Attention to Detail: Photoshop® Mishaps and How to Avoid Them

If you haven’t already noticed through the integration of our new stock photo of the week blog section, the McCauley Marketing Team enjoys photography, especially those images that we find humorous. Beyond simply enjoying pictures, we use images to convey a large part of our advertising and marketing messages. Our graphic designer uses Photoshop® and other photo editing software on a daily basis to enhance the graphic portion of the brochures, websites, and other marketing tools we create.

The ability to manipulate photos brings up the ethical question: when is it right and when is it wrong to do so? It’s pretty safe to say that using software like Photoshop® to mislead viewers is unethical. For example, tabloids are notoriously filled with manipulated photos that lead people to believe something untrue. Although making Photoshop® mistakes isn’t exactly unethical, it can be damaging to a business. It makes your company and brand look unprofessional when your advertisement is distributed to media outlets with a glaring mistake (i.e. – a lady with an extra arm or no leg, etc.). Take a moment to look at some our favorite Photoshop® blunders in the advertisements below:

While these mistakes are somewhat amusing to the general public, they are avoidable. Proofreading, though “reading” is indeed part of the word, is not limited to written copy. It’s also important to “proofread” design work to ensure your business does not distribute incomplete marketing collateral. Here at McCauley Services, we have a team of copywriters and editors that proof to avoid mistakes. Additionally, we make sure to include at least one person not on the creative team in the review process to avoid becoming blind to mistakes from over-exposure to the project.  Although we understand that ours is not a fool-proof method, we know that the more people who check for mistakes, the more errors can be prevented.

Attention to detail is important in anything you do. Check your work and then double check it. Though small errors may seem insignificant, they can take a toll on your company’s reputation and brand if habitually repeated. It’s important to take pride in what you do and distribute your best work possible if you expect consumers to trust you with their hard earned money.

For more information about the proofreading and graphic design services at McCauley Marketing Services, visit our website. Be sure to find us on Facebook and Twitter for marketing news and updates.