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Discover LudwigThe phrase "a first printing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the initial release of a book or publication, indicating that it is the first version printed.
Example: "This rare book is a first printing, making it highly sought after by collectors."
Alternatives: "the initial printing" or "the first edition".
Exact(56)
It has a first printing of 100,000 copies.
American Express underwrote a first printing of 40,000 copies.
It may occasionally have a first printing of 30,000, but "we never have a first printing of 40,000," she said.
Ordinarily, Mr. Shur said, his books have a first printing of 10,000 copies.
("Now, Discover Your Strengths" has a first printing of 85,000).
The company gave the book a first printing of 3.8 million copies, the largest ever.
His publisher, Knopf, ordered a first printing of twenty-five thousand copies.
The latest, "It's Hard to Be Five," had a first printing of 500,000 copies.
It went on sale in late December with a first printing of about 25,000 copies.
Each February he turns out a novel with a first printing of 2.8 million copies.
It has a first printing of 60,000 copies, a healthy number for such a book.
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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com