A heart stopping moment or collector’s item?
Printing errors: brown-trouser moments or collectors’ items?
Anyone who has ordered print will know that goolie shrivelling experience when they spot a printing error …
Sometimes it’s a nasty typo. Just try typing Shire and realising two weeks too late that you’ve hit the adjacent “t” key instead of “r” by mistake and you’ll know what I mean.
Or it can be an incorrect telephone number, email address or, heaven forbid, a pricing error.
Can any be classed as less bad than the next?
Probably not.
When the brown stuff hits the air conditioning the fall-out can be catastrophic.
But, perversely for some, they can be hugely profitable.
In 1918 it was discovered that 100 24-cent stamps created to celebrate the US Postal Service had been printed with the image of a Curtis JN-4 aircraft upside down.
This became affectionately known as the inverted Jenny and one was sold for almost £1m in 2016.
Just for the record, proofing errors shouldn’t happen.
But they do. And some are more catastrophic than others.
So …
If you’re ever put in the proofing hot seat here are a few golden rules:
- Always double-check things like phone numbers, email addresses, website URLs and postcodes. Twice. And read them out aloud as you check them.
- Even better, call the number, send an email and see if you get an answer.
- Check names, titles, and prices if there are any.
- Never check your own work. It’s best if done with a fresh pair of eyes.
- Avoid checking proofs on screen if you can.
And NEVER check anything if you are in a rush.
Forensic proof checking is a skill so if you have an eagle-eyed colleague who can spot an aberrant apostrophe at 100 paces then grab them with both hands and don’t let go.
But for now, …
If you want a sounding board or just want to bend my ear, I’m on hand for a chat about anything to do with Print or Web Design.
Stay safe.
Alec