What Is Proofreading In Pre Press?

In pre press phase there are many sub phases which, determines the accuracy of the content or image to be printed in digital or laser printing format. Proofreading is one such phase which is defined as an examination of galley proof before it is actually sent for printing. In general terms, people often identify proofreading as copy editing and use both of the terms interchangeably, although the literal meaning of both the terms differs significantly for printers and publishers. Here, we will discuss proofreading from printers view.

Pre press activity begins as the type of project being taken. It can be brochures, advertising banners, books or manuals. These are drafted using texts, artworks, chart, graphs or all of them. Once a basic format has been created the sample is checked by the copy editor and not proofreader for error(s). At this preliminary stage, the document is checked for multiple times by the copy editor for error if there is any.

During the editing process being carried out by the editor the draft copy is closely examined for error that might include misused or misspelled words, incorrect grammar, poor content quality and typos. Before the copy passed on to the proofreader, it is the responsibility of the editor to catch all the errors.

The role of proofreading come after the document has been completely edited and forwarded for typesetting. Once the document is typeset, a printed copy of the document or manuscript is provided to the proofreader for meticulous examination of text and art related errors. Then the proofreader confirms that that the document is free of errors and assure that there will no error in the final printed copies.