How to proofread a PDF using BS 5261 proofreading marks

Free Downloadable PDF Proofreading Stamps

8/1/2012

Want to annotate a PDF with digital proofreading marks? Below are my free proofreading stamps files in red, blue and black. They conform to British Standard BS 5261-2 (2005).

You will not have to resize these stamps – I've designed them to work with the font size that most book files use. Simply upload them into your PDF editor and you’re ready to go!

For installation instructions, see my article Installation Instructions for Proofreading Stamps.
If you wish to create your own stamps, or you want to see samples of what a marked-up PDF looks like, see my article PDF Editing – Making the Most of the Stamps Tool.
Check the Stamps archive to see other articles about using stamps with free PDF viewers/readers.
For a list of American proofreading stamps, visit KOK Edit’s Copyeditors' Knowledge Base and scroll down to "PDF editing stamps".

What users are saying ...

A sample of just a few of my proofreading stamps

This looks brilliant! I wish I had had these for my last job.
These are fantastic! I'd never thought of using stamps in this way until I saw how you did it.
Thanks, these look great! They would have been useful for the job I've just finished.
This is an excellent solution.
Having followed Louise's clear instructions, these proofreading stamps are ingenious!
I am really delighted with this set because they are the perfect size for most of my work without any tweaking.

Click on the buttons below to download the PDFs files containing the stamps, then head over to the installation instructions.

New stamps with transparent backgrounds

UPDATE 5 JUNE 2020. All the stamps now have transparent backgrounds, which means they can be placed on top of greyscale and colour pages and boxes, and squeezed between text without blocking out the elements.

RED STAMPS

BLUE STAMPS

BLACK STAMPS

Learn about how to mark up PDFs like a pro

Want to learn how to mark up page proofs with my stamps and other markup tools? Check out Denise Cowle’s course, Proofreading: How to Mark Up PDF Page Proofs.

Louise Harnby is a line editor, copyeditor and proofreader who specializes in working with crime, mystery, suspense and thriller writers.

She is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a member of ACES, a Partner Member of The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), and co-hosts The Editing Podcast.

Get in touch: Louise Harnby | Fiction Editor & Proofreader
Connect: Twitter at @LouiseHarnby, Facebook and LinkedIn
Learn: Books and courses
Discover: Resources for authors and editors

60 Comments

Jemma Hillyer, freelancer, EliteText

17/1/2012 10:24:10 am

Having followed Louise's clear instructions, these proofreading stamps are ingenious! Thank you for sharing this invaluable tool with the freelance community.

Louise Harnby link

17/1/2012 11:18:48 am

Thanks for your comment, Jemma. I'm thrilled that these have proved popular with so many freelancers. I set up this blog, The Proofreader's Parlour, precisely so that I could share this kind of information with other colleagues and it's great to get positive feedback directly on the site!

If when you're using the stamps you find that there's one you wish was there but isn't, just let me know and I'll see what I can do. Any updates I make will be placed in the Archive: Stamps section.

Best wishes!

Wendy Toole link

22/1/2012 11:26:34 am

I have been using pdf stamps from various sources for quite a while, but I am really delighted with this set because they are the perfect size for most of my work without any tweaking. Thanks for sharing them, Louise!

22/1/2012 11:32:46 am

Hi Wendy - thanks for such positive feedback. The fact that they don't need tweaking, size-wise, is something I spent a lot of time on when I was creating them. I feel it really speeds things up. Glad you agree!

Sarah Harrison

14/5/2012 01:04:31 pm

Thanks, Louise - these are great, and your instructions, even for this techno-numpty, are perfect. Not sure when I'll next need them, but it's nice to know that they're ready to go when I am.

Louise Harnby | Proofreader link

14/5/2012 01:23:06 pm

Thanks, Sarah! Glad that you found them easy to download. Any problems, let me know.

John Firth link

6/2/2013 05:08:37 am

I've been using an early version of Louise's stamps for a couple of years now, but the new sets are even better. They make my work much clearer and they can be placed precisely, which is a big help with footnotes, reference lists, etc.

Ele Holloway

13/6/2013 08:47:49 am

This is a great resource; I can't wait to try them out. Just one thing though...the files above are marked as 'Feb 2013' though the URLs of the files are 'Feb 2012'.

Louise Harnby

13/6/2013 12:28:30 pm

Don't worry, Ele. This is because the files were created in Feb 2012 and I amended them directly a year later.

Lesley Jones

29/12/2013 07:14:40 am

Feeling a little dumb - I realise you say each symbol needs to be downloaded individually, but I'm only getting the delete symbol every time I try. I know I'm doing something wrong, but I can't work out what!

29/12/2013 08:16:17 am

The delete symbol is one page 1 of the PDF. Scroll to other pages and you'll see each new symbol on a page of its own. Hope that helps!

Tom Hawking link

24/2/2014 01:04:33 pm

Hi Louise

Thanks for these - they are going to prove invaluable I think!

Would yourself, or anyone, be able to share the whole directory as per the below link so they can be imported at once, rather than having to use the images?

Thanks again for these!

Tom

http://acrobatusers.com/forum/collaboration-commenting/custom-stamps-and-upgrade-version-9-x

24/2/2014 03:34:45 pm

Hi Tom. I've not worked out a way to install the proofreading stamps all in one go in Acrobat. You can do it if you use PDF XChange, though.

Gemma

28/2/2014 03:59:46 am

I used the method Tom mentions and was able to share the stamps I had installed one by one with my colleagues - they were able to install them in one go.
Anyone who has the stamps installed can copy the directory file for someone else to use.

Instructions from here:http://community.spiceworks.com/topic/189470-import-multiple-custom-stamps-in-adobe-acrobat-x
0. Close Acrobat.
1. Open up Windows Explorer and make sure it's set to “Show hidden files, folders and drives” or some of the folders will be hidden.
2. Browse to: C:\Users\*Name*\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Acrobat\8.0\Stamps (where *Name* is your account name)
3. In that folder, you will find an oddly named PDF file (like “c_DfLhaC4e8h_rFMxhDkbC.pdf” or something similar) or one called TaxStamps.pdf. This file contains your custom stamps. Copy this file.

Anyone who wants to add your stamps just needs to save the file to the equivalent folder.

Lesley

4/12/2014 07:42:32 am

Thanks, they're excellent. Really appreciate your sharing them.

Becca Flintham link

16/2/2015 04:57:09 am

Hi, Louise - many thanks for providing not only a great resource, but also clear instructions for downloading and installation. Much appreciated!

Gary Blogg link

17/2/2015 07:40:32 am

Hi, Louise. Having noted that your stamps have been regularly mentioned/recommended on the SfEP forums, I thought I would take a look at them. And they are excellent - easy to download and use, and very professional looking. So, thank you for providing such a great resource.

17/2/2015 07:57:05 am

Cheers, Gary! Glad to know that you've found them so accessible and useful.

Lisa link

12/3/2015 08:44:21 pm

Hi - I'd love to use your stamps in a huge proofreading project I've just been given. I don't know why I can't work out how to install them into Adobe Reader (on my Mac). When I click on 'download file' I get a pdf with one on each page. Am I on the right track? Sorry to be such a luddite. I'm so used to proofreading with my trusty red pen… your help is appreciated!

Editrix

13/3/2015 01:00:14 am

As Louise mentions above, the instructions are here:

http://louiseharnbyproofreader.com/4/post/2012/01/installation-instructions-for-proofreading-stamps.html

13/3/2015 02:09:05 am

That's exactly as it should be, Lisa. Follow the instructions, step by step, using the link Editrix has supplied and you'll be on your way!

David Willock link

28/9/2015 04:07:58 pm

I am just starting out as a proofreader and copy editor so I very much appreciate the work you have put into creating these stamps. Thank you.

Rehab

5/11/2017 06:25:18 pm

Thanks so much Louise for these symbols. They've made life much easier! I'm just having trouble with page 1 of the PDF, the red symbols one. Every time I open the file to add the stamp, it opens to page 2 directly. I was able to create all the stamps successfully except for the delete symbol. Am I doing something wrong?

5/11/2017 07:10:56 pm

Hi! You haven’t said where you’re uploading to (DC, XChange, Reader, Pro), so I cant visualize what options you’re being offered. However, if you were able to install a stamp on, say, page 12, you must have had to scroll or type in a page number, no? Can you not just do the same but go back to page 1 or type 1? I’ve never heard of this issue before so I apologize for being vague!

Rehab Dahy

5/11/2017 07:47:05 pm

I really appreciate the quick reply :) I uploaded the stamps to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. When I open the PDF file of the stamps, page 1 has the delete symbol alright. However, when I'm creating the stamps, the file starts with page 2, with the delete and close up symbol. I even tried to extract the delete symbol from your file to save it in a file on its own, but couldn't do that.

5/11/2017 08:01:12 pm

Hi, again! I've no clue what's going on there. Try the delete symbols here: https://www.louiseharnbyproofreader.com/blog/onscreen-proofreading-stamps-new-delete-symbols

5/11/2017 08:09:00 pm

Hmm, I just tried it myself in DC and the same problem occurred. Very weird. Leave it with me and I'll have a play now.

5/11/2017 08:21:15 pm

So here's the quickest workaround I can come up with! Download the set of Deletes that I just linked to (because it's a small file). Save a copy of it. Go to https://www.pdfmerge.com/ and merge the two files. Then you can upload the symbol because there's a repeat of it halfway through. It seems that in DC the first page of the PDF needs to be blank. Of course, DC didn't exist back when I created these!

5/11/2017 08:50:10 pm

I did both options, the new delete symbols and the merging, and in both cases the red delete symbol just refuses to appear :) it's as if the delete symbol deleted itself :) sorry to bother you with that, and I'm really grateful for the help

Louise

5/11/2017 09:04:51 pm

Right, I've sorted it, though it's weird! Give me a few minutes while I upload a fresh set of red stamps. The new file has a blank page at the beginning. When you're asked to select the image, select the blank page. The delete symbol will then show up! Don't ask me why. But I've just tried it and it worked!

5/11/2017 09:21:43 pm

YAAAAAY! It's working! :) Thank you so much, I've been struggling with it all day and just thought of dropping you a comment as a final desperate thing. You are a saint and a life-saver <3

5/11/2017 09:43:06 pm

You're so welcome! I've glad you alerted me. I still don't get why it's happened but I've changed all of the Acrobat PDFs now so we've solved the problem for everyone! Good teamwork!

5/11/2017 09:46:41 pm

You're so welcome! I'm so glad you alerted me. I still don't get why it happened but I've changed all of the Acrobat PDFs now so we've solved the problem for everyone! Good teamwork!

Janey

21/1/2018 10:17:23 am

Hi Louise - looking for advice! The "transpose" mark - is there a way to resize it horizontally so it can wrap around two words that need to be swapped? I've been fiddling for a while now and can only make it bigger overall... New to this marking up pdf business, always used a pen before.

21/1/2018 08:43:04 pm

Hi, Janey! No, alas. My solution is to use the polgon tool (the open-ended one) in Acrobat or PDF-XChange. In DC, it's the Connecting Lines tool. Hope that helps!

Hamsa Al-Aqqad

12/2/2018 10:23:11 pm

Hello, Louise.

This is a brilliant resource and I can't thank you enough for sharing it.

13/2/2018 12:42:33 pm

Glad you like them, Hamsa! Thanks for letting me know.

David Smith

22/10/2018 10:45:56 am

Hello Louise,

I have recently downloaded the red proofreading stamps - an excellent resource, thank you. I'm currently using them for an SfEP course assignment and have noticed that I don't seem to have the following proof (textual) marks in my stamps palette:

1. Delete (through all characters);
2. Indent/move beginning of lines to the right.

I uploaded the stamps to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.

One further query - when using the Insert and Reduce space between lines/paragraphs stamps, is there a way of extending the mark the full length of a line of text without the mark extending in width also?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

David

22/10/2018 11:46:24 am

Hi, David.

I use the polygon tool for the first two problems you outline. I do very little PDF work these days, but when I worked for academic publishers I used a combo of the onboard comment/markup tools and stamps because each has its strengths.

As for the sizing issue, it's not possible. The stamps are images. If you expand the length, you expand the width!

24/10/2018 10:59:51 am

Hi Louise,

That's very helpful, thanks. I'm now a 'combo' user!

Thank you,

David

25/10/2018 10:30:37 am

Great! Glad I've converted you!

8/5/2019 09:02:58 pm

Hi Louise
I'm using Adobe Acrobat Reader. When I click 'Create' on the Custom Stamps menu and open the PDF file with the stamps, the window that pops up shows each red mark as so tiny that I can't make them out at all! Can you please advise?
Jo

8/5/2019 10:43:52 pm

Hi, Jo. I don't have any control on Reader's display. All I can suggest is that if you don't want all the stamps, open up the PDF separately so you can see which mark appears on which page and then select accordingly. In the pop-up window it says: 'X out of 113 images'. That means there are 113 pages so you can work it out that way.

Mwebe Morgan

30/12/2019 09:20:38 am

Hi Louise, thanks for these timeless proofreading stamps. They are a marvel to learn and apply. You have been tremendous, kudos!

2/1/2020 03:31:29 pm

Glad to hear you've found them useful, Mwebe! Thanks for letting me know.

Iliyas

18/1/2020 02:01:15 am

Hi, It would be great if anybody shared stamp for new paragraph. Thanks in advance.

22/1/2020 04:14:00 pm

There's one in there already, Iliyas.

Victoria Down link

4/7/2020 04:03:11 pm

Your downloadable proofreading stamps are a fantastic asset, Louise! Thank you for providing them. I just wondered if you might be able to give me a little advice. I use Adobe Reader XI on a Mac. A few of the stamps, which look fine on your website, download with white shapes behind or within them (such as the Substitute/Insert Apostrophe, and the Close Up stamps). Does anyone else have this problem? I've tried all sorts of permutations to try to avoid the white shapes appearing, but had no success thus far.

5/7/2020 01:35:59 am

Hi, again.

I redrew them! If all's gone well, all now have fully transparent backgrounds. Let me know how you get on with them, Victoria!

George

5/3/2021 12:45:24 pm

Hi Louise,

Many thanks for these incredibly useful stamps. Can you tell me what the vertical lines with a circle or upside-down triangle are for? I am looking for a vertical line to use as a strikethrough for a slim character, such as a comma, but obviously don't want to use a symbol incorrectly!

Thanks again for your help.

George

5/3/2021 01:02:47 pm

Also, does anyone know how to bulk import all the stamps in one go using Windows 10 and Acrobat Pro DC? The above instructions seem to relate to an older version of Windows. Thanks!

SANDRA FINCH

23/9/2022 01:19:24 pm

This will be incredible if I can get it to work. I have Windows 11 Home and am using Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. I am following instructions to install the BSI marks but am having trouble. I manage every step of finding the mark I want to import, choosing it, typing the category and name of the mark and press ok. After this, nothing happens. I have just a grey box. No mark has been saved. I go into Stamp palette, choose my Red Stamps category but there is nothing there. The marks are also tiny when I see them in the box before saving. Is there anything you can advise to help?

30/9/2022 08:44:25 pm

Hi, Sandra. So sorry but I'm not sure what's going wrong for you. I've just done a test in DC and it works fine for me. After I choose an image on a page, name it, assign it a category and select okay, the window closes. When I open the palette, and select my category, the stamp is there.

The marks do look tiny before you import them because each page in the viewing pane is A4 in real life.

2/10/2022 10:05:22 am

Thanks for responding. 'Turns out it was an internal error in Adobe. I deleted my file and started again and it all worked perfectly. I could even see the marks clearly. Thank you.

Brent M. link

31/12/2022 04:14:36 pm

Any time I'm looking for something specific for editors and proofreaders your site comes up. These are brilliant. Thanks again.

Victoria

23/1/2023 10:22:16 pm

Thanks so much for making these available. I'm using Adobe Acrobat Reader. Am I right in thinking I need to individually save and name each of the 113 pages? Or is there a way to do it in bulk? Thanks again

24/1/2023 10:09:33 am

Hi, Victoria. Look at the first line of the bullet list and click on installation instructions. That leads you to another blog with some options that will help.

30/1/2023 10:55:57 pm

I'm working my way through installing these and am naming them as I go so they're easy to find in future. Due to the size of the marks, I'm finding it hard to see what the one on page 14 of the PDF is please? I can see the rest fine. Thanks again for these!

Louise Hanrby

31/1/2023 12:36:30 am

Hi, Victoria. Just open the PDF and enlarge the page view.

Hannah Eveleigh

31/10/2025 10:35:12 am

Hi Louise, I am currently editing a large manuscript on a PDF using your brilliant stamps. However, there are so many corrections to make that the whole thing seems to be running really slowly. I am presuming that the stamps work as an image and therefore the more I use the bigger the file gets? I use Adobe Reader which has always been sufficient for my needs but maybe this file has just become too big? I've tried compressing it but looks like I may need to upgrade to Pro? Have you had this issue? Thanks so much.