Decoding Print Codes

Publishers use version control to manage the various changes made to a product over time. Each time a product undergoes a major change , a new edition is created. Whenever the inventory of a product runs low, a new printing of the same edition is created, and error corrections are made as well as perhaps some minor content changes. To track the printings of an edition, publishers use a print code. This is a series of numbers appearing on the copyright page of a book to indicate which printing that particular copy is.

There is no set form for a print code. Most publishers have their own format, but usually a print code will indicate the copyright year of the edition, the year in which the particular copy in question was printed, and which printing of the edition the copy is. Consider the following sample print code.

15—19 18 17 16 15—10 9 8 7 6

Since there is no set format, you have to use some logic and your own experience to decode this. First, look elsewhere on the copyright page to find the copyright year of the book. In this case, it is stated as Copyright 2015. This also means that more than likely the edition was released either in 2014 or 2015. Publishers may put a copyright year on the book that is later than the year it is actually published, but will never put an earlier year. So, looking at the print code, the leftmost number most likely indicates the copyright year.

Next, look at how the code is broken into three section by the two em dashes. The first section has been determined to be the copyright year. The second section looks like it is composed of years: 2019, 2018, etc., to 2015. That is, in fact, what these numbers represent. The oldest year is 2015, so this copy was printed in 2015. The final group is a series of descending numbers beginning with 10 and ending with 6. This group is where the printing number is tracked. The lowest number here is 6, which indicates this copy is the sixth printing. So, altogether, this print code indicates the edition is copyright 2015, this copy was printed in 2015, and this copy is the sixth printing of the edition.

Why are numbers set in this pattern? It is based on tradition extending back to the days of manual paste-up layout. When a book was reprinted, the publisher could tell the printer to go onto the film and apply opaquing paint over the rightmost number. This was generically called wiping the number. If the code was arranged with the highest number on the outside (rightmost), then a new piece of film would have to be created. Film was very expensive, but wiping the number was relatively cheap. Today, with electronic layout and direct-to-plate and direct-to-press technology, this is not a consideration when developing the format for a print code. In the days of manual paste-up and film, the above print code would most likely have been formatted like the following, and probably center justified, to allow for wipes on the year and printing numbers.

15 16 17 18 19—15—10 9 8 7 6

Tin Whiskers Publisher is a member of the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). IBPA’s mission is “to lead and serve the independent publishing community by providing advocacy, education, and tools for success.” IBPA is a not-for-profit membership organization serving and leading the independent publishing community. Founded in 1983, it is the largest publishing trade organization in the United States. IBPA members pledge to uphold the organization’s code of ethics.