A delicate and difficult skill to master, proofreading is a key step in the production of valuable written communication. A great strapline, an attention grabbing headline and a brilliant advertising slogan all lose substantial impact when printed with a typo. Our eyes tend to focus on the mistake – rather than on the key message. Proofreading is important generally, but the practice becomes especially important in graphic design when working in print. Typos on the web are cheap and easy to fix; typos on a print run of 10,000 copies are a bit more costly to remedy.
Rather than embarrass myself by revealing mistakes from own practice (like getting the postcode wrong on my own company’s stationery), I thought I would use a photo to illustrate the point. The photo – taken on the North Circular last Friday afternoon – also speaks to the importance of checking whether outdoor or vehicle signage is still in good repair.
Do you think Iceland has had many job applicants to be lorry drivers? The pay rate seems a bit low, don’t you think?