Colophon in a Book: What It Is, Examples & How to Write One 📖

A colophon in a book is a short section — usually on the last page — that describes how the book was made. It lists the typefaces, paper stock, printing method, and design tools used in production.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What a colophon is and where it goes in your book
• Real examples of colophons from published books
• How to write a colophon for your own self-published book step by step
• When you need one (and when you can skip it)

Here’s everything you need to know about this often-overlooked piece of book craftsmanship.

What Is a Colophon in a Book?

Colophon — a statement at the end of a book that records the technical details of its production, including typefaces, paper, printing method, and design credits. The word comes from the Greek kolophon, meaning “summit” or “finishing touch,” as defined by Merriam-Webster.

A colophon is part of a book’s back matter. It sits after the main text, usually on the very last page or the page before the back cover. Think of it as the “credits roll” for your book’s physical design.

Unlike a copyright page — which covers legal information like ISBN, publishing rights, and edition details — a colophon focuses entirely on how the book was made. The copyright page tells readers who owns the work. The colophon tells them what typeface they’ve been reading for the last 300 pages.

Most readers flip right past it. But designers, typographers, book collectors, and fellow authors read colophons the way film buffs watch end credits — looking for the craft behind the creation.

A Brief History of the Colophon

Colophons predate title pages by centuries. In hand-copied medieval manuscripts, scribes added a note at the end identifying themselves, the date of completion, and sometimes a prayer of thanks. One common medieval colophon simply read “Finished, thank God.”

When Gutenberg introduced movable type in the 1450s, early printers continued the tradition. The colophon was the only place in the book that identified the printer — title pages didn’t become standard until the 16th century.

By the 20th century, colophons became a mark of quality in fine press editions. Publishers like Alfred A. Knopf, the Folio Society, and private presses used colophons to showcase their commitment to typography and design. Today, they appear in everything from limited-edition art books to self-published novels — and they’re experiencing a quiet revival among indie authors who care about book interior design.

What Goes in a Colophon?

A colophon can be as short as two sentences or as detailed as a full page. Here are the most common elements:

Typography Details

This is the heart of most colophons. Include:

• Body typeface — name, designer, and year (e.g., “Set in Garamond Premier Pro, designed by Robert Slimbach, 2005”)
• Display/heading typeface — if different from the body text
• Font size and leading — optional but appreciated by designers (e.g., “11/14.5 pt”)

If you spent time choosing the best fonts for your book interior, the colophon is where you get to show that work.

Paper and Printing

• Paper stock — weight, color, finish (e.g., “Printed on 60 lb. cream uncoated stock”) — the Forest Stewardship Council certification is worth noting if your paper carries it
• Printing method — offset lithography, digital print-on-demand, letterpress
• Printer name — especially for offset or special print runs
• Binding style — perfect bound, case bound, smyth sewn

Design and Production Credits

• Book designer
• Cover designer or illustrator
• Typesetter (if different from designer)
• Software used (InDesign, Vellum, Atticus, etc.)

Edition Information

• Print run size (e.g., “First edition of 500 copies”)
• Special edition details (numbered, signed, limited)
• Date of printing

Optional Extras

• A note about drop caps or ornamental elements used
• The story behind a design choice
• Acknowledgment of the type designer or paper mill
• Environmental notes (FSC-certified paper, soy-based inks)

Colophon Examples from Real Books

Seeing real colophons helps you understand the range — from minimal to elaborate. Here are several styles you can model yours after.

The Minimal Colophon

This book was set in Sabon, designed by Jan Tschichold in 1967. Printed and bound by Lightning Source.

Two sentences. Clean. Professional. This works for most self-published books and is far better than no colophon at all.

The Standard Publisher Colophon

The text of this book was set in Bembo, a typeface originally cut by Francesco Griffo in 1495 and revived by Stanley Morison for Monotype in 1929. Chapter titles are set in Trajan Pro, designed by Carol Twombly. The book was designed by Jane Smith, printed on 55 lb. Natures Natural by Thomson-Shore, Inc., and bound by Dekker Bookbinding.

This is the style you’ll find in traditionally published literary fiction and nonfiction. It credits the designers and gives the typeface a mini backstory.

The Fine Press Colophon

This edition of Collected Poems was printed in an edition of 300 copies on Mohawk Superfine paper using a Vandercook SP-15 proof press. The type is 14-point Centaur, hand-set, with Arrighi italic. Sixty copies have been bound in quarter cloth with marbled paper boards, numbered and signed by the author. Designed, printed, and bound by River Road Press, Autumn 2025.

Fine press colophons read like love letters to the printing process. If you’re doing a special limited edition or letterpress run, this level of detail adds real collector value.

The Modern Self-Published Colophon

Finding Your Voice was designed and typeset by the author using Vellum. The body text is set in Palatino Linotype at 11 pt. Chapter headings use Playfair Display. The cover was designed by BookBrush using a photograph licensed from Unsplash. Printed on demand by KDP Print.

Honest, specific, and clean. This is the template most indie authors should follow. It shows you care about the details without pretending to be something you’re not.

How to Write a Colophon for Your Book

Writing a colophon takes 15 minutes once you know what to include. Follow these steps.

Step 1: Gather Your Production Details

Open your book layout template or formatting software and note:

• Body font name and size
• Heading/display font name
• Software you used to format the book
• Your printer (KDP, IngramSpark, a local printer, etc.)
• Paper type (if you know it — print-on-demand authors can check their printer’s specs)
• Cover designer’s name

Step 2: Choose Your Level of Detail

Match your colophon’s depth to your book’s style:

Step 3: Write It Using This Template

Here’s a fill-in-the-blank template you can adapt:

This book was set in [body font], designed by [type designer] in [year]. Chapter headings use [display font]. The book was designed and typeset by [designer/author name] using [software]. The cover was designed by [cover designer]. Printed by [printer name] on [paper type, if known].

Fill in the blanks, cut anything that doesn’t apply, and you have a professional colophon.

Step 4: Format and Place It

• Position: Last page of your book (the very last recto or verso page before the back cover)
• Alignment: Centered is traditional, but left-aligned works too
• Font size: Slightly smaller than body text (9-10 pt if your body is 11-12 pt)
• Style: Italic is common but not required
• Spacing: Give it breathing room — generous margins, comfortable line spacing

If you’re formatting with a tool like Vellum or Atticus, add the colophon as a custom back matter section.

Step 5: Review and Refine

Read your colophon aloud. It should sound like a quiet, confident statement — not a sales pitch and not a technical manual. Cut any detail that doesn’t earn its place.

Where Does a Colophon Go in a Book?

The colophon goes in the back matter, typically on the very last page of the book. Here’s where it fits in the standard book structure:

1. Main text (your chapters)
2. Epilogue (if applicable)
3. Afterword or author’s note
4. Acknowledgments
5. Appendices or glossary
6. Bibliography or notes
7. Index
8. Colophon (last page)

Some publishers place the colophon on the copyright page in the front matter instead. This is less traditional but perfectly acceptable, especially for ebooks where “last page” is a flexible concept.

For print books, putting the colophon on the final page gives it a sense of closure — the last thing a reader encounters before closing the cover.

Do You Need a Colophon?

Short answer: no. A colophon is completely optional.

But here’s when you should include one:

• You’re publishing a print book and you put thought into the typography and design
• You’re producing a limited or special edition where production details add collector value
• You’re a designer or typographer and your book reflects your craft
• You want to credit contributors like your cover designer, typesetter, or illustrator
• You care about book design and want to show it (even a two-sentence colophon signals professionalism)

When you can skip it:

• Ebook-only releases — colophons are a print tradition, and ebook rendering varies by device
• Very short books (under 50 pages) where it would feel disproportionate
• You used default formatting and don’t have meaningful production details to share

If you’re on the fence, include a minimal one. Two sentences about your font choice and printer shows more care than 99% of self-published books. It’s a small detail that signals you take your craft seriously.

Colophon vs. Copyright Page: What’s the Difference?

These two pages often get confused because they both contain “book information.” But they serve completely different purposes.

Your copyright page is a legal necessity. Your colophon is a creative choice. Include both in a print book for the most professional result.

Common Mistakes When Writing a Colophon

Avoid these pitfalls:

• Being too vague — “This book was printed” tells the reader nothing. Name the font, the printer, the paper.
• Including legal information — ISBNs, copyright notices, and publishing rights belong on the copyright page, not the colophon.
• Overwriting it — A colophon should be understated. If it’s longer than your dedication page, you’ve gone too far.
• Making up details — If you don’t know your paper stock (common with print-on-demand), just leave that detail out rather than guessing.
• Forgetting the type designer — Naming a typeface without crediting who designed it is like citing a book without naming the author. A quick search will find the designer’s name.

How Has the Colophon Changed in the Digital Age?

The rise of ebooks and print-on-demand has shifted how colophons work. Traditional colophons described a specific print run — 500 copies on Mohawk Superfine, bound in cloth. With POD, every copy is printed individually, and the author may not even choose the paper stock.

That doesn’t make colophons irrelevant. It means they’ve adapted. As IngramSpark’s print specifications show, POD authors still make real choices about trim size, paper color, and binding — all worth documenting.

Modern self-published colophons focus on what you do control: your font choices, your formatting software, your cover designer, your layout decisions. A POD colophon won’t mention hand-set type or numbered editions — but it can still document the design choices that shaped the reading experience.

Some authors also include digital colophons in ebooks, noting the fonts specified in the CSS, the software used to create the EPUB, or the tools used to format the ebook. It’s unconventional but increasingly common among design-conscious indie authors.

Can AI Help You Write a Colophon?

AI tools can help you draft a colophon, but you’ll need to supply the facts. A colophon is a record of your specific production choices — no AI can know what font you picked or who designed your cover unless you tell it.

Where AI genuinely helps is in formatting your manuscript. Tools like Chapter help you make design decisions — choosing typefaces, setting margins, structuring your table of contents — that give you something worth documenting in a colophon. The better your interior design process, the more meaningful your colophon becomes.

FAQ

What Does Colophon Mean in Publishing?

A colophon in publishing means a brief statement, usually on the last page of a book, that records the typefaces, paper, printing method, and design credits used in production. The word comes from the Greek kolophon, meaning “finishing touch.” It documents how a book was physically made.

Where Is the Colophon Located in a Book?

The colophon is located in the back matter of a book, typically on the very last printed page before the back cover. Some publishers place colophon information on the copyright page in the front matter instead. In print books, the traditional placement is the final page.

Do Self-Published Books Need a Colophon?

Self-published books do not require a colophon, but including one adds professionalism. Even a two-sentence colophon naming your typeface and printing service shows attention to detail. It’s especially worthwhile for print books where typography and paper are part of the reading experience.

What Is the Difference Between a Colophon and a Copyright Page?

A copyright page contains legal information like the ISBN, copyright notice, and publishing rights. A colophon documents production details like fonts, paper, and design credits. The copyright page goes in the front matter and is practically required. The colophon goes in the back matter and is optional.

What Should I Include in My Book’s Colophon?

Include the body and display typefaces (with designer names), your formatting software, the printer or POD service, and cover designer credit. Optionally add paper stock, binding method, and edition details. Keep it concise — two to eight sentences is the standard range for most books.