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Publishing proofing software to end the email chain

Visual language in your magazine is what makes you different and alive in the digital era. Make sure your designs are precise and fitting without endless review & approval hell with specialized software for your approval process. Annotate, compare, and revise with Approval Studio

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Great products come out of great processes

Creating a high-quality layout for an article, a page, or an infographic always gets overcomplicated with tight deadlines and problematic review and approval processes. And proofing for publishing seems to have devolved with the invention of email proofing. Countless email threads approving each page out of context, late replies, and miscommunicated versions can kill the best cover.

Magazine layout in Approval Studio with pinned editor comments and page-by-page approval status WITH APPROVAL STUDIO
Layout feedback scattered across email threads, with no page context or clear latest version BEFORE
VS

Drag to compare

Publishing proofing software built around how an issue comes together

Selective approval

Sign off the cover while page 22 is still in revisions

An issue is never ready all at once, so don’t approve it all at once. Upload the layout as a multi-page PDF (up to 50 pages per file, or 100 on request) and approve or reject each page separately. Everyone can see which spreads are done and which ones still need work, without a separate email for every page.

Page-by-page approval: six magazine pages, four approved, one with changes requested, and one pending

Editorial approval workflow

From writer to editor-in-chief in the right order

A feature goes through more hands than any other page. Build an editorial approval workflow with review groups for editors, art direction, legal, and the editor-in-chief. Add due dates to every stage, so the layout moves on only when the stage before it signs off, and the print or publish date doesn’t slip.

Editorial approval workflow with editor, art director, and legal stages done and the editor-in-chief stage pending

Version comparison

Check the correction made it without rereading the whole spread

Compare layout versions with Side by Side, Toggle, Fader, or Side by Side with Difference, and see right away whether the headline was fixed, the photo credit is back, and nothing else moved. Every version stays in the history, so you can always go back to what was approved.

Two layout versions compared side by side with four compare mode options

Live review sessions

Editors, designers, and writers on the same page, at the same time

Some decisions can’t wait for the next reply. Open the layout together and see who else is in the review tool. Annotations show up live as people add them, and the chat sits next to the file. You settle the headline in one session instead of passing a PDF around until deadline day.

Live review session with reviewers commenting on a magazine cover at the same time

Copy and layout checks

Catch the typo before your readers do

Run the spellchecker on the text inside the layout. Headlines, captions, pull quotes, and small print get checked without copying anything out of the file. Add names, places, and house-style terms to the dictionary so they stop showing up as errors. Use the ruler to check margins and spacing before the spread goes out.

Spellchecker flagging a misspelled word in a layout caption with a suggested correction

Online articles and video

Review the web version of the story next to the print one

Most stories don’t end on paper. With website proofing, you paste a staging or live article URL and review it on desktop, tablet, and mobile, in the same project as the layout. And when the story comes with a video, review it frame by frame with time-stamped comments.

Website proofing of a magazine article with a pinned comment about a missing photo credit on mobile

How publishing proofing software works

Person reviewing design work
Watch how it works
1
Upload the issue
Add the layout as a multi-page PDF, plus images, videos, or an article URL. Attach the style guide and final copy as reference files.
2
Send it to review
Assign review groups for editors, art direction, and legal. Authors, photographers, and freelancers open a link and annotate as external reviewers, without creating an account.
3
Compare, approve, and publish
Check every correction in compare modes, collect the sign-off on each page, and download the proof report before the issue goes out.

Who uses publishing proofing software?

Magazines and periodicals

A weekly or monthly issue means dozens of pages, several editors, and a print date that doesn’t move. Approve the issue page by page, see what’s still open at a glance, and stop chasing the last sign-off through someone’s inbox the night before it goes to print.

Digital publications and newsrooms

Online stories change fast, and so do the layouts, infographics, and visuals around them. Review the article page and its visuals in one place, compare every update with the last version, and keep a record of who approved what before it went live.

Book publishers

Covers, interior layouts, and illustrations pass between authors, editors, designers, and agents. Send them one link instead of a chain of attachments. Every comment lands on the exact spot it’s about, and the final approval is recorded with a timestamp.

Content and social teams at media brands

The cover story turns into social cards, short videos, and newsletter visuals. Upload them into the same project as the main layout, check that the headline and credits match everywhere, and approve the whole set in one round.

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Plans to Fit Every Team

Cheaper than missed deadlines and chaotic stressful workflow

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LITE

Fast review tool perfect for freelancers and small teams.

$12

per user / month

14-day free trial
Unlimited reviewers & projects
5 users included
5 GB storage space
5 annotation shapes
4 comparison modes
Live chats in review tool
Reporting & project history
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MOST POPULAR

PRO

Project management tool for medium and large businesses.

$32

per user / month

14-day free trial after dem
All Lite Package features +
5 users included
5 GB storage space
Email support
User groups
Smart notifications
Adobe CC Integration
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PRO XL

More seats, lower price per user. Same tools, bigger team.

$20

per user / month

14-day free trial after demo
All Lite Package features +
15 users included
30 GB storage space
Task management system
User groups
Smart notifications
Adobe CC Integration
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FAQs

What is publishing proofing software?
It's software that lets editorial teams review, annotate, and approve layouts, covers, and articles in one shared place instead of email threads. Approval Studio adds page-by-page approval, version comparison, and a full audit trail, so every decision on an issue is documented.
How do you proof a magazine layout online?
Upload the layout as a multi-page PDF, invite editors, art directors, and legal to review, and let them pin comments on the exact spot. Upload each correction as a new version, compare it with the previous one, and collect sign-off page by page before the issue goes to print.
Can I approve individual pages of an issue?
Yes. With selective approval, reviewers approve or reject each page of a multi-page PDF separately. You can sign off finished spreads while others are still in revisions, and everyone can see which pages are done.
How many pages can I upload in one file?
Up to 50 pages per PDF by default, and up to 100 on request. For longer issues or books, upload the layout in sections, for example one file per chapter or per section of the magazine.
Can authors and freelancers review without an account?
Yes. Authors, photographers, illustrators, and other contributors can review and annotate through an email invite or a short link, without logging in or installing anything. Their comments and approvals go into the same audit trail as your team's.
Can editors and designers review a layout at the same time?
Yes. In a live review session, everyone in the review tool sees who else is there, and annotations appear as they're added. There's also a chat next to the file, so you can settle questions right away instead of in another email round.
Can I proof the online version of an article?
Yes. Paste a staging or live URL into Approval Studio, review the page on desktop, tablet, and mobile, and leave comments on the exact element. The web version sits in the same project as the print layout, and the PDF proof report includes its approval.
Which file formats can publishing teams review in Approval Studio?
Approval Studio supports PDFs, images, design files like AI and PSD, Office documents, videos, and live web pages. With the Adobe CC extension, designers can send files for review directly from their design environment.

Make your proofing process worthy of the front page

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