Proofing print is very important. But when mistakes are made, they can be quite costly. Sometimes they can be amusing. Let’s face it; nobody is perfect, and that includes us here at Afford A Print!
Even the best visionaries, designers, proof-readers, and the like make mistakes. The great inventor Thomas Edison was once asked about the many times he failed to create a working lightbulb. He said, “I have not failed. I just found 1,000 ways that won’t work.”
In this article, we will look at several failed attempts to print business cards, mailers, and the like and why it is very important to proof read your print.
Here are five examples of where unfortunate mistakes were made.
- The Stretching Business Card. It’s not just important to read what you do, but think about the practicalities of the card itself. One innovative person thought it would be a good idea to develop a stretching business card to advertise his personal training business.
The problem: it took two hands to stretch the business card, in order to read the business contact information. The obvious problem: with two hands stretching the card, a person could not write down or dial the phone number.
- A customer of ours, asked us to print their business card. We had to reproduce the card and once we finished, we tried to call them. We used the number on the design work from their previous card.
After many failed attempts, we emailed, asking them why they were not answering their phone. It became apparent that this was not their phone number. So until that moment, the last batch of business cards they had produced elsewhere carried the incorrect number!
Not proofing print can be costly! - Costume Jewellry Prices. In 2013, a Macy’s store in the USA decided to offer a considerable discount on a necklace, reducing the price from $1,500 to $497. Excited to pass along the savings to their customers, Macy’s printed and distributed a bulk mailer.
The problem: a typo in the mailer listed the price as $47 per necklace, not $497. Macy’s has not disclosed the number of necklaces sold at the costume jewellry price before the typo was caught.
Need help with proofing print? Talk with us today.
- Racist and Cannibalistic Cookbook. In 2010, Penguin of Australia published “The Pasta Bible.” One recipe called for “salt and freshly ground black pepper.”
Unfortunately, the publisher was rightly horrified to learn that the word “pepper” was inadvertently replaced with the word “people.” When made aware of the epic typo, the publisher quickly destroyed the 7,000 copies of the cookbook remaining in stock, at a cost of $20,000!
- Everyone’s a Winner! A car dealership in New Mexico, USA, printed and mailed 50,000 scratch-off ads, promising that one person would win a $1,000 Grand Prize.
The problem: an error at the printer resulted in every scratcher being a winner! It cost the dealership $250,000 in $5 store gift cards to appease all of the people who claimed to be the Grand Prize winner.
What happens if you find you did a major typo in your design after it’s printed by us?
What if you accidently put a wrong phone number or email address?
Don’t panic. Watch our video on the matter:
Why proofing your print matters
Before sending your work to print, people often ask whether it has been proofread. There is a good reason for this. Proofreading plays a crucial role in ensuring your final product looks professional and communicates effectively.
Put simply, proofreading helps you:
- catch grammar, spelling, and formatting errors
- ensure your message is clear and suitable for your audience
- produce a polished, high-quality printed piece
Errors can undermine your message
Have you ever read something filled with mistakes?
Even if a document looks professional at first glance, errors can quickly distract the reader. As a result, your message may be lost, and the overall impact weakened.
More importantly, frequent mistakes can harm your reputation. Instead of focusing on what you are trying to say, readers may focus on what is wrong.
Why proofreading your own work is difficult
Many people try to proofread their own writing, but this is often challenging.
Because you wrote the content, you already know what you intended to say. This familiarity makes it easy to overlook mistakes, even when you read the text multiple times.
You might remember being told at school to check your work carefully. However, in practice, it is surprisingly easy to miss the same error again and again.
For this reason, a fresh pair of eyes is far more effective at spotting issues you may have missed.
Small mistakes can change everything
Over time, it becomes clear just how common proofreading oversights can be. In some cases, it is obvious that a piece has not been checked at all.
Even minor grammatical errors can completely change the meaning of a sentence. For example:
“Let’s eat kids”
“Let’s eat, kids”
A simple comma makes all the difference.
In addition, mistakes can make your content harder to read. What should be clear and engaging can quickly become confusing.
Proof before you print
One of the most important things to remember is that printers do not proofread your work as standard. They simply print what you provide.
As a result, any errors in your file will appear in the final product. This is why proofreading before printing is essential.
By taking this extra step, you can avoid unnecessary mistakes, save time, and prevent potential embarrassment.
A simple step for a better result
While proofreading may not catch every single error, it significantly reduces the risk.
Whether you are producing a flyer, leaflet, poster, or booklet, investing in proofreading is a small cost compared to the value it adds. It helps you feel confident in your finished product and maintains a professional image.
In some cases, it could even make the difference between success and rejection.
How we can help
At Afford A Print, we want your print project to look its absolute best. We never want your work to fall short due to avoidable mistakes.
If you would like support with proofreading before printing, get in touch with us for more details.
Here at Afford A Print, we want the very best for your print project. We never want to see your project on a list like the one at the top of this article! Would you like proofreading for your print project?
You can have confidence in Afford A Print by reading our online testimonials on Google, Facebook and Freeindex. Choose Afford A Print, where we have the cure for the common card!