How to identify a first printing
- Modern: full descending number line, '1' present = first printing
- First printing copyright page states copyright/first-publication year with NO later-printing or revised-edition lines
- Later printings/revised editions add explicit statements; reprints note 'Reprinted YYYY'
Notable points & cautions
- Oldest and largest scholarly publisher in Canada (founded 1901; first books issued 1911); major collected editions include 'The Collected Works of Erasmus' and 'The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill' (33 volumes, 1963-1991) — multi-volume sets where each volume's first printing must be checked individually
- Canadian academic-press printing conventions mirror US academic number-line practice
- Older titles may lack any explicit first-printing statement — rely on absence of reprint notices
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Aevo UTP, UTP Higher Education, Rotman-UTP Publishing. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Toronto Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern: full descending number line, '1' present = first printing First printing copyright page states copyright/first-publication year with NO later-printing or revised-edition lines
Does University of Toronto Press use a number line?
First printing copyright page states copyright/first-publication year with NO later-printing or revised-edition lines
Is a book-club edition a University of Toronto Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Oldest and largest scholarly publisher in Canada (founded 1901; first books issued 1911); major collected editions include 'The Collected Works of Erasmus' and 'The Collected Works of John Stuart Mill' (33 volumes, 1963-1991) — multi-volume sets where each volume's first printing must be checked individually
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Toronto Press (1901-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.