Marginal mark order convention

Corrections read left to right across a line.

Also known as: Correction sequence convention, Left to right proof marks

Engineering & technicalEveryday & digitalStandard profile

Meanings

The convention that several corrections on one line are written in the margin in the order they occur in the text.

Officially standardisedVerified fact
Places several corrections on one line in the margin in the order they occur in the text.
Contexts: Technical drawing
Officially standardisedVerified fact
Separates them with an upright stroke, so the margin reads as a list rather than as one long instruction.
Contexts: Technical drawing

Several marks written side by side in one margin, separated by upright strokes and read in the same order as the text.

Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
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.

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

Meanings

The convention that several corrections on one line are written in the margin in the order they occur in the text.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Places several corrections on one line in the margin in the order they occur in the text.

Officially standardisedVerified fact

Separates them with an upright stroke, so the margin reads as a list rather than as one long instruction.

Confidence

Visual matchModerate confidence: Moderate confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far.
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.

Sources

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