Guide · 5 min read · updated 2026-11-11

Free proof templates: artwork, t-shirt, embroidery, sign

A proof template is the text that goes with the design image: the order details, the specification the customer is approving, and the sign-off. Below are five free templates to copy: a general artwork proof, a t-shirt and screen print proof, an embroidery proof, a sign proof and a sticker proof. Each one shares the same header and sign-off, and only the specification lines change.

Jump to: Artwork proof · T-shirt and screen print proof · Embroidery proof · Sign proof · Sticker and label proof

Artwork proof template

The general version. Use it when the product does not fit any of the others.

PROOF  #[order number] / line [n] / version [v]
Shop: [your shop name]            Date sent: [date]
Customer: [name]                  Reply by: [date]

Product: [product and variant]
Quantity: [n]
Print or production method: [method]
Final size: [width x height, with units]
Colours: [colour names or codes]
Placement: [where the design sits on the product]
Customer file used: [file name]

Please check spelling, numbers, colours, size and placement.
Approval means we produce exactly what is shown in this version.

[ ] Approved as shown
[ ] Changes needed: ______________________________________

Name: __________________   Date: __________

T-shirt and screen print proof template

For apparel. Every print location needs its own size and colour line.

PROOF  #[order number] / line [n] / version [v]
Shop: [your shop name]            Date sent: [date]
Customer: [name]                  Reply by: [date]

Product: [product and variant]
Quantity: [n]
Garment: [brand, style, colour]
Sizes and quantities: [S x n, M x n, L x n ...]
Print method: [screen print / DTF / DTG]
Location 1: [front centre]  Size: [w x h]  Ink colours: [list]
Location 2: [back / sleeve]  Size: [w x h]  Ink colours: [list]

Please check spelling, numbers, colours, size and placement.
Approval means we produce exactly what is shown in this version.

[ ] Approved as shown
[ ] Changes needed: ______________________________________

Name: __________________   Date: __________

Embroidery proof template

For logos on garments, caps and bags. Small text is where embroidery fails, so state the smallest letter height.

PROOF  #[order number] / line [n] / version [v]
Shop: [your shop name]            Date sent: [date]
Customer: [name]                  Reply by: [date]

Product: [product and variant]
Quantity: [n]
Item: [item and colour]
Placement: [left chest / cap front / sleeve]
Design size: [w x h]
Thread colours: [thread names or numbers]
Smallest text height: [mm or in]

Please check spelling, numbers, colours, size and placement.
Approval means we produce exactly what is shown in this version.

[ ] Approved as shown
[ ] Changes needed: ______________________________________

Name: __________________   Date: __________

Sign proof template

For signs and banners. Contact details on a sign are the most common error, so ask the customer to read them aloud.

PROOF  #[order number] / line [n] / version [v]
Shop: [your shop name]            Date sent: [date]
Customer: [name]                  Reply by: [date]

Product: [product and variant]
Quantity: [n]
Sign type: [panel / banner / vinyl / lightbox]
Overall size: [w x h]
Material and finish: [material, thickness, finish]
Colours: [colour codes]
Mounting: [holes / stand-offs / grommets / none]
Text to check: [phone, address, website, opening hours]

Please check spelling, numbers, colours, size and placement.
Approval means we produce exactly what is shown in this version.

[ ] Approved as shown
[ ] Changes needed: ______________________________________

Name: __________________   Date: __________

Sticker and label proof template

For stickers and labels. The cut shape and border are what customers most often did not expect.

PROOF  #[order number] / line [n] / version [v]
Shop: [your shop name]            Date sent: [date]
Customer: [name]                  Reply by: [date]

Product: [product and variant]
Quantity: [n]
Size: [w x h]
Shape: [die cut / circle / square / rectangle]
Border: [none / white border of n mm]
Material and finish: [vinyl, paper, matte, gloss, clear]
Quantity: [n]

Please check spelling, numbers, colours, size and placement.
Approval means we produce exactly what is shown in this version.

[ ] Approved as shown
[ ] Changes needed: ______________________________________

Name: __________________   Date: __________

How to use a template well

Put the version number in the file name and on the proof. “Version 2” on the page saves a long email thread later.
Write the specification from the order, not from memory. Size, colour and quantity should match what the customer paid for.
Give a reply-by date. It keeps the job moving and tells the customer the proof is waiting on them.
Treat any change as a new version. An approval belongs to the version it was given for.

For the fields of a stand-alone approval form, see the artwork approval form template. For the whole process around it, see a proof approval workflow for custom orders.

When templates stop being enough

Templates work while you can keep track of every thread yourself. Once several orders are in proof at the same time, the questions become which file belongs to which order line and which version was approved. Upproof keeps the customer’s upload, each numbered proof and the approval on the order line in Shopify, so that answer is on the order rather than in an inbox.

Questions

Can I use these templates for free?

Yes. Copy them into your own document, email or design file and change them as you like. No credit is needed.

What should every proof include?

An order and version number, the exact product and quantity, size, colours and placement, the date you need an answer by, and a clear choice between approving as shown and asking for changes.

Is a ticked box on a PDF enough as an approval?

For a few orders a week it usually works. The weak spot is the version: a reply by email does not always say which proof it approves. Numbering every version, and treating a new version as needing a new approval, closes that gap.

Keep reading

Upproof adds artwork upload and versioned proof approval to Shopify product pages. See it in the Shopify App Store or read how approval works.