Sending an approval link
The 7-day signed link, what the customer sees, and why no account is needed.
Full guide: https://docs.printersfriend.com/operations/artwork
Open the order and use Upload artwork version, then Send for approval. Both are header actions on the order.
Uploading a proof
The proof file is filed in your asset library as a proof, owned by that customer, and a preview is generated for it in the background. The version records the print spec you fill in: size in mm, colour count, and a designer note. Version numbers increment automatically, V1, V2, V3, and the artwork moves to awaiting client.
You cannot send for approval before a version exists, because there would be nothing to approve.
The link
Send for approval mints a signed URL valid for 7 days and emails it to the customer's primary contact, or the first contact on file if none is marked primary. The email uses the artwork.approval template, which you can rewrite under Email & SMS templates.
If the customer has no email address on file, the link is still created and the activity feed records that no email went out, so you can copy the link and send it yourself rather than assuming it landed.
What the customer sees
No login, no account, no password. The page shows the real generated preview of the version you sent, not a placeholder, and two choices: approve, or request a change with a note. The preview is served through its own signed URL, so the file is not publicly guessable.
After 7 days the link returns a plain message telling them to ask you for a fresh one. Sending for approval again mints a new link.
What approval does
- The artwork is marked approved, with a snapshot of which version was approved and when.
- The order moves from Artwork to Print queue.
- The soft stock reservation hardens.
- A thank-you email goes to the customer.
Clicking approve twice is harmless: the second click lands on the same thank-you page and changes nothing.
Portal or link, same result
Customers with a portal login can approve from Artwork in the portal instead. Both routes run the same code, so the stage move, the reservation, the version snapshot and the message thread are identical. The only difference recorded is whether a named portal user approved it or it came in through the signed link.
Still stuck?
Email hello@printersfriend.com and quote the name of this page. Support is on every plan, with a reply within 1 business day.