Method for automatic generation of a proof job from a print job to be printed on a printer, the print job comprising one or more documents and zero or more job parameters, wherein the documents comprise one or more graphical elements, and wherein the printer has a printer configuration, the printer configuration comprising a printer setting and a printer state, the method comprising the steps of: - determining for a graphical element from the one or more documents that printing the graphical element will likely involve a print quality issue while taking into account the printer setting and/or the printer state, and, when present, one or more job parameters being characterization parameters of metadata associated with the graphical element and aimed to be used for printing of the graphical element, - analyzing at least part of the graphical elements of an input document of the print job, - producing as output for some of the analyzed graphical elements the associated metadata comprising the characterization parameters, - selecting based on the associated metadata comprising the characterization parameters graphical elements from the input document in the print job in the vicinity of the determined graphical element, - generating from the selected graphical elements and associated metadata and considering the print parameters and printer configuration, derived graphical elements, - composing a proof job comprising a proofing document comprising proofing graphical elements, and proofing print parameters taken from the print job parameters or the printer settings, and - the printer printing the composed proof job. wherein the proofing graphical elements are from a set of the selected graphical elements, and/or the derived graphical elements having an attribute that is equal to an attribute of the determined graphical element, wherein the attribute contributes to the occurrence of the print quality issue, and wherein the derived graphical element is visually associated to the selected graphical elements to be printed as a visual aid, and wherein determining that printing the graphical element will likely involve a print quality issue comprises determining that printing the graphical element will likely involve a print quality issue due to the rendering or printing of the graphical element interacting with at least one other selected graphical element. - determining for a graphical element from the one or more documents that printing the graphical element will likely involve a print quality issue while taking into account the printer setting and/or the printer state, and, when present, one or more job parameters being characterization parameters of metadata associated with the graphical element and aimed to be used for printing of the graphical element, - analyzing at least part of the graphical elements of an input document of the print job, - producing as output for some of the analyzed graphical elements the associated metadata comprising the characterization parameters, - selecting based on the associated metadata comprising the characterization parameters graphical elements from the input document in the print job in the vicinity of the determined graphical element, - generating from the selected graphical elements and associated metadata and considering the print parameters and printer configuration, derived graphical elements, - composing a proof job comprising a proofing document comprising proofing graphical elements, and proofing print parameters taken from the print job parameters or the printer settings, and - the printer printing the composed proof job.