The Printed Book

Some Effects of the Printed Book

With the introduction of printed books - their visual appearance changed. Text went from handwritten script to printed type, and the numerous variations of hand written fonts had been shortened when printed due to manufacturing costs and so a traditional set of types were established and used.

With the development of printing came title pages, author, title, publication date, location and company. And perhaps a small blurb outlining the books contents. Which are currently in todays books, and yet were not a part of book functionality prioer to the 15th century.

In early printed books, illustrations like fonts had become a time/cost issue, and mechanic reproduction was required of illustrations to join the pace of book production and also to cut the costs of individually illustrated pictures. Woodcut block prints were used instead.

The quality of the illustration suffered as a result of the woodprint. Whilst functional and clearly an illustration - it lacked the quality or art that books and manuscripts were used to. Detail, colour, originality, size.... were all factors that were limited.

Copper engraving (compared to woodcuts) influenced the illustrations in books by way of bringing a "more faithful rendering of "light and shade, lines of greater subtlety were possible".
Painters became engravers of copper and poor people could afford them. Copper Illustration took over woodcut illustration. Drawings became realistic and accurate in a way that woodcutting couldn't cater for, they also became permanent.

Text with and without illustration represent different things. The marriage of the two not always produced at the same time. But most certainly effective coupled on a page together. The fonts of the the texts altering been symbols, hand written scripts to type punches. And the illustration from symbols, decorative and illustrative paintings, to woodblock prints to copper engravings.... quite a journey. The relationship changing, becoming ever sophisticated with the surrounding culture and technology... and yet growing together. Strong in this relationship together - illustration and text.


Febvre, L. ‘The Book: Its Visual Appearance’ In The Coming of the Book: The Impact of Printing 1450-1800. London: NLB, pp. 77-108.