Spell and Grammar Check woes

[Vikia]

Completive or Competitive...both are spelled right, both are adjectives!
But only Competitive is the correct word.

This is a case where you just cannot rely on electronic checking. Proof-reading the old fashioned way is the only way this error would have been caught.

And although the client supplied the text to me this way, I feel compelled to pay a portion of the reprint as I failed in my proof-reading skills. I should have caught this! I did actually proof-read...I thought!

Oh well, glad this day is over. :o

[steve-o]

A couple of tricks I learned about proof reading:

1) read from the end to the beginning

2) sound out each letter of each word (this one can take a while).

-Steve-o

[Vikia]

Yep I use those tricks myself. I let my guard down because the client supplied the copy from his copywriters and I was supposed to just copy and paste the text into a preformatted template. DOH! Never let your guard down! Reprints suck!

[CatintheHat1]

I have it my agreement that all proofreading is 100% the client's responsibility, and I send revised proofs if they want a comma changed. You can't keep ahead of these people, it's just not possible. They have all the time in the world to create and edit the copy so it's sent clean to the designer, so I certainly wouldn't be paying for a reprint - not even if YOU made the typo. If they okay the work, that's that.

I did pay to resubmit a file once though, although the font embedded fine in the PDF, the apostrophes changes to foreign characters. I used Illy to create the file, Distiller to PDF it...and I've never had a problem with the font before (Aldine) and could not even recreate the problem in another file, although it happened each time in that one file....weird!!

Grumpy

[greyghost]

Cat: I have a similar clause in my contract: proofreading is the client's responsibility.

[Patrick Shannon]

I haven't goofed on a typo in a long time, but whenever on the odd occasion I did, I'd always get yelled at by mein fuhrer (even if the client signed off on it already).

It's incredibly tough for me to proofread at times, because I'm rushed through the hoops so fast. When proofing on screen, it's tough to see on a 15 inch monitor.

The way I see it, I have to proof lots and lots of jobs in one day, and a client only has to proof just one. Besides, because they're familiar with their own information, they're more likely to catch things than you are.

Sometimes tired eyes do no good, I sometimes hold onto jobs for an additional day and take a look at them in the morning with a fresh set of eyes.

[D-Zine]

My best one was still the "Quality Pant Job" but I managed to get a chuckle out of it since I caught it before it went to press.

Sorry about the reprint Vikia!!

[Vikia]

My client was great about it and told me that it was his error and not to worry about it. I wish all my clients were so great!

[Vikia]

I should probably add something in about proofreading into mine as well. Will think on that tomorrow. At least everyone is happy. Even the printer offered to take the sting out of the reprint and discounted it by 15%. Amazingly nice people all around!

[Vikia]

LOL that is a good one D-Zine!

[uncle carbunkle]

horey vkiia!

[D-Zine]

LOL that is a good one D-Zine!

LOL thanks! Should have been "Quality Paint Job" but somehow my typos are always of a sexual nature :o

[Drawing a Blank]

I had a situation recently that caused a big stir here.
I did a re-design for a clients POS packaging (24 count single row primary, holds 24 packets) and a redesign for the packets. I used client supplied copy in two languages, English and French. I don't speak French (and evryone here knows that fact). The client approved the preliminary sketch, final artwork and print proofs as did the account rep for the client. Only when it came back from the printer did my company decide to have the one person who speaks French, who is the account rep for this client, actually read the copy.
They came to me and asked me "Why is this mis-spelled? That should be an E not an A!"
In a language I don't speak, from client supplied copy that he approved 3 times, that she had approved three times there is a mistake and it is my fault???? WTF
I told the account rep (and pulled out signed approvals from her and client) that proofing copy that a client supplied has always been the clients responsability in this company. Everbody was pointing the finger at me so I struck back by posting copies of all of the approvals and asking publically why the one person in this company who speaks French, who is the account rep for this client, who signed off on the artwork before it was printed didn't actually read the packaging until it came back from the printers, but signed 3 approvals for artwork along the way. After that incident the marketing department shut the ***** up about the mis-spelling.
Hang in there Vikia it could be worse. You could have a copy error and have to deal with a spineless marketing department too!

[Vikia]

¡Bon! Elle est responsable pour l'erreur.

Glad you put this back in her lap. Completely not your fault when you do not even speak or read French. (LOL, I don't speak or read French either. Had to consult a English to French Dictionary.)

[CatintheHat1]

I remember at the newspaper a huge grocery store chain sent its copy read-to-go and heaven help the person who dared question the **lady** in charge - so no one ever dared. It was pretty funny the day a heading ran across a full broadsheet that read: "100% all beef pork chops"..hahahah...anyway, she calls me, totally freaked out and I couldn't stop laughing, which didn't help...she was going on and on about professionalism. Their bloody company had a monopoly in our area, I explained to her that the worst that could happen is a few people would chuckle at it and someone might mistake her for human (doubt it, though). My own boss nearly peed his pants when I told him.

Cat

[morea]

there is an excellent resource here:

http://dictionary.reference.com/help/faq/language/browsefaq.html

I have found it very helpful...

[Kool]

I wonder if they had a big line of Muslim & Jewish shoppers after that ad. http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/koolsmiley.gif

[DonnaL]

On a menu... completed, signed off and printed, later came back for reprints

Stake and eggs......