An edition is all the copies printed from one setting of type; a printing (also called an impression) is a single press run within that edition. So a first edition can have many printings, and the copy collectors prize is the "first edition, first printing" — the very first run. "First impression" means the same as "first printing." When someone says "first edition" in the collecting sense, they almost always mean that first printing. Getting these words straight is the foundation everything else is built on.
Published June 2026 · By Josh Eldred, New Mexico Literacy Project
The terms, in plain English
Edition
All copies printed from substantially one setting of type. If the publisher resets or significantly revises the text, that's a new edition (a "second edition," "revised edition," etc.).
Printing (= Impression)
One batch run through the press at one time, within an edition. "Printing" and "impression" mean the same thing ("impression" is more British). The first printing is the first impression.
Issue
A deliberate, planned variant within a printing that the publisher offered separately — for instance, part of a run bound differently or released at a different time or price.
State
An unplanned variant caused by changes made during printing — a typo corrected mid-run, a dropped line fixed. States are the basis of points of issue.
Why the distinction is where the money is
Here's the practical heart of it: a first edition, first printing is what the market means by "a first edition," and it's the valuable one. A first edition, later printing is from the same typesetting but a subsequent run — it'll often still say things on the copyright page that look impressive, but it's worth a fraction of the first printing. So "it's a first edition" is only half the sentence; the printing is the other half, and it's the half that determines value. This is exactly why the number line matters: it's how you confirm which printing of the first edition you actually have.
"New edition" vs. "new printing"
Another common mix-up: a second printing is just another run of the same edition (same type, same text), while a second edition means the book was reset and usually revised — different text, sometimes new content. A revised "second edition" is a genuinely different book in collecting terms, not merely a later run. Watch the copyright page for both the edition statement and the printing indicators; they answer different questions.
How you actually pin it down
No single line on the copyright page settles it by itself. You read three things together: the stated edition ("First Edition" / "First published…"), the number line (lowest number = printing), and any issue points or states for that specific title. A first-edition statement plus a number line containing "1" plus the correct first-state points is what makes a confident "first edition, first printing." Miss one and you can be off by a printing — or fooled by a book club edition that copied the page. The complete approach is in the authentication methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a first edition and a first printing?
An edition is all copies from one setting of type; a printing is one press run within it. The valuable copy is the first edition, first printing. Collectors saying "first edition" usually mean the first printing.
Are printing and impression the same?
Yes — interchangeable terms for a single press run; "impression" is more British. First impression = first printing.
What's the difference between an issue and a state?
An issue is a deliberate planned variant within a printing; a state is an unplanned one (like a typo fixed mid-run) — the basis of points of issue.
Cite This Guide
Eldred, J. (June 2026). First Edition vs. First Printing vs. First Impression. New Mexico Literacy Project.
https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition-vs-first-printing
Licensed under CC BY 4.0.