Imprint - Definition and Overview

In the publishing business, an imprint is a brand name under which a work is published. One single publishing company may have multiple imprints; the different imprints are used by the publisher to market the work to different demographic consumer segments.

Examples of imprints:

• Random House includes the imprints:
  • Ballantine
  • Bantam
  • Dell
  • Doubleday
• Marvel Comics includes the imprints:
  • Marvel Knights
  • MAX
  • Marvel Age
• DC Comics includes the imprints:
  • America's Best Comics
  • CMX
  • DC Focus (discontinued)
  • Helix (discontinued)
  • Humanoids
  • Johnny DC
  • Milestone (discontinued)
  • Paradox Press
  • Piranha Press (discontinued)
  • Vertigo
  • Wildstorm

See also: Imprinting is a term used in the fields of genetics and child development.