quarto editions

A quarto edition refers to a specific book size and format that results from folding a sheet of paper twice to create four pages, producing a compact, portable book. Historically used in the 16th and 17th centuries, quartos were common for plays, poetry, and scholarly works. The term describes both the printing method and the resulting dimensions, generally smaller than folio editions but larger than octavos. Recognized by collectors and historians, quarto editions help identify the original printing and physical characteristics of historic books.