Approve Mexico toy label artwork for print only when the named revision matches the confirmed labeling brief and every applicable field has passed review. Check Spanish copy, battery description, recommended age and product warnings against the exact toy—not a similar box. Record the file identifier, observations, approver and date. If a field is incorrect or unresolved, hold the artwork and request a corrected proof; do not release it with an instruction to “fix during printing.”
Treat this as a supplier–buyer handover control aimed at avoiding preventable retail-box reprints. Have the Mexico importer or designated compliance reviewer confirm the applicable product-specific provisions against NOM-015-SCFI-2007 and verify current import implementation separately. The checklist below is a purchasing control, not an exhaustive statement of labeling law or a certification.
What does signing an artwork proof actually approve?
Signing an artwork proof approves the identified visual production instructions: text, layout, placement, specified colors, barcode or QR data, and the exact file revision. It does not establish that the toy complies with applicable requirements or that laboratory results cover it. Keep those decisions separate from artwork sign-off. Artwork Proof Approval Checklist
Review the proof at final output size against the correct dieline. Check every printed face, insert and separate label; look for text hidden by folds, seams, trim or closure areas. A warning on an insert is not automatically a substitute for a warning assigned to the box or toy in the confirmed requirements.
A PDF cannot establish assembled fit, printed color appearance, adhesion or structural strength. Use an assembled mockup or physical sample for those attributes; photos or video can support placement and assembly checks. Product compliance and test coverage require their own review. Packaging Artwork Checklist
Which Mexico label fields should buyers check before print?
Check each field against a confirmed target, then record the actual copy and location observed on the proof. For the four core checks—Spanish information, battery description, recommended age and warnings—“present” is not enough: the information must also match the product and the approved brief.
Use the following as the working checklist. Product-specific review may add fields or specify that information belongs on the toy, packaging or accompanying instructions rather than on the retail box alone.
| Spanish commercial information | Target: the Spanish copy approved for the Mexico labeling brief. Check: all assigned information is present, accurately transcribed and readable at final size on the specified panel or component. Additional-language copy must not replace or contradict the approved Spanish information. Record the panel, observed wording and review result. |
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| Battery description or other power source | Target: the battery type, quantity or other power-source description confirmed for the exact product. Check: the proof matches the technical specification and instructions. A statement about whether batteries are included does not, by itself, identify the required battery type and quantity. Mark a non-powered product not applicable only with a recorded reason. |
| Recommended age | Target: the age recommendation confirmed for the exact toy. Check: numerals, units, symbols and text agree across the box, labels and instructions. Do not copy an age mark from a similar product or treat an age symbol as a replacement for separate applicable warnings. |
| Applicable product warnings | Target: product-specific Spanish warning copy and its confirmed location, size and presentation. Check: exact wording, completeness and placement—not merely the presence of a generic caution. Have the reviewer identify relevant triggers, such as aquatic use, projectiles or adult assembly, before the copy is finalized. |
| Origin and importer identification | Target: the origin statement and importer identity/address confirmed for the Mexico labeling brief. Check: spelling, legal identity, address details and assigned location against importer-approved information. Do not carry forward another importer's details from an earlier carton design. |
| Instructions and cross-references | Target: the approved instructions and any assembly information assigned to the product. Check: included leaflets match the artwork revision, references point to the correct document, and adult-assembly identification is included where confirmed applicable. |
| Product identity and production layout | Target: the correct product/item reference, variant, images, barcode or QR data and dieline. Check: each matches the order and approved packaging brief; required copy remains visible outside folds, trim and closure zones. Verify encoded data separately from its visual appearance. |
When should a buyer hold a proof instead of approving it?
Hold a proof whenever the observed artwork fails a confirmed target or an applicable field remains unresolved. The following illustrative comparison shows how to make that decision without inventing a completed approval.
| Earlier proof: battery statement is incomplete | Confirmed target: identify the specified battery type and quantity. Observation: the proof states only whether batteries are included. Decision: HOLD. Correction: add the confirmed power description and issue a new artwork revision. |
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| Revised proof: battery description matches | Confirmed target: unchanged. Observation: the new proof contains the specified type and quantity in the assigned location, matching the product instructions. Decision: mark this field PASS; release the revision only after the other applicable fields and approval record are complete. |
| Either proof: packaging fit is not established | Observation: the PDF shows the intended panel layout but does not demonstrate assembled fit. Decision: assess fit through the appropriate mockup or physical sample. A successful text check does not close a separate physical-packaging hold. |
Mexico toy label artwork approval record
A usable approval record links the exact proof to field-level observations, a release decision and accountable sign-off. Complete the record below for each revision; an unfilled worksheet is not approval.
| Product and order identity | Enter the product/item reference, description, color or variant, order reference and Mexico destination. Identify the box, insert and separate labels covered by this review. |
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| Controlled proof identity | Enter the exact filename, revision, proof date, dieline revision and page count. Retain the reviewed file with the record so the approval does not rely on a filename alone. |
| Confirmed targets | Identify the approved Spanish copy, product/power specification, age decision, warning brief and importer details used for comparison. Record who confirmed product-specific applicability and when. |
| Field-level findings | For each checklist field, enter: specified target; observed wording or data; page/panel/component location; PASS, HOLD or not applicable with reason; reviewer and review date. Attach marked-up pages where useful. |
| Corrections and closure | List each open issue, required correction, responsible owner and target completion date. Close it only after recording the corrected revision, recheck result, closure reviewer and closure date. |
| Print-release decision | Select APPROVED FOR PRINT for the identified revision only when applicable checks pass and release conditions are closed. Otherwise select HOLD and state the unresolved items. A conditional review comment is not print authorization. |
| Accountable approval and supplier handover | Record the authorized buyer approver's name, role and approval date. Obtain supplier acknowledgment of the exact revision authorized for printing and identify any earlier revision it supersedes. |
| Separate approval references | Reference any required physical-packaging approval and separate compliance review. Keep their scope and status distinct from the artwork decision. |
What happens if artwork changes after approval?
Any change to an approved artwork element should trigger a new revision and a recheck before printing. This includes warning copy, language, battery information, age marking, importer details, barcode data, product images, item references and package dimensions.
Require the supplier to identify what changed, issue the new proof and state which earlier revision it replaces. Recheck the changed content and any affected layout: a longer address, for example, can push nearby warning text into a fold. Do not silently overwrite the approved file. Packaging Artwork Checklist
Determine whether the change also calls for a new sample, quotation or production schedule; those consequences are project-specific, not automatic. Record the replacement approval and supplier acknowledgment before authorizing print. This creates traceability, but the record alone cannot prevent an undisclosed substitution. Artwork Proof Approval Checklist