Most browser proofing tools flatten PDFs for display. Aproove keeps the layers.
What it is
Aproove preserves the content layer structure of layered PDFs (from Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and other layer-aware sources) and exposes those layers as a Layers tool in the Review Interface. This gives teams a PDF online modifier built for inspection, not file-destructive editing. Reviewers with access to the tool can toggle individual layers on or off independently of how the file was saved, choose a transparent or solid color background, and inspect each layer in isolation or in combination.
This is not color separation, and it is not a generic PDF online modifier for editing the finished file. Color separations show the printable ink plates (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, spot colors). Content layers are the structural design layers authored in the source file, such as a die line, a white plate, a varnish, a French translation, or a regional regulatory text block. Aproove supports both, and the two tools are distinct.
How it works
At upload, Aproove pre-renders each content layer separately and keeps the layer structure in the proof. When a reviewer opens the Layers tool, they can:
- Toggle layer visibility independently. A layer can be shown or hidden in the reviewer's view regardless of whether it was visible when the PDF was created.
- Switch background. A transparent background reveals object transparency on each layer; a solid color background simulates the paper or substrate the print will land on.
- Combine layers. Mix and match layers to check overprinting, language variants, or regulatory disclosure positioning.
When a reviewer creates a note, Aproove records the layer visibility state at the moment of note creation. Later, clicking the note restores that exact layer combination so the next reader sees the proof exactly as the noter saw it. The full layer visibility history is included in the PDF export of the project, giving an audit trail of what each reviewer was looking at when they left each comment.
Benefits
- Layer-aware browser review. Reviewers inspect each design layer independently rather than the flattened composite, catching layer-specific issues (overprint, varnish coverage, die line conflicts, language placement) that a flattened PDF would hide.
- Pre-rendered for speed. Layers are processed at upload, so toggling layer visibility is instant in the browser.
- Transparency and paper-color simulation. Reviewers check object transparency against a transparent background, or simulate the actual press substrate against a solid color background.
- Notes carry their viewing context. Each note records the layer state at the time of creation, so the next reviewer sees the proof exactly as the noter saw it.
- Audit trail in the export. The project PDF export records which layers were visible for each note, giving a full provenance trail for regulated or specification-critical work.
- Permission-gated. Layer tool access is configured per project template, so layer review is exposed to the audiences that need it (print production, packaging, regulatory) without complicating the interface for routine reviewers.
Built for regulated environments where failures create real risk
Insurance, healthcare, and enterprise teams face unique approval challenges. Aproove handles state-by-state variations, mandated language, FDA submissions, and multi-geography brand governance without breaking a sweat.
Trusted by leaders
Used by teams that cannot afford uncertainty in their approval process.
"Implementing Aproove has dramatically reduced errors, increased motivation and satisfaction across the teams and importantly, saved the operation significant hard costs."
“The Aproove team are the best team in the world. I feel like I'm their only customer, they are always there for me.”
"Within a short period, we were able to reduce 25 workflows into a single workflow. The team saw a 15-week reduction in getting new marketing packages from idea to market. More importantly, it ensured that all the packages were compliant with regulatory requirements. All steps, comments, and approval are captured and saved for any audits."
More ways to streamline high-stakes workflows
See how we include a layered PDF review into a browser-based, audit-aware PDF review in the Aproove interface
