This short guide will walk you through how to:

1. Open the piece of creative content (proof) that needs your input

2. Add comments and markups

3. Reply to other reviewers’ comments

4. Compare multiple versions of a proof

5. Finalize your decision or finish your review of a proof

If you would like to share some training materials with your team about the review process in Ziflow, we have prepared a special Reviewers Guide in PDF format.

Open a proof

The review begins with an email notifying you that a user created a new proof and requires your input. The email contains your personalized link to access the proof. Because every reviewer may have different access rights, you shouldn’t share this link. 

The email displays a preview of the asset to be reviewed and a workflow snapshot of where it is in the review process. To start reviewing the file, select the Open Proof button to open the Ziflow Proof Viewer.

Don't unsubscribe from Ziflow emails: Doing so will block all future review notifications. If you need to review proofs, keep Ziflow emails enabled. If you have accidentally selected "Unsubscribe" in an email, see Resubscribe to Ziflow emails.

Now you’re in! This is where you will spend time reviewing and providing feedback on the content.

Comment, add markup, and annotate text

Comment

If a reviewer wants to post a comment, they need to click on the Comment button in the upper right corner of the screen, enter a message in the comment box, and publish it by clicking Post.

Add markup

In the Proof Viewer, you can provide feedback using markups directly on all file types to communicate what you want to see changed. Click where you want to start drawing or highlighting text. You can choose from rectangle, circle, arrow, line, freehand drawing, and text selection.

You can move the toolbar around the screen, selecting and using the appropriate drawing option to indicate wherever you have feedback. Enter a message in the comment box and select Post, to publish your markup and comment. You can also start by adding a comment and then add your  markup, the select Post.

Annotate text

To annotate text, select the word or phrase you want to change and use the text selection tool to highlight, replace, delete, or insert text, adding any additional notes on the changes in the comment box as needed.

 Select Post to publish the markup and the comment.

Reply to comments

If a reviewer opens a proof after some comments/markups and annotations are made. The reviewer should read the posted content and give feedback to the team.

Read comments

When you select a comment in the comment box, you will be automatically redirected to the page where the comment/annotation was made. You can click through all comments using the arrow buttons above the comment bar.

Reply to the comments

To reply to a comment, select Reply in the comment box, add your reply, and select Post.

Compare proofs

When there is more than one version of a proof created before final approval, it is handy to compare two versions (older and newer). Choose Compare Mode from the upper-left portion of the screen. The toolbar offers multiple ways to compare proofs, including:

• Using pixel-by-pixel comparison;

• Locking navigation for compared proofs

• Re-syncing compared proofs;

• Using the Overlay Mode.

You can access the usual markup/commenting tools at the bottom of the screen in Compare Mode.

Submit decisions and complete a review

When you’ve completed your markups, there are a few ways to complete your review depending on your reviewer role.

Submit your decisions (if you have decision rights)

If you have decision rights, select your review decision (Approved, Approved with changes, Not relevant, Pending, Changes required). Once you’ve made all your markups and annotations, select Make Decision and choose a decision from the list.

Account administrators on Pro, Business Legacy, and Enterprise accounts can set custom decision labels for their reviewers.

When you make a decision, the Proof Owner is notified. When all reviewers submit their decisions, Ziflow calculates the final decision automatically.

Complete your review (if you don't have decision rights)

Reviewers who do not have decision rights, notify the Proof Owner that you have finished your review on a proof. Select Complete review and choose Review complete.