Many authors wonder what the difference is between a “pre-print” and a “post-print”. Publishers often specify which version of a paper is allowed in a repository, like ScholarsArchive.
The “pre-print” is the version of your paper as it was at the time you submitted it to the publisher for consideration.
The “post-print” is the version of your paper after you’ve made peer-review changes, but before it has the publisher’s formatting (page numbers, journal title in the header or footer, etc.).
The “final” or “publisher version” is the paper as it appears in the journal with all the publisher’s formatting.
Hope that helps!