WorkflowRegulatory Affairs

Labeling & Artwork Proofreading

Pharma artwork proofreading that matches every carton and leaflet to its approved text before it reaches the printer

Every artwork matches its approved text before it reaches the printer, in every language.

See one case, screen by screen ↓
demo64artworksin one change wave — 22 countries and 18 languages from one storage change
demo2,947characterscompared on the six panels of one German carton — one critical difference found
demo4 min 12 sper cartonfor six agents to read, compare and check a carton and draft its proof report
target3hper artwork proof, down from 2 days by hand
In short

What is Labeling & Artwork Proofreading?

Software that checks each carton, label and leaflet against the approved labeling text before it goes to the printer. Labeling & Artwork Proofreading adds six agents that read every panel, compare every character with the approved text for that market and language, check the Data Matrix, Braille and type size, and draft a cited proof report for the labeling lead to sign.

How to choose AI solutions for life sciences →

Updated

The problem

Why one labeling change takes weeks to reach every pack

A change to a medicine's approved labeling text — a tighter storage condition, a new pack size, a new marketing authorisation holder address — has to reach every carton, label and leaflet that carries it, in every market and language, before the printer's slot. Today the labeling team proofs each artwork by eye or with a file-compare tool, one file at a time: two readers, a read-aloud and a sign-off for every proof, with the rollout tracked in a spreadsheet.

The errors that get through are small and specific. The leaflet is updated but a carton side panel keeps the old storage line. A longer translation is shrunk below 7 pt. A Braille number sign is dropped, so “20” reads as letters. The leaflet's revision date is left from the last version. Caught at the printer, a wrong carton costs the plates and the run; caught after packing, it costs a rework or a recall.

typical~19%of US drug recalls attributed to labeling or packaging, in an analysis of FDA recall data 2012–2023
typical14.9%of 195 drug recalls in 2017–2019 due to labeling errors
Where one artwork proof's hours goestimated
By hand16 days
With the solution3.0 days
  • Matching the artwork to its approved text version1 → 0.1 d
  • Reading every panel against the approved text5 → 0.5 d
  • Second reader and read-aloud4 → 0.5 d
  • Barcode, Braille and type-size checks2 → 0.3 d
  • Returning differences and re-proofing the new version2 → 1 d
  • Writing the proof report and signing it2 → 0.6 d

Estimated split of about 16 working hours per artwork proofed by hand — two readers, read-aloud, sign-off — and the 3-hour target with the solution.

How it works

How an artwork is proofed

Six specialist agents find every affected artwork, read, compare and check it; the labeling lead approves and signs.

What comes in
Artwork in2 sources · print-ready PDF from the studio, approved text from regulatory
Agents at work
Change wave plannerevery affected artwork
Then
Text extractorevery panel, in order
Approved-text comparercharacter by character
Then
Barcode and Braille readerData Matrix, Braille
Layout checkertype size, particulars
Then
Proof report writercited proof report
A person decides
Labeling leadapproves and signs
What comes out
Differences by severity
Checks passed
Signed proof report
One case, step by step

One storage change, from approved text to the printer

Veltara Therapeutics' EU variation VAR-2026-0311 was approved on Sep 22: new stability data, and the storage condition for Ostravel 20 mg gastro-resistant tablets tightens from not above 30 °C to not above 25 °C. That is change wave CW-0418 — 64 artworks, printers by Oct 30. Here is what happens on Tuesday, Oct 13, screen by screen, in the working solution.

  1. 01Tuesday morning

    The whole rollout on one strip

    Annika Brandt · Global labeling lead

    Annika owns every artwork for Ostravel and approves every proof. Her proof screen opens on the change wave: 64 tiles grouped by market, from Germany to Croatia. 52 have passed, 5 are being proofed, 3 are waiting for artwork from the studio, and 4 have differences. The first red tile is the German 30-tablet carton.

    “Storage: not above 30 °C → not above 25 °C · printers by Oct 30 · 52 of 64”

  2. 02Sep 24

    One change, every artwork it touches

    Change wave planner

    The day after Dr. Ines Kovač published approved text v2026-09 for 18 languages, the change wave planner opened CW-0418: every carton and leaflet that carries the storage line, by market, language and pack. The waves screen shows the old and new statement in each language — German on 13 artworks, French on 9 — and a market-by-component grid where every dot opens its proof.

    The change wave planner never starts a proof without the approved text version it is checked against.

  3. 03One click

    “Go to difference” stops on side panel B

    Approved-text comparer

    ART-DE-C30 v4 from Halden Pack Studio lies flat — glue flap, sides, front, back and tuck flaps — with a heat layer over anything that differs. 2,947 characters on six panels are compared. The view zooms and wipes between the artwork and the approved text set in place, and stops on side panel B: the approved text says “Nicht über 25 °C lagern.”, the carton still says 30 °C. Critical.

    “The German leaflet v6 already says 25 °C — proof report PR-2026-1179, signed Oct 12. The carton side panel was not updated.”

  4. 04Same proof

    Everything else on the carton passes

    Barcode and Braille reader · Layout checker

    The Data Matrix decodes product code 04150123456782 — the NTIN from PZN 12345678 — with a valid check digit, fields 21, 10 and 17 present, grade A to ISO/IEC 15415. The Code 39 PZN grades A. The Braille reads “Ostravel 20 mg” in Marburg Medium. The smallest line is 7.4 pt with a 1.5 mm x-height, all 14 mandatory particulars sit on the right panels, and the glue and variable data areas are clear. Six of six checks pass.

  5. 05Across the wave

    Three more differences, each with its rule

    Annika Brandt · Global labeling lead

    The Nordic 98-tablet carton for Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway is missing the Braille number sign before “20”, so it reads “Ostravel bj mg”. The Belgian 28-tablet carton has the right Dutch storage text, set at 6.5 pt with a 1.2 mm x-height because the studio shrank the three-language block. The Polish leaflet still carries the revision date 03/2025 instead of 09/2026. All three are graded major and block approval.

    “The number sign before “20” is missing, so the digits read as letters.”

  6. 0609:54

    Returned to the studio, with the reason written

    Annika Brandt · Global labeling lead

    Approve is locked while a difference is open, so Annika returns the carton to Rasmus Lind at Halden Pack Studio, copying the artwork coordinator Tomás Ferreira. The reason is pre-filled with the panel, the approved wording, the approved text version and the variation, and asks the studio to check the 60- and 100-tablet cartons use the same side panel file. The printer slot is Oct 27 at Brenner Faltschachtel in Minden, so she asks for the new version by Oct 15.

    “Reason — required, sent with the difference marked on the proof.”

  7. 07v5 arrives

    Re-proofed: every character matches

    The agents

    The studio sends v5 and the six agents run again: the change wave planner confirms the storage line on side B, the text extractor rebuilds 41 text blocks and 2,947 characters in reading order, the comparer finds no differences and two items ignored by rule, the Data Matrix reads grade A with the Braille matching, and the smallest type is 7.4 pt. The proof report writer leaves the report ready for her signature.

    “v5 passed — every character matches approved text.”

  8. 08Signed

    She approves with the meaning of her signature

    Annika Brandt · Global labeling lead

    The approval shows the artwork, the approved text it was checked against — DE v2026-09, VAR-2026-0311 — and the result: 2,947 characters, 0 differences, 6 of 6 checks passed. Annika enters her password and signs. The proof is approved and the carton is released to Brenner Faltschachtel.

    Meaning of signature: “Artwork matches its approved text and may go to the printer.”

  9. 09Filed

    The proof report keeps the whole history

    Proof report writer

    Proof report PR-2026-1187 records the product, the change wave, the approved text version, the 2,947 characters compared, the studio and the printer. Under differences it notes that v4 read 30 °C on side panel B, was returned to the studio at 09:54 and was closed by v5. Every check is listed with its result, and the printer proof is left for Marek Nowak, the packaging quality reviewer, to sign at the press check.

    The proof report writer never signs, and never files a report without the labeling lead's signature.

  10. 10Over the year

    Every wave, every studio, against the clock

    Annika Brandt · Global labeling lead

    On the sample data, the dashboard covers Ostravel and nine other products over 12 months: 31 change waves, 1,486 artworks proofed and 212 differences caught, 38 of them critical, all before print. The median proof time fell from 16.2 hours in November to 3.1 hours. First time right is shown by studio, and CW-0418 is on track for its Oct 30 deadline.

Who it’s for

Built for everyone who touches an artwork.

The same change wave, seen by the four people who carry it — what their week looked like, and what it looks like now.

AB
Annika BrandtGlobal labeling lead · approves every proof
Global labeling lead
Before
“I want to see the whole rollout, not one file — and know the German carton is right before it prints.”
Now
Sees all 64 artworks of a change wave on one strip, opens each difference on the flat carton with its source, and signs each proof with its meaning.
TF
Tomás FerreiraArtwork coordinator · briefs the studio, books print slots
Artwork coordinator
Before
“Tell me which artwork is wrong and why, and I'll have the studio fix it today.”
Now
Is copied on every return with the difference marked on the proof and the reason written, and sees which artworks are still awaited from the studio.
IK
Dr. Ines KovačRegulatory affairs manager, EU · owns the approved text
Regulatory affairs manager, EU
Before
“The approved text is the variation we filed. Nothing else is the source.”
Now
Publishes the approved text per market and language with its variation; every proof names the version it was checked against, and she approves any accepted deviation.
MN
Marek NowakPackaging quality reviewer · Tarnów site
Packaging quality reviewer
Before
“If the Data Matrix grades below B, it doesn't go on my line.”
Now
Receives artworks already checked for code grade, Braille and type size, with a signed proof report, and signs the printer's proof at the press check.
Built on the engine

6 agents. Each with one job, and hard limits.

Six specialist agents find every affected artwork, read, compare and check it; the labeling lead approves and signs.

Change wave planner

Turns one approved-text change into a change wave: every carton, label and leaflet that carries the changed text, by market, language and pack, with the printers' deadline.

  • Never starts a proof without the approved text version it is checked against
  • Never approves a proof
Text extractor

Reads every panel of the print-ready PDF — live text and outlined text — and puts it in reading order, panel by panel, with font, size and position for every line.

  • Never edits the artwork file
  • Unreadable text goes to a person
Approved-text comparer

Compares every character on the artwork with the approved text for that market and language, and grades each difference by the severity rules, citing the approved text version and the panel and line.

  • Never dismisses a difference
  • Ignores nothing beyond the ignore list
Barcode and Braille reader

Decodes the Data Matrix and linear codes, checks the product code against the item master and the check digits, grades print quality to ISO/IEC 15415, and reads the Braille cells against the approved Braille text.

  • Never passes a code below the set grade
Layout checker

Measures point size and x-height on every line against the market minimum, checks each mandatory particular is on the right panel, and that the anti-tamper and code areas are kept clear.

  • Never moves or resizes anything
Proof report writer

Writes the proof report — what was compared, every difference and its resolution, every check — citing the approved text version, artwork version and panel for each item.

  • Never signs
  • Never files a report without the labeling lead's signature
Labeling lead

Approves every proof with an e-signature. The agents propose; a named person decides.

Ask in plain words

Ask about any artwork, in plain words

Ask about any artwork, difference or change wave. Every answer points to its source: the approved text version, the proof report or the agent that found it.

Why is the German 30-tablet carton held?

ART-DE-C30 v4 has one critical difference: side panel B reads “Nicht über 30 °C lagern.” The approved German text v2026-09 says “Nicht über 25 °C lagern.” The German leaflet was already updated and signed on Oct 12; only the carton side panel kept the old line. Everything else passes, including the Data Matrix (NTIN 04150123456782, grade A).

Which artworks in CW-0418 still need me?

Four have differences: the DE carton 30 (storage, critical), the PL leaflet (revision date), the BE carton 28 (Dutch line below 7 pt) and the Nordic carton 98 (Braille number sign). Five are being proofed now and three wait for artwork from Halden Pack Studio, due Oct 15. 52 of 64 have passed; printers need everything by Oct 30.

Is every Data Matrix in this wave within grade?

Yes. Every proofed carton decodes, its product code matches the item master and its check digit is valid; the lowest grade is B. For Germany the code is the NTIN built from PZN 12345678.

Show me what changed in every language

One statement changed in 18 languages: “Do not store above 30 °C” became “Do not store above 25 °C” — in German “Nicht über 25 °C lagern.” It sits on side panel B of every carton and in section 5 of every leaflet, and the leaflet revision date moved to 09/2026.

Every screen

The working solution, as it ships.

13 screens from the working solution, on its sample data. Pick one to see it large.

The proofThe change wave strip across the top, the selected carton laid flat with its heat layer, and the differences, checks, agents and history beside it.
Go to differenceZoomed and wiped between the artwork and the approved text set in place, stopped on side panel B: 25 °C approved, 30 °C on the carton.
Checks on the cartonData Matrix with product code, check digit and grade, PZN, Braille, type size, mandatory particulars, and the anti-tamper and code areas.
A Braille differenceThe Nordic 98-tablet carton: the number sign before “20” is missing, so the Braille reads “Ostravel bj mg”.
Return to the studioThe reason, required and pre-filled, sent with the difference marked on the proof, and the printer slot it has to meet.
The new version re-proofedEach agent's step on v5 with what it found: no differences, every check passed, the report ready for signature.
Approve and signThe artwork, the approved text it was checked against, the result and the meaning of the signature.
Change wavesEvery wave with its variation, deadline and progress; what changed in each language; and the market-by-component grid.
Approved textThe approved text per language mapped to carton panels and leaflet sections, with the changed statements, the variation and the owner.
Barcode, Braille and type checksEvery check across the change wave with its rule and source, and the three that did not pass.
Proof reportsOne signed report per approved artwork version: what was compared, what was found and how it closed, every check, and who signed.
The dashboardHours per proof by month, differences by type and severity, first time right by studio, and every change wave against its deadline.
Your rulesSeverity rules, what is ignored and never ignored, type-size minimums, codes and Braille, approvers, studios and printers.
Governance

Built for labeling control: cited, signed, kept.

Every difference cites its sourceEach difference names the approved text version, the panel and line it came from, the approved wording and the artwork wording, and the rule that graded it.
The labeling lead signs every proofThe agents read, compare and check; the labeling lead approves every proof with an electronic signature that records its meaning: the artwork matches its approved text and may go to the printer.
A difference closes only two waysBy a new artwork version that passes, or by an accepted deviation with a reason, approved by regulatory affairs. Approve stays locked while a difference is open.
Nothing goes to a printer unsignedNo artwork is released to a printer without a signed proof report, and packaging quality signs the printer's proof at the press check.
The artwork stays the studio'sThe agents never edit, move or resize anything on the artwork, never dismiss a difference and never pass a code below the set grade. A return goes back to the studio with the difference marked and a reason.
Every version is keptEvery artwork version, approved text version, proof and signature is kept. A new approved text version starts a change wave and never changes a proof already signed; rule changes are saved as a new version, and signed proofs keep the rules they used.
Configuration

Your labeling rules, not ours

What counts as a difference, how serious it is, and who decides — each change saved as a new version that takes effect on the next proof.

SettingDefaultChoose from
Name, strength, dose, storage, warnings, codesCritical — blocks approvalCritical · Major · Minor
Dates, type size, Braille, missing particularsMajor — blocks approvalCritical · Major · Minor
Punctuation and spacingMinor — must be closed with a reasonCritical · Major · Minor
Ignored by ruleI-01 Line breaks · I-02 Soft hyphensNever ignored: digits, units, degree signs, decimal separators
Type size minimumsLabels and cartons 7 pt, or lower-case x ≥ 1.4 mm · leaflets 9 pt (Times-equivalent)Market overrides — none set
Data MatrixGrade B or better (ISO/IEC 15415) · GS1 AIs 01, 21, 10, 17Germany: NTIN from PZN · Code 39 PZN on the carton
BrailleMarburg Medium · name and strengthRead against the approved Braille text
ApproversEvery proof: Annika Brandt, Global labeling leadAccepted deviation: Dr. Ines Kovač, Regulatory affairs · Printer proof: Marek Nowak, Packaging quality
Connections

Works with the files a labeling change already runs on

Artwork filesprint-ready PDF of cartons, labels and leaflets from the artwork studio
Approved labeling textper market and language, versioned, with the variation it came from
Barcode, Braille and type-size rulesData Matrix grade and fields, Braille standard, type-size minimums by market
Item masterproduct codes and PZNs the Data Matrix is checked against
Artwork studiosnew versions uploaded, returns sent back with the difference marked
Printersreleased only with a signed proof report and the printer's proof
What it changes

The difference, in numbers.

Every figure is labelled: a target the solution is built to, an estimate, a typical published result, or a proven one.

target
0labeling recalls
every artwork matched to its approved text before print
artworks matched before print
target
64artworks
in one change wave, 22 countries and 18 languages, proofed before the printers' deadline
One change, every artwork
each tile green as it passes
target
3h
per artwork proof, down from 2 days by hand
By hand2 days
With agents3 h

“demo” = seen in the working solution, on its sample data · “target” = the design goal, measured in the live solution · “estimated” = our estimate · “typical” = published figures (recall shares from published analyses of FDA recall data: about 19% of drug recalls 2012–2023 attributed to labeling or packaging, and 14.9% of 195 drug recalls 2017–2019 due to labeling errors, as reported by IntuitionLabs). Regulatory context for the checks: Directive 2001/83/EC Art. 54 and 56a · Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/161 · EC guideline on the readability of the labelling and package leaflet, Rev. 1 (2009) · 21 CFR 211.122–211.130. People, companies, products, studios and printers named on this page are fictional — characters and sample data in the working solution.

Questions

What labeling teams ask us.

What is pharma artwork proofreading software?

Software that checks each carton, label and leaflet against the approved labeling text before it goes to the printer. Labeling & Artwork Proofreading adds six agents that read every panel, compare every character with the approved text for that market and language, check the Data Matrix, Braille and type size, and draft a cited proof report for the labeling lead to sign.

How does it compare artwork with the approved text?

The text extractor reads live and outlined text on every panel in reading order, and the approved-text comparer aligns it with the approved text statement by statement, reporting every inserted, deleted or changed character. Only what the settings list is ignored — line breaks and soft hyphens; digits, units, degree signs and decimal separators are never ignored.

Does it check the Data Matrix, Braille and type size?

Yes. The barcode and Braille reader decodes the Data Matrix fields 01, 21, 10 and 17, checks the product code against the item master and the check digits, and grades print quality to ISO/IEC 15415; it also reads the Braille cells. The layout checker measures point size and x-height on every line and checks the mandatory particulars and clear areas.

How does it handle one labeling change across many markets and languages?

When regulatory affairs publishes a new approved text version, the change wave planner finds every artwork that carries the changed text, by market, language and pack, and opens a proof for each. In the working solution, one storage change becomes a wave of 64 artworks in 22 countries and 18 languages, each tile turning green as its proof passes.

Does the AI change the artwork or dismiss differences?

No. The agents never edit, move or resize anything on the artwork, never dismiss a difference and never pass a code below the set grade. A difference closes only when a new artwork version passes, or as an accepted deviation with a reason approved by regulatory affairs.

Do people stay in control of what goes to the printer?

Yes. The labeling lead approves every proof with an electronic signature that records its meaning, and approval stays locked while a difference is open. Nothing goes to a printer without a signed proof report, and the packaging quality reviewer signs the printer's proof at the press check.

Can we set our own severity rules, type-size minimums and approvers?

Yes. Severity rules, the ignore list, type-size minimums and market overrides, the Data Matrix grade, the Braille standard, approvers, studios and printers are all settings. A change is saved as a new version that takes effect on the next proof; signed proofs keep the rules they used.

How long does it take to go live?

The Agentic Solution Engine builds and deploys it from your requirements and documents — your approved texts, artwork files, labeling rules and a sample of past proofs — and it goes live once every quality gate has passed. We will walk you through it on your own artworks first.

See it on
your artworks.

We'll run Labeling & Artwork Proofreading on a sample of your own cartons, leaflets and approved texts.