Proofreading is an essential step in publishing. It is primarily a surface-level reading and review of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. 

The process seeks to correct issues introduced into the manuscript during the editing process. In other words, this is a final check before publication to make sure the manuscript is error-free. 

This review does not involve significant revisions to the manuscript, as seen in copyediting, with suggestions for improving sentence structure and readability. Proofreading also does not address style, tone, or flow issues—again, copyediting looks at this.