Top proofreading tips: proofreading tables, diagrams and design materials within a text.

All proofreaders are aware of the importance of picking up spelling and grammar mistakes when proofreading or copyediting, of improving sentence structure and cohesion and generally overhauling the standard of a piece of text. Another important feature of editing services some proofreaders may not have come up against is the inclusion of tables, diagrams or design materials within a text, which can be daunting for the proofreader the first time they are encountered. Follow our simple guide for some top proofreading tips to get you started.

Proofreading tables

Tables may look complex and the first instinct when considering a proofreading job with tables may be to ignore them and simply focus on the text. However it is in fact much easier than you might think to proofread them quickly and effectively for a more complete and thorough edit.

• Check all headings and words within the table for spelling and grammar as many writers are sloppy here, feeling it is a less ‘formal’ area.

• Ensure that any underlining or capitalisation of titles of columns is consistent throughout the table.

• Check that the figures in a particular row or column add up to the correct total shown at the end of the row or bottom of the column; think of it as ‘mathematical proofreading’!

• Ensure that the table is neat and centred – many writers are not familiar with the table tool and may leave extra blank cells which need to be deleted using the table toolbar to make the table look neater and more professional.

• If the table is difficult to easily follow, consider adding alternate colours to adjacent columns to differentiate clearly between them.

Proofreading diagrams

Diagrams are often tailored specifically to the writer’s particular project so there are no hard and fast rules as you may encounter many variations. However the following top tips should help when proofreading texts including diagrams.

• Diagrams should always be spaced centrally on the page, not caught between two pages or awkwardly close to the top or bottom of the text. Ensure there is ample space around the diagram to allow it to be clearly seen without clutter.

• Regardless of the subject matter, diagrams should always be clearly labelled, whether with a code and a key or with neat, clear labels within the diagram itself. If the latter technique is applied, labels should be clearly attached to relevant parts of the diagram with straight, black lines and where necessary descriptions should be enclosed in a text box for neatness and clarity.

• Ensure that labels are uniform in the use of capitalisation and full stops as many writers will vary here.

Proofreading design materials

The trickiest category to define, design materials might consist of drawings, images, logos or plans within a proofreading job. This will often be the area least in need of alteration by the proofreader as it will be so specific to the particular text, but it is worth checking for clarity and definition, especially as many design materials do not transfer well to slides or come out clearly when printed.

Again, the proofreader or copy editor should ensure clarity, neatness and uniformity of font, capital letters and italicisation or underlining in any text or labelling included within the design material.