(3) Change of place, whether of a letter, a word, or many words, is called transposition. Such change within a line is indicated by a line drawn above. below. or around the first letter, word. or words, and under or above those follow ing, to a caret indicating the new place for the matter shifted, and by written in the margin. For transposing letters merely, it is much better to cross them and write the letters themselves in proper order, especially for machine composi tion. To transpose paragraphs, a line is made alongside the first and a connecting line to its new place, and 'tr.' is written opposite the first. Many write 'transfer,' but 'transpose' is the printers' word.
(4) For change of type, a line should be drawn under the text and 'rom' written for substitution of roman instead of italic. 'ital.' for ro man to italic, 'i.e.' for lower-ease, `s.c.' or 's. caps' for small capitals, and 'c.' or 'caps' for capitals. For a single letter or two letters together it is economical to write the letters themselves in the margin, with one line underscoring for italic, two lines for small capitals. and three for capitals: but in changing a single letter it is better to write the letter itself, in its proper form. than to use the abbreviations indicating that form. because thus only one character is written in stead of four or more. One line is sufficient in any case under the type that is to be removed. In manuscript one line of underscoring directs the use of italic: two, small capitals: and three. capitals.
(5) To correct type of wrong form—too heavy. too light. etc.—'w.f., meaning 'wrong font' (type of a wrong kind). is written.
(6) A direction to leave unchanged anything that has been crossed is given by making dots under it and writing 'stet' (meaning 'let it stand a. it is') in the margin.
(7) Omission of a word or words is called an 'out' by printer-, but that of a point or a part of a word is not so called, though the method of correoing is the same. A caret ( A) is made in the place for insertion, and the character or words (the 'out') written directly opposite when possible; but otherwise it may be placed according to convenience, with a line drawn to it. When an 'out' is too long to write in the margin. the proof-reader writes in its place 'out, see copy.' marks the matter omitted on the copy, and sends it to the compositor with the proof. For insertion of a space, the sign # is written in line with the caret. A square ( [D) is made for insertion of an em or square of space.
(S) Superior and inferior characters are in dicated thus: v e, i i The first of these marks is au apostrophe, never called a 'superior comma' by printers, who would hardly know it by that name.
(0) The meaning 'turn this character right' is indicated by the mark 9 . Some proof-readers make it Q in the right-hand margin, but sim plicity is gained and nothing is lost by making it always the same.
(10) A mark „' indicates that a space (a low blank type) is to be pushed down so that it will not print.
( II) Crookedness of lines is noted by strokes ( -=.1 above and below and repeated in margin.
(12) Elimination of space between characters is directed by the use of tie-marks ( 0). These should also be used above and below the tide mark ('delete') when letters from between which a hyphen is removed are to be drawn together. When a space is to be used in place of the hyphen, the marking should be the same as for changing a letter—the hyphen crossed out and a spaec-mark written in the margin.
(13) A new paragraph is ordered instead of a mere sentence by making a caret and placing the sign I in the margin. Change from a paragraph to a sentence is shown by a connecting mark from the lower line to the upper and in the margin either `no or 'run in.' (14) Reduction of space between words is directed by a mark (V) at the top of the let ters. which is equivalent to writing "Take out some of the space." (15) Marks expressive of meanings that could not be more clearly told are 71 L....1[ ]. They are used when anything is to be raised, lowered, or drawn to left or right.
The matter of convenience in the arrangement of marginal marks is worthy of very careful consideration. The proof-readers whose practice is best are those who have begun with serious determination that such convenience must be conserved, and have never allowed haste or pres sure of any kind to swerve them from this path of rectitude. Authors and editors might well exercise similar care. Often their markings are made with lines alternating upward and down ward, with so little regularity as to make them resemble something "reticulated or decussated at equal distances, with interstices between the in tersections" (Johnson's definition of network), and the correcting of the type from such mark ings is very expensive, because it takes so mueb time. and is seldom done accurately. Profes sional proof-readers detect errors with more facil ity than is common to other persons; but, aside from knowledge of typographic technicality, their peculiar comparative certainty is merely the result of constant practice.