Movable type on a composing stick

In printing and publication, proofs are preliminary versions of publications. They may be uncut and unbound, or in some cases electronic. They are normally created as part of the proofreading and copyediting processes, but can be used for promotional and review purposes also.

Galley proofs are so named because in the days of hand-set type, the printer would set the page into "galleys": metal trays into which the type was laid and tightened into place. These would be used to print a limited number of copies for editing mark-up. The printer would then receive the edits, re-arrange the type, and print the final version.

Some publishers use paper galley proofs as advance reading copies, providing them to reviewers, magazines, and libraries in advance of final publication. These proofs are normally bound, but may be lacking illustrations (or have them in black and white only). Proofs in electronic form are rarely used as advance reading copies due to the possibility of a recipient editing the proof and issuing it as their own.

Proofs issued earlier in the proofreading and copyediting process are called either galleys or galley proofs, while those created in a near-final version for editing and checking purposes are called page proofs. It is at this stage that most mistakes have already been corrected, and any mistake caught at this stage will be very expensive to correct. Page proofs typically also have a near-final layout, so that the layout can be examined also. Page proofs also have the final pagination, which facilitates compiling the index.

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