August 23, 2026
A colophon page tells readers exactly how your book was made — the font, the paper, the binding, the print run — and it's the one page most self-published authors skip entirely. This guide walks through what belongs on a colophon page, where it goes in the book, and how to write one that looks intentional instead of like an afterthought.
A colophon page is a quiet credibility signal. Readers who care about book craft — collectors, librarians, other authors — check it, and its absence reads as unfinished even when the interior is flawless. The tradition goes back to hand-set type, when printers recorded the binding type and paper by hand because no two press runs were identical.
In 2026, most colophon pages run four to eight lines and sit near the copyright notice. Nonfiction authors, poets, and small presses use them most; genre fiction skips them more often, but nothing stops you from including one regardless of category. The page costs you nothing but a few minutes of formatting, and it's one of the fastest ways to make a self-published book look like it came from a real production process.
A colophon isn't a full production diary — it's a short, factual list. Most authors include the typeface, paper, binding, and sometimes the print date or edition number; anything beyond that starts to clutter the page. Decide now which five or six facts matter for your book, because a colophon crammed with ten details reads like a spec sheet, not a page readers want to glance at. The common mistake here is treating the colophon like an acknowledgments page and listing people instead of production facts.
Name the actual typeface and point size for body text, and the display font for chapter headings if it differs — "Garamond 11pt body, Futura display" is a real colophon line; "a classic serif font" is not. If you're unsure what you used, check your word processor's font panel or your design software's style sheet before you write this line. Getting specific here matters more than any other line on the page, and it's worth reviewing a book interior fonts guide if you haven't locked your typeface yet. The common mistake is guessing the font name from memory and listing the wrong one.
This is the line most self-publishers get wrong, because they don't know their own specs. If you're printing through a short-run digital printer, your paper weight and finish (60 lb. cream, 80 lb. white, gloss vs. matte cover) and your binding — perfect bound, saddle stitch, coil, or Wire-O — should already be locked from your print order. Confirm both before you write this line; changing binding after the colophon is finalized means reprinting the page. A quick pass through a choosing a binding type guide settles this fast if you haven't decided. Expect this line to read something like: "Printed on 60 lb. natural paper, perfect bound."
If a designer built your interior layout or a cover artist illustrated your jacket, the colophon is the traditional place to name them — one line each, first and last name, role in three words or fewer ("Cover design by…"). Skip this step if you did the design work yourself; there's no rule requiring self-credit, and an empty credit line looks worse than no credit line. The common mistake is crediting an editor or proofreader here — that belongs on the acknowledgments page, not the colophon.
For a first printing, a simple "First edition, 2026" line covers it. If you're doing a numbered limited run — common for poetry chapbooks and art books — list the total print run ("Limited to 250 copies") and, if you're numbering individual copies by hand, note that too. Skip this step entirely for standard trade editions or ongoing print-on-demand runs, since a print run number implies a fixed, finite quantity that doesn't exist for POD titles. Getting this wrong — printing "limited edition" on a book you plan to reprint indefinitely — undercuts your own credibility with collectors.
The colophon sits in one of two spots: on the copyright page itself, right after the ISBN and copyright notice, or as the final page of back matter. Both are standard in 2026; front-page placement suits shorter colophons, back-of-book placement suits longer ones with several credit lines. Check your manuscript's front matter order if you're placing it up front, or your back matter checklist if it's going at the end. The common mistake is burying it mid-book where readers never find it, or duplicating information already on the title page.
Your colophon reads like a list of code, not sentences. Break it into short lines separated by line breaks instead of one dense paragraph — most published colophons use four to six single-line entries, not prose.
You don't know your exact paper weight. Pull your print order confirmation or ask your printer directly; guessing a paper weight and printing it wrong on the colophon is worse than leaving the line out.
The page looks empty on its own. A colophon with only two lines can sit at the bottom of the copyright page instead of getting a dedicated page — there's no rule requiring a full page for four lines of text.
You're not sure whether to include a print run number. If you're using short-run digital printing with no fixed reprint schedule, skip the run number and just note the edition and year.
Your fonts changed after you wrote the colophon. Always write this page last, after your final proof — font swaps mid-layout are common, and a colophon with the wrong typeface listed is an easy, avoidable error.
You accidentally duplicated ISBN or copyright info. The colophon supplements the copyright page, it doesn't repeat it — keep legal notices on the copyright page and production facts on the colophon.
Once your colophon is drafted, move on to locking your front matter order so the colophon lands in the right sequence relative to your title page, copyright notice, and dedication. Getting that sequence right the first time saves a reprint later, and it's a five-minute check against a proper front matter checklist.
What is a colophon page in a book?
A colophon page lists the production details of a book — typeface, paper stock, binding type, and sometimes print run or edition date. It traditionally sits on the copyright page or as the final page of back matter.
Is a colophon page required for self-published books in 2026?
No, a colophon page is optional in 2026 and most genre fiction skips it. Nonfiction, poetry, and small-press titles include one most often as a craft and credibility signal.
Where does the colophon go in a book?
The colophon goes on the copyright page near the front, or as the last page of back matter. Both placements are standard; shorter colophons suit the front, longer ones with credits suit the back.
What font information should a colophon include?
List the exact typeface name and point size for body text, plus the display font for headings if it’s different. "Garamond 11pt" is correct; a vague description like "a serif font" is not.
Should a colophon list the printer’s name?
Yes, many colophons name the printer alongside the paper stock and binding, especially for limited or numbered editions. It’s optional for standard trade printings but common practice for short-run and art books.
How long should a colophon page be?
Most colophon pages run four to eight lines — enough for font, paper, binding, and edition details. Anything longer starts to read like a spec sheet instead of a clean credit page.
Does a colophon need a print run number?
Only for limited or numbered editions with a fixed print quantity. Standard trade books and ongoing print-on-demand titles skip the run number since the quantity isn’t fixed.
Can I add a colophon after my book is already printed?
Yes, but it means a new print run or a revised edition, since the colophon is part of the interior file. Write it last, after your final proof, to avoid a second reprint just for this page.
The oldest printed colophons date back to hand-set moveable type, when printers recorded paper and press details because every run genuinely varied — your 2026 colophon is doing the same job, just with a laser printer and a PDF instead of a hand press. Write it last, keep it to a handful of lines, and it'll do more for how finished your book looks than almost any other single page.
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