Colophon

A colophon is a brief statement at the end of a book or within its back matter that identifies information about its publication and production. The term derives from the Greek kolophōn, historically used to denote a finishing touch or seal of authorship and provenance in printing. In traditional bookmaking, a colophon often listed the printer, publisher, city, and year of publication, and sometimes the edition or issue number. It could also include details about the typeface, ink, paper, binding, or other production notes, and occasionally a printer’s emblem or motto.

In modern publishing, colophons are less common but may appear on the copyright or imprint page or in dedicated back matter. When present, they may provide the publisher’s imprint, design credits (such as the designer, illustrator, or typography), production credits, and technical details like the ISBN or printing details. Some publishers also use a colophon to convey design philosophy or artistic credits, particularly in small-press or art-focused editions.

In digital contexts, a colophon may appear as metadata or a web page that credits contributors, tools, fonts, licenses, and production methods. On websites and in digital books, a colophon can function as a credits page or a site-specific statement about how the work was created and by whom.

A colophon is closely related to, but distinct from, an imprint. The imprint identifies the publisher or brand, while the colophon provides information about the production process and credits.