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Graphic Design vocabulary · Briefs, Clients & Feedback

Sign off

Meaning in graphic design, with examples

/ˌsaɪn ˈɔːf/phrasal verbCommon term

In graphic design, sign off means: To give final approval to a design, proof or stage of a project, so that the work can move on to production or the next step.

In Turkish: onay vermek, son onayı vermek, onaylamak

How it is used

Very common in agency and client emails. A client signs off a design or signs off on it; the noun is sign-off (‘We need sign-off by Friday’). After sign-off, changes usually cost extra.

Example sentences

  1. The marketing director signed off the final artwork this morning, so it's going to the printer today.

  2. We can't book the press time until the client signs off on the proof.

Common collocations

  • sign off the design
  • sign off on the proof
  • get sign-off
  • final sign-off
  • proofA trial version of a design, on paper or as a PDF, that the designer and client check carefully for mistakes and colour before the full print run starts.
  • revisionA change made to a design after feedback, or a new version of the design that includes those changes. Contracts often limit the number of revision rounds.
  • feedbackComments and opinions from a client, art director or colleague about a design, telling the designer what works and what should change.
  • deliverablesThe specific files and items a designer has agreed to hand over at the end of a project, such as logo files, a print-ready PDF or a set of social media posts.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Briefs, Clients & Feedback

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