Finishing &
Proofreading.
An error in a published annual report cannot be corrected. It is archived, cited, placed before courts. The final stage before print sign-off determines whether a report becomes what it should be — or goes into the world carrying a flaw.
No error survives
the finishing process.
Finishing is more than spell-checking. It is the systematic process that ensures a report is what it should be in every detail: factually accurate, linguistically impeccable, typographically clean, terminologically consistent — and regulatorily complete. Annual Design carries out finishing for annual reports and ESG reports with the rigour that documents require when they are destined for the public, for investors and for auditors.
The difference from a general proofread lies in the depth of review. Finishing an annual report means checking not just language. It means verifying that a figure in the body text matches the table in the appendix. That a KPI term in chapter 3 carries the same meaning as in chapter 7. That a statutory disclosure is present, correctly positioned and complete. That an image has a caption that meets accessible-report requirements. Annual Design brings this depth of review from experience with reports where these details matter precisely.
Annual Design works with a multi-stage finishing process ensuring no error class slips through. The first stage is the editorial review: language, style, grammar, punctuation, uniformity of expression. The second stage is proofreading on the final typeset layout: all typographic details are checked — widows, orphans, incorrect hyphenation, inconsistent spacing, overruns. The third stage is data consistency review: every figure in the body text is checked against the source tables. The fourth stage is compliance review: are all regulatory disclosures present, correctly identified and complete?
ESG reports to GRI standards have specific proofreading requirements. Every GRI indicator must be correctly named and referenced. The GRI Content Index must be complete and consistent. Omission statements must be worded according to GRI requirements. Annual Design reviews ESG reports against all these details — with the understanding that GRI compliance is not only an editorial requirement but a legal one, which under CSRD must also withstand external audit in future.
The final step in finishing is print sign-off: reviewing the definitive print file for technical correctness — colour profiles, resolution, bleed, embedded fonts. Annual Design manages this review and coordinates with the printer. In parallel, the online acceptance takes place: reviewing the published website for correct display across all devices, full accessibility compliance, correct metadata and functioning links. Only when both approvals are granted is the project complete.
- →Editorial review: language, style, grammar, consistency
- →Proofreading on the final typeset layout
- →Typographic review (line breaks, hyphenation, spacing)
- →Data consistency: figures checked against source tables
- →Terminology consistency across the full report
- →GRI Content Index review and indicator completeness
- →Compliance check: all statutory disclosures present
- →Accessibility review: alt texts, contrast, structure
- →Print sign-off: colour profiles, resolution, bleed
- →Online acceptance: display, links, metadata
What Annual Design
reviews systematically.
Grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, wording consistency, parallel language versions.
Typographic quality, line breaks, hyphenation, spacing, widows, orphans.
Figure reconciliation body text vs. tables, terminology consistency, GRI Content Index completeness.
Statutory disclosures per HGB, GRI, CSRD — present, correctly positioned, complete.
PDF/X-4, colour profiles, resolution, bleed, embedded fonts, printer coordination.
Display across all devices, WCAG compliance, metadata, links, performance.
Automatically catch
what humans miss.
Annual Design uses AI tools for data consistency review: every figure in the body text is automatically checked against the source tables — a process that covers hundreds of data points in large reports and is error-prone for human reviewers. Terminology consistency across the full document is also checked automatically. The result is a prioritised list of discrepancies that the editorial team then addresses directly. No AI tool replaces the final human review — but it ensures no systematic errors slip through.
Finishing & Proofreading.
Can Annual Design carry out proofreading for a report typeset by another agency?
Yes. Annual Design takes on proofreading and finishing for reports typeset elsewhere. The requirement is that editable print files (InDesign, or PDF with comment functionality) and the source tables for data consistency review are supplied. In this case, Annual Design coordinates all corrections directly with the typesetting agency, or delivers a detailed corrections report that can be implemented internally.
How much time should be budgeted for finishing?
Finishing begins with the first approved version of the report and ends with print sign-off. For a medium-sized report (80–120 pages, two languages), two to three weeks should realistically be allowed for all review stages — including time for corrections and a final check round. Annual Design builds this requirement into the project plan and recommends treating finishing not as a buffer at the end of the schedule, but as a fixed milestone with sufficient lead time before the print deadline.
Does the editorial review include substantive intervention — or only formal checking?
Annual Design's editorial review includes both. Alongside formal checks (spelling, grammar, typography), substantive observations are also flagged: contradictory statements between chapters, formulations that may be regulatorily problematic, missing substantiation for claims, statements that do not align with known company data. These substantive comments are advisory — the decision on whether to correct rests with the client. But they are not silently passed over.
What happens if a serious error is discovered in finishing shortly before print sign-off?
That is precisely the purpose of finishing: to find such errors before they are printed. Annual Design has clear escalation procedures for exactly this situation: the client is notified immediately, the impact on the print deadline is assessed, and correction options are developed. A serious error close to print is uncomfortable — but manageable. The same error in a printed and distributed report is not. That is why finishing is always worthwhile.
Does Annual Design also carry out accessibility checking for the online report?
Yes. The online acceptance includes review for WCAG 2.1 compliance: correct alt texts for all images and infographics, sufficient colour contrast, correct heading hierarchy, keyboard-accessible navigation, correct language attribution. Accessibility is not optional for public institutions and organisations subject to reporting obligations — in many cases it is a legal requirement. Annual Design ensures the online report meets these requirements.
Published without
a single error.
Annual Design takes responsibility for finishing and proofreading your report — all six review stages, in German and English, through to print sign-off and online acceptance.