Checklist
Pre-publication checklist for AI images
Provenance is the only part of an image a reader cannot verify by looking. Check it before the export path can strip it.
Provenance
- Original file kept; exports made from a copy.
- C2PA manifest or Content Credentials present where the tool supports them.
- Generator and prompt author recorded in the story or asset record.
- Nothing in the export path strips metadata silently.
Technical
- Dimensions match the slot; no upscaling past the source.
- Compression sane for the size — check bytes per pixel, not the filename.
- Contrast adequate where text sits over the image.
- Not an effectively blank or single-tone frame.
Editorial
- Alt text describes what the image contributes, not its filename.
- No recognisable person, brand mark or logo without a human decision.
- The image does not imply a product, place or event it was not made from.
Sign-off
Reviewer
Date
Version reviewed
Record what was reviewed and what was not. An accepted finding is a decision, so write the reason next to it.
Other checklists
Automate the repeatable half
The list stays useful. The console makes it fast.
Run the same checks on the file before you walk the list by hand.