Want to know how can an online PDF compare tool help in artwork management? Here's how.

Creating artwork takes time. Designers often have to make multiple revisions before managers approve it. Most of us have come to accept this work and rework as part of the artwork approval process. But it can be quite cumbersome.

Having to compare previous versions, make note of differences, keep track of revisions and the changes to be made can become difficult to handle without artwork management tools, especially since there are multiple teams involved.

The Lengthy Artwork Review and Approval Process

In most companies, the scenario is the same. For example, for a long time, agro-chemical brand, Indofil followed a manual process. Every time a new product artwork is created, it’s sent through rounds of approval. At every stage, a collaborator might print out artwork files and compare the designs with previous versions. Having to do this manually might result in them overlooking certain aspects and leading to inaccuracies.

In addition to this, after each review, the design team has to keep track of revision requests so as to ensure that every change is taken into account. This increases the product’s time-to-market and can cause extensive losses to any brand.

The Impact of Multiple Revisions

Manual artwork revision procedures aren’t just lengthy but they are also inefficient and error-prone. They directly result in:

1. Increased Time to Market

Inaccuracies in artworks mean an increased number of revisions. The more the revisions needed, the more the time taken by the product to actually launch. Extended time to market can lead to a product’s failure or increase the chances of competition.

2. Recalls Because of Labelling Errors

Erroneous labels can be devastating for any brand. For example, errors in pharmaceutical package labelling, such as the contents list, can end up impacting the brand. Inaccurate statements can often be perceived as false advertising and lead to product recalls.

3. Disapproval by Regulatory Bodies

Every packaging must comply with the strict guidelines laid out by regulatory bodies. These often include dimensions and colors of graphical elements on the product packaging. Such minute details can be easily overlooked by reviewers resulting in the packaging being disapproved by the regulatory bodies.

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4 Ways Online Artwork PDF Comparison Tool Can Help

When it comes to artworks, PDF is the preferred format because of its wide compatibility with various programs. Hence, instead of taking the manual route, an online PDF compare tool can be used to easily identify changes made in the artwork PDF file.

Such a comparison tool can make the artwork flow process smoother allowing for direct comparison with a reference file; leading to fewer errors and improved efficiency.

You can:

1. Easily spot differences without missing out on any

The biggest advantage of an artwork file comparison tool is that you get to immediately view the differences between any two files. comes with two modes: Flicker and Diff.

Flicker flashes the element in the design that has been changed, while Diff shows the revised part in a different color.

2. Track changes made in every revision

An online PDF compare tool eliminates the need to arduously hunt for changes made to the artwork. Every minute change, which would otherwise have been missed, is captured by the tool.

For example, the tool can identify even a fraction of change in any graphical element within seconds.

3. Reduce excessive reworks and compliance risks

Compliance is part of the artwork design. By identifying changes made to ensure compliance, artwork tools can help designers and managers quickly progress through the approval process.

4. Save time with automated comparisons

The biggest advantage of using an online PDF compare tool is that you can completely eliminate clerical errors. By automatically comparing PDF files, the tool boosts efficiency and reduces human interaction, making it quite a plausible option.

Compare. Comment. Share.

Artwork proofing can be time-consuming and tedious unless you use the right tools. An online artwork comparison tool helps you keep track of any differences in revised artwork files and check for compliance. The good part is that since the tool is online, you don’t have to install it. Simply use as and when you need it.