How did a Renaissance printer shape the books we read today?

Talk like a publishing researcher

Classics — the study of Ancient Greek and Roman/Latin literature and language

Digital collection — a curated selection of digital resources accessible via an online interface

Font — the design of a specific set of letters so they go well together. Originally cut in metal, these are now digital files, e.g., Times New Roman, Comic Sans

Publishing — the artistic and commercial enterprise of producing and promoting written work (in printed or digital form), and making it available to the public

Renaissance — a period of cultural change that began in Italy around 1350 and spread across Europe until the late 1500s, marked by a renewed interest in classical antiquity and advances in the arts and sciences

Typography — the art of arranging characters to create legible and appealing writing, including use of font, letter size and spacing, and line spacing

Books are a familiar part of everyday life. Whether printed or digital, their shape and structure – the use of page numbers, punctuation, chapters and tables of contents – feels natural and universal. Yet the design of the modern book has a history, and many of the features we take for granted were introduced by a pioneering individual – Aldus Manutius, a Renaissance scholar and printer who revolutionised book design and publishing. At Simon Fraser University (SFU), Dr John Maxwell and Alessandra Bordini are making Aldus’s books available online through the Aldus@SFU project, to explore how his innovations influence the way we read today.

Who was Aldus Manutius?

“Aldus Manutius lived from around 1450 to 1515 and is celebrated as Renaissance Italy’s finest publisher,” says Alessandra. Beginning as a classics teacher, Aldus gained international renown as a publisher, helping revive classical learning by printing the major works of the Ancient Greek and Roman worlds. Many of Aldus’s books were the first ever printed editions of these texts, most of which existed in his day only as rare handwritten manuscripts. “Over time, Aldus’s printing company, the Aldine Press, published all sorts of books,” says John. “In addition to classical texts in Greek and Latin, he also published new Italian literature – all the things that a hip, educated person should read!”

“But the Aldine Press was more than a profit-driven publishing business,” continues Alessandra. “Aldus’s workshop was a centre of learning and cultural exchange, and he used the new technology of the printing press to make education and knowledge more widely accessible.” In this way, Aldus continued his role as a teacher while shaping the future of books.

How did Aldus shape the way we read today?

“Only a few decades before Aldus began publishing, there were no printed books at all,” explains John. “Instead, manuscripts were painstakingly copied by hand, so they were rare and extremely expensive.” Even after Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in the 1440s, the first printed books closely resembled handwritten manuscripts because that was what people were used to. “They were typically big, impressive and intimidating!” says John. This meant they were heavy and often difficult to handle. “Aldus created books that, for the first time, had a design of their own.”

“Aldus’s successful ‘portable books’ were small-format volumes that could be conveniently held and carried,” explains Alessandra. “While he didn’t invent the concept of pocket-sized books, by combining visual appeal with functionality, he made them more widely accessible.” In this way, Aldus and his portable books popularised the idea of reading not just for study, but for pleasure.

Before Aldus, nothing in book design was standardised. There was no consistency in how books were arranged and navigated, or in the use of punctuation and font. Aldus introduced standardised page numbers and, based on that, contents pages and indexes. Modern punctuation, including commas and semicolons, was developed in the Aldine Press. Aldus also established modern typography, as his books had clear and open text which contrasted with the dense, formal style of medieval manuscripts. His books were printed in italic type, which he modelled on the handwriting of the time, making his books more legible. And many fonts that we still use today (such as Times New Roman and EB Garamond) are inspired by fonts designed at the Aldine Press.

“All these innovations had a lasting impact not only on the design, structure and format of the book, but also on how readers interact with it,” says Alessandra. “Today, it’s easy to take books and punctuation for granted, but every time you write a comma or carry a book with you to read, you are benefitting from Aldus’s contributions.”

How did Aldus@SFU begin?

The SFU Library is home to the Wosk—McDonald Aldine Collection, which contains over 120 books published by the Aldine Press between 1495 and 1580. These volumes offer a tangible record of the evolution of modern book design, and in addition to being rare items of historical and cultural importance, they are also admired as beautifully crafted objects.

To digitise the collection, each book was scanned by library staff and student research assistants. “The book sits in a cradle with lights and two cameras suspended over it, pointing at the left and right page,” explains John. Page by page, each volume was photographed – a process that took several months to complete. The photos were uploaded to a digital collection, along with metadata for each book, such as the catalogue number, author’s name, publication date, dimension of the pages and notes on typography.

John and Alessandra wanted to make Aldus’s books accessible online so that everyone can appreciate them. “You don’t need to be a book scholar or fluent in Greek and Latin to enjoy Aldus’s works and learn from the stories they embody,” says Alessandra. “We believe – and I have no doubt Aldus would agree – that just because a book is valuable, it doesn’t mean it should be locked away. On the contrary, its value increases when it is shared with others.”

The Aldus@SFU project is more than just the texts themselves; it tells the stories behind the evolution of the book we know today. These volumes show how typography developed, how punctuation and page layouts were standardised, and which works were considered important enough to print 500 years ago. “We take books for granted,” says John. “They’re just there, and nobody thinks about why they are the way they are.” By showcasing Aldus’s books from the early days of publishing, John and Alesandra are opening our eyes to the extraordinary history of this everyday object.

Dr John Maxwell
Associate Professor

Fields of research: Publishing technology, history of publishing

Alessandra Bordini
Researcher and interdisciplinary PhD student

Fields of research: History of publishing, Renaissance studies

Publishing Program, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Research project: Aldus@SFU: Turning the works of Renaissance printer Aldus Manutius into a rich, public digital resource

Funder: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Website: alduslibsfu.ca  

About publishing

“Publishing is the business of finding an audience for written works of all kinds,” says John. But it is also an artistic enterprise as much as a commercial one. “Publishing is the art of listening to and aligning with the needs of different individual and collective actors – the author, their intellectual work, the public, the market,” says Alessandra. “In book publishing, the creative vision of the publisher is the glue that keeps everything together.” Far beyond merely making money, publishing is about building new communities around books, and ensuring books are meaningful, accessible and culturally impactful.