Approving Pageproofs

Pageproofs are laser printouts that show what your copy will look like on the final printed page. For simple projects, you may see only one or two pageproofs. More extensive projects may require more.

Review this proof for accuracy of text and format–including page sequence, page size, and margin widths. If alterations are required, indicate them clearly in ink. Occasionally we may offer a suggestion in pencil. If we have, and you agree with us, please indicate your approval by circling in ink. Any such marks that are not circled will be ignored by us when we make corrections.

If you notice an error that we made, mark the correction in ink as usual but add “oc” near the correction (“OC”; is shorthand for Our Correction). It’s also nice if you acknowledge the alterations you are making to the proof. Mark these with an “AA” (for Author’s Alteration).

While changes in pageproofs are relatively easy to make, extensive corrections will affect cost and/or may affect schedule.

The Yellow Sheet

Each pageproof should come to you under the cover of a Proof Approval sheet. This sheet shows the history of approvals so far and what we are returning with the new proof–usually all previously supplied materials like manuscript, photos, disks, or previously approved proofs. To help you keep your project on schedule, we also include a “Return proof by” date. Please let us know if you are choosing to keep the proof later than that date.

Unless we specifically ask for an item to be returned, the only thing we expect back is the approved proof and the green sheet with your signature and date. What of all this returned material should you keep on file? We recommend that all material leading up to a printed piece be maintained until the piece has been delivered and reviewed by you.

Marking Proofs

Believe it or not, there is a system for marking corrections on proofs. Download our pdf (portable document format) file that you can open, read, and print-out using the Adobe Acrobat Reader application.