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The printed page

This research traces the typographic appearance of Oxford books from the late sixteenth to the mid-eighteenth century, and brings together writers on design, printing practice, and the techniques of engraving. Luna’s contribution focuses on changes that parallel wider developments in English and European typography, considering the development of typographic resources for scholarly printing, especially the need for a range of Latin and non-Latin types. An argument is made that some of the most significant books of the period are both sumptuous and rationally designed. The authors jointly discuss the formal qualities of pages form a large variety of Oxford books printed in the period, informed by Luna’s approach that describes the relationship of typographic design to structure, and Ould’s research on compositors’ and printers’ practice. The transition between the ‘Fell’ types and Caslon’s is particularly discussed. The section on printing the Oxford Almanack contains a contribution from Jim Nottingham.