Titelseite

A Titelseite, or title page, is the page at the beginning of a printed work that presents the main title and bibliographic data. It serves to identify the work and provide bibliographic information for cataloging and indexing, as well as branding for the publisher.

Typical contents include the full title, subtitle, author(s), editor, translator, imprint (place of publication and year), publisher, edition or series, and sometimes an ISBN or DOI. In academic works such as theses, the Titelseite often lists the degree, department, institution, the supervisor, the place and date of submission, and sometimes a declaration of originality.

In German publishing practice, there may also be a Schmucktitelblatt (decorative title page) before the Titelseite; the Schmucktitel is decorative and used for stylistic effect.

Design considerations include typographic layout, centering, margins, and the balance between information and aesthetics. The Titelseite is usually designed to be readable and appropriate for binding, and it is often printed on a single page with careful typography.

Digital publications also carry metadata such as ISBN, DOI, authorship, and publisher, which libraries and cataloging systems use even when the page layout differs in e-books or online formats.