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A compact string of letters, superscripts and page counts.
Also known as: Collational formula, Bibliographic collation, Signature formula, Letters with superscript numbers
A collation formula records a book's physical construction — its format, the signature letters and how many leaves are in each gathering — in one line. It describes the object rather than the text, which is how bibliographers identify editions and detect missing leaves.
Denotes the compact formula describing a book's physical structure: format, signatures and the number of leaves in each gathering.
Contexts: History
Describes the physical object rather than its contents, which is what allows two copies of the same text to be identified as different editions.
Contexts: History
Reveals missing or cancelled leaves by discrepancy between the formula and the copy in hand, which is its principal working use.
Contexts: History
Is a scholarly convention rather than a standard: several formats are in use and a bibliography states which it follows.
Contexts: History
A line of italic letters, each followed by a small raised numeral, preceded by a format abbreviation such as 8vo or 4to.
A fuller structured visual breakdown is not yet documented for this symbol.