Ten Things You Can Do to Avoid Mistakes
Oh, No!! How did I miss that? It is the nightmare of everybody involved with design, approval and buying print -- errors. Especially those caught after its gone on press. Unfortunately, your best efforts will sometimes be in vain. It's just human nature. However, there are things you can do to make this a rare occurrence rather than a regular one.
Compose in a word processor, not a design layout program.
Software programs meant for designing (Adobe InDesign, Quark XPress) have spell-checking features, but they do not catch everything a word processing program could. Design in design programs and write in word processing programs. You can edit your copy later, if needed, to fit the design.
Don’t rely on your computer to do all your proofreading.
Sometimes your software does a great job, but it won’t find all of your errors. Have people proofread your work. Not only will they catch mistakes, but you may also find that their suggestions make your writing better and more easily understood. And, it helps if you proofread from hard copy, not your computer screen.
Break proofreading into steps.
After merging your copy with your design, read it once for spelling and punctuation, again for grammar and word usage, and then again for spacing and formatting elements. Your brain, as smart as you may be, can’t do it all at once. H.J. Tichy, author of Effective Writing, speaks of five revisions:
- Content (Too much? Too little? Right for reader?)
- Clarity (word choice, ambiguity, etc.)
- Correctness (grammar, usage, etc.)
- Brevity
- Style
Once you’ve gone through these steps, you can proofread for typing mistakes only.
Mark errors using standard proofreaders’ marks.
Consistency in using corrective marks leads to consistency in interpreting corrective marks.
Do not proofread your own work, if possible.
It sounds simple, but so often deadlines and schedules get in the way of proper proofreading. When you proofread your own work, your mind already knows what comes next and it isn’t really seeing what has been written, making it very easy to miss errors. Having more than one other person proofread copy is ideal. Some printers, including NPC, offer proofreading services that will give you a fresh set of professional eyes on your documents.
Prepare your files correctly.
Mistakes in the files submitted can result in dissatisfaction with the final piece. In fact, with so many possibilities, we’ll save this list for forthcoming feature topic.
Write thorough specifications.
The more information you can give your printer about what your final project is expected to look like, the better. Specify your project to your printer being sure to include elements like bleeds, spot colors, die-cuts, perforations, page sizing, trapping, and color matching well before submitting your files.
Take the proofreading stage of the print production process seriously.
Since some time may lapse between finishing your files and receiving your proof, you may see your document with fresh eyes and notice things that you didn’t see before. This proofreading stage is the last chance to fix things before they hit the press! Don’t be afraid to make the corrections yourself or request your printer to do it. Catching the mistakes later in the production cycle will cost you more than a second round of proofs or prepress corrections.
If you catch a mistake after you’ve approved proofs, call your printer.
The earlier you catch the mistakes, the less it will cost you. You may incur fees and extra set-ups to cover the costs of used resources, but at least you won’t be faced with a large quantity of pieces destined for the recycling bin.
Mistakes will still happen; fix what you can.
If an error was made and the piece has already been distributed, use other media sources, such as your website, to make necessary changes or announce corrections.