Printings

Printings are the production of text and images on a surface, typically paper, by a mechanical process. In publishing and bibliographic contexts, the term also denotes the copies produced in a single print run and can refer to a variant of a work from earlier runs when corrections, design changes, or other alterations are made.

Historically, printing began with woodblock techniques in East Asia and evolved to movable type in the medieval period. The introduction of the movable-type press in Europe, around the 15th century, enabled mass production of texts and contributed to the spread of literacy and learning. Over time, printing technology advanced through relief and intaglio methods, and the development of lithography and offset printing in the 19th and 20th centuries increased speed and consistency. Digital printing emerged in the late 20th century, allowing shorter runs and direct printing from digital files.

In modern publishing, printings are organized as print runs or editions. A publisher may release a first printing, followed by subsequent printings that include minor or major revisions, corrected proofs, or updated artwork. Bibliographic terms such as edition, issue, and state help describe differences between printings: an edition may include a new title page or textual changes, while a state or issue may reflect minor corrections within the same edition. Reprints or revised editions are common when demand continues or information changes.

Printings remain a central concept in distribution, ownership, and conservation, affecting pricing, rarity, and scholarly provenance. They also influence bibliographic metadata, library cataloging, and the assessment of a work’s historical publication history.