Aldus Manutius & the Aldine Press

Commercial book printing is still a technique in its infancy but one of its foremost pioneers can be found in the city of Venice. Aldus Manutius and his printing office, the Aldine Press have gained a reputation for their consistent and clear typography and their well executed translations from Latin. Italics as well as a consistent way to use semicolons are among Manutius contributions to the field of typography. To the field of bookbinding Manutius has contributed the easily handled Octavo format, making sure that the classics leaving his printing press are portable rather than attempting to emulate the format of the medieval manuscript.