Catchwords

In addition to signatures and page numbers, printers in the early modern period also used catchwords to keep track of page order.

Catchwords are found in the bottom right-hand corner of each page; they indicate the first word of text to appear on the next page.

In the diagram below, for example, in addition to the signature 'Oo', the bottom line of text on the left-hand page contains the word 'But', which is the first word on the next page: 'But soft, me thinkes I sent the Mornings Ayre'.

 

See also: Page Numbers and Signatures

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