revise

A revise is a fresh proof sheet pulled after corrections have been made to the forme or digital file following the initial proof. In letterpress and offset printing, once the compositor or pressman marks errors on a galley proof or page proof, a revise is run to verify those corrections took. It is the working proof used to catch mistakes before final press run, not the finished product.

The revise exists because first proofs almost always contain errors. Type may be set wrong, spacing may be off, images may be positioned badly, or color separations may be misaligned. The printer marks these on the proof, the operator makes changes to the forme or plate, and then pulls a revise. If the revise is clean, the job moves to press. If not, corrections are made again and another revise is pulled.

Revises in modern workflow

In digital printing and CTP (Computer-to-Plate) workflows, revises are typically PDF or digital file proofs rather than printed sheets, though actual substrate proofs are still pulled for critical work. A revise might be generated in a few minutes rather than hours. Even so, the logic is unchanged: mark the first proof, correct the file or imposition, output a revise, and sign off.

The term comes from the verb revise, meaning to look over again and correct. Multiple revises may be needed on complex jobs with many elements, color work, or tight registration tolerances. Each iteration is called a first revise, second revise, and so on. The number of revise rounds is often built into production schedules and quoted as part of the job cost.

A signed-off revise (often marked as approved for press) becomes the reference document that press operators use to check register, color, and content during the initial run. Any deviation from the approved revise is a press fault and grounds for a remake.