Copy-Editing Markup Colors
From From “Preparing the Text for the Typesetter¨ in Butcher’s Copy-Editing
[…] you should make your corrections clearly and boldly to attract attention as the typesetter looks down the page. Red ballpoint is a popular choice as the corrections stand out well on the hard copy and show up clearly on a photocopy or if the publisher scans your copy-edited typescript to be sent as an electronic file to an overseas typesetter. Some publishers are red for the structural mark-up of headings, etc., and blue for textual editing so that instructions and corrections are clearly distinguished for the designer and typesetter.
In general, then, the conventional colors for editorial mark-up are (Butcher 2006, 50):
- 🔴 Red ink for textual correctional editing
- 🔵 Blue ink for structural design/layout/compositional editing (for the designer or other editors)
markup structural_editing textual_editing editing editor editors copy-editor copy-editing copy-editors proofreader proofreaders proofreading design graphic_design typography designers layout layout_artists composition
bibliography
- “Preparing the Text for the Typesetter.” In Butcher’s Copy-Editing: The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Copy-Editors and Proofreaders, 4th ed., 28–68. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006.