An approval message is hard to use if the artwork keeps changing afterward. Give every approved design a frozen export, a timestamp, and a short identifier that follows it into the job record.
Separate approval from production readiness
Customer approval confirms wording and appearance; it does not prove alignment, material response, or safe settings. After approval, lock the customer-facing design and create any production notes as a separate record.
If the customer requests a change, issue a new identifier and repeat approval. This creates a clearer trail than overwriting the earlier file and helps a second operator identify the current version.
Keep exceptions visible
Flag rushed changes, supplied artwork, and uncertain characters where the operator will see them before setup. Then complete the normal sample and safety checks for the actual job.
See more small-shop workflow ideas in /updates/.
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