# U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual/General Instructions

In recent years, changes in the needs of the library community have led to a move toward uniform treatment of the component parts of publications. In developing standards to guide publishers of Government documents, consideration has been given to the changing needs of those who seek to produce, reference, index, abstract, store, search, and retrieve data. Certain identifying elements shall be printed on all publications in accordance with this Manual and with standards developed by the (ANSI) American National Standards Institute.
Publications such as books and pamphlets should contain:
(b) Name of department issuing or creating publication;
(c) Name of author(s) and editor(s) (department or individual);
(d) Date of issuance;
(e) Availability (publisher, printer, or other source and address);
(f) Superintendent of Documents classification and stock numbers if applicable; and
(See ANSI Standard Z39.15, Title Leaves of a Book.)
Reports of a scientific or technical nature should contain:
(a) Title and other title information;
(b) Report number;
Notes:
(1) This sample report cover is reduced in size.
(2) In this sample, items are justified left. Other cover designs and typefaces are acceptable.
(d) Performing organization;
(e) Sponsoring department;
(f) Date of issuance;
(g) Type of report and period covered;
(h) Availability (publisher, printer, or other source and address); and
(i) Superintendent of Documents classification and stock numbers if applicable.
(See ANSI/NISO Standard Z39.18–1995, Scientific and Technical Reports—Elements, Organization, and Design.)
Journals, magazines, periodicals, and similar publications should contain:
(a) Title and other title information;
(b) Volume and issue numbers;
(c) Date of issue;
(d) Publishing or sponsoring department;
(e) Availability (publisher, printer, or other source and address);
(f) International Standard Serial Number; and
(g) Superintendent of Documents classification and stock numbers if applicable.
(See ANSI Standard Z39.1, American Standard Reference Data and Arrangement of Periodicals.)
(a) Frontispiece, faces title page.
(b) False title (frontispiece, if any, on back).
(c) Title page (new odd page).
​(d) Back of title, blank, but frequently carries such useful bibliographic information as list of board members, congressional resolution authorizing publication, note of editions and printings, GPO imprint if departmental imprint appears on title page, sales notice, etc.
(e) Letter of transmittal (new odd page).
(f) Foreword, differs from a preface in that it is an introductory note written as an endorsement by a person other than the author (new odd page). An introduction differs from a foreword or a preface in that it is the initial part of the text; if the book is divided into chapters, it should be the first chapter.
(g) Preface, by author (new odd page).
(h) Acknowledgments (if not part of preface) (new odd page).
(i) Contents (new odd page), immediately followed by list of illustrations and list of tables, as parts of contents.
(j) Text, begins with page 1 (if halftitle is used, begins with p. 3).
(k) Glossary (new odd page).
(1) Bibliography (new odd page).
(m) Appendix (new odd page).
(n) Index (new odd page).
Sec. 920. Abuse of the rule.
Copy is followed when stamped "Fol. lit." (follow literally). Copy authorized to be marked "Fol. lit." must be thoroughly prepared by the requisitioning agency as to capitalization, punctuation (including ​compounding), abbreviations, signs, symbols, figures, and italic. Such copy, including even obvious errors, will be followed. The lack of preparation on copy so designated shall, in itself, constitute preparation. "Fol. lit." does not include size and style of type or spacing.
Obvious errors are corrected in copy marked "FIC & punc." (follow, including capitalization and punctuation).
In a head set in boldface, the title "Mr." is not used, and "the Honorable" preceding a name is shortened to "Hon." Street addresses are also deleted. Example: "Statement of Hon. John P. Blank, Member, American Bar Association, Washington, DC."
At the beginning of a legend or standing alone, Figure preceding the identifying number or letter is set in caps and small caps and is not abbreviated.
The following rules must be carefully observed:
(a) See that the proof is clean and clear; request another if necessary.
(b) Verify that the galley proofs are in order and that the data on the galleys runs in properly to facilitate continuous makeup.
(c) Make sure that different sets of proofs of the same job are correctly marked in series ("R," "2R," "3R," etc.); where a sheet is stamped "Another proof," carry the same designating "R" on the corresponding clean proof. Advance the "R," "2R," "3R," etc., on each set of page proofs returned from the originating office.
(d) Run the page folios, make sure they are consecutive and that the running heads, if used, are correct. Check connection pages. Verify correct sequence for footnote references and placement. It is imperative that footnotes appear or begin on the same page as their reference, unless style dictates that all footnotes are to appear together in one location.
(e) Watch for dropouts, doublets, and transpositions.
(f) Legend lines of full-page illustrations that appear broad should be printed to read up—the even-page legend on the binding or inside margin and the odd-page legend on the outside margin.
(g) If a footnote is eliminated, do not renumber the footnotes;
Press revising calls for the exercise of utmost care. The press reviser must be thoroughly familiar with the style and makeup of Government publications. He or she is required to OK all forms that go to press—bookwork, covers, jobwork, etc.—and must see that all queries are answered. A knowledge of the bindery operations required to complete a book or job and familiarity with all types of
Figures indicating the year should follow the jacket number in signature marks:
    125—327—08——4
    116—529—08—vol. 1——3
    116—529—08—pt. 5——3
On a congressional job reprinted because of change, the House and Senate have approved the following styles:
    House of Representatives:
       ★17—234—08——2
    Senate:
       17—235—08——2 ★(Star Print)
The following forms are used for signature marks in House and Senate documents and reports printed on session jackets:
    H. Doc. 73, 08—1——2
    S. Doc. 57, 08—1——2
    S. Doc. 57, 08—2, pt. 1——2
    S. Doc. 57, 08—2, vol. 1——2
    H. Rept. 120, 08—2——8
    S. Rept. 100, 08—2——9
For pasters, the jacket number, the year, and the page to be faced by the paster are used as follows (note punctuation):
    12—344——08 (Face p. 10)
If more than one paster faces the same page, each is numbered as follows:
    12—344——08 (Face p. 19) No. 1
    12—344——08 (Face p. 19) No. 2
To aid bibliographic identification of reprints or revisions, the dates of the original edition and of reprint or revision should be supplied by the author on the title page or in some other suitable place. Thus:
    First edition July 1990
    Reprinted July 1995
    Original edition May 1990
    Reprinted May 1995
    Revised July 1997
    First printed June 1990
    Revised June 1995
This is one style of an imprint that can appear on the title page.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
* Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov • Phone: Toll Free 866-512-1800
* DC area 202-512-1800 • Fax: 202-512-2104
* Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
* www.gpoaccess.gov
In the event that a title page is not used, the imprint is printed on the last page and positioned flush left below the text.
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office
* Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free 866-512-1800
* DC area 202-512-1800 -Fax: 202-512-2250
* Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
* www.gpoaccess.gov
Outside-purchase publications are identified by an open star at the beginning of the imprint line. These lines are positioned 4 ems from the right margin.
☆ U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2008—456–89
Publications purchased outside which are reprinted by the GPO use an em dash in lieu of the open star.
—U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2008—456–789
Jobs set on outside purchase but printed by the GPO use an asterisk in lieu of the open star.
*U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2008—456–789
Publications produced from camera copy supplied to the GPO are identified by cc printed at the end of the line.
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2008—123—456–cc
    Author's name (if the article is signed); title of article (in quotation marks); the publication (usually in italic), with correct references to volume, number, series, pages, date, and publisher (U.S. Govt. Print. Off.).
​Therefore the example would read:
    U.S. Department of the Interior, "Highlights in history of forest and related natural source conservation," Conservation Bulletin, No. 41 (serial number not italic), Washington, U.S. Dept. of the Interior (or U.S. Govt. Print. Off.), 1997. 1 p. (or p. 1).
Another Government periodical citation would read as follows:
    Reese, Herbert Harshman, "How To Select a Sound Horse," Farmers' Bulletin, No. 779, pp. 1-26 (1926), U.S. Dept. of Agriculture.
Clarity may be maintained by capitalizing each word in book titles, but only the first word in the title of articles.
Other examples are:
    Preston W. Slosson, The Great Crusade And After: 1914-1928 (New York: Macmillan, 1940)
    Edward B. Rosa, "The economic importance of the scientific work of the government," J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 10, 342 (1920)
or:
    Preston W. Slosson, The Great Crusade and After: 1914-1928 (New York: Macmillan, 1940)
    Edward B. Rosa, "The Economic Importance of the Scientific Work of the Government," J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 10, 342 (1920)
Note that the principal words in both book titles and titles of articles are capitalized. Consistency is more important in bibliographic style than the style itself.
The science of bibliography is covered in many texts, and the following references are available for study:
    Better Report Writing, by Willis H. Waldo. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1965.
    Macmillan Handbook of English, by Robert F. Wilson. Macmillan Co., New York, 1982.
    The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2003.
    Words Into Type, Prentice-Hall, New York, 1974.