In today’s publishing environments we must edit quickly, push documents through a review process in a short time using the internet, email, faxing, and instant messaging as the principal means of communication, and keep accurate records of the review process. The two main programs used for these processes are Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat.

Microsoft Word is the ideal program for editing documents that are primarily text. As a word processing program, Word has the full complement of features needed for text editing: spell check, grammar check, auto format, auto correct, version tracking, change tracking, and the ability to compare documents. Word allows multiple authors/editors to make changes to the document, allows for a complete, detailed review of those changes, and then provides the capability of incorporating the changes into the text to create a final, clean document.

Adobe Acrobat is the better program for editing or reviewing documents that contain graphics and complex layouts when only few or minimal corrections need to be made to the text. Although Acrobat provides the capability of marking corrections to text, it does not provide spell checking, grammar checking, and auto correcting options. Further, it does not have the capability of finalizing the changes to create a finished document. Its strengths are its ability to accurately display complex layouts, fonts, and graphics and the commenting and marking tools it provides for indicating changes without actually altering the document. Its free-hand drawing markup tools provide great flexibility for marking changes to layout and design.

The two programs can be used together effectively. This book will teach you how...

Editing Overview

Introduction to Electronic Copyediting