I think it's an unspoken rule that you can't catch all errors until something is printed or published. I'm sure you can relate to this experience. You proof a document or an ad 1, 2, 15 times. It gets looked at by multiple eyes in the Creative Department, Account Services, a few other departments, maybe even an actual proofer. Everything looks beautiful. Then, time goes by, and you get a sample in the mail. Your beautiful advertisement is on the back cover of a magazine. Or a full page newspaper spread. Or a headlining news release. And you smile at the fruit of your hours upon hours of labor. And then you see it. Plain as day. Staring at you with a taunting demeanor. It's too late to do anything about it. There in unforgiving ink, is a typo. Maybe your client is open on Firday. Or the phone number has a 3 instead of an 8. Now you start to frantically think through whether or not you were the final set of eyes and if you will have a desk to sit at tomorrow.
It's funny how our society works. Something as trivial as a misspelled word is a death sentence to your company. One look at a typo and no one thinks "Oh, they must have been working late hours and paying a lot of attention to this piece for their mind to block out that mistake." One look at a typo and one immediately thinks- Unprofessional. No attention to detail. Inexcusable. Tough world we live in.
Especially since, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?
For tips on how to better proofread, check out these words of wisdom from Grammar Girl.
Mood: Human
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