(ずはん)

ずはん
noun
illustration; plate; figure (in a publication)
1. illustration; plate; figure; printed image in a publication
An illustration, photograph, diagram, or other visual image printed in a book, magazine, or other publication. Often refers specifically to full-page or high-quality reproductions.
この(ほん)には(うつく)しい図版(ずはん)(おお)い。
This book has many beautiful illustrations.
図版(ずはん)解説(かいせつ)巻末(かんまつ)にまとめられている。
The descriptions of the plates are compiled at the end of the volume.
美術書(びじゅつしょ)には作品(さくひん)のカラー図版(ずはん)(ひゃく)点以上(てんいじょう)収録(しゅうろく)されている。
The art book contains more than one hundred color plates of the artworks.

Composed of () (figure, drawing) and (はん) (printing plate, edition). Originally referred to the printing plate used to reproduce images, now refers to the printed image itself.

USAGE:
Common in publishing, art, and academic contexts. Art books, encyclopedias, and academic texts often list their 図版(ずはん) in a separate index. The word implies a certain level of quality or formality — casual photos in a magazine would not typically be called 図版(ずはん).

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • カラー図版(ずはん): color plate
  • 図版(ずはん)目録(もくろく): plate index; list of illustrations
  • 図版(ずはん)掲載(けいさい)する: to include an illustration
  • 図版(ずはん)解説(かいせつ): plate description; caption
  • 図版(ずはん)一覧(いちらん): list of figures

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 挿絵(さしえ): illustration (in a book) — specifically an artistic drawing inserted into the text, often in fiction
  • 図表(ずひょう): charts and figures — refers to diagrams, graphs, and tables rather than photographic or artistic reproductions
  • 写真(しゃしん): photograph — a general term; 図版(ずはん) is more formal and can include non-photographic images