The fastest check: Modern titles carry a descending number line on the copyright page; the digit 1 present indicates a first printing
How to identify a first printing
- Modern titles carry a descending number line on the copyright page; the digit 1 present indicates a first printing
- A first printing shows a copyright page without later-printing lines
- Later printings add an explicit printing statement
Decode the printer's key: paste the number line into the number-line decoder, search any title in the First Edition Checker, or run a book through the identifier.
Notable points & cautions
- Established 1915 as a division of the University of Washington; its first book appeared in 1920
- Major lists in Pacific Northwest, Asian American, and Native American art and studies
- Distributes for several regional and museum presses, so a distributed title follows the originating press's first-edition convention rather than the press's own
- Named endowments and series such as the McLellan books fund and the Samuel and Althea Stroum Lectures in Jewish Studies are funding or series designations, not separate publishing imprints with their own first-edition rules
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my University of Washington Press book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern titles carry a descending number line on the copyright page; the digit 1 present indicates a first printing A first printing shows a copyright page without later-printing lines
Does University of Washington Press use a number line?
A first printing shows a copyright page without later-printing lines
Is a book-club edition a University of Washington Press first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Established 1915 as a division of the University of Washington; its first book appeared in 1920
What era does this cover?
This covers University of Washington Press (1915-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.