Understanding Pressing Identification, Fingerprint, and Deadwax

Three related sections in your album's record all describe the same physical pressing, but from different angles. Here's how they fit together.

Pressing Identification

The overall answer to "which exact pressing is this?" — the specific edition, matched against Discogs and confirmed by the evidence you provided. This is the summary; the sections below are the evidence behind it.

Deadwax / Runout

The etched or stamped text in the runout groove near the label — matrix numbers, mastering-engineer initials, pressing-plant marks, and similar. This is usually the single most reliable piece of evidence for telling apart pressings that otherwise look identical, which is why Album Scan asks for a close-up deadwax photo for each side.

Pressing Fingerprint

Every other small, distinguishing detail that isn't part of the deadwax itself — barcode, price code, promotional stamps, obi strip text, and anything else printed or stamped on the release that helps confirm exactly which pressing you're holding.

In short: Pressing Identification is the conclusion; Deadwax/Runout and Pressing Fingerprint are the two kinds of physical evidence that support it.

See also When Discogs Can't Identify Your Pressing and Understanding Your Ratings, which covers the separate question of pressing and audio quality.

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