In today's digital world, accuracy and quality of content can define any brand, and technology brands are no exception. In an industry where your audience seeks results above all else, accuracy and quality in your communication are of the utmost importance, as even the smallest errors can affect your brand perception. 

That's why it's essential to use the best online proofing tools available to make sure your content is always on-brand and error-free. In this blog post, we explore the top online proofing tools available for the technology industry and how they can help you get the most out of your content.

Now, before we look at the various online proofing tools that can help organizations in the technology industry, let us first understand what we need to look for in a good online proofing tool and what makes these features so important.

Essentials of an online proofing tool for technology companies

1. Collaborative review process: A good online proofing tool should allow for collaboration between multiple stakeholders, such as designers, developers, and stakeholders. This should include the ability to add comments, assign tasks, and review changes in real time.

2. File sharing: The tool should allow for easy file sharing of design and development files, such as images, videos, and code.

3. Version control: The tool should provide version control so that stakeholders can track changes and revert back to previous versions if needed.

4. Automated notifications: The tool should allow for automated email notifications when changes are made to a project so that everyone is kept up to date.

5. Security: The tool should have robust security measures, such as encryption and user authentication, to protect sensitive data.

Best online proofing tools for technology companies

1. Artwork Flow

As a creative collaboration and brand asset management software, Artwork Flow currently offers one of the best online proofing tools for the technology industry. You can proof over 160 file types on the platform, with dynamic feedback allowing you to review files with greater accuracy.

Key features

• Smart annotation tools
• Measurement
• Font finder
• Color extractor
• Spell checker
• Checklists
• Version compare

Pros

• Wide range of proofing tools helps you provide accurate feedback for all kinds of files, including annotations for videos.
• Allows you to build complex workflows to proof and review any files with ease.
• Provides the option to create checklists that can be used to verify the use of required elements used in your designs.
• Supported by an AI-powered digital asset management library that helps you filter files based on colors, smart tags, and custom tags and metadata.

Cons

• Does not offer a free plan, but the Pro Plan offers a free trial for 7 days.

The verdict

Artwork Flow offers an all-round proofing and brand asset management solution that can help technology companies review and approve files in less time while securing and organizing their digital assets in a way that streamlines creative collaboration for your teams.

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2. Air

Air Inc is a creative collaboration and online proofing solution that helps teams simplify their creative operations. It offers significant proofing capabilities that allow you to accelerate reviews and approvals and complete projects error-free.

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Key features

• Dynamic feedback
• Sticky notes
• Timestamps
• Public boards for guest reviews
• Version control

Pros

• Allows you to add dynamic feedback to all kinds of assets, including videos.
• Smart search for keywords, metadata, and tags helps you find files faster.
• Workflows help keep the whole team on the same page during projects.

Cons

• Free version of the platform offers limited features.
• Users note the software tends to lag due to bandwidth issues.

The verdict

With a fine proofing suite, Air is good for most businesses in the technology industry to review and approve their designs. It is an option to consider if your proofing requirements are limited to reviewing a few designs every week, as bandwidth issues may hamper extensive usage of the platform.

3. Ziflow

Ziflow is a digital asset management and creative collaboration tool that is designed to help advertising and marketing agencies proof and review files with ease.

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Key features

• Markup tools
• Pixel ruler
• Batch reviews
• Version compare
• Version management 
• Compliance management

Pros

• Simplifies collaboration as internal and external reviews can comment on different formats of the same file at once.
• Allows teams to include external collaborators or clients as a part of the review and approval process.
• The platform is highly flexible and customizable, so it can be adapted to suit your teams with third-party tools and integrations.

Cons

• Users have noted that uploaded files tend to appear blurry in some instances.
• Some users also feel the folder structure could be more intuitive.

The verdict

Ziflow offers a number of tools that help teams in the technology industry that work with more external collaborators and multiple formats of the same creatives. It’s also a good option to consider for marketing agencies working mainly with teams in the technology industry due to the compliance management tools available.

4. ProofHub

ProofHub is a creative project management and online proofing solution that helps streamline team collaboration and reviews and approvals during creative projects.

Key features

• Proofing and reviews
• Approval workflows
• Task management
• Task categorization with templates
• Attachments

Pros

• Time-tracking allows teams to ensure tasks are completed on time and keep a record of their timelines.
• Gantt charts and calendars help you plan projects with ease.
• The platform makes it easy for users to manage large projects effectively.

Cons

• The platform offers limited templates, making it more challenging to get started right away.
• Users have pointed out that detailed timesheets are not available, providing insufficient data on project performance.

The verdict

With project management and task management features, ProofHub offers users a relatively all-rounded tool. Organizations in the technology industry which prioritize speed with smaller projects could explore this as an option for their teams.

5. Filestage

Filestage is a project management and creative collaboration platform that helps reviewers proof and approve their files with automated notifications and reports to track performance.

Key features

• Unlimited files and reviewers
• Turn comments into to-do lists
• Review dashboard
• Project templates
• Automated due-date reminders

Pros

• Users can easily add comments to any part of the assets being reviewed.
• It’s easier for reviewers to prioritize files for review based on their due dates.
• Helps improve the quality of PDFs for large files.

Cons

• The software has been found to lag when more projects are running at the same time.
• Users have noted issues while uploading large files.

The verdict

Filestage offers a decent range of proofing capabilities, but with the issues faced in managing multiple projects and larger files, this tool would be a good fit for smaller technology companies with limited projects and approval requirements.

Wrapping up

Choosing the right proofing tools for the technology industry depends on finding one that fits your requirements. If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution that can secure and organize your assets, streamline your approval cycles, and automate your reviews efficiently, find out how Artwork Flow would work for your teams with a free trial for 7 days today!