Before number lines, publishers had to reset a line of type to say "Second impression" or "Reprinted". A number line is a shortcut: the printer prints the full row once, then removes the lowest number before each new printing. The lowest number left tells you which printing you are holding.
How to read one
Look on the copyright page for a row such as:
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
The lowest number is 1, so this is a first printing. After the first run the 1 is removed:
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
The lowest number is now 2: a second printing.
The common layouts
- Counting down:
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The most common in UK trade books from the 1980s onwards. - Counting up:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Read it the same way: find the lowest number. - Alternating:
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. The lowest number can sit at either end, so check both. - With years: some lines add years, such as
98 99 00 01 02 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. The years show when a printing was planned, not necessarily when it happened; the printing is still the lowest number.
The traps
- Not every publisher removes the 1 the same way. A few houses have used their own systems, and some first printings were issued without a number line at all. The edition page on MyVolumes notes any exceptions we know of for that book.
- Book club editions can carry the trade edition's number line unchanged. Check the jacket price and the binding too.
- A number line is one point, not proof. Combine it with the first published statement, the points of issue and the jacket.
Where to find it
Almost always on the copyright page, the back of the title page, often near the printer's name. In some books it is at the very end, on the last printed page, beside the printer's details.
Frequently asked questions
What does a number line ending in 1 mean?
If the lowest number in the line is 1, the book is usually a first printing. Check the whole line, because some lines count up or alternate.
My number line starts with 2. Is it a first edition?
It is probably a second printing of the first edition. The lowest number usually gives the printing, so a line whose lowest number is 2 means the second printing.
Do old books have number lines?
Rarely. Most books before about the 1970s show reprints with words such as Second impression or Reprinted, so you check those statements instead.
Where these facts come from
- Printing conventions used by UK and US trade publishers
Points of issue are listed only where at least two independent sources agree. Last reviewed 16 October 2026.
Last reviewed 16 October 2026.