“Agree source-file handover terms before production begins.
Agree source-file handover terms before production begins. Specify which editable files, linked assets, fonts, and usage rights are included so the client can maintain the work without assuming every third-party element transfers with the finished design.
Identify the intended future editor
Determine whether the client, another agency, or a production supplier will edit the work. Their software and skill level affect the appropriate deliverables. An editable file is not automatically usable if the receiving team lacks the necessary tool, linked images, or required fonts.
List native files and dependencies
Describe source formats, exports, linked assets, and any components provided only under a license. Include version requirements where relevant. This makes the handover concrete and avoids discovering after project closure that the document depends on unavailable files or a personal account.
Clarify rights without assumptions
Distinguish ownership of commissioned work from licenses for photography, type, software, or reusable tools. Have appropriate reviewers confirm contract wording where needed. A delivered export and a transferred right are different questions, and both should be resolved explicitly.
Verify a practical edit at handover
Ask the receiving team to change a typical text block or image and generate the required output. Confirm that dependencies are available and the result remains intact. This small exercise reveals missing instructions more effectively than accepting a folder solely because it contains many files.
Exercise: open and edit a handed-over publication file
For a hypothetical publication handover, ask the receiving designer to open the native file, replace one approved paragraph, and export the required document. Check font availability, linked images, version compatibility, and the placement of required credits. If a licensed dependency cannot transfer, document the client’s acquisition route or an approved substitute. Do not assume that sending the editable file automatically gives the recipient every right or tool needed to continue production.
Create an inventory distinguishing source files, public exports, linked dependencies, and rights notes. Mark which elements the client may edit and which need specialist review. Verify that the reproduced output matches the accepted design before closing the handover. This exercise establishes practical completeness for one deliverable; it does not offer a legal interpretation of a contract or promise compatibility with every future software version, supplier, and production environment.
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