As a client of image.works, there are many ways to communicate your changes and edits to your copywriter and designer. In our experience, we've found some avenues work better than others. Our goal is to give you the best product and design we can while keeping the process as easy and efficient as possible for you. Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of each editing option along with some tips on how to best mark-up the Adobe Acrobat PDF proofs you receive from your image.works team.
Ways images.works receives edits:
1. Comments in Adobe Acrobat PDFs
- The preferred method of proofing for image.works designers and copywriters
- Very easy and quick to convey changes
- There is less room for error, confusion and miscommunication as edits and their locations are very specific
- Can take some know-how and practice to get used to making comments in Adobe Acrobat
2. Phone call describing edits
- Can be easier and timelier for expressing your direction and ideas
- Actual changes can get lost through verbal communication
- Can be time-consuming if expressing lots of little changes
3. Email listing the edits
- Edits are easy to make if they are listed clearly and specifically
- Requested edits can be difficult to decipher if email is vague and unorganized
- Actual location of edit is not always described in a way the copywriter/designer understands. For example, the sender may not realize a description can apply to multiple locations on the piece
- Email can be time-consuming to write
4. Faxed or emailed scan of hand-marked edits on a print-out
- Very easy and quick to convey changes
- Many times areas are blacked out so the marks do not show correctly
- Handwriting is not always legible and can easily contain misspellings
- Can be ineffective when edits are difficult to decipher
If you are having a tough time expressing your changes or want to make changes to the overall concept and design, a phone call with your designer could be most effective. If you are having trouble with the messaging and are unsure how best to reword or update, a phone call with your copywriter is the way to go.
If you know exactly what changes you would like to make, the phone may not be the best solution. Sending written edits is generally more effective because a lot can be lost in translation over the phone. Expressing these edits can be daunting or time-consuming, and one of the easiest and most efficient ways is marking up the PDF proof. Most everyone has access to editing in the PDF, but you may not even realize you have this option available, so here are some tips on getting started with Adobe Acrobat Comments.
Adobe Acrobat offers a free reader for viewing PDFs if you do not already have it on your computer:
https://get.adobe.com/reader/
Depending on your version of Adobe Acrobat, your editing software might look a bit different, but here is a basic overview Adobe provides for Acrobat DC:
https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/commenting-pdfs.html
Here is a video that is a great basic overview for the commenting tools:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL8YSYyMHyc
If you would like to utilize this option for your proofing process with our team but are having trouble with your version of Adobe Acrobat, feel free to ask your designer for help. Also, there are endless technical support options available online if you have additional questions. It may be a learning process in the beginning, but in the long run it can save you a lot of time with your editing and the creative process.