February 2009

For whatever reason I’ve been blessed (frankly, sometimes it feels like cursed) with eagle eyes. No matter where I go, or what I do I see typos, bad grammar, and misaligned words and images. I can’t remember reading a book where there wasn’t a typo. I drive down the road and see them on highway signs. I see more typos at the movies when the credits are rolling at the end. With all the people listed in the credits not one of them is a proofreader for what they’re scrolling on the screen? And, I see them on Web sites and in blog posts on a regular basis. Why is it that no one else seems to notice these obvious mistakes? Could it be that no one else really cares? If that were the case I would end this post now. But I do believe that most professionals do care. So, below I’ve provided 7 key proofreading techniques I use, to help you in your next written or graphical endeavor.

1. Step forward then back. Reading your copy from left to right, beginning to end, as your readers will helps to ensure your prose makes sense. However, reading that same copy from right to left and bottom to top helps keep you focused on individual words, rather than sentences, to ensure those words are spelled correctly and that punctuation is used properly. Start at the end of the document and work your way forward for best results.
2. Turn it upside down. If you need to align text, numbers, or images, a simple way to check the alignment is to view your page upside down and from each side. Think this doesn’t work for electronic documents? Well think again. Sure, you can’t easily turn the page upside down when viewing a Web page. But, you can print out the page (see step 6 below). By viewing the page from different angles it takes the focus off of the content and puts it onto the visual aspects.
3. Take it one at a time. Don’t try to proof for every type of error at once. Create a list of what you need to proof for and reread the document, watching for one type of error at a time. Look for spelling, then capitalization, punctuation, titles, subtitles, columns, math, and pagination. Check for line spacing, alignment of columns, captions, font sizes and styles, color use, and rules. Check that captions match their images. Then look at the document again as a whole to see that it all fits together.
4. Look it up. There are wonderful reference books and tools available, even for the novice writer. I never leave home without my Chicago Manual of Style, The Merriam-Webster dictionary, and The Associated Press Stylebook. These tools also have online versions that you can use to personalize for your specific needs. Don’t forget to use spell check in your word processing application too. Another nice little book you should have in your library is Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style. And, don’t forget your friends and colleagues. Another set of eyes is a great tool and asset to any proofreader.
5. Print it out. Whether you are writing or designing for print or online, always, ALWAYS print out your document to proofread it. Eyes get fatigued looking at words and images on the screen for an extended period of time. And while you’re at it, cover it up. Use a blank sheet of white paper to block out text and graphics to let you focus on one line or visual at a time.
6. Read aloud and slowly. Does your writing sound the same when you read it out loud as you thought it did when you wrote it? Reading your copy aloud and slowly calls attention to inappropriate wording, pauses, and punctuation. It lets you watch for little words that are easy to miss such as “to,” “in,” “it,” and “is.” It may help to identify misuse of a homonym too (i.e., there or their).
7. Got time? When you get ready to proofread, make sure you have adequate time for the task. Proofreading takes time. There is no way around it. If you rush it, you are sure to have mistakes in your materials. It’s that simple. Also, proofreading in the morning, after your eyes have rested overnight, gives you the best chances of success.

I’ve highlighted some of the top techniques I use for successful proofreading. Now it’s time for you to get to work. Take a look at your marketing materials, Web site content, and your past blog posts with fresh eyes and the above seven techniques for successful proofreading. What do you see? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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