This article is a list of standard proofreader's marks used to indicate and correct problems in a text. The marks may be abstract symbols, abbreviations, or (in some cases) entire spelled-out words. These are usually handwritten on the paper containing the text. These indicators are interleaved in the text or placed in margins. Different languages use different proofreading marks and sometimes publishers have their own in-house proofreading marks.
Lists of these marks can often be found in relevant standards like ISO 5776 or BS 5261, style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style, encyclopedias such as the Encyclopædia Britannica, dictionaries such as the OED, and instructive materials for editors and proofreaders.
Abbreviations These abbreviations are those prescribed by the Chicago Manual of Style. Other conventions exist. Abbreviation Meaning Use bf Boldface Set in boldface caps Capitalize Set in capital letters eq # Equalize spacing fl Flush left Align text flush with left margin fr Flush right Align text flush with right margin hr # Insert hair space ital Italics Set in italic type lc Lower case Set in lowercase ls Letterspace Adjust letterspacing rom Roman Put in Roman (non-italic) font sc Small caps Put text in small caps set Insert question mark sp Spell out Used to indicate that an abbreviation should be spelled out, such as in its first use Let it stand Indicates that proofreading marks should be ignored and the copy unchanged tr transpose Transpose the two words selected wf Wrong font Put text in correct font ww Wrong word Wrong word used (e.g. to/too)
Symbols
Most, but not all, of these symbols can be found in The Chicago Manual of Style. If Unicode contains a character that can be confidently identified with the symbol, its codepoint will be listed; otherwise the symbol in the symbol column is either an image, an html creation, or a typographical approximation using a similar unicode symbol.
Symbol Name Symbol(s) Meaning Example of Use Dele or various Delete Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) ¶ Begin new paragraph Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) ¶ no Remove paragraph break Caret (Unicode U+2038, 2041, 2380) ‸ or ⁁ or ⎀ Insert (Unicode U+0023) # Insert space Close up (Unicode U+2050) ⁐ Tie words together, eliminating a space I was reading the news⁐paper this morning. ] [ Center text ] Move text right [ Move text left M̲ Insert em dash N̲ Insert en dash ☉ Insert full stop ⚪︎ Insert punctuation (the punctuation mark wanted is shown inside the circle.)
Manuscripts Depending on local conventions, selected text may be underscored (underlined) to indicate any special formatting or typeface to be used, with an explanatory abbreviation written in the margin.
The more common conventions are these: single dashed underline for , 'let it stand', proof-reading mark cancelled. The margin note may be added. single straight underline for italic type single wavy underline for bold type double straight underline for double underline of one straight line and one wavy line for bold italic triple underline for FULL CAPITAL LETTERS (used among small caps or to change text already typed as lower case).
See also
Notes
References
External links
British Standards Institution BS 5261C:2005 – Hardcopy for purchase (Online summary of BS5261, open access via "Proofmarks") BSI proof-correction marks (conforming to BS 5261C:2005) as prepared by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading The style guide for publications of the European Union is presented in 24 European languages and includes a section on proofreading. Each edition has a sheet of proofreader's marks that appears to be the same apart from the language used to describe the marks. The section cautions that "it should be realised that the typesetter may not understand the language in which the text is written". English French German Italian etc.