Colophon

In publishing, a colophon is "a brief statement containing information about the publication of a book," the imprint, publisher, place, date, sometimes the ISBN, and it "may include the device (logo) of a printer or publisher." The Greek kolophon means "summit" or "finishing touch," and the practice is ancient: scribes closed Mesopotamian clay tablets with colophons, the Diamond Sutra of 868 ends with one naming date and printing house, and after about 1500 the information moved to the title page. The private press movement revived the form around 1890, and private presses still add statements of paper, ink, type and binding.

For the self-publisher a colophon is the natural last line of back matter: a line naming the imprint and date, the quiet signature after the story. An ISBN identifies the edition; the colophon names who made it.