How to spot a first pressing

In short: A first pressing is the first pressing run of a release in a particular market – the US first pressing, the UK first pressing, the German first pressing. You can only identify one when several features match: label, catalogue number, runout engravings and cover have to agree with a documented edition. No single feature proves it. That’s why we only call a record a “first pressing” at The Vinyl Room when it is clearly confirmed.

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First pressing, repress or reissue – what’s the difference?

• First pressing: the first run in a given country – “US first pressing”, “UK first pressing”, “German first pressing”.
• Repress: a later run of the same edition, often with small differences on the label or in the runout.
• Reissue: a new edition – sometimes years later with a new label design, sometimes hard to tell apart.

One point Thomas explains in our Plattenparty stream on 15 October 2026: the label design helps narrow down when a record was pressed – but it doesn’t automatically tell you whether it’s an original. If an album first came out in the seventies, even the first pressing carries that era’s label. ▶ Plattenparty video at 0:52:53

Why do collectors look for first pressings?

Because they are closest to how a record was made: from its time, from its country, often with the original cover and details later runs lost. Add rarity – many first runs were small, and well-kept copies get fewer every decade. Still, a first pressing is no guarantee of sound: what counts is the specific edition, the mastering, the manufacturing and the condition.

How do you recognise a first pressing?

1. Label: record companies changed the colour, logo and address on their labels over the years. A label that fits the release date is a first clue.
2. Catalogue number: many labels used fixed number ranges. On Blue Note, an “8” in front marks the stereo edition: 84117 is the stereo version of 4117. ▶ Plattenparty video at 0:56:49
3. Runout (matrix): numbers and codes engraved in the smooth area between the last groove and the label point to the plant, the cut and the run. But the same codes can carry over several runs. Our guide How to read the runout shows how to read them.
4. Cover and back: printer credits, price and order codes, ads for other records – everything has to fit the period.
5. Promo copies: look for “Not for sale”, white labels or radio stickers listing the tracks. Promos are usually among the early copies of their particular run – a reissue promo is still a reissue. Thomas’ experience: “It’s very, very seldom that you have a promo that doesn’t sound good.” ▶ Plattenparty video at 0:33:43

Only when these features together match a documented edition is a record confirmed as a first pressing.

FAQ

What is a first pressing? The first pressing run of a release in a particular country, for example the US first pressing.

Is the catalogue number enough to identify a first pressing? No. Numbers were often kept across several runs. Only label, runout and cover together give certainty.

Repress vs. reissue – what’s the difference? A repress is a later run of the same edition; a reissue is a new edition – often, but not always, with a new label design.

Can a German first pressing come out later than the original? Yes. “First pressing” always refers to one market – the German first edition may have appeared months or years after the US one.

Do first pressings sound better? Not automatically. It depends on the edition, mastering, manufacturing and condition – some later pressings sound superb.

What do deep groove, “ear” and RVG mean? Terms you hear most with Blue Note (deep groove and RVG also appear on other labels): deep groove is a ring-shaped indentation in the label area of early pressings, the “ear” is the stylised “P” mark of the Plastylite pressing plant, and RVG stands for engineer Rudy Van Gelder – hand-etched or stamped in the runout. All three help place a pressing – more on our Blue Note page.

→ The Collector’s Room · Grading explained · How to read the runout · Jazz on vinyl · Plattenparty on YouTube