Make-Ready
Nothing leaves until the sheet is signed
Make-ready is the hour before the run — not glamorous, never skipped. The bench is clear except for the brief, the marked galleys, and a single sheet that lists what must be true before ink meets channel. In our studio, make-ready is written work: a document, not a verbal nod.
mk.01 brief The brief must name audience, objective, constraints, and approvers. If any field is blank, make-ready stops. We return a written list of gaps — not to delay, but because a run on an incomplete brief produces rework that costs more than the wait.
mk.02 marks Every line that will run externally must carry a mark linking it to the narrative spine. Marks are checked against the typecase drawers that apply — channel sheet numbers, version dates, exclusion notes. A line without a mark does not run.
mk.03 read-through One person reads the assembled work aloud while another follows the marked galley. Discrepancies are noted on the make-ready sheet. This is not proofreading for typos alone — it is a check that the composition still holds.
mk.04 signatory A named signatory initials the make-ready sheet. If the signatory changes mid-run, a new sheet is issued. Verbal approval is not recorded; written initials are.
Make-ready repeats at season gates — not only at the first run. When the narrative spine updates, make-ready runs again before affected channels resume. Clients receive a copy of every signed sheet for their records.
Make-ready is also where we check tympan rules — holdbacks dated, gatekeeper named, padding composed. A run without tympan documentation is a run we decline. Protection is not optional when pressure arrives.
For standing advisory seats, make-ready lightens but does not disappear. Even a monthly note passes a brief completeness check before it leaves the bench. Habit preserves quality when volume is low.
When a client submits materials late, make-ready does not bend — the run waits. We document the wait on the sheet so later conversations about timing refer to fact, not memory. Rush without make-ready is a request we decline.
lockup.close · make-ready
The sheet is signed before the run.
The make-ready sheet
Make-ready is the last quiet pass before a composed message enters production. The brief is checked against the lockup. Marks in the margin are resolved or deliberately carried. A senior writer reads the galley aloud — not for performance, but for rhythm. Legal and brand stakeholders named in the lockup sign in the order agreed. Nothing ships on assumption.
Make-ready is not an approval bottleneck. It is the studio's way of protecting the tympan layer: the padding between a locked sentence and the pressure of channels, vendors, and deadlines. When make-ready is skipped, the message crushes. We have seen it on other floors. We do not allow it here.
Who signs depends on the lockup. Brand lead, legal, regional marketing, product — named in advance, not discovered at the eleventh hour. Signatures are recorded in the make-ready sheet with date and version number. If a signatory is unavailable, work waits. We do not substitute informal approval on a locked message.