Photo Proofing Glossary and FAQ Hub
Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.
Plain-language definitions of the terms photographers and clients use during proofing, plus straight answers to the questions that come up on nearly every job.
- Allowance
- The number of images a client is entitled to select under their package, such as twenty retouched files from a proof set of eighty. A gallery that enforces the allowance shows a running count and prevents over-selection.
- Approval
- The client's formal confirmation that a set of selections or edits is accepted and work may proceed. A recorded approval, with a timestamp, is what protects both sides when memories differ later.
- Client gallery
- A private, online collection of images shared with a specific client, usually protected by a link or password. Galleries are used both for proofing (choosing) and for delivery (downloading finals), and the two uses often have different settings.
- Comment
- A note a client attaches to a specific image during proofing, such as a request to crop tighter or remove a stray hair. Per-image comments are far more actionable than general notes sent by email.
- Contact sheet
- A single page showing many small thumbnails with their image numbers, originally made by printing film strips directly onto paper. Digital contact sheets are still used to give clients or editors a quick overview of a set.
- Culling
- The process of reviewing every frame from a shoot and removing the technically flawed, duplicated, or weak images before anyone else sees them. Good culling is what makes a proof set manageable.
- Download permission
- A gallery setting that controls whether viewers can save images, and at what resolution. Proofing galleries commonly disable downloads or limit them to small web files, while delivery galleries enable full-resolution downloads.
- Expiry date
- The date after which a gallery link stops working. Expiry keeps old proofs from staying online indefinitely and gives clients a reason to act on their selections.
- Favorites
- Images a client marks with a heart, star, or similar indicator while browsing a gallery. In a proofing context, favorites usually form the client's selection list.
- Final delivery
- The handover of finished, fully edited images or physical products to the client, marking the end of the job. Final delivery follows proofing and any revision rounds.
- Gallery password
- A shared password that restricts a gallery to people who have it, typically the client and their family. It is a light form of access control, usually combined with a private link rather than relied on alone.
- Image number
- The identifier assigned to a frame, often derived from the camera's filename or a sequence applied on export. Image numbers are the traditional way clients reference a photo and a frequent source of mix-ups when files are renamed.
- Lightly corrected proof
- A proof image that has received basic adjustments such as exposure, white balance, and crop, but not detailed retouching. Lightly corrected proofs let clients judge content without the photographer investing finishing time in images that may be cut.
- Print release
- A written permission from the photographer allowing the client to print delivered images for personal use, often at a specified lab or up to a certain size. It is distinct from copyright, which the photographer typically retains.
- Print-order markup
- The ability for a client to note print products, sizes, and quantities directly on an image while proofing, so the order arrives together with the selections. It replaces separate order forms and the delay that usually kills print sales.
- Proof
- A preliminary version of an image shown to a client for review and selection before final editing. Proofs are usually watermarked, reduced in resolution, and not intended for use beyond choosing.
- Proofing gallery
- An online gallery configured specifically for selection: favorites enabled, allowance set, downloads restricted, comments available when the job calls for them, and a submit action that closes the round. Some proofing galleries also capture print orders.
- Proofing round
- One complete cycle of the client reviewing a set of images and returning selections or feedback. Most photographers include one or two rounds in their pricing and charge for additional ones.
- Rating
- A numeric or star-based score applied to images, used by photographers during culling and sometimes offered to clients as a way to rank proofs. Ratings are more nuanced than a binary favorite but harder for clients to use consistently.
- Rejects
- Frames removed during culling because of technical faults, closed eyes, duplication, or weak composition. Rejects are normally kept in the archive but never shown to the client.
- Retouching
- Detailed, per-image editing such as skin work, object removal, and compositing, applied after the client has selected images. Retouching is usually the most time-intensive editing stage and is reserved for selects.
- Revision round
- A cycle in which the client reviews edited images and requests changes, followed by the photographer applying them. Revision rounds are separate from proofing rounds and are best defined in the agreement.
- Selects
- The images a client has chosen from the proof set to be finished, printed, or delivered. Selects, once submitted, become the working list for editing.
- Sequencing
- The order in which images appear in a gallery. Thoughtful sequencing, by moment or story rather than raw capture order, makes a proof set easier to review and improves the impression the work makes.
- Soft proofing
- Previewing on a calibrated monitor how an image will look when printed on a specific paper and printer combination. Soft proofing is a color-management step for the photographer, not a client review stage, though the names are often confused.
- Submission
- The action by which a client finalizes and sends their selections from a proofing gallery. A single, explicit submission is what turns a set of favorites into a version of record.
- Version history
- A record of the successive edits made to an image, allowing a specific earlier state to be retrieved. Version history is what makes 'can we go back to the one before' a two-minute task instead of a reconstruction.
- Watermark
- A visible mark, usually a logo or name, overlaid on proof images to discourage unauthorized use and to identify the photographer. Watermarks are typically removed on final delivery.
- Web resolution
- An image sized for on-screen viewing rather than printing, commonly a long edge in the low thousands of pixels or less. Web-resolution proofs look sharp on phones and monitors but produce poor prints, which protects the value of the final files.
Questions people ask
What exactly is photo proofing?
Proofing is the step where a photographer shows a client a curated set of preliminary images and the client chooses which ones should be finished, printed, or delivered. It sits between culling and final editing. The proofs themselves are usually lightly corrected, watermarked, and not intended for use beyond selection.
How many proofs should I show a client?
Enough to give genuine choice, and few enough that every frame is a real candidate. That number depends on the genre and the deliverable: a headshot session might proof a few dozen frames while a wedding proofs hundreds. Aggressive culling of duplicates and technical faults before proofing does more to help the client than any particular target number.
Should proofs be edited before the client sees them?
Lightly, yes. Consistent exposure, white balance, and crops help clients judge the images fairly. Full retouching should wait until selections are in, because retouching images that get cut is the most common way proofing wastes editing time.
Why do photographers watermark proof images?
To discourage unfinished images from being shared or printed, and to keep the photographer's name attached if they are. Watermarks, reduced resolution, and disabled downloads together make the finished files the only version worth having. Most clients accept this readily when told that clean finals are coming.
What is the best way for clients to send their selections?
By marking images directly in the gallery and submitting once, so there is a single authoritative list. Typed image numbers over email are the most error-prone method because of transcription mistakes, renamed files, and lists that arrive in pieces. Whatever tool you use, aim for one submission event with comments attached to specific images.
How long should a client have to make selections?
A stated window sized to the job: about a week for headshots, two to three weeks for family and portrait sessions, and four to six weeks for weddings, where more people weigh in and a calmer pace tends to produce better print orders. That keeps momentum while the shoot is fresh without rushing the client. Put the deadline in writing when the gallery goes live and send a reminder shortly before it. Galleries with no deadline at all tend to stall for months.
How many revision rounds should be included?
Most photographers include one or two rounds in the price and charge for additional ones. What matters more than the number is that it is stated up front, that feedback arrives through a single channel attached to specific images, and that earlier versions can be retrieved when a client changes their mind.
Can clients order prints during proofing?
They can and should, because proofing is the moment of highest engagement with the images. Galleries with print-order markup let a client note sizes and quantities while marking favorites, so the order arrives with the selections. Offering prints weeks after delivery converts far less reliably.
What should I include in my proofing instructions?
How many images the client can choose, the deadline, whether the proofs are representative of the final edit, how to leave comments, what happens after they submit, and how revisions work. Keep the instructions short and put them inside the gallery as well as in the email, because clients open galleries days after reading the message.
Is a proofing gallery different from a delivery gallery?
Functionally, yes, even when the same tool provides both. A proofing gallery restricts downloads, enables favorites and comments, enforces an allowance, and has a submit action. A delivery gallery enables full-resolution downloads and usually turns selection features off. Using one configuration for both jobs is a common source of confusion.
What happens if two people on the client side disagree on selections?
Decide in advance who has the final say and give that person the submit action. Galleries that allow multiple viewers but one submission handle this well. When the disagreement surfaces after submission, treat it as a revision request under your stated rules rather than reopening the whole round.
Do I need proofing software or can I manage with email and folders?
For a rare, tiny job with one decision-maker, email or a shared folder is fine. Once proofing is a regular part of your work, a dedicated gallery usually costs less than the hours spent reconciling lists and chasing replies, and it creates a natural place for print orders. Choose the method for your typical job, not your smallest.