Custom order details now merge into auto-generated design proofs the moment an order lands. Customers approve or request changes in a WhatsApp thread, every version is logged, and only approved artwork reaches production. The proof cycle fell from three days to four hours.
Typical results
72%
Approved first round
0
Unapproved jobs in production
+31%
Orders per week
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Every engraved gift needed a proof, and every proof meant a designer mocking it up manually, emailing a PDF, and waiting. Customers replied days later or not at all, orders sat frozen, and misread change requests caused costly reprints. In peak season the proofing backlog alone delayed shipping by three days.
Before and after
Proof approval cycle
−94%Reprints per month
−84%Orders proofed per week
+31%The automation
We built a Make pipeline that merges each order's engraving text, font and layout choices into the shop's design templates and renders a watermarked proof automatically. The proof lands in the customer's WhatsApp thread with approve and request-change buttons; edits regenerate a fresh version in minutes, and every round is logged with timestamps. Only artwork carrying an explicit approval passes into the production queue, attached to its job ticket.
How it works
- 01
Order lands
A custom order arrives with engraving text, font and layout choices from the store.
- 02
Proof renders itself
Details merge into the design template and a watermarked proof generates within minutes.
- 03
Approval on WhatsApp
The proof arrives in the customer's thread with approve and request-change buttons.
- 04
Changes loop back
Edits regenerate a fresh version in minutes; every round is logged with a timestamp.
- 05
Production gets a green light
Only explicitly approved artwork enters the production queue, attached to its job ticket.
Starts from
- Custom orders
- Design templates
Delivers
- WhatsApp approval thread
- Production queue
- Version log
The impact
The proof cycle dropped from three days to four hours, and 72% of proofs are now approved on the first round. Misprint reprints fell from 19 to 3 a month, unapproved artwork stopped reaching production entirely, and the shop handles 31% more orders each week with the same team.
Questions about this automation
How is the proof created?
When a custom order lands, the engraving text, font and layout choices from the store are merged into the matching design template. A watermarked proof image is rendered within minutes and sent to the customer on WhatsApp. Designers only handle special requests that the templates cannot cover.
What happens when the customer asks for a change?
The customer taps the request-change button in the WhatsApp thread and writes what to adjust. The edit regenerates a fresh proof version in minutes, and every round is logged with a timestamp and the customer's exact wording, so the shop can always see what was asked and what was approved.
How does approved artwork reach production?
Only a proof with an explicit approval moves to the production queue, attached to its job ticket with the final file. Unapproved or outdated versions are blocked from printing. It is a multi-step build, usually rolled out in stages, starting with the products that take the most proofing time.