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A letter at the foot of a page showing where a gathering starts.
Also known as: Gathering mark, Quire signature
Signature marks are letters printed at the foot of the first page of each folded gathering, so a binder can assemble a book in the right order. They survive in some modern printing and are the main evidence for how a hand-press book was made.
Marks the first page of each folded gathering with a letter or number so that a binder can collate the book correctly.
Contexts: History
Provides the primary evidence for how a hand-press book was imposed and folded, which is why bibliographers record signatures as a formula.
Contexts: History
A single letter or numeral printed small at the foot of a page, below the text block.