State the calendar’s year, market and starting point.
Begin the brief with the year, intended country or market, language, week-start convention and whether the calendar begins in January or another month. An academic, financial, campaign or event calendar may need a different sequence from a calendar that follows the usual January-to-December year. Record that decision in the page plan while artwork can still change.
Verify calendar data separately from visual design.
Dates, public holidays, observances, school dates and regional conventions should be checked against an appropriate current source approved for the intended market. Do not copy a date grid from an older project just because the design looked correct. Name the person responsible for confirming the data and record the approved source or customer-supplied list with the project files.
Build a date grid that can be read at a glance.
Review month names, weekday labels, weekends, event labels, writing space, small type and colour cues at the intended viewing distance. Important information should not compete with a busy image or sit too close to a trim, fold, hanging area or stand. If the calendar has regional editions, identify the shared artwork and the variables that change between versions.
Plan the visual rhythm across the full sequence.
Lay out the images, illustrations, captions, sponsor material, product messages or editorial themes in month order. Look at the transition from one page to the next, not only one page in isolation. A strong opening page, clear cover and sensible balance between image space and date space help the finished calendar feel deliberate rather than like twelve unrelated files.
Run one proof for dates and another for artwork.
One review should focus on year, month sequence, weekday convention, supplied dates, regional variants and page order. A second review should focus on image placement, crop, captions, logos, colour-sensitive content and margins. Both checks need a named final approver. The confirmed project scope determines what proof route is available; no generic checklist can replace it.