Artwork approval that actually holds up
Every sign shop has made the same sign twice. The customer approved something — in an email thread, over the phone, on a version nobody kept — and by the time the mistake surfaces, the vinyl is on the wall. Sign OS makes the approval a record instead of a memory: versioned proofs, signed off page by page, holding production shut until somebody with authority opens it.
Proofs carry versions, and versions do not leak
Every proof you send is a numbered version against the job. When you re-issue after a change, the old one stays on file and the new one starts unapproved — an approval on v1 can never quietly apply to v2. That single rule is the difference between an approval you can rely on and one you merely have.
Each page is reviewed and ticked separately, so a four-page set is four decisions rather than one blanket yes. When somebody later asks what was approved, the answer is a page, a version and a timestamp.
- Numbered proof versions, all kept
- Per-page sign-off — not one yes for the whole set
- An approval on v1 never carries to v2
- Who approved what, and when, on the job forever
The customer signs. No account, no app
Your customer gets a link. They open it on whatever they have, mark up what is wrong with a pen, and sign with a finger or a mouse. There is nothing to install, no password to reset, and no support call because they cannot log in — which is the actual reason approvals stall.
Their markup lands on the job as a version of its own, so the change request and the artwork it refers to stay attached to each other.
- Guest links — no portal login required
- Signed by finger or mouse, on a phone or a desktop
- Customer markup saved against the proof it belongs to
- Account customers approve through the same emailed link
Approval is a production gate, not a note
Set the shop, or a single product, to require a proof, and a job cannot be released to the floor until a proof is on it and approved. That is enforced at release, not advised. Once a proof has been sent, the same check applies whatever the setting: while the current version is still waiting, or the customer rejected it, the job is held. Only the current version counts; a replaced proof drops out.
Approve with changes and production still does not open on its own: somebody has to read the customer’s notes on the Approvals tab and clear them before the job can go. If the customer approves by replying to your email rather than using the link, staff can mark the proof approved and link their email, so the record points at the customer’s own words. A job that needs no proof and has none sent releases as normal.
If an approval was given in error, it can be taken back and the job goes back to waiting. Shops need that more often than anyone likes to admit.
- Proof required by the shop or by product, enforced at release
- A waiting or rejected proof holds the job
- “Approved with changes” needs a person to clear it
- An OK by email recorded against the proof
- An approval can be withdrawn, and the job reverts
- Preflight checks on upload, before anyone reviews it
Built for the way an Australian shop actually works
Proofs live on the same job as the quote it came from, the materials bought for it and the invoice that follows — not in a separate approval tool that knows nothing about any of it. Sign OS is built and operated in Australia, priced in AUD from $89 a month with users included, and every plan starts with a free 30-day trial and no card.
Frequently asked questions
- Does my customer need an account to approve artwork?
- No. They get a guest link that opens in any browser, mark up anything that is wrong, and sign with a finger or a mouse. Account customers with a VIP portal login get the same emailed link; the portal is for ordering at their agreed prices, and proofs aren't approved there. If a customer replies to your email with their OK instead, your staff can mark the proof approved and link that email to it.
- What stops an approval on one version applying to the next?
- The versions are separate records. Re-issuing a proof creates a new version that starts unapproved, and the previous approval stays attached to the version it was actually given for. There is no way for a v1 sign-off to release a v2 file.
- Can production start before the proof is approved?
- Not when a proof is required or one has been sent. If the shop or the product requires a proof, the job can't be released until one is approved. Any current proof that is still waiting or was rejected holds the job too, and a proof approved with changes waits until a person reads the notes and clears it. A job with no proof required and none sent releases as normal.
- What if we approve something we should not have?
- You can take the approval back. The job returns to waiting on artwork and the withdrawal is recorded, so the trail shows what happened rather than quietly rewriting itself.