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Where letters stand crooked they are noted by a line, but where a page hangs lines are drawn across the entire part affected.
Where a faulty letter appears it is denoted by making a cross under it and placing a similar mark on the margin.
Where several words are left out or where new matter is to be added the added matter is written wherever convenient, and a line is drawn from the place of omission to the written words.
In making a correction in a proof always mark the wrong letter or word through and insert the alteration in the margin, not in the middle of the printed matter, because it is liable to be overlooked if there is no marginal reference to the correction. To keep the different corrections distinct finish each off with a stroke, thus /; and to make the alterations more clear or less crowded mark those relating to the left-hand portion on the left margin and those relating to the right-hand portion on the right margin.
The hints given here are intended for the general public and not for the printer, and to the student of these lessons let us say that the first essential of good proof-reading is clearness. Be very sure that the printer will understand the changes which you desire him to make.
Quite often it is an advantage if you wish a particular style of type used to cut out a sample of that style and paste it on your copy or on your proof, indicating that you want it to be used. Instructions to the printer written either on the copy or on the proof should be surrounded by a line to separate them from the text, or to prevent any confusion with other written matter intended as copy or as corrections.
When the corrections have been duly made and approved by the author or editor it is customary to write the word "press" on the top of the first page. If intermediate proofs are wanted, mark on the proofs returned to the printer "Send revise." The final or "press" proof is always retained by the printer in case of any dispute. It is his voucher, and he retains it for future reference.
It is a good plan to make corrections in a different coloured ink from that used by the printer's proof-reader. If you are having a pamphlet or book printed the different proofs will reach you in the following order:
1. _Galley proofs._ 2. _Revised proofs_ (if any).
3. _Page proofs._ 4. _Foundry proofs._
[Ill.u.s.tration: A printer's proof.]
So far as possible, make all the necessary changes while the type is in galleys. Once made up into pages, a very slight change, particularly such a change as the crossing out or addition of a sentence, may make a great deal of trouble. When the pages are pa.s.sed upon they are sent to the foundry for casting. The foundry proofs are the last proofs pulled.
Corrections made on these make it necessary to alter the electrotype plates, which is rather an expensive process. To change a word, a piece of the metal plate has to be cut out and another with the new word soldered in.
[Ill.u.s.tration: A printer's corrected proof.]
A page is said to _overrun_ if it is too long. If the s.p.a.ce to be occupied is limited it is a good plan to adapt your copy to it by counting the words and by comparing the count with that of some printed page in the same size of type.
Return proofs to your printer or publisher as promptly as possible. As a rule printing houses cannot afford to keep type locked up and unused waiting for the return of proofs. There are many imperfections in typography, such as wrong-font and inverted letters, awkward and irregular s.p.a.cing, uneven pages or columns, crooked words and lines, etc., which it is the business of the printing house to correct. No book or pamphlet, therefore, ought to go to press until it has been read and revised by an experienced reader.
Strict uniformity should always be preserved in the use of capitals, in spelling, and in punctuation.
Where authors have their ma.n.u.scripts type-written and make two or three revises upon the type-written sheets before their copy is turned over to the publis.h.i.+ng house, the labour of proof-reading and the expenses of corrections are reduced to a minimum.
The errors shown in our ill.u.s.tration are more numerous than are likely to appear in any proof sent out from a publis.h.i.+ng house.
