A five-minute quality check before dispatch

Most complaints could have been caught at the door. A short, fixed check before dispatch costs little and protects both the shop and the customer.

Pull samples from the whole run

Take sheets from the start, the middle and the end of the run. Problems such as colour drift or a moving cut often appear partway through, not on the first good sheet.

The checklist

• Colour: compare against the approved proof under good light. Logos and skin tones show drift first.
• Content: the right file, the right version, no missing pages or sides.
• Trim: straight, to size, no white edges, nothing important cut.
• Finishing: folds square, lamination without bubbles, foil complete, creases that do not crack.
• Count: the quantity ordered, plus any agreed overs.
• Damage: no scuffs, set-off marks, bent corners or damp patches.

Keep a photo record

Photograph one finished piece next to the proof and one packed carton for every job. Store them with the order. If a question comes later, you can show what left the shop.

When something is wrong

If the check finds a problem, stop and decide before the job ships: rework, reprint the affected part, or talk to the customer. Telling a customer about a small issue before delivery builds trust; hiding it loses the account.

Put the checklist on the wall where jobs are packed, and ask whoever checks the job to initial it. A routine everyone follows works better than one careful person.

Learn from every problem

Keep a simple log of what went wrong and why: a file issue, a machine setting, a finishing step, a packing mistake. Once a month, look for patterns. A problem that shows up three times usually has one cause that can be fixed for good, such as a checklist line, a setting or a supplier.