Korrekturschritt

Korrekturschritt is a term used in editorial and publishing workflows to denote a dedicated proofreading stage. It follows the creation and editing of a text and typically precedes final printing or publication. The term emphasizes the procedural nature of a specific step aimed at ensuring accuracy and consistency before the material becomes publicly available.

During a Korrekturschritt, a proofreader examines the content for linguistic and typographic accuracy. This includes spelling, grammar, punctuation, and numbering, as well as consistency in style, capitalization, dates, and heads or subheads. It also covers typographic issues such as line breaks, hyphenation, and spacing, and checks adherence to a chosen style guide. In print workflows, the review often takes place on a proof or layout (Korrekturabzug), while in digital contexts it may occur on a finalized page view or PDF. Participants may annotate corrections using traditional proofreading marks or digital comment systems.

The Korrekturschritt is usually one or more iterative rounds, performed by a dedicated proofreader (Korrektor) or a team member responsible for quality control. After each round, corrections are implemented, and a subsequent check verifies that issues were resolved without introducing new ones. This step is distinct from but related to the earlier Lektorat (editorial editing), and from the final quality assurance phases in digital publishing.

In practice, the Korrekturschritt helps ensure readability, accuracy, and professional presentation. It is employed across books, magazines, newspapers, and online content, where high standards of linguistic and typographic quality are essential.