• Terminology.
  • Half Title - The page preceding the text containing only the title of the book.
  • Hardback - Hardcover, Hardbound. A stiff clothbound book, using wood or cardboard for the front and back covers.
  • Hinge - The junction where the front and back covers meet the spine on the inside, the outside hinge is called a joint.
  • Holograph - A document written wholly and completely by one author's hand, original.
  • Illumination - Ornamental lettering and illustrations decorating old manuscripts and early printed books.
  • Impression - The copies of an edition printed at one time.
  • Imprimatur - A license agrement from the Catholic Church or local government to print a book in the 16th and 17th century, printed on the first page of the book.
  • Imprint - The publishers name, location, and date on the title page and/or the spine.
  • Incunabula - Latin, "Things in the cradle." Refers to books printed from movable type presses before 1501.
  • Inscribed Copy - A copy inscribed by the author to a person.
  • Interleaved - Blank leaves alternate with printed leaves.
  • Issue - An issue occurs when alterations, additions, or excisions are made after all copies are printed and published.
  • Jacket - The printed or unprinted cover placed around the bound book. (see Dust Jacket)
  • Joints - The exterior hinges on the book.
  • Justifying - The making of an even margin by arranging the type and spacing.
  • Labels - Leather or paper labels glued on to the binder with the title. Now stamped right on to the binding itself.
  • Laid in - A slip of paper laid in the book but not attached to it. (ie. photos, autographs, letters)
  • Laid Paper - Paper that, when held up to the light, shows the wiremarks and chainmarks, fine parallel lines, produced by wires of the mold in handmade papers. Can also be made by a pattern on the first roller in machine made paper.
  • Leaf - A piece of paper, one page on the front and another on the back.
  • Letterpress - Printing from individual pieces of type or plates impressed directly upon the paper.
  • Limited Edition - An edition that is limited to a stated number of copies. Usually signed by the author and/or the illustrator. Not nessarily a first edition.
  • List Price - A publishers set retail price.
  • Loss Leader - A book sold near or below actual cost.
  • Marbled Paper - Paper that has a marbled vein like apperience. Made by swirling paper in floating ink on top of water.
  • Made-Up Copy - A copy of a book that has photocopies or parts of another copy of the book glued into place to replace missing leaves and/or plates to make it complete.
  • Marginalia - Hand written notes in the margins and text.
  • Misbound - Misplaced pages in a bound part of the book by the printer.
  • Mounted -
    1. Illustrations that are pasted down or lightly attached to a leaf.
    2. A damaged leaf laid down on or backed with paper, gauze, or linen to strengthen a page.
  • No Date - (n-d) When the date does not appear in the book.
  • No Place - (n-pl) When the place does not appear in the book.
  • No Publisher - (n-publ) When the publisher does not appear in the book.
  • Obverse - The front of a leaf, the right hand page of an open book.
  • Off Print - An extract from a book or magazine.
    1. A separate printing of a section of a larger publication.
    2. A composite of authorship in periodicals or books.
  • Offset - A press that prints a book with out the plates ever touching the paper.
  • Out of Print - The publisher no longer has copies and is not planning to do a reprinting of the book.
  • Out of Series - Refers to overruns or extra copies of limited editions. For replacing defective copies printed earlier.

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