Regulations and Best Practices for Review Rounds
Review Rounds Edits Guide PDF - Download Guide here
Allowed Edits in Review Rounds
Can't Do Edits in Review Rounds
Review Round Schedule
Initial Review Round
- The Art Director sends out the initial review round by 10 a.m. CT on the day of the scheduled review round.
- The Publisher sends edits to the Editor by a mutually agreed-upon time before the submission deadline.
- The Editor compiles the edits, adds them to the review round PDF, and uploads the PDF to ARC by 10 a.m. CT the business day after the initial review round file is released.
This is the day that edits are due back from the local teams for their magazine as a whole. There is a very quick turnaround time, and there are strict rules around what kind of changes can be made at this point.
The number of edits they are allowed is based on page count, not tier:
- 36-60 page magazine = 50 edits
- 68-96 page magazine = 80 edits
- 100 + page magazine = 110 edits
The highlighter tool is for text edits; the comment box is for ad moves and notes on photos.
Final Review Round
- The Art Director sends out the final review round by 5 p.m. CT the day the edits are submitted.
- The Publisher sends edits to the Editor by a mutually agreed-upon time before the submission deadline.
- The Editor compiles the edits, adds them to the final review round PDF, and uploads the PDF to ARC by 10 a.m. CT the business day after the final review round file is released.
This is the day that the second round of edits is due back from the local teams for their magazine as a whole. There is a very quick turnaround time, and there are strict rules around what kind of changes can be made at this point.
The number of edits they are allowed is based on page count, not tier:
- 36-60 page magazine = 5 edits
- 68-96 page magazine = 10 edits
- 100 + page magazine = 15 edits
Review Round Edits
How to Download/Upload
- All review round activities will be available through the Editorial tab.
- The Review Deadline here is the day the first proof will be released/uploaded to ARC.
- A Review Rounds dropdown menu will appear when the first review round is available.
- Click Download Review Round to download the first round PDF of your magazine to your desktop.
- Select Choose File to upload your PDF document when the edit requests are complete.
- Do not use Notes, as this box is for the in-house design team; all edits should be contained within your proofing file.
- After the proofing round PDF is uploaded, click Upload.
PDF Setup
- Download the free version of Adobe Acrobat.
- Open the PDF using the software.
- From the menu bar, choose View > Page Display.
- Check Two Page Scrolling, Show Gaps Between Pages, and Show Cover Page in Two Page View to view the publication as it will be printed.
Making Edits
- Text Edits: Use the Highlight Text tool to highlight text changes and provide exact replacements in the comments sidebar.
- Photo/Ad Edits: Use the Add Sticky Note tool to mark images and ads. The sticky note tool can also be used to add text to a page, like a calendar entry.
- Be specific about where you place these sticky notes. Placing them in general areas can confuse designers.
- No new photos (except for Shutterstock) or advertisements.
- Previously printed ads may be swapped if they are the same size.
- Comment Sidebar: Open the sidebar to review your edits.
No Edits Needed
Option 1: Add a comment in ARC stating “No edits needed.”
Option 2: Submit the PDF with an edit stating “No edits needed.”
Allowed Edits in Review Rounds
Copy Edits (Text Modifications)
Word changes, phrasing, addition of captions, etc. This can be done in the:
- Cover
- Lifestyle Letter (less than 50% of text)
- Table of Contents
- City Scene
- City List
- Events
- Editorial
- Title
- Body Copy (less than 50% can be changed)
- Photo Captions
- Subtitle
- Pulled Quote
Replace Text: Use the Highlighter tool to mark text and enter the exact replacement.
Delete Text: Use the Strikethrough tool to cross out text and type “Delete” in the comment box.
Spelling Corrections: Highlight the incorrect word and provide the exact corrected version in the comment box.
Punctuation Edits: Use the insert text cursor, highlight the word before where you want to insert punctuation, and type it in the comment box.
Photo Swaps
The position of photos can be swapped, or photos can be replaced. Only photos that are uploaded to ARC before the editorial deadline can be used. This can be done in the:
- Cover
- Table of Contents
- City Scene
- Business Monthly
- Editorial article
Replace Photo: Use the Notes tool to place a note on the image to specify changes. Be specific in your description, including the file name if possible.
Ex. "Please swap this photo with image 3 in the ARC of two children with painted faces".
Note: The image number should reference the number shown in ARC when you click on the photo (numbers from top to bottom, left to right). If changing to a stock photo, include the stock photo number.
Additional Edits
Ad Swaps and Modifications
Allowed changes:
- Replace Ad with House Ad (found in ARC Training & Docs)
- “Replace this ad with the Angel House house ad.”
- Replace Ad with Previously Published Ad
- The ad must be the same size. Include the month/year of the issue the ad was run
- Swap Ad Placement with Another Ad
- "Swap this ad for Compass Dental with the ad for Powers Electric on page 17."
- "Swap this ¼ page ad for Compass Dental and ¼ page ad for Powers Electric with the ½ page ad for Remaxx Realty on page 18."
- Swap Ad with Neighboring Publication’s Ad (Provide publication name, issue date, and client name)
- "Replace this ad with the ad for Compass Dental in Johnson County, May 2024 issu,e page 24."
Using the Notes tool, place a note on the ad stating the modification.
Official Ad Swap Policy
Ad insertions can be replaced with house ads or the client’s last approved ad due to deadline restrictions. Please note:
- Only previously published ads may be swapped.
- Requests must be submitted via the proofing round PDF.
- If the request is submitted by the editorial coordinator, it will be considered a request by the publisher.
- The issue date of the previously published ad must be provided and valid.
- No new artwork or attachments of old artwork will be accepted.
- We will not bill this client or add this to the ad list. This is only meant to be a possible trade or “goodwill” swap.
Business Monthly
Allowed changes:
- Reorder Business List
- Edit Business Title or Description
- Replace a Business Entry (Only one per Issue. Include the business name, description, and stock photography number.)
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
City List
Allowed changes:
- Replace a Category (Only categories from the ARC dropdown list)
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
Cover Edits
Allowed changes:
- Magazine Title Color (Black or White)
- “Change Johnson County City Lifestyle' text to white.”
- Border (White or Full Bleed)
- “Change the border to full bleed.”
- Cover Photo Placement Adjustments
- “Shift the photo to the left to eliminate the quilt and window."
- “Please bring the model’s head forward to cover the word 'Life' in the title.”
- Text Movement
- “Move the text ‘LOVEABLE ART’ here to cover the white wall between the side table’s top and bottom shelf.”
- Replace Web Category in Teaser (Find the correct category in ARC under the Web tab)
Using the Notes tool, place a note on the photo or element explaining the swap or replacement.
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
Editorial Articles
Allowed changes:
- Title Color or Background Color (Only for colored layouts, not white backgrounds)
- Replace Web Category or Department (Only categories in the Web tab or Departments in the Assignment tab can be used)
- Replace an Article with Evergreen or National Content
- If you're replacing the entire article, please include the total page count of the article. For specific page replacements, ensure your note is on that page. If you want the team to relocate the article, this also needs to be stated.
- "Replace with one page of National Content."
- "Replace with one page of the Evergreen article titled 'Home. '"
- “Replace this 3-page article with 3 pages of National Content. Move this article to December 2025.”
Using the Notes tool, place a note on the title or layout requesting the change. Use the Notes tool to identify articles you would like replaced as well.
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
Events
Allowed changes:
- Replace an Event
Using the Notes tool, place a note on the event, including the information for the new event.
Lifestyle Letter
Allowed changes:
- Swap Photo (Only photos uploaded to ARC before the deadline or from a past issue)
- “Please replace it with the photo used in the May/2024 issue.”
- Replace Signature (Only previously used signatures)
- “Please replace it with the signature used in the May/2024 issue.”
- Edit Title/Name/Email in Masthead (Only one Publisher must be listed, and only available titles in ARC can be used)
- Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text exactly as you want it to read.
- For Contributing Writers and Photographers, only the first and last names are required.
Using the Notes tool, place a note on the photo explaining the swap or replacement.
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
Table of Contents
Allowed changes:
- Replace/Remove Featured Article
- Replace Web Category or Department (Only categories in the Web tab or Departments in the Assignment tab can be used)
Using the Highlighter tool, highlight the specific text you would like replaced. A comment box will appear where you should enter the replacement text.
Using the Strikethrough tool, highlight the specific text you would like deleted. A comment box will appear where you can type “Delete”. The text will appear crossed out in the PDF.
Can’t Do’s in Review Rounds
Best Practices
- Do not request multiple edits or group edits in one.
- Do not ask questions in the edits.
- Do not “reply” to an edit to add additional edits.
- Do not give extra or unnecessary information in the edits - only include the information the designer needs to know.
- Do not add the edit to the page you want the ad moved - it should go where the ad is currently placed.
- Do not make multiple edits using the tools - type into the comment bubble or highlighter space so only one comment is made.
Ads
Not allowed:
- Ads that have been attached to the PDF
- Requests to delete ad space to extend editorial
- Requests to remove or replace house ads with new editorial content
- Swapping ads of different sizes
- Placing fractional ads (e.g., ¼, ⅓, ½, or ⅔ page ads) on the back cover – only full-page ads are permitted.
Layout Design
Not allowed:
- Requests for a redesign of the layout
- Requests for movement of photos or copy that would be considered a redesign
- Any edit that goes against Lifestyle Publications’ editorial and design style (ex., changes to body copy size)
- Requests to move editorial elements outside of the safe area (1/4-in. from the edge of the page)
- Page swaps with stationary departments such as the Lifestyle Letter or TOC
- More than 50 edits for a magazine with fewer than 68 pages
- More than 80 edits for a magazine of more than 68 pages
Copy
Not allowed:
- Completely replacing the article's body text anywhere but Business Monthly or Events
- Deleting articles so additional ads can be placed
- Deleting articles so that other articles can be expanded
- Adding titles to the masthead that are not listed in ARC as the approved title
Images
Not allowed:
- Adding any images that were not previously uploaded in ARC by the editorial deadline
- Adding Shutterstock images without having a Shutterstock number
- Images that have been attached to the PDF or submitted somewhere other than through ARC
- Images that have been uploaded to ARC under a different month
- Enlarging images by over 130%