identified |
| The version number appears on the artwork itself | Usually small, in a non-printing or discreet area, as advised |
| The number increments on any change | However small the change |
| Superseded versions are archived, not deleted | Batches were made to them |
| Only one version is current at a time | Per component |
| Obsolete files are withdrawn from the supplier | With written confirmation |
| A register lists all versions, dates and changes | So history is visible |
| Related components update together | Label, carton and insert must agree |
The related-components rule prevents the common failure where a label is corrected and the carton is not, leaving two different ingredient lists or net weights in one pack.
The Proofing Checklist
Check against a list, not by eye.
- Product name and variant, spelled correctly throughout.
- Net weight or volume declaration, in the required format.
- Complete ingredient list, in the required order.
- Allergen declaration, where applicable.
- Nutritional or composition declaration, calculated correctly.
- Vegetarian or non-vegetarian symbol, correct and correctly placed.
- All mandatory particulars for the product’s framework.
- Licence number and manufacturer details, correct and current.
- Brand owner details and address.
- Claims, each checked against your approved claim set.
- Dosage and usage instructions.
- Warnings and who-should-avoid statements.
- Storage instructions.
- Batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date fields, with space to print.
- Barcode, correct and scannable at print size.
- Shelf life statement consistent with your stability data.
- Country of origin, where required.
- Customer care details, correct and monitored.
- Version number present on the artwork.
- Spelling and language check in every language used.
The Sign-Off
One person, named, accountable.
One Named Signatory
Not a committee and not an email thread. One person signs against the checklist, with their name, the version number and the date.
A Separate Claims Review
Claims checked against your approved claim set by someone who holds that set, since this is where regulatory exposure concentrates.
A Printed Proof, Not a Screen
Colour, small text legibility and barcode scannability differ between screen and print. Check a physical proof.
Time to Do It
Build artwork approval into the launch timeline rather than leaving it to the day the press is booked.
Where the manufacturer also reviews artwork, their review is in addition to yours rather than instead of it. Both parties checking is useful; each assuming the other checked is how errors reach the market.
Linking Artwork to Batches
The record that matters later.
Record which artwork version was used for each production batch. This takes one line in the batch record and answers a question you will eventually need answered: what exactly was printed on the packs in a given batch.
It matters when a complaint concerns the label, when a claim needs reviewing retrospectively, when a counterfeit is suspected, and when you need to establish which packs in the market carry an older declaration.
Keep print order records too: which version, what quantity, which supplier, what date. Reconciling printed quantity against units produced identifies surplus printed material, which is both a counterfeiting risk and a sign of an inventory problem.
And when a version changes, confirm in writing that the supplier has withdrawn and destroyed the obsolete material. An old label reappearing on a later print run is a recurring failure that this one step prevents.
Checklist
Setting up artwork control.
- Number every artwork version and show the number on the artwork.
- Increment on any change, however small.
- Archive superseded versions rather than deleting them.
- Keep a register of versions, dates and changes.
- Update related components together so label, carton and insert agree.
- Build a written proofing checklist covering every mandatory element.
- Check claims separately against your approved claim set.
- Check a printed proof, not a screen.
- Have one named person sign off, with version and date recorded.
- Treat the manufacturer’s review as additional, not substitute.
- Build approval time into the launch timeline.
- Record the artwork version used in each batch record.
- Keep print order records with version, quantity, supplier and date.
- Reconcile printed quantity against units produced.
- Confirm in writing that obsolete material is withdrawn and destroyed.
Want a Partner That Records Artwork Versions Per Batch?
Ask our team how artwork approval and batch linkage work before you place a first order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do label errors reach the market?
Because several people each check part of the artwork and assume someone else checked the rest, because version confusion means the press runs an older file, and because approval is left to the day the press is booked.
What is the single most useful control?
One named person signing off each version against a written checklist, with the sign-off recorded alongside the version number and date. A committee or an email thread diffuses accountability.
Why update related components together?
Because correcting a label and not the carton leaves two different ingredient lists or net weights in one pack. Label, carton and insert must move to a new version together.
Should I check a screen proof or a printed one?
A printed proof. Colour, small text legibility and barcode scannability all differ between screen and print, and a barcode that scans on screen may not scan at print size.
Why record the artwork version per batch?
Because you will need to establish what exactly was printed on the packs in a given batch: when a complaint concerns the label, when a claim is reviewed retrospectively, when a counterfeit is suspected, or when identifying which packs carry an older declaration.