Visual Inspection Engine for Design Files

Free Layout Checker


Local. Accurate. Secure.

Visual Preflight & Layout Inspection Engine for Packaging & Print

Inspect and validate batches of production-ready PDF files in minutes — before they hit CTP or the press.

Automated, visual-first PDF preflight for multi-language artwork, structural packaging, and complex SKU variations. Spot shifted elements, text oversets, and broken fonts in seconds. No complex configuration. 
Simply map out your inspection zones on your reference layout (Master File) and let LayoutChecker handle the rest. 

Create a visual inspection template once, then run a batch preflight across your entire project. 

LayoutChecker is a secure, local-first web application engineered by a team of professional software developers, senior graphic designers, and prepress specialists with over 25 years of hands-on industry experience. It was built specifically for industry professionals who demand rapid, accurate, and completely confidential batch validation of complex PDF artwork.

Whether you are auditing hundreds of SKUs, managing complex packaging variations, or proofing multilingual labels, manual inspection is a major bottleneck and a hotbed for human error. Standard desktop publishing software is simply not built for batch visual validation. Without automation, critical production defects—such as text overset, layer displacement, broken glyphs, shifted dielines, or corrupted barcodes—inevitably slip through to production.

Instead of reviewing every single page manually, you receive a clean, actionable inspection report that isolates and highlights only the specific files, pages, and coordinates where potential inconsistencies or layout defects have been detected.

Unlike generic PDF comparison utilities, LayoutChecker validates entire pools of files against reusable visual inspection templates—all while keeping your proprietary and confidential artwork securely on your own local machine.

 

Launch LayoutChecker

 

Uses Cases

One-to-Many Layout Comparison

Batch Artwork Proofing

Local PDF and Image Overlay

Zero-Server Upload Design QA

Packaging Dieline Verification

LayoutChecker.com — Client-side visual testing tool for packaging design and prepress. 
Compare multiple layout files against a single master dieline/template simultaneously. 
100% Secure & Confidential: everything renders locally in your browser via WebAssembly/JS. 
Your commercial PDFs and artworks never leave your computer and are never uploaded to any server.

 

Why Choose LayoutChecker?

Enterprise-Grade Artwork Validation, Zero Cloud Risks.

Manual proofreading of hundreds of packaging variations, technical inserts, or multi-language labels is a major bottleneck. 
Standard design software isn't built for batch visual validation. 
LayoutChecker bridges this gap by offering a fast, pixel-accurate, and entirely local automated verification engine that catches critical defects before they cause costly reprints.

Key Benefits:

  1. High-Volume Batch Preflight & Inspection
    Eliminate repetitive, high-risk manual proofing. Validate and cross-examine hundreds of production PDF layouts simultaneously within a single, automated prepress workflow.
  2. Create Reusable Visual Inspection Templates
    Build inspection templates once and reuse them across future projects to ensure consistent quality and faster validation.
  3. Visual Inspection Instead of Complex Configuration
    No scripting or complicated rule configuration required. Simply draw polygon inspection regions on the reference layout, choose what should be checked, and run the inspection. LayoutChecker turns visual selections into reusable inspection templates.
  4. Process Files Entirely Inside Your Browser
    All rendering, comparison, and analysis are performed locally using your browser without requiring software installation.
  5. No PDF Files Are Uploaded or Stored on a Server
    Your design files remain on your computer at all times, providing maximum confidentiality for sensitive artwork.
  6. No Cloud Processing of Your Design Files
    Unlike cloud-based inspection services, LayoutChecker never sends your production files to remote servers for analysis.
  7. Detect Visual Differences Across Multiple Documents
    Quickly identify missing objects, unexpected changes, or inconsistent layouts across an entire batch of PDF files.
  8. Inspect PDF Structure, Including Fonts, Colors, Text, and Metadata
    Validate the internal PDF structure to detect potential production issues before files reach prepress or printing.
  9. Export Inspection Reports in CSV and PDF Formats
    Generate detailed inspection reports that can be archived, shared with colleagues, or integrated into existing production workflows.

How It Works

1. Load the Reference Template

Load a reference PDF that will serve as the inspection template.

2. Load Files to Check

Add one or multiple PDF files for inspection. 

The file is loaded directly into your computer's memory and processed locally in your browser. 

No PDF files or their contents are uploaded, transmitted, or shared with any server, cloud service, or third party.

3. Create a Visual Inspection Template

Draw polygon inspection regions directly on the reference layout, including complex and non-rectangular areas.

Assign an inspection type to each region:

  • Static area
  • Text area
  • Logo
  • QR code or barcode
  • Table
  • Ignore area

Save the completed inspection template to your computer and reuse it later for the same project or similar PDF batches. The template file remains local and is never uploaded to a server.

4. Run Inspection

LayoutChecker automatically inspects every PDF against your template and identifies potential visual inconsistencies and PDF structure issues.

You can also perform a full document inspection without manually defining regions.

5. Review and Export the Inspection Report

Review a clear report showing the files, pages, and inspection regions where potential inconsistencies or errors were detected.

Each result includes the detected deviation, comparison details, and a visual preview of the affected area. Export the report in CSV or PDF format for review, archiving, or sharing with your team.

Built for

Packaging Designers

Localization & Artwork Managers

Regulatory Compliance Officers

Graphic Designers

Prepress Specialists

Packaging Engineers

Print Service Providers

Creative Agencies

Brand Managers

Quality Control Teams

Pharma & Cosmetics QA Teams

Food Packaging QA Teams

 

Privacy First

Your design files are yours — and they always stay on your computer.

LayoutChecker was built with a local-first architecture, ensuring that every PDF is rendered, analyzed, and inspected entirely inside your browser. 
Your files are never uploaded, transmitted, stored, or processed on our servers.

Our servers never receive your PDF documents, artwork, images, text, fonts, or any other design content.

The server is used only to deliver application updates, modules, translations, licensing, and configuration. It has no access to the files you inspect.

Whether you're working with confidential packaging artwork, client projects, or unreleased products, your content remains under your control at all times.

No uploads. No cloud processing. No compromise on confidentiality.

Don't Trust Us ? — Verify It Yourself

LayoutChecker processes your PDF files entirely inside your browser. We encourage every user to verify this independently.

You can confirm that your files never leave your computer:

  1. Open your browser's Developer Tools (F12).
  2. Go to the Network tab.
  3. Load your PDF files and run an inspection.
  4. Observe the network requests.

You'll see requests only for application resources such as modules, licensing, configuration, translations, and updates. 
Your PDF files, page content, images, fonts, and inspection data are never uploaded or transmitted to our servers.

We believe transparency builds trust. That's why anyone can verify how LayoutChecker works using standard browser developer tools.

LayoutChecker guarantees absolute Data Sovereignty by operating on a strict Zero-Trust security architecture. Because all rendering, comparison, and analysis occur strictly within your active browser session, your highly confidential artwork is effectively air-gapped from external threats. No source files, proprietary brand assets, or production-ready metadata are ever transmitted, stored, or processed on remote servers. This local-first design ensures 100% compliance with the most stringent corporate data protection policies, giving your legal and IT infrastructure teams total peace of mind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from designers, artwork editors, prepress specialists, print service providers, and quality control teams.

Are my PDF files uploaded to the server? +
No. PDF files are loaded into your browser memory and processed locally on your computer. The server provides the application, settings, modules, translations, and website pages, but it does not receive your production PDF content during inspection.
What is the reference template? +
The reference template is the approved PDF layout. LayoutChecker compares the other loaded files against this reference to find visual differences, changed objects, shifted text, or structure issues.
Can I check many files at once? +
Yes. LayoutChecker is built for batch inspection. You can load multiple PDF files and compare them against one reference template in a single workflow. The current file limit is controlled by the application settings.
What should I use inspection regions for? +
Use inspection regions when you want to check specific parts of a design, such as a logo, QR code, barcode, legal text, nutrition table, icon, or any static area that must remain unchanged.
Can I check non-rectangular objects? +
Yes. Regions are drawn as polygons, so you can outline irregular shapes and objects that are not simple rectangles.
What is the difference between Run check and Run Full check? +
Run check (Region-based) compares only the regions you created. Run Full check (Global Pixel-to-Pixel Comparison) compares the document more broadly without requiring manually drawn regions. Region-based checking is better for controlled production checks; full checking is useful for quickly finding general differences.
Does LayoutChecker support multi-page PDFs? +
Yes. You can navigate through PDF pages and create separate regions for each page. Regions belong to the page where they were created.
Can LayoutChecker detect shifted text or moved objects? +
Yes. LayoutChecker can detect visual changes such as shifted text, moved logos, missing elements, changed areas, and other differences between the reference template and the checked files.
Can it check colors, fonts, and PDF structure? +
LayoutChecker includes PDF structure inspection for items such as fonts, color spaces, spot color names, text operators, images, transparency, overprint markers, and page boxes. These checks help identify potential production issues before print.
Does this replace professional prepress review? +
No. LayoutChecker is a quality control aid. It helps reduce repetitive manual review and highlights potential issues, but final approval before print, manufacturing, publication, or distribution remains the responsibility of the user and the production team.
Can I reuse the same checking setup later? +
Yes. You can save a template profile with your inspection regions and load it again for similar projects or repeated production checks.
What report formats are available? +
Inspection results can be exported in CSV and PDF formats for archiving, sharing, or internal quality control documentation.
What happens when I close the browser? +
The loaded PDF files are removed from the active browser session. If you need to reuse inspection regions later, save a template profile before closing the browser.

Alpha Version Features

The maximum number of files per inspection will be increased in future releases.

Help Shape LayoutChecker

LayoutChecker is actively evolving, and your feedback helps define its future.

If you have an idea for a new feature, an improvement to an existing workflow, or you've found something that can be improved, we'd love to hear from you.

Please use the Contact form to share your suggestions. We carefully review every request and prioritize features that help designers, prepress specialists, and print professionals work faster and more efficiently.

Your feedback helps make LayoutChecker better for everyone.

Our Vision

Design review should be as automated, reliable, and repeatable as automated code testing.

We believe professional artwork inspection should be accessible to everyone—not only to enterprises with expensive software and complex workflows. Every designer, prepress specialist, print provider, and quality control team deserves a fast, intuitive, and secure way to validate design files.

Checking production files should never require uploading confidential artwork to a cloud service, installing complex software, or spending hours searching for mistakes manually.

Open the website → Load your PDF files → Run the inspection → Review the report → Close your browser

No installation. No file uploads. No cloud processing. Just a fast, secure, and free way to inspect your PDF files.

Our mission is simple: make professional PDF inspection accessible, trustworthy, and effortless for everyone.

Disclaimer

LayoutChecker is provided free of charge to assist with the inspection of PDF design files. While we continuously improve the inspection engine, no automated software can guarantee the detection of every possible issue. Users are solely responsible for reviewing, verifying, and approving all files before printing, manufacturing, publication, or distribution. Inspection results should be considered an aid to quality control, not a substitute for professional review. By using LayoutChecker, you acknowledge that the service is provided "as is" and "as available", without any express or implied warranties. LayoutChecker and its developers shall not be liable for any errors, omissions, production defects, loss of data, financial losses, business interruption, or any direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from the use of the service or reliance on its inspection results.