What's in a Name?

It's a Fact...

the original meaning of the word colophon was
"finishing touch".

• Medieval manuscripts from the 6th century onward contained a colophon - the final paragraph of a manuscript, giving the title of the work, name of the scribe, date and place of completion, and sometimes an expression of thanksgiving that the work had been completed.
  
  
• A colophon first appeared in a book, the Mainz Psalter (the Book of Psalms), in 1457. The printers, Fust and Schoffer, added their emblem, two shields, at the end of the colophon. The use of a colophon in books was replaced by the title page from around 1520 onward.
  
  
• Some publishers today use a colophon in the form of an emblem of the publishing house on the spine or title page of their books.
  

Learn more about the meaning of Colophon