Paperback Proof Checklist: What to Check Before You Approve Print

A paperback proof is a working copy, not a celebration copy. It is your chance to inspect how the approved files behave as a physical book: what disappears into the binding, how small captions feel and whether a cover that looked clear on screen is legible in your hands.

Use this paperback proof checklist before approving print. It combines a physical inspection, a content check and a record of corrections. Passing an upload preview is a useful step, but it does not replace reading and handling the printed result.

Before using your paperback proof checklist

Write the proof order date and the submitted interior and cover filenames on your review sheet. If several revisions exist, compare distinctive corrected passages against the copy. Do not start marking a book until you know which version it represents.

KDP distinguishes proof copies from author copies: proofs are test copies with a “Not for Resale” watermark and a unique barcode without an ISBN. Author copies use the live book and do not include unpublished draft changes. Do not mistake the expected proof markings for a cover error, or assume an author-copy order includes a revision that is still a draft.

Pass one: inspect the whole object

Before reading, examine the cover, spine, page block and binding under ordinary light. Look for damage, unexpected cropping, missing pages or a clearly misaligned element. Photograph suspected physical defects and keep the order details.

• Does the finished size match the edition you ordered?

• Are the front and back cover text comfortably readable?

• Are title, author name and subtitle consistent with the interior?

• Is important cover artwork safely away from the cut edges?

• Does the spine look appropriate for this edition and template?

• Is there space around the barcode and other required elements?

Separate a damaged copy from a problem in the supplied design. If a fault also appears in your PDF, revise the file. If the file looks correct but the copy appears defective, document the difference and follow the printer’s support process. One photograph alone may not establish the cause.

Pass two: test reading comfort

Read several complete pages at a normal distance. Include the densest page, a chapter opening, a page with a long quotation and any notes or small captions. A book should not require the reader to flatten the binding aggressively to see the inner text.

Check the inner margin near the binding, the outside margins and the space around page numbers. Look for headings stranded at the bottom of a page, awkward word breaks and inconsistent paragraph spacing. Review intentionally blank pages too: they should be intentional in the production plan, not a surprise.

Do not improvise a universal margin or bleed fix. The requirements depend on the platform and edition. IngramSpark’s print-file guidance, for example, distinguishes interior and cover specifications and recommends using its cover template. Compare your files with the current requirements for the actual printer, trim size and binding.

Pass three: check text and navigation

Read the complete proof, including material that often receives less attention than the main chapters. Check the title page, copyright information, dedication, acknowledgments, author biography and back-cover copy.

• Match contents entries to their actual chapter headings and page numbers.

• Check page-number order and any change from front matter to main text.

• Verify running headers and chapter titles.

• Check names, dates, quoted passages and references against approved sources.

• Inspect lists, tables, footnotes and captions for omissions or odd breaks.

• Type any printed web addresses and test any QR codes from the physical copy.

Keep factual queries separate from visual corrections. “Check the year in this sentence” needs an author decision; “remove the duplicated word” can be a direct correction. Mixing them together can cause a formatter to make an unintended editorial choice.

Pass four: inspect images and difficult pages

Check illustrations at their actual printed size. Look for blurry detail, labels that have become too small and contrast that makes a diagram hard to understand. In grayscale editions, make sure meaning does not depend only on distinguishing two colors.

For artwork crossing a spread, inspect what happens at the binding. For edge-to-edge art, examine the trimmed edges. Compare the result with the approved production file, while remembering that a luminous screen is not a physical print sample.

Review the cover and the most demanding interior pages together. If a color or image issue matters to the book’s purpose, resolve it through the designer and printer’s workflow rather than approving it on the assumption that retail copies will look different.

Use one correction log

Create a shared list with these fields: issue number, printed page, PDF page, location, current text or problem, requested correction, priority and resolution. Printed and PDF page numbers may differ because of front matter, so recording both prevents confusion.

Original example: Issue 07; printed page 42; PDF page 50; second paragraph; duplicated “the”; remove one “the”; required correction; fixed in interior-v4.pdf and checked on export.

For a layout issue, attach a marked screenshot and a short instruction such as “keep this heading with the following paragraph.” Avoid vague notes like “make page 42 nicer.” One person should consolidate feedback before it reaches production.

Recheck after corrections

Review the new exported PDF, not only the editable source document. Confirm each logged correction and inspect the surrounding pages for text movement. A change early in a chapter can alter page breaks later in that chapter.

If page count or print specifications change, check whether the cover needs a new template or export. For material changes to layout, cover placement, color or illustration reproduction, allow time to inspect a new physical proof before final approval.

Make approval a recorded decision

A useful approval note states the exact interior and cover filenames, edition, date, reviewer and any deliberately accepted limitations. “Looks fine” in a message thread is less useful than a clear record of what was approved.

Do not approve while required issues remain unresolved. If the launch date is close, revise the schedule using our publishing timeline guide. When you need help correcting layout, ask Publishing Spot about formatting support and share the correction log, current files and printer specifications so the scope can be assessed.

This checklist and correction-log example are original practical aids. Platform guidance reviewed October 8, 2026; check current requirements for your edition.