Unique Identifier Code

What is a Unique Identifier?

• A ‘Unique Identifier’ is a unique code printed onto each of our products. The unique identifier allows us to:
  Locate a product / production run in B3.
• Identify where and when something was produced.
• Identify how many of the goods were produced on that run, who the goods were for and where they were shipped to.
• Identify a full list of components and substrates used in a product.
• Identify the relevant Technical Files.
• UI’s may also be referred to as a ‘Batch Code’ or a ‘Tracking Label’.

Key components of the UI

DK’s UI is made up of the following five component parts:

1. B3 Impression Number
2. UK Work Reference (we always use the UK Work reference, even on the US editions)
3. Publication Month and Year
4. ISBN

The UI will appear on the Imprint page (or on the back cover of a book where no imprint page exists). Examples are shown below for UK, US and German editions.

Who is responsible for the UI?

It is the Creative team’s responsibility to provide files to Production for first editions that contain the correct impression and imprint line information (defaulting to 001 for a first printing, as per the examples shown below).
For all subsequent printings it is the Production Controller’s responsibility to make sure that the imprint information is fully up to date and correct.

DK UK examples

Note: Back covers will only include this information when no imprint page exists in the product. These details don’t have to appear on all covers or jackets.

DK US example

DK Germany

DK Germany have their own system for unique identification that will not use the B3 Impression number. They will always provide updated files containing the relevant UI number. Example below:

Co-editions

Co-edition partners are responsible for establishing and using their own system of Unique Identification. We are not responsible for ensuring that a co-edition product contains a UI number. Our B3 system does however allow us to trace specific orders, should that be required, in support of any issues the co-ed partner may report.

B3 Impression number

The B3 Impression number is a three digit number found on Biblio at impression level – we use the first three digits only: