In This Guide
A successful file check answers the questions included in that check. It does not automatically approve the artwork's wording or physical presentation.
Identify the tested criteria
A preflight result reports checks defined by the selected profile. An inventory report instead describes resources used in the PDF. Neither record should be interpreted without identifying what it inspected and which conditions the job required. Primary reference: Adobe: preflight reports and their selected checks.
A structural result can establish information about fonts, image representation or other configured properties. It does not know whether a correctly rendered word is the word the buyer intended. Keep technical file validity and approved content as separate conclusions in the handoff.
Compare a fictional successful check
Imagine a profile checks that fonts are embedded and that page dimensions match a specified rectangle. A hypothetical file passes both checks but contains the wrong revision of a product description. That result is consistent with the profile's success because wording identity was not one of its tested criteria.
Another visual review might identify the wrong description while missing an unembedded font that only affects a recipient's environment. The two observations illustrate complementary review scopes, not an error-rate claim or a requirement to use a particular software profile.
Retain both kinds of approval evidence
Record the profile identity, exact release file and report alongside the content and appearance review. Identify whether automatic fixups changed the file after inspection, and assess the actual resulting copy. A report from an earlier version should not silently accompany a different release.
For the human review, compare the relevant wording, positions and final-size features against their approved requirements. The useful handoff shows which structural conditions passed and which intended-information decisions were made. A green indicator or a correct-looking thumbnail alone cannot stand in for that complete record.
Customer Questions
Does every preflight report inspect every PDF property?
No. Interpret the checks included in the selected profile.
Can a structurally passing file contain wrong wording?
Yes, if the intended wording was not part of the tested criteria.
Which file should a report identify?
The exact release copy that was checked and reviewed.
Primary References
These references support the technical principles discussed in this guide. The worked examples and review questions are educational.
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