Indicia is the plural of the Latin word ''indicium'', meaning distinguishing marks.
In magazine and comic book publishing, indicia refers to a piece of text traditionally appearing on the first
recto
''Recto'' is the "right" or "front" side and ''verso'' is the "left" or "back" side when text is written or printed on a leaf of paper () in a bound item such as a codex, book, broadsheet, or pamphlet.
Etymology
The terms are shortened from ...
page after the cover, which usually contains the official name of the publication, its publication date, information regarding editorial governance of the publication, and a disclaimer regarding disposition of unsolicited submissions.
Placement of indicia has moved away from being exclusively on the inside first recto page. Since 2006, American comic books commonly have indicia on the inside last
verso
' is the "right" or "front" side and ''verso'' is the "left" or "back" side when text is written or printed on a leaf of paper () in a bound item such as a codex, book, broadsheet, or pamphlet.
Etymology
The terms are shortened from Latin ...
page, while magazines may place their indicia almost anywhere within the publication (often on whichever page has the
table of contents
A table of contents, usually headed simply Contents and abbreviated informally as TOC, is a list, usually found on a page before the start of a written work, of its chapter or section titles or brief descriptions with their commencing page numbe ...
).
See also
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Indicia (philately)
In philately, indicia are markings on a mail piece (as opposed to an adhesive stamp) showing that postage has been prepaid by the sender. ''Indicia'' is the plural of the Latin word ''indicium'', meaning distinguishing marks, signs or identifyi ...
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Colophon
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Front matter
Book design is the art of incorporating the content, style, format, design, and sequence of the various components and elements of a book into a coherent unit. In the words of renowned typographer Jan Tschichold (1902–1974), book design, "though ...
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Masthead (American publishing) In American usage, a publication's masthead is a printed list, published in a fixed position in each edition, of its owners, departments, officers, contributors and address details,E.g./ref> which in British English usage is known as imprint.
References
Comics terminology
Publishing
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