Pressing identification
Read the label.
Then read the fine print.
The center label can narrow a record to the right era in seconds. These visual guides show what to look for next—the catalog number, rim wording, plant marks, and matrix details that separate an original from a later copy.
Four useful starting points
Choose the label on your record.
Columbia Records · roughly 1955–1962
Columbia six-eye
Identify a Columbia six-eye pressing by its six walking-eye marks, catalog prefix, label text, and dead-wax matrix—then check album-specific details.
Read the label guide
Columbia Records · roughly 1962–1970
Columbia two-eye
Identify a Columbia two-eye pressing from its two walking-eye logos, 360 Sound text, catalog prefix, and dead-wax matrix variations.
Read the label guide
Atlantic Records · mid-1960s–early 1970s
Atlantic red and plum
Identify Atlantic red-and-plum LP pressings by label layout, catalog number, address and rim text, pressing-plant marks, and matrix details.
Read the label guide
Capitol Records · 1960s label family
Capitol black rainbow
Identify Capitol black-rainbow and colorband pressings by logo position, rim text, catalog prefix, plant mark, and matrix runout.
Read the label guide
Warner Bros. Records · 1973–1978
Warner Bros. Burbank palm-tree
Date a 1970s Warner Bros. LP by its label: solid green before 1973, the Burbank palm-tree street photo from 1973 to 1978, then the cream label with a large WB shield.
Read the label guide
Elektra Records · 1970–1979
Elektra butterfly
Date a 1970s Elektra LP by its butterfly label: the New York address on early copies, the Los Angeles address and Warner wording later, and the red label that replaced it in 1979.
Read the label guide
MCA Records · 1973–1977
MCA black rainbow
Date an MCA LP by its label: black with a rainbow sweep from 1973 to fall 1977, tan labels from late 1977, blue with a rainbow from 1980, and how Uni titles were renumbered.
Read the label guide
Apple Records · 1968–1975 in the US
Apple Records
Identify US Apple pressings by the whole-apple and sliced-apple sides, Capitol rim text, the Her Majesty listing, plant marks, and the Capitol and barcode reissues that followed.
Read the label guide
Vee-Jay Records · 1964
Vee-Jay Introducing... The Beatles
Tell a genuine Vee-Jay Introducing... The Beatles from a counterfeit by label layout, logo, colorband, dead-wax stamps, jacket gloss, and the two track lists.
Read the label guide
Island Records (UK) · late 1967–mid 1970s
Island pink label
Date a UK Island LP by its label design: pink 'eye', black block, white 'i', or pink-rim palm tree. Then confirm it with the runouts, label typesetting, and sleeve printer.
Read the label guide
Columbia Records (CBS) · 1970 into the 1990s
Columbia red label (1970s)
Tell a 1970s Columbia original from a 1980s reissue by catalog prefix (KC, PC, JC, FC), label copy, barcode, and plant letters in the dead wax.
Read the label guide
Epic Records (CBS) · 1973–1980s
Epic orange and blue labels
Date a US Epic LP by label color (yellow, orange, or dark blue script), catalog prefix (PE, JE, FE, QE), barcode, and the runouts.
Read the label guide
Capitol Records · 1972–1988
Capitol orange and purple labels
Date a Capitol LP on the 1970s orange label, the 1978 purple dome label, the 1983 rainbow reissue, or the 1988 purple label, and spot Beatles reissues sold as originals.
Read the label guide
Fantasy Records · 1968–1980s
Fantasy Records (Creedence)
Tell an original Creedence Clearwater Revival LP on Fantasy's blue label from the brown, lightning-sky, aqua, and 1983 retro-blue reissues by catalog number, label text, runout, and barcode.
Read the label guideLabel found. Pressing next.
Put the clue in context.
The album decides what it means.
Once the label family looks right, use the album guide to check its catalog, matrix, jacket, inserts, and condition range.