Blue pencil (editing)

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Blue pencil
Colored pencil(red and blue).jpg
A red and blue pencil
ClassificationEditing
Used withWritten copies
Inventor[data unknown/missing]
Related[data unknown/missing]

A blue pencil is a pencil traditionally used by a copy editor or sub-editor to show corrections to a written copy.

The colour is used specifically because it will not show in some lithographic or photographic reproduction processes; these are known as non-photo blue pencils. For similar reasons, sometimes red pencils are used since their pigment will not reproduce by xerography.

With the introduction of electronic editing using word processors or desktop publishing, literal blue pencils are seen more rarely.


See also

External links

  • Johnston, John (30 August 1990), The Lord Chamberlain's Blue Pencil, Hodder & Stoughton, ISBN 978-0-340-52529-6