Front matter

Front matter

Front matter is the initial section of a book, typically containing the fewest pages. Traditionally, front matter pages do not have a folio (the printed page number), unless it is a multi-paged piece of text such as a foreword, introduction, or preface. Front matter pages are numbered using lower-case Roman numerals. If there is no praise page, a book begins numbering with the letter i. This practice allows for additional content, like dedication pages or acknowledgments, to be inserted without affecting the numbering of the main text. Page numbers are usually omitted on blank and stand-alone display pages such as the half-title, frontispiece, title page, colophon, dedication, and epigraph. Additionally, page numbers may either be omitted or presented as a drop folio on the first page of each new front matter section, such as the table of contents, foreword, or preface. In multi-volume works, the front matter typically appears only in the first volume, although some elements like the table of contents or an index may be repeated in each volume. Possible elements of front matter include: