Proof a client document
Find overlooked spacing and editorial inconsistencies without treating every mark as an instruction to change the copy.
- Goal
- A current, understandable proofing pass with intentional exceptions preserved.
- Starting profile
- Editorial QA
- Include
- Typography + Styles
Prepare a representative pass
Find overlooked spacing and editorial inconsistencies without treating every mark as an instruction to change the copy. Use a saved working copy, identify the intended active document, and check the inspection scope before interpreting a result. A profile is an inspection brief, not a command to repair the document.
Follow the workflow
- Save a working copy and select a representative spread or short page range. Confirm paragraph languages and the intended team policy.
- Include Typography and Styles. Inspect, then read Results from and coverage notices before trusting the list.
- Review obvious spacing and repeated-word examples first. Use the offered Show in text action for exact evidence; paragraph context is a broader orientation aid.
- Open unfamiliar rules in Typography Rules or the Colour Atlas. Check quotation, unit, date and currency findings against the publication convention.
- Edit deliberately in InDesign when the occurrence offers no appropriate supported correction. Keep intentional typography and record a review decision when useful.
- Update inspection after edits, then complete the intended full scope. Clear the active visualization and inspect a clean proof PDF.
Read Typography advice before editing
Select a finding and read Found, Suggested when offered, and Text locale. Review in context gives guidance without a guessed replacement. Advice itself edits no text. Verify meaning, make a deliberate edit in InDesign if justified, then inspect again. Read the full recommendation workflow →
How to recognize a finished pass
- The final scope and included modules are recorded.
- The copy retains its meaning and accepted exceptions are understood.
- Reports and the proof PDF describe the intended final version.
Where judgement matters
- A dismissed item is not a text correction.
- A correct excerpt does not establish that the rest of the document was checked.
Does a finding mean I must change the document?
No. Check intent, scope, current evidence and available actions. Retaining an intentional occurrence can be the correct decision. Record the supported review status when useful; it does not edit the source text.