This page provides explanations for various terms related to book formats, components, and features to help you better understand the terminology you might encounter on our website.
Book Sizes:
- 8vo (Octavo): A book size where each printed sheet is folded into eight leaves or sixteen pages.
- 4to (Quarto): A book size where each printed sheet is folded into four leaves or eight pages.
- Folio: A book size where each printed sheet is folded in half, creating two leaves or four pages.
Book Components:
- Text Block: The pages of a book, excluding the covers. It refers to the entire collection of printed pages bound together.
- Front Matter: The preliminary pages of a book, including the title page, copyright page, dedication, preface, and table of contents.
- Back Matter: The pages following the main text, which can include appendices, indexes, bibliography, and acknowledgments.
Binding Features:
- End Pages: Also known as endpapers, these are the sheets of paper that are glued to the inside covers of a book and the first and last pages of the text block.
- Paste-Downs: The endpapers that are pasted onto the inner covers of the book.
- Frontispiece: An illustration or photograph, often facing the title page, that serves as an introduction to the book's content.
Illustrations and Plates:
- Plate: A full-page illustration, usually printed on a different type of paper from the rest of the book and often protected by tissue paper.
- Illustration: A visual element, such as a drawing, photograph, or engraving, included in the text of a book.
Typography and Layout:
- Typography: The design and arrangement of typefaces, fonts, and other elements to create a visually appealing and readable layout.
- Pagination: The numbering of pages in a book, often abbreviated to pp.
Abbreviations:
- ffep: Front Free Endpaper, the blank page facing the inside of the front cover.
- rfep: Rear Free Endpaper, the blank page facing the inside of the back cover.
- dj: Dust Jacket, the protective paper cover that wraps around the exterior of a hardcover book.
Book Condition Terms:
- Good: A book with noticeable wear but still in acceptable reading condition.
- Very Good: A book that shows minimal signs of wear, well cared for.
- Like new: A book in excellent condition, appearing as new.
This glossary provides a starting point for understanding the terminology used on our website. If you have any specific questions or need further clarification, please contact us.