Chapter 7 Digital Prepress 151
Two-person proofi ng requires the reader to
work with an assistant. This is the most common
proofreading method when accuracy and speed are
important. It is frequently used with larger jobs, such
as a textbook. The two people are referred to as the
reader and the copyholder. The reader follows the
printed design proof (or computer screen display)
to check closely for errors. The copyholder follows
the original manuscript. Usually, the two take turns
reading to each other. Each word must be carefully
pronounced and the reading pace must not be too
fast. The reader must have time to scan the letters of
each word, check punctuation, style, and other items.
A special jargon or language often develops
between the reader and copyholder. For instance,
some readers pronounce each capital letter as “cap”
and each period as “peer” to denote the beginning
and end of a sentence.
Spell Check Programs
A spell check program, also called a spellchecker
or proofi ng program, is incorporated into the majority
of word processing software. Depending on the
operator’s preference, the program automatically
checks the spelling of each word as it is typed, or all the
words in a document when typesetting is complete.
A spell check program compares words in the
document with those in the program dictionary. If a
word is spelled incorrectly, a correction is suggested,
Figure 7-35. The typesetter can accept the suggested
spelling or may enter the proper spelling to be applied
to the document. Spell check programs also permit
unusual spellings or technical words to be added to
the program dictionary.
Spell check programs can be very helpful
to production speed and quality. When properly
used, they can greatly reduce typos and make the
correction cycle much more effi cient. A proofreader
must still review the copy. However, with fewer typing
errors, more attention can be given to checking style,
illustration references, sequence, and other important
content and typesetting aspects.
Prefl ighting
In addition to generating various types of proofs
before sending fi les to a printer, the fi les should be
prefl ighted. Prefl ighting is an orderly review of fi les
to identify items that could cause problems at the
output or prepress stage. To make sure prefl ighting
goes smoothly, discuss fi le format and preparation
with the printer while the project is still in the design
stage. Knowing their requirements ahead of time will
save both time and money.
According to the Printing Industries of America
(PIA), some of the most common problems with the
fi les customers provide are:
• Missing or incorrect fonts.
• Missing or incorrect trapping.
• File defi ned with incorrect color (RGB vs.
CMYK).
• Scans supplied in wrong fi le format.
• Graphics not linked.
• Incorrectly defi ned or under defi ned bleeds.
• No laser proofs supplied.
Marked copy
Corrected copy
Figure 7-34. This is an example of how proofreader’s
marks are used to identify and correct copy problems.
Note the caret placed at the point of error, and the
correction symbol written in the margin.
Figure 7-35. This spellchecker highlighted a word in
the text and displayed it in a separate window. The
most likely correct spelling is shown in the
Change To:
box, but one or more additional suggestions are often
presented, as well.