Right file.
Real approval.

Edition 2.0. Reviewed September 17, 2026. This complete free workbook contains a fictional brief, two proof records, five corrections, customer messages and the full answer key. No paid guide or AI subscription is needed. It is a paper-based approval exercise: no actual customer file has been preflighted, no color has been certified and no printing has been authorized.

1. Know what the customer is approving

Cedar Print is producing 1,000 single-sided postcards for a fictional open studio. Job P-201 has one authorized content approver, Mira. Production lead Sol controls technical release. A customer can approve the wording while the production file still fails a technical check; both gates must pass for the exact current file.

The approved text is supplied below. The .example address is deliberately fictional, not a functioning registration page. In a real job, the customer must verify the actual destination, and staff must test the printed code or link before release.

Approved content record B1

Cedar Makers Open Studio
Saturday October 24, 2026
14:00-17:00
Elm Hall, 12 Oak Lane
Free entry
cedar.example/rsvp

The fictional production specification B2 is finished trim size 148 x 105 mm, landscape, one side, 3 mm bleed on every edge, and the printer's agreed color/output profile and embedded fonts. These are exercise requirements, not universal settings for every printer or product. The full bleed extent would be 154 x 111 mm, but the finished piece remains 148 x 105 mm. Ask the real printer for its file requirements rather than assuming a saved PDF is print-ready.

2. Find five faults in version 1

Proof record P-201-v1 was issued at 09:00 on October 12. Its supplied visible text says October 25, 14:00-16:00 and cedar.example/rspv. The title, venue, address and entry statement match B1. Its supplied technical inspection reports trim 145 x 105 mm and no left-edge bleed; all other B2 checks pass for this exercise.

Write each mismatch against its source before reading the correction table. Do not add a new discount, QR code, opening hour or event promise merely because it would make the copy more attractive.

There are five supplied faults: three content mismatches and two technical mismatches. A spelling-only review finds too few. A general "looks good" response cannot identify which version was checked. Image interpretation by an AI model is not a replacement for the production operator's inspection of dimensions, fonts, profiles and the actual exported file.

3. Build a revision trail that cannot be confused

At 10:00, Sol issues P-201-v2. Its supplied text matches B1 exactly; the technical report now records 148 x 105 mm trim, 3 mm bleed on all edges, embedded fonts and the agreed profile. Version 1 remains in the restricted job history, clearly marked superseded; do not overwrite it with the new file under the same name.

At 10:10 Mira replies "Approved P-201-v1." At 10:20 a colleague who is not the designated approver says "Go ahead." Neither releases v2. The first names a superseded file and the second lacks the required authority. At 10:35 Mira replies "I approve P-201-v2, issued October 12 at 10:00, for the 1,000 postcards in B1/B2." This supplies the content approval for v2; Sol must still confirm the exact production export and remaining job gates.

The exercise supplies matched payment, stock and capacity checks at 10:40. Sol verifies the v2 export at 10:45. Only then is this fictional job ready for production. "Ready" is not evidence that it has been printed, quality checked or collected.

Version register

Job ID: P-201
v1 / issued 09:00 / five faults / superseded at 10:00 / HOLD
v2 / issued 10:00 / five corrections / current / technical report PASS
10:10: Mira approved v1, not current v2 / HOLD
10:20: colleague says proceed, authority absent / HOLD
10:35: Mira explicitly approves current v2 / content gate PASS
10:40: payment, stock and capacity checks supplied / PASS
10:45: Sol verifies exact v2 production export / RELEASE READY
Actual production / QC / collection: not performed in this exercise

If artwork changes after 10:35, stop and identify the new version. Do not treat a corrected file as approved merely because its filename contains "final." Record the actual artifact version or checksum in the real job system, alongside the approval message and reviewer. Share it only with the intended recipients; an unrestricted public link may expose customer artwork.

4. Use complete messages, not an ambiguous approval button

Proof request

Subject: P-201 v2 proof - please review this version
Hi Mira, please review P-201-v2 issued October 12 at 10:00.
Check the title, October 24 date, 14:00-17:00 time, venue, address
and registration destination against the agreed brief B1.
Reply APPROVED P-201-v2 or CHANGES P-201-v2 with one consolidated list.
Please respond by the agreed review checkpoint, October 13 at 12:00
local shop time. Silence does not authorize printing. If that checkpoint
is missed, we will recheck the production schedule before promising pickup.
The on-screen proof is not a guarantee of exact printed color.

Wrong-version response

Thank you, Mira. Your reply names P-201-v1, which has been superseded.
We are holding production. Please review P-201-v2, issued at 10:00,
and confirm that exact version or send the remaining changes.
We will not infer approval from your earlier message.

Unanswered-proof follow-up

We have not received approval of the current proof P-201-v2.
Please tell us whether you approve that version or need changes.
The previously discussed pickup timing depends on the remaining checks;
we will confirm a revised production slot if the review checkpoint passes.
No printing has been authorized by lack of a reply.

For this fictional order the written agreement includes two consolidated revision rounds; an additional round requires a new fixed-fee quote and approval before work. No hourly fee, $25 surcharge or automatic deadline is assumed. Use the business's real agreed terms for actual jobs, rather than asking AI to invent a charging policy after the order was placed.

5. Let AI compare evidence, not grant approval

Kimi or another approved assistant can compare the fictional brief and transcript. It does not need access to a customer's full artwork or contact details for this practice. Keep client personal data, confidential designs and access links out of unapproved services. The operator remains responsible for technical file inspection and the customer for the agreed content approval.

Bounded proof-review prompt

Compare supplied B1/B2 with P-201-v1 and P-201-v2 records only.
List every mismatch as source fact / observed value / required correction.
Build a timeline for the 10:10, 10:20, 10:35, 10:40 and 10:45 events.
For each event, say which gate passed and which remains on hold.
Do not infer approval from silence, a superseded version or an unauthorized
colleague. Do not claim you inspected a PDF or confirmed printed color.
Return the corrected request and wrong-version reply as drafts only.

Acceptance standard: five faults found, all five corrected in v2, both early replies rejected, content approval recorded at 10:35 and final release readiness at 10:45. If the assistant returns "approved at 10:10," point to the version field and rerun the comparison. Save the correction in the review record so the failure can be tested next time.

6. Answer key and your reusable proof checklist

1. Content faults: wrong date, end time and destination spelling.

2. Technical faults: wrong trim width and missing left bleed.

3. Bleed extent: 148 + 6 = 154 mm; 105 + 6 = 111 mm, not finished size.

4. Version 1 reply: does not approve current version 2.

5. Colleague reply: no authority supplied, so it cannot release the job.

6. Content approval: Mira's 10:35 response names v2 and the brief.

7. Release readiness: 10:45, after the other supplied gates and exact-export check.

8. Missing response: no approval and no automatic printing authorization.

9. Revision fee: obtain an approved additional fixed-fee quote; do not invent a charge.

10. Color/production claim: a paper exercise is not actual preflight or printed-color proof.

Before a real release, record job ID, current proof, source brief, exact changes, approver identity, approval time, technical report, production export, payment/stock/capacity state and release owner. Keep one source of truth. This whole starter is free; optional member workbooks cover job queues, costs, campaigns and scheduling without withholding any answer required here.

Sources and boundaries

• Adobe print production tools describes Acrobat Pro's production tools; availability is not an endorsement of an uninspected file.

• Adobe output preview explains previewing output and its limitations; a screen preview does not prove all press behavior.

• Adobe PDF review sharing describes review sharing. The version and authority gates above are this workbook's original workflow design.