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The printer’s key, also known as the number line, is a line of text printed on the copyright page (the verso of the title page) of books, used to indicate the print run. Publishers started to use this convention around the middle of the 20th century. An example follows: This is how the printer's key will appear in the first print run of a book. Numbers are removed with subsequent printings, so if "1" is seen then the book is the first printing of that edition. If it is the second printing then the "1" is removed, meaning that the lowest number seen will be "2". == Examples == Usually it is a series of numbers or letters as in the following examples: Sometimes rather than follow in series the numbers alternate from left to right for example: The purpose of this arrangement is to keep the line of numbers roughly centered even as the numbers are removed with subsequent printings. This format is seen in the copyright page image on this page. Sometimes number lines will also include a date line for example: This indicates a second printing (or ''second impression'') that took place in 1970. More specifically, it is this particular imprint's second impression of the edition. Sometimes, when the publisher outsources the printing to a contractor, there will also be a code for which printing company was contracted in this case: The hypothetical printer’s key above decodes as third print run, printed in 1996, contracted to Acme Printing Corp. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Printer's key」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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