Proofs
The typeset text as it will be printed, submitted for final corrections before sign-off.
Proofs are the typeset, laid-out text — as it will appear — printed or transmitted for final checks. They circulate among proofreader, editor and author, sometimes in successive sets (first, second proofs), each shrinking the corrections list.
The rules change at this stage: no more rewriting, only correcting. Typos, hyphenation, widows and orphans, layout consistency — not a new version of chapter 7. Publishing contracts often cap excessive "author's corrections," whose recomposition cost can be billed back beyond a threshold. The stage closes with the sign-off that freezes the text.
Example
Second proofs: eleven corrections left, all typographic. The book is nearly born.