PROOFREADING

I carry out a thorough search for errors in all your visual and aural content. I check the copy, design, layouts and images, as well as all embedded media such as video, audio and animation.

I seek perfection, but I also understand the process by which content is produced, and I know the point at which changes start becoming non-essential or uneconomic to make. Sometimes adding or removing even a single word or line space may have a knock-on effect that drastically alters the layout, so if a change isn’t essential I’ll take a practical view. I use my experience and judgement when making amendments to minimise costs and delays. My pedantry knows its place.

​A thorough proofreading of your content will involve:
  • Checking your copy to correct any mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar.
  • Checking your content to identify misalignments, incorrect type sizes and unintended font changes.
  • Checking for typographical, style and design consistency in headings, sub-headings and text, and in images and media files.
  • Ensuring that all captions correspond to images and are consistent with the text.
  • Checking that colours are used appropriately and consistently (and pointing out obvious accessibility pitfalls such as red on green).
  • Checking that images, videos and sounds render correctly.
  • Checking cross-references.
  • Checking for factual accuracy and consistency, to the extent possible.
  • Drawing your attention to elements that might require copyright acknowledgement and permission.
  • Drawing your attention to any matter that may contravene the laws of libel, obscenity, blasphemy or plagiarism.
  • Producing a style guide, if required, to help you achieve uniformity in style and structure.

​Meanwhile, no proofreader's website would be complete without "Weird Al" Yankovic's fabulous #WordCrimes.