What Does First Press Vinyl Mean

Test pressings usually with test pressing written on the label with catalogue number artist and recording time or date are the first vinyl discs made at the factory.

What does first press vinyl mean.

Though these numbers were originally intended for internal use by a record pressing plant you can use them to find out information about the particular edition of a record. Knowing how lp s are printed and distributed can make the difference between paying far too much for a second or third pressing of a recording or selling a very valuable first pressing for far too little. That said many factors help determine whether you ve purchased a good or bad pressing of a record. Such a record may be significantly more valuable than subsequent editions.

Reissues is a recurrent topic among vinyl junkies. This doesn t always apply of course but it is an important point because many people loose the point that at 1st pressing doesn t have to mean 1st issue. They are produced in small quantities usually under five copies to evaluate the quality of the disc before mass production begins. The definition of a first pressing or pressed vinyl record is a record that was pressed from the 1st original masters.