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“I Found a Typo!” Why Your Printer Cannot Proofread Your Book
It is the most heartbreaking moment in self-publishing.
You receive your boxes of freshly printed books. You open the cover, flip to page 42, and there it is: a glaring spelling mistake. “Their” instead of “There.”
The first reaction is often to call the printer and ask, “Why didn’t you guys catch this?”
We want your books to be flawless. But to protect your project and your budget, it is crucial to understand the difference between what a printing manufacturer does, and what an editor does.
The Pre-Press Check (What We Do)
When you submit your [Print-Ready PDF] to [Book printing Canada], it goes through a rigorous pre-press inspection.
Our technicians are looking at the mechanics of the file:
- Did you include enough bleed for the cover?
- Are your [Margins and Gutter] set correctly so words don’t get glued into the spine?
- Are the images set to [300 DPI] so they don’t print blurry?
We are checking the structure of the document to ensure the machines can physically print and bind it beautifully.
Proofreading & Editing (What We DO NOT Do)
We do not read your book.
Our commercial digital presses print exactly what is in your PDF file. We do not run spell-check, we do not correct grammar, and we do not check if chapter numbers are sequential.
If you send us a PDF with a typo on the front cover, we will print a high-definition, beautifully laminated typo.
Why? Because it is your intellectual property. In the printing industry, it is a strict rule that the manufacturer never alters the customer’s content. What if a “typo” is actually a fictional slang word in your sci-fi novel? We cannot guess your intentions.
How to Protect Yourself
Before you send your files for [Booklet printing] or book production, you must assume it is the absolute final version.
- Hire a professional editor or proofreader.
- Print a copy on your home printer and read it on paper (your brain catches more errors on physical paper than on a screen).
- Carefully review the Digital Proof we send you before production begins. (Read our [Production Timeline] to understand why this proof approval is your final safety net).
Your words are your responsibility; making those words look incredible on paper is ours.
[> Is your final draft 100% ready? Request a Printing Quote Today]
