Why do authorities check artwork first
and how YOU can use that to your advantage
“Labels, packaging, manuals: fastest to inspect, easiest to fail. Unless you use them to your advantage.”
Why do authorities check the packaging, product label, and manual first?
Because it’s the easiest place for them to start — and the fastest place to find mistakes.
– Your product label.
– Your packaging.
– Your manual.
And this applies to every role in the chain.
If you’re a retailer, fulfilment provider, or wholesaler, online or brick-and-mortar, you own the risk.
Private label -> you are a quasi-manufacturer
Non-EU brands -> you are the importer
Third-party brands -> you are the distributor
In artwork checks and in #PCMS, we lead the market. And from what we’ve seen? We could write a book.
How to benefit instead of bleed: artwork checks.
An Artwork Check reveals — fast:
– Whether third-party brand suppliers are as compliant as they claim.
– If your templates still meet requirements.
– How well you handle new markets (languages) and/or new technology (symbols, instructions).
– The gaps autorities will find, before they do.
Why does it work?
It is a proper stress test. Getting this right requires a mature, well‑organised team — internally and across your supply chain. Unless you’re sure every link runs at that level, the risk is already built in.
Starting now — it is 1-2-3
1. Pick a supplier and a product.
2. E-mail us the PDF artwork, and mention the target countries and languages.
3. Let the market-leading artwork check team scrutinise it.
📧 Send your file to artwork@productip.com
The easiest win in compliance is the one you take now.
What happens next?
– If it passes, great — We’ll suggest you take it as your post-market surveillance cost.
– If it fails, you push it back to the supplier who promised it was fine.
Either way, it’s the cheapest risk you’ll remove this month.
