Imprint

Main Page

General

The imprint or printer's address indicates where, by whom and when a publication was delivered. Sometimes it also mentions the function of the deliverer (for convenience's sake called 'printer'): (s)he could have printed, published or only sold the book.

Not every imprint mentions all of these elements: often, the function-indication is missing, sometimes also the name of the printer, the place and/or the year of publication.

For academic publications, the date or place is sometimes mentioned in the title instead of in the imprint. These details are put in the imprint with the source being 'document' (and therefore in the main form), and will also always be included in the title. So they are not perceived of as being part of the imprint. This date will not be mentioned in the fingerprint.

Some imprints mention different printers, and some publications contain multiple imprints: either next to or underneath each other, or in different locations in the book (e.g. on the title page and in the colophon). When both printers appear together, so when there is just one imprint with multiple printers, we look upon this as a partnership. Such a partnership will get a separate authority record in the printer's index.

When it concerns two clearly separate imprints, we opt for multiple 'imprint' fields. This is also the case for two or more printer's joint together by braces ({}).

In exceptional cases, the imprint will also contain additional information. This could be the source language, the author's name or other elements. Any source language mentioned will be put into the 'edition' field, perhaps with an explanatory general note. However, authors are mentioned in the 'imprint' field, even when it simply says 'printed for the author' or 'sumptibus authoris': in this case, this phrasing is taken up as a reference term and the author will get their own authority record in the printer's index.

Regular and Copy Imprints

There are two types of imprints: the 'regular imprint', which is by far the most common, and the rare 'copy imprint'.

The copy imprint is recognisable by such formula as 'Printed after the copy in [place]', 'Printed after the Latin copy, which is printed in [place]', and 'Copy [...]'. Sometimes just the statement 'Printed after the copy' appears without further information. In the latter case, the statement is neglected.

In a small number of cases, it is hard to distinguish between a normal and a copy imprint. In these doubtful cases, the imprint type 'regular' is selected, and the full imprint can be cited in a note.

Special attention needs to be paid to government publications, which were often reprinted with the original imprint intact even when the original printer was no longer active. The type 'copy imprint' is only selected when there is absolute certainty that it is a copy imprint. In such cases, further information is given in a general note. In all doubtful cases, even when there are strong suspicions, the type 'normal' is kept but the doubt is expressed in a general note.

Possible Imprint Locations

An imprint can be found in different places, and these different places may also contain multiple imprints. The most common location is at the bottom of the typographical title page. When there is an engraved title page, this also often has an imprint, usually also at the bottom but sometimes incorporated into some decorative element of the engraving. With multi-volume works, the imprint sometimes only appears on the collective title page. Finally, the imprint is often found in the colophon on the final page or elsewhere at the back of the work.

Printer information outside the imprint

Information about the printer is also regularly found in the privilege or elsewhere in the work, and sometimes this is the only source for printing information (place, printer, function, year, ...). In those cases, there is no real 'imprint' and the source for this information must be labelled as 'document'. The precise location of this information is then given in a general note.

Example Date derived from f. E7 verso (= approbation)

Sometimes information about the printer, place or year of publication can only be found in external sources (e.g. a bibliography). In those cases, the source is mentioned in a bibliographical note. Sometimes we can only estimate a period from the printer's name. This is also mentioned in a general note.

Example Date derived from the printer's period of activity

Even when the imprint is not known because the title page is missing, we can reconstruct an imprint on the basis of other data. A general note then indicates where the information was found:

Example Printer from f. 2T6 verso (= approbation)

Source indication for the imprint

The source indication for the imprint information and the way in which additional data is indicated differs, depending on the choice of title page. In the outline below, all possible source indications are given systematically.

When two different imprints appear in the same location, they are both included and they, of course, receive the same source indication.

Location imprint	Source-indication	Remarks
Collective title page	tp.	Divergent imprint information in note Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Typographical title page	tp.	Divergent imprint information in note Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Engraved title page only	tp.	Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Engraved title page with typographical title page	doc.	Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Printed cover only	tp.	General note: 'Imprint from printed cover' Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Printed cover with other title page	doc.	Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Colophon	col.	Divergent imprint information in note Additional imprints recorded with source 'doc.'/'col.'
Privilege, approbation, ...	doc.	General note: 'Date/Printer from f. x (= [...])'
Bibliographical reference	ext.	Bibliographical reference '... mentions the date/printer'
Period of activity	ext.	General note: 'Date from printer's period of activity"

Multiple Imprint Locations

Multiple imprints in a work

If there are multiple imprints in one work, there are two possibilities: either they are identical, or they are not identical. Two imprints are identical when they offer the same information about the work. Another formulation, a different spelling, a year in Arabic versus in Roman numerals, ... all this offers no new information about the work. A second, identical imprint is left out of consideration. Spelling variants of the printer's name, the adress or the shop sign are however added to the printers' thesaurus or the geographical thesaurus. Misprints in the year of publication are not considered a divergent variant. They are added to the printers' thesaurus, under the form 'YYYY [=YYYY]'.

When a second imprint diverges significantly however, so if it mentions a different printer, a different place and/or a different year than the first imprint, we call this an additional imprint. If it is just a divergent year, we mention this in a general note:

Example

The year in the colophon reads [...]

The year on the engraved title page reads [...]

These years are also added to the printers' thesaurus, but between parentheses: '(YYYY)' or '(col.YYYY)'. Roman numerals are converted to Arabic numerals, unless is concerns a clear mistake (e.g. defective or unsolvable years). In those cases, the year is quoted between single quotation marks and at the end an exclamation mark between square brackets.

When the second imprint contains a different printer and/or place, this additional imprint is added in a second 'imprint' field. If the imprint is found in the colophon, we use the spelling variant as reference term in the description and use the 'colophon' source indication. If the additional divergent imprint is found on the engraved title page, we note the main form in the description (source: 'document'). A general note indicates where the additional imprint was found. If the additional imprint only mentions a different printer, the colophon imprint duplicates the place and the year from the title page, with 'document' as source indication.

Title editions

With title editions, an old imprint is sometimes still visible or - when it has been pasted over for example - it is possible to reconstruct it. An engraved title page from a previous edition is also often taken over without adjustments. In those cases, we take the oldest readable imprint as first imprint, then followed by separate imprint fields for all additional, variant imprints found in the work. The general rules are followed here: imprints from the title page (including paste-overs) and the colophon are recorded as reference terms, imprints from the document and from secondary title pages are recorded as main form.

Each particular situation leads to a separate edition: what counts, is the form in which the work was offered for sale. When encountering a work with a 'normal' imprint, and in a different copy the imprint is pasted over or a title page was added, then two separate database records are created. Is only one copy known, with a pasted-over of additional imprint, then there is just one record: it is impossible to know whether the work was also sold without the added imprint.

Title editions in which the original imprint does but the pasted-over imprint does not correspond to the geographical or chronological boundaries of the STCV are, exceptionally, added after all. The situation is always clearly explained in a general note, mentioning where the additional imprints are found.

Printer: choice and reproduction

Choice between main form or reference term

The printer's name is recorded differently depending on the source of the imprint.

• Imprint from the title page or the colophon: we use the variant name form as it is noted on the title page or in the colophon as a reference term.
• Imprint from the document or from an external source: only the main form is recorded. The additional variant name forms are added to the printers thesaurus but they are not linked to the bibliographical database record.

When the attribution in the external source is not completely certain, the printer is not recorded in the imprint field but mentioned in a general note. When the attribution is largely speculative, it is not mentioned. If the printer is unknown or uncertain, 'sine nomine' (a::06.2510) is noted in the 'imprint' field, with 'extern' as source indication. Fanciful statements in the imprint such as 'printed for the Amateurs' are neglected.

Input in Brocade

Function-indications

For living languages (Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, ...) the function-indication is structurally retained: the normalised name form of the printer is added to the printer field; the 'function' field contains an indication of the mention from the imprint.

For Latin imprints, however, the function-indication present before or after a printer's name, is included in the transcription of the reference term. There is therefore no separate function-indication. The full function-indication is normalised by reducing it to lower case.

Exception If the printer's name is declined even though the imprint is in a living language, this declined form is retained together with the relevant conjunction. However, this is very rare, for example in German imprints or on rare occasion perhaps in a Dutch imprint.

Example Engel vanden Hove, Claer bevvys vande catholijcke waerheydt, van twee controverse artikelen, te weten van't vaghevyer ende aflaten, Loven, bij Bernardinum Maesium, 1630

Authors mentioned in the imprint

As indicated earlier, the imprint can sometimes mention an author. Such mentions are more or less explicit. They can be for example 'voor den autheur' (for the author), 'gedrukt voor Arnout van Geluwe' (printer for Arnout van Geluwe), 'sumptibus authoris' (at the author's expense), ... The author then gets an authority record in the printers thesaurus. The main form and reference term (e.g. 'den autheur', 'Arnout van Geluwe', 'sumptibus authoris') are included in the bibliographical record. The function-indication becomes 'Gedrukt voor/op kosten van' (Printed for/at the expense of). For Latin formulations, the function-indication is left blank.

Function: choice and reproduction

When the imprint mentions the function of the printer/publisher, this is noted in the bibliographical description. There are seven options:

1. ... Boekverkoper [Bookseller]
2. Te koop bij [Sold by]
3. Uitgegeven door bij/ [Published by]
4. ... Boekdrukker [Printer]
5. Gedrukt bij [Printed by]
6. Gedrukt voor/op kosten van [Printed for/at the expense of]
7. Niet gedefinieerd [Undefined]

Specific function-indications that are not literally present in this list, are reduced to one of the first six options. This is valid for languages other than Latin.

Example
En l'imprimerie de ... becomes [Printed by ...]

Non-Latin mentions of function or address such as 'en la casa de ...', 'in de druckerije van ...' or 'en la empremeria de ...' are not retained, unless the construction makes it impossible to isolate the name of the printer as is the case, for example, with 'in de Plantijnsche drukkerye'.

If there are no function-indications in the imprint or if the only mention is 'bij ...', the option 'Niet gedefineerd' [Undefined] is selected, even though you may know from an external source that this specific printer/publisher was only active as a bookseller. It is not possible to give a source for this field.

Example
En casa de ... becomes [Undefined]

For Latin imprints, where the function-indication is included in the printer's reference term, the option 'Niet gedefineerd' [Undefined] is always selected.

If the imprint contains multiple function-indications, then only the function that is relevant for the specific work is mentioned. If there is more than one function-indication in the imprint (e.g. one before and one after the printer's name), only the first function is mentioned in the bibliographical description. All function indications, along with the year in which they are mentioned, are added to the scope note 'beroep' [professions/function] in the printers thesaurus.

Place of Publication: choice and reproduction

Choice between main form or reference term

• When the place of publication is mentioned in the imprint, and the source-indication is 'title page' or 'colophon', the variant of the place name is taken as reference term for the bibliographical description.
• When the place of publication comes from an imprint with the source-indication 'document', then the main form is chosen. The additional formulations are then added to the geographical thesaurus. The same holds true for places from an external source.

If the imprint mentions a printer but no place of publication, this place may still be found and added. In such cases, the main form is always noted with 'extern' as source. The information is derived from the bibliographical references, or from the printer's place of activity as can be found in the printers thesaurus. The latter is mentioned in a general note: 'Place from the printer's address of activity'.

If the place of publication appears somewhere in the imprint or colophon as an adjective, this wording is not retained. Rather, the main form is selected. The source-indication is then 'document' or 'colophon'.

False imprints, fictitious place names and fictitious printers

Sometimes, the imprint contains a false or fictitious place name.

• A false adress is an address that mentions an existing location to mask the actual place of publication. In this way, a number of Northern Netherlandish printers mention a Southern Netherlandish address in the imprint to escape censorship. It is often possible to detect the real place of publication.
• A fictitious address on the other hand mentions a location that does not exist. Most times, the actual place of publication impossible to trace.
• hamlets fall under the city to which they belong to administratively. They are not considered fictitious or false imprints.

False addresses mentioning a place in the Southern Netherlands are always included, even if the work is clearly printed elsewhere. False addresses mentioning a place outside of the Southern Netherlands but that are clearly printed in the Southern Netherlands, are also included.

False addresses are treated the same as other places of publication: if they are present on the title page or in the colophon, the reference term is noted; in all other cases the main form is selected. The false addresses are, whenever possible, resolved between square brackets. In that case, the reference term is placed under the real place of publication.

Example

Imprint: Loven, N. Braau, 1657 Thesaurus: main form: Haarlem

reference term: Loven [= Haarlem]

Equally, if the main form is required for the bibliographical description, the main form of the real place of publication is selected. In the authority record of that place, the reference term of the false address is added with its solution. A general note can further explain the situation.

When the place name found in the imprint is definitely a false address, but it cannot be resolved, then a new reference term is created in the authority record of said place, with the mention 'mystification'.

Example Antverpiae [mystification]

When there is suspicion that the place mentioned in the imprint is a false address but there is no absolute certainty, this place of publication is added as normal in the 'imprint' field. This doubt is then expressed in a general note with the wording 'possibly not printed in ...' or 'probably not printed in ...'.

For fictitious addresses of places that do not exist, a new geographical authority record is created with the extension 'fictieve plaats' [fictitious place]. The main form is in normalised and modernised spelling, the variants in the document are added as reference terms. Relative place determinations such as 'outside of Antwerp' and other fanciful forms fall under the fictitious addresses. If possible, the real place of publication is solved in the reference term between square brackets.

In a number of cases the wording of the imprint seems to suggest a false address while this is not actually the case. A Spanish printer may, for example, have had a work printed in Antwerp, without him living there. In that case, 'Antwerp' is given as the real place of publication (the work is actually printed here) and the situation is explained in a general note. The address is also added to the printer's authority record, with an explanation in the biographical scope note as to the true circumstances.

In some instances, a fictitious printer's name is used. If the true name of the printer can be detected, the fictitious name is added to the authority record of that printer. If it is impossible to determine the real printer, the fictitious printer's name is added to the printers thesaurus with the extension 'Fictieve drukker' [Fictitious printer].

Input in Brocade

General principles

In principle, each bibliographical description has a date. Undated works which presumably fall within the STCV project boundaries (i.e. before 1801), receive a tentative date in the sense of '17th century?' or '18th century'. For reproduction the year of publication, the following rules apply:

1. The year is given as it is mentioned in the imprint, even if that includes mistakes.
2. The year is given in Arabic numerals. Latin dates are converted: M.D.CL. becomes '1650'.
3. Years in Greek are retained and are calculated between square brackets: 'αζζα [= 1661]'.
4. Years from different calendars, such as the Jewish, Islamic or republican calendar, are retained and calculated between square brackets: '5420 [= 1624]'.
5. Double dates due to the use of two calendars in the source are retained: '5426/1666', 'an 6/1798'.
6. Incorrect years are retained and corrected between square brackets: '1954 [= 1654]'.
7. Impossible Roman numbers are quoted and corrected between square brackets, preceded by an exclamation mark: 'M.D.C.XLXI [!= 1649]'.
8. For multi-volume works, the earliest and latest years of publication are given.
9. For multi-volume works where a later volume appeared before the first, this order is retained in the dates.
10. Undated works that can be dated with certainty on the basis of another element receive this date with the source-indication 'document' or 'extern'. In the case of 'extern' we use square brackets '[YYYY]', for 'document' we use parentheses '(YYYY)'. For dates in the colophon we use '(col.YYYY)'. The date can be explained in a general note: 'date from approbation'.
11. Undated works that can be dated approximately on the basis of another element receive this approximate date with the source-indication 'document' or 'extern'. The date can be explained in a general note.
    1. If the margin of uncertainty is one year, the earliest date is followed by a question mark.
    2. If the margin of uncertainty is more than one year, the date is preceded by circa ('c.').
    3. If the period can be limited by termini post and/or ante quem, then these limits are indicated.
    4. Finally, one can resort to vague dates or general definitions for the year of publication, such as '17th century?', 'early 17th century' or 'late 17th, early 18th century'.

In the Brocade software, however, these linguistic elements should be avoided as much as possible. This means certain nuances disappear. A general note can further refine or explain this.

Examples

Rule	Date in the work	Date in the description
1	1663	1663
2	M.D.C.XXV.	1625
4	(Jewish date) 5420	5420 [= 1660]
5	an 6/1789	an 6/1789
6	1569	1569 [= 1659]
7	M.D.C.XLXI	M.D.C.XLXI [! = 1649]
8	part 1: 1605; part 2: 1608	1605-1608
9	part 1: 1635; part 2: 1632	1635, 1632
10	(privilege) 1645	(1645)
11 a	(extern) 1672 or 1673	[1672?]
11 b	(extern) between 1682 and 1685	[c.1682]
11 c	(document) between 1634 and 1665	(between 1634 and 1665)
11 c	(extern) before 1675	[not after 1675]
11 c	(approbation) after 1698	(not before 1698)
11 d (extern)	probably 17th century	[17th century?]
11 d (extern)	last decade 17th century	[169-]

Input in Brocade