Lower mark

A bracket pushing matter downward.

Also known as: Lower matter, Drop mark proofreading

Engineering & technicalEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

The proof correction mark instructing that matter be lowered on the page.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Instructs that matter be lowered on the page.
Contexts: Technical drawing
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Completes four directional marks which between them cover every direction matter can be moved on a page.
Contexts: Technical drawing

A horizontal bracket drawn below the matter with its open side facing up towards the text.

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but early or supporting evidence is limited, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is defined by a current official standard, but only a single source has been found so far.
Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.

BS 5261 — Copy preparation and proof correction
British Standards Institution · retrieved 2026-08-21
The British Standard defining proof-correction marks and their marginal counterparts. Paywalled, so records describe the marks as documented in secondary summaries of the standard rather than quoting its text. Authoritative for British practice; American convention differs in several marks.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24