Glossary of Rare Book Terms

What is a rare book? What is signed versus inscribed? What is a first edition? What does 8vo stand for?
Find some of the common jargon booksellers and book collectors often use.

Would you like to see a glossary term added? A term you heard but don't know what it means? Suggest a Term

Be invited to download your free copy of The Antiquarian Book Glossary.

Half-Title
The leaf in front of the title page.and of the Frontispiece if available. Carries the book title on its recto. Printers sometimes use the old fashioned term bastard title
Head
The top of a book, as in head-margin or head-edge or headband. Opposite side of foot.
Headband, Tailband
Decorative band, usually of silk or cotton, plain or colored, worked over leather, cord, rolled paper, or (occasionally) cane, and fastened inside the top (headband) and usually also the bottom (tailband) of the back (or spine) of a book as part of the process of binding.
Hot metal typesetting
Hot metal typesetting refers to technologies for typesetting text in letterpress printing. This method injects molten type metal into a mold that has the shape of one or more glyphs. The cast metal elements are later used to press ink onto paper. Check here for more information about the process.