SANJIESAN LICENSING / Prototype reviews
A sample photo is useful only when its status is clear
A convincing sample photograph can travel further than the meeting it was prepared for. Once it appears in a presentation or forwarded message, the accompanying explanation may disappear. Put the sample status into the image record and the presentation itself, so the next reader does not mistake a discussion piece for an available product.
Describe what the camera actually shows
Distinguish a digital mockup, an undecorated physical sample and a decorated review sample. If the photograph includes a temporary label or a hand-finished surface, say so. Give the sample a project identifier that is separate from any future retail SKU. Use only material cleared for this review; a private presentation should not be treated as automatic permission to reproduce somebody else’s work.
Keep open production questions visible
Beside the photograph, list what remains unresolved: substrate, decoration method, colour proof, structural test or final packaging. Select questions relevant to this sample rather than copying a universal checklist. A polished image cannot answer whether a material change will affect the printed design. Ask the supplier for a new specimen when the proposed process changes the part being evaluated.
Control where the image can move next
Name the intended review recipients and record whether the image may enter public marketing. The U.S. Copyright Office’s permission guidance is a useful starting point for U.S. copyright questions; other markets need their own review. For everyday coordination, keep a simple distribution note with the image and replace the status only when the responsible people have supplied a documented decision.